The connections that Sinai and Zion draws between the laws and commandments laid out in Exodus and Deuteronomy and the Hittite society were extremely interesting to me. I only rarely considered the links between Biblical stories and ancient societies, but the connection is undeniable. The biggest principle in the suzerainty treaties described is that they are agreements between unequals. The more specific sections between the binding treaties in Hittite society and the Biblical story are also very similar. 

The laws in the chapters do not seem to follow a consistent moral code. This is not to say, however, that morality is not a significant element. Much like the Hittite treaties, Yahweh commands loyalty and commitment to his commands. Exodus 34:14 states “Yahweh’s name is the Jealous One; he is a jealous God”. This proclamation, along with others calling for the worship and celebration of God, establishes superiority and seems to imply God’s desire for submission and obedience from the Israelites. Now that the Israelites are free from Egyptian control, they are subject to Yahweh.  Moses almost acts as a mediator between God and the Israelites, as he is able to calm Yahweh down and convince him not to conflict great destruction his people. 

Other laws have a much stronger moral character and promote personal and societal expectations that Yahweh has for the Israelites. These show God’s love and goodwill for the people. The Hittite treaties describe “curses and blessings” that parallel those depicted in the Bible. Curses include infertility, exile, and drought. One thing that Yahweh exhibits which differs, however, is his mercy and forgiveness despite his anger at their betrayal. 

One things I would like to know more about is how the plethora of laws and commandments outlined in these chapters relate to modern society and religion. Many things, such as slavery, differ and I would like to draw more connections between these writings and their manifestations today. 

From the beginning, it becomes clear that Moses is a different figure than we had previously seen. In Exodus 2:22, Moses sees himself as “An Alien in a foreign land”.  Abraham, Isaac, and John all were clearly obedient to Yahweh and did not question his directions or will. Moses, however, was much more afraid and inquisitive. One moment that defines this is in Exodus 3, “At this Moses covered his face, for he was afraid to look at God”, which places further emphasis on his humanity and his flaws. This self-doubt continues and Moses says “Who am I to go to Pharaoh..?” (3:11)

Even upon receiving instructions from Yahweh, Moses sill inquires for more information and explanation. He needs consistent and strong communication from God in order to even begin his tasks. This is a sharp contrast to the important figures of Abraham, Isaac, and John who acted upon lesser direction from Yahweh. Yahweh’s anger at Moses’s hesitation and the use of his brother Aaron to speak is further exemplification of Moses’s flaws and revels an imperfect relationship between man and God. It is revealed that  Moses’s continuous failed attempts to negotiate with the Pharaoh were foreseen by Yahweh. Each time Moses returns, he is able to develop is confidence and is able to better negotiate for the Israelites. It is clear, however, through all of these interactions, that Moses has actually developed a  two-way relationship with God and in Exodus 11, he is no longer an Alien, but rather “a man of great importance” (11:3). It is ultimately  the power that God gives to Moses that allows him to part the sea and ultimately convince the people not only to have faith in Yahweh, but also in him, 

One questions that I do have about the passage is at the beginning of Exodus 2, when Moses killed the Egyptian. Does this human bloodshed not upset or even phase Yahweh? Why does Yahweh chooses Moses even after he has committed this act, especially when it was so strongly condemned before?

Introduction to the Pentateuch Summary:

Section I: 

The first five books of the Bible, known to the Jews as the torah, are entitles Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Genesis, in its entirety, deals with ancestral history. 

The Book of Exodus describes Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt and the covenant at Mount Sinai. Numbers begins at Mount Sinai and accounts the departure from the covenant through the desert. Deuteronomy provides a summary of the laws given to the chosen people by Yahweh and emphasizes their significance. 

Section II: 

Despite Moses being credited with writing the “vast body of literature”, it was never explicitly claimed that he wrote the entire Pentateuch, and more recent analysis of the text have shown discrepancies. It was initially believed that there were two authors, designated by the letters J and E. However, a third source (D) was afterwards added. The study of style and syntax saw overlaps in time periods and the combination of documents. Uncertainty and indecision characterize hypothesis about the Bible and its age is also reflected in its composition. Its centrality, however, is not focused on questions about authorship, but rather Jewish personality and the Law of Moses. 

Section III: 

The Bible should not be taken as an exact and precise historical text, but rather reflect the beliefs of the time period and various stylistic elements of the narrators.  Though the first eleven chapters of Genesis must be considered separately, they all have the same core elements and content. The story of the patriarchs in composed of anecdotes and family histories often passed on orally. This blurring of lines and facts continues throughout The Pentateuch and should be viewed as a book containing an explicit religious narrative rather than strict historical fact.

Section IV:

The Pentateuch is called the torah, which means “Law” and reflects both the social and religious laws that prevailed societies and governing bodies at that time. These laws changed and adapted to various conditions and events that occurred. The most prevalent is the Decalogue, or “ten words” inscribed as the fundamental law. 

Section V:

The religion described in the Pentateuch and throughout the Old Testament is a historical one, which is composed of the accounts of divine intervention made to different people at different times. The Pentateuch is the foundation and core of Jewish Religion and represents the initial “exploration of destiny”.

Genesis 1 begins with the story of all creation, the moment when light was distinguished from darkness. It chronicles the creating of the Earth and seas and the division of all species. Towards the end of Genesis 1, the creation of man is discussed. It is said that “God created man in the image of himself” (page 18, line 27). 

Early in Genesis 2, there is a new depiction of how man was created “from the soil of the ground” (page 18, line 8). Already, there seems to be some distinction in the way humans are depicted, with one depicting man as the image of God and the other focusing on the relationship between man and the earth. 

Continuing into Genesis 2, God’s creation of woman is different than the initial creating of man. Rather than being created in the image of God, “she was taken from man” (page 20, line 23).  This is an important distinction that affects the relation of God to humans, with one being the image of God and the other being derived from this image. This raises some confusion for me. Does the way in which women were created, from man, make them inferior to man in Gods eyes? In addition, has this been justification throughout history for the oppression or mistreatment of women? I am curious to reflect more on this as we continue reading further into the Bible.

Genesis 3 brings up a different distinction between humans and God: knowledge. The snake tells the woman that, upon eating the fruit, that she will not die, but rather become “like gods, knowing good from evil” (Page 20, line 6). After the man and women eat the forbidden fruit, god curses man and says “For dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (page 21, line 19). To me, it seems that this belittling of man is very different from the Genesis 1 depiction of humans. They are no longer in the image of God but rather struggling beings that are no longer afforded their previous graces. Death now occurs and humans are moral beings.

Genesis 4 is the first time that sin and temptation are mentioned This created a greater division between man and God. This is also slightly confusing me. Is it the act of eating the forbidden fruit (disobeying God) what created sin and what (at this point) is considered to be sinful? While these questions may be answered in future readings, I find them to be important points on which to reflect.

Overall, the account of creation and the fall reflect a development between the relationship between humans and God and the history of humans (and their actions) in the presence of God.  Though some aspects of this reading created some confusion, I find it most probable that the majority of my questions will be answered in later passages or through our in-class discussions.

This was my first time reading the teachings of the Bible since I was a child. I found that Newbigin did a good job of simplifying its teachings and emphasizing the key moments.

The first significant thing that Newbigin places importance is purpose, or rather designation, of the Bible as a history of the human race (told by the particular race of Israel) and how rather than making himself known on the individual level, “God makes himself known to us in the context of our shared life as human beings” (Newbigin 6). I think that Newbigin emphasizes this key point to alleviate misconceptions about what the Bible is and what its purpose is, especially for those who are not familiar with the text and religious history. 

Another important moment that Newbigin emphasizes is the stories of Genesis and that of Adam and Eve. Newbigin highlights that, in the beginning, good and evil were distinguishable and that humans were “in the image of God” (Newbigin 7). The juxtaposition of this reality with that after Adam and Eve creates a setting for how human consciousness and religion interact in a world where the presence of “evil” is different than that in the time of Genesis. 

The final moment of importance that I will discuss is “Sacrifice”. Newbigin tells the story that many people are familiar with. When he tells it, he emphasizes how his presence and words affect those on Earth, stating “His words have an extraordinary authority. They have power. And yet they are words of grace and kindness. But at the same time they are words as sharp as a razor” (Newbigin 58). He emphasizes how Jesus cries for forgiveness and touches on the values that this story in the Bible exemplify, showing how this revelation is not something to forget about. 

This was my first time reading Catechism. Though I was raised Catholic, my family was never very religious and I never read many religious texts. Though I was familiar with a lot of the basic terminology, I leaned many new words and gained a better understanding of many more. I learned more about Revelation and its manifestation through different stages and the idea of Divine Revelation. I also learned the meaning of the words dogma, gospel, and covenant, among others. Most importantly, however, I gained a better understanding and outline beliefs and teachings of the Catholic Church, something I had only a basic understanding of. One of the most persuasive and interesting things I learned during this reading is how God is searched for and seen. This Catechism reading states that “we can name God by taking creatures’ perfections as a starting point” (39). Rather than providing a straightforward idea of God, the lack of knowledge and understanding is admitted and embraced. This, to me, provided me a better understanding of Catholic beliefs and reasoning when it comes to the presence of God and religion as a whole. I still find the concept of sacred scripture and its place in religion somewhat hard to understand. Despite acknowledging the truth and value of the scripture, the Catechism claims that “Christian faith is not a ‘religion of the book’”(109). Therefore, I find it hard to understand all the aspects that affect interpretation of sacred scripture.  Overall, this reading alone has improved my knowledge of Catholic religion and I look forward to taking this class!

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.

— Oscar Wilde.

This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.

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