...Let’s use the proper term for this, henotheism. Polytheists acknowledge many gods and worship many gods; henotheists acknowledge many gods but worship only one. In this view, different gods ruled different territories just as kings did, and tribes owed allegiance to whichever god protected them. I’ve gotten a lot of insight into Old Testament henotheism from Thom Stark’s The Human Faces of God. Some of what follows comes from chapter 4 of that book. The Song of Moses (Deut. 32) is considered to be some of the oldest material in the Bible—dating to the mid-13th c. BCE. We have several somewhat-inconsistent copies, the oldest being from the Dead Sea Scrolls: When Elyon divided the nations, when he separated the sons of Adam, he established the borders of the nations according to the number of the sons of the gods. Yahweh’s portion was his people, [Israel] his allotted inheritance. (Deut. 32:8–9) Here we see Elyon, the head of the divine pantheon, dividing humankind among his children, giving each his inheritance. The idea of a divine pantheon with a chief deity, his consort, and their children (the council of the gods) was widespread through the Ancient Near East. Elyon (short for El Elyon) is the chief god, not just in Jewish writings but in Canaanite literature. The passage concludes with Yahweh getting Israel as his inheritance. We learn more about terms like “sons of the gods” by widening our focus to consider Ugaritic (Canaanite) texts. Ugarit was a Canaanite city destroyed...
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...Yahweh and his Asherah The ancient times of Israel are very well documented through the precious Bible that was written in a long period of time. But along with the detailed history of the Israelites, come many ambiguities that need to be further investigated. One of these ambiguities is that of Asherah, “Queen of Heaven” and the consort of the gods. The aim of this report is to dig deeper in this subject, in order to better understand what the folk religion in ancient Israel looked like. The Figurines of the Mother Goddess William G. Dever makes a long study in his book “Did God Have a Wife”, about some figurines that were discovered in the excavations in Palestine which started in the 1920s. “The Iron Age Israelite figurines, never model the genitalia, or even the lower body at all. They emphasize the breasts”. Dever explains: “In the ancient world, breasts were associated with their most basic function: nursing an infant” (Dever, William G., Did God have a wife, page 187). What does these nude female figurines with wide hips and full breasts represent? Dever says that it’s with no doubt “the great Goddess of Canaan, under many guises”. She has several local names: Asherah, `Anat, Astarte, Elath or Ba`alat. There is a principal difference between the Canaanite figurines and the Israelite one discovered in Palestine. “While the Canaanite figurines portray the goddess as a rather lascivious courtesan of the gods, the Israelite ones are much more “chaste”, and portray...
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...The Divine Ministry Of Delay One of the great dangers of life is that of losing sight of God's great design in the details by which that design is worked out, and it has been well said that we entirely lose the value of any experience if we isolate it. That is, if you take your sorrow and regard it apart from the great designing love of God, if you take your losses, your temporary setbacks, your momentary depressions, and dwell upon these things as if they were the only experiences of God's providence, and as if they were not related to the great central control of His love - you will entirely miss their value. It is that we may be saved from such peril that we are meditating together thus on some of God's unlikely but never unkindly ministries. With this brief recapitulation let me ask you to turn to the word which is the occasion of our thought this morning in regard to the Divine ministry of delay by which God oftentimes tests His people. I will ask you to turn to the words of Jeremiah the prophet, in the book of Lamentations, in the third chapter, at the twenty-fourth verse: "The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord." It is especially on those last words that I want our meditation to be based: "It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord." Let us...
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...are of three distinct types – Caucasians (the ‘true Israelites’ created by God), The Jews (offspring of Satan) and Non whites (the ‘mud people’) • The ‘true Israelites’ should rule the world, the Jews slain and the ‘mud people’ should be enslaved. • They would someday replace the US constitution with Biblical law and establish a theocracy. They are strongly against the theory of evolution and rather believe in creationism. That certain people were created directly by God and are therefore superior to others. Mcveigh was a CI devotee and a frequent visitor to Elohim city, 400-acre compound located in Oklahoma, which belongs to the CI, and was founded by a Canadian CI preacher, Robert Millar. Interestingly, the Oklahoma City bombing was carried out on the same day that Richard Wayne Snell was executed by the state of Arkansas for a black state trooper and a jeweler, who he thought was a...
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...lodgings, which I hire to traders and tourists. This business is so good during this period of Isthmian Games. G-d Elohim Adonai has blessed me indeed in my ventures. I have a Roman citizenship and speak Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic. However, due to interacting with people from far and wide, I understand some other pagan and barbarian languages though I am not fluent in them. These days, business is booming and my merchandise are selling like hot cakes. I trade mostly with ship and boat traders. Corinth has prospered thanks to the Diolkos. It is paved now paved connecting Cechrene and Lechaeum. Everyday I see many people of diverse cultures and languages. These people bring with them different food, dressing, knowledge, religions and cultures to enrich our city Corinth. Corinth has a background of Greek culture and the current Roman culture. It has predominantly become a melting pot of these pagan nations. I am utterly disgusted by their many pagan temples such as the Aphrodite and Kore temples, G_d forbid! Their pagan meals and festivals include sexual activities and even temple prostitution. Daily they worship many gods such as Apollo, Zeus, Hera, and Demeter to name a few. There is imperial cult worship; I mean that these people worship Emperor Caesar a man like us; that’s blasphemy! Thank G_d we have our own Jewish Synagogue. I still worship one G_d Elohim Adonai. Shema Yisrael from our Holy Scriptures still resides in me. Deuteronomy 6:4-7; 14: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our...
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...people. This name of God is also found in the book of Habakkuk. “Elohim Adonai is my strength! He makes me swift and sure-footed as a deer and enables me to stride over my high places. For the leader. With my stringed instruments” (Habakkuk 3:19). In this context the name Adonai is being used to show that God’s total authority gives his people strength. Habakkuk believed that God was his master and that through God is where his strength is found. God has total authority over all things, which means that he is always in control. This authority that God shows us that everything that we are put through is nothing that we can not handle if the Lord is on our side. Another name of God is Elohim. This was used in a previous verse injunction with Adonai. Elohim’s meaning is the all powerful one or creator. The application of this name is that God is the creator of the universe and he is all powerful. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). This verse is the very first verse of the Bible and shows just how powerful God is. He created everything from the biggest galaxy to the smallest particle of dust. He is not just a creator He is The Creator. Many people today believe that the universe and everything in it was created by chance, but they are wrong. How could something so complex happen by chance? The only way anything could have been created is if they had a creator and that is Elohim. “Elohim will arise. His enemies will be scattered. Those who hate him...
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...The Documentary Hypothesis was created by Julius Wellhausen in 1878, and it was used to explain the different groups of people, and ways the Torah was written and edited. There are four different groups within this theory that consist of the J, E, D, and P’s (Coogan, 43). At first it started out with the problem of timing for the different names of God that the J’s and E’s focused on. The J’s were the Yahwist; claiming to the idea that the name Yahweh starts from the begging, in Genesis. The E’s were the Elohist; with the idea that the name Elohim is what starts at the begging of the Torah, and it is not until God reveals His name, Yahweh, to Moses in Exodus that Yahweh becomes the main name for God. After the J’s and E’s there are the D’s and P’s to be considered. The D’s shortened for Deuteronomic focused more on the book of Deuteronomy and its contents. The P’s were the Priestly group focusing more on the ideas and concepts of law, rituals, and other such matters. The four divisions are divided into J, E, D, and P; some having a few similarities, but it is the differences that make them unique. The Yahwist, or the J’s, being one of the oldest groups, have a unique idea of God, giving him anthropomorphic qualities, and focusing on the images and ideas the Torah gives of God having these human like mannerisms; as in the Garden of Eden when he forms the humans, walks with them, and talks to them there is a personal closeness. The J’s also focus more on the area of Judah in there...
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...Women’s roles in the church have been a long debated topic amongst both sexes. It is wondered if it is biblically appropriate that women maintain specific roles that have been held by men since the New Testament church rose up. This essay will address what the New Testament definitions of an “elder” and “deacon” are and the biblical requirements for being permitted the office title, can women hold those positions and supporting Scripture, my personal interpretation and counter arguments, and are women limited in the church as well as outside of it. We will also discuss if women can make contributions to theology, leadership and management in their local churches. According to Towns’ Theology for Today, an “elder” in the New Testament church is someone who has been designated into the highest pastoral position that requires spiritual maturity and literally means “aged man”, while a “deacon” is an office in the church and literally means “servant.” The requirements of becoming an elder is that they must rule over their own house well, referencing 1Tim 3:4-5 which uses the word overseer, and that they should rule or lead the church by feeding them the Word as seen in Kepha Aleph (1 Peter) 5:1-2. The office title of Deacon has different requirements as referenced in Theology for Today mentioning Ma’asei (Acts) 6:1-6 which states they must be of good report, full of the Spirit, full of wisdom, and full of faith. They must also be blameless, husband of one wife, grave, not given...
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...Sacred Scripture Last Friday afternoon, we had class Some students had other priorities. Therefore, if you missed class on Friday, you have a make-up assignment. You must write me a 1-2 page paper for Wednesday. Question: Who wrote the Bible? You must discuss 1) the traditional evidence for Moses; 2) the Documentary hypothesis. This is ONLY for those who MISSED Friday. The names of God. Lord: Adonai (Hebrew) LORD: Yahweh or Jehovah or I am who I am. God: Elohim (Hebrew). God Almighty: El Shaddai. Most ancient Jews thought that Moses wrote the Torah/Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). Moses is traditionally thought to have lived in the 1200sBC. The names of God appear to differ systematically in the Torah. J source: used Yahweh/Jehovah. E source: used Elohim/God. P source: written by priestly writers. D source: The book of Deuteronomy is a separate composition. ------------------------------------------------- Genesis 27.46: Esau’s wives drove his mother CRAZY!!!!!! Welcome back! The New Testament presents Jesus as… The New Moses (but who is Moses?????????????) Exodus 1-20 The Ten Commandments: Exodus 20/Deuteronomy Genesis 1: 10 COMMANDMENTS! The covenant/allianza. I am the LORD your God who brought you out of slavery. 1. You shall have no other gods before me. 2. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain. 3. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 4. Honor...
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...Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about the figure from Abrahamic religions. For the given name, see Adam (given name). For other uses, see Adam (disambiguation). See also: Adam and Eve Adam Hands of God and Adam.jpg Detail from Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam, Sistine Chapel ceiling Spouse(s) Eve Lilith (folklore) Children Cain Abel Seth Creation of Adam, Michelangelo Adam (Hebrew: אָדָם) is a figure from the Book of Genesis, also mentioned in the New Testament, the Quran, the Book of Mormon, and the Book of Iqan. According to Womack's creation myth[1] of Abrahamic religions, and also according to the Holy Bible, he is the first human. In the Genesis creation narratives, he was created by Yahweh-Elohim ("Yahweh-God", the god of Israel), though the term "adam" can refer to both the first individual person, as well as to the general creation of humankind. Christian churches differ on how they view Adam's subsequent behavior of disobeying God (often called the Fall of man), and to the consequences that those actions had on the rest of humanity. Christian and Jewish teachings sometimes hold Adam and Eve (the first woman) to a different level of responsibility for the Fall, though Islamic teaching holds both equally responsible. In addition, Islam holds that Adam was eventually forgiven, while Christianity holds that redemption occurred only later through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Bahá'í Faith, Islam and some Christian denominations consider...
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...BIBL 104 MODULE 2 The law had MANY benefits for Israel. Job may have been a contemporary of Abraham Elohim and YHWH are names of God which reflect the different roles in the creation account. Joseph interpreted Pharoh's dreams Israel's disobedience was not in their inability to keep the law, but in 'choosing' not to keep it. When the people got tired of waiting for Moses they made a golden calf to worship. The Flood was a global flood. Lot wanted to live in Sodom and Gomorrah because it was a lush agricultural region. Toledot means generations. The order of Patriarchs is Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and his brothers... God created the universe. The Law of the Israelites was superior to other legal codes of the same time period. What is the significance of the two creation accounts? How are they similar, and how are they different? One is chronological detailing the events. The other is topical focusing on relationships. What is the significance of the two creation accounts? How are they similar, and how are they different? One is chronological detailing the events. The other is topical focusing on relationships. What do we know about the world in which Adam first appeared? The world temperate climate. Adam and Eve had a vegetarian diet. Adam and Eve did not fight weeds, thorns ,and thistles. Adam and Eve had a close relationship with God. Adam and Eve had a close relationship with one another. Adam and Eve managed only a small portion of the globe. What is the...
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...Craig Reflection Paper Carlette Douglas Oklahoma Wesleyan University Apologetics An apology, as the term is used here, is not saying "I'm sorry." Rather, it means a ready defense; "offered in defense or vindication, especially of the divine origin and authority of Christianity." Thus an apology is a defense of what you believe to be true. An apologist is a person who makes the defense. And apologetics is a "systematic argumentative discourse in defense." (All quotes in this paragraph taken from Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary. The reason I should defend my faith as First Peter 3:15 says, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." When non-Christians ask tough questions about the Christian faith, I will be able to give a solid and logical response. If not, there is an opportunity lost to spread God's Word. Worse, the Christian who has a weak foundation for his faith can be easily shaken by the doubts of non-believers. Though not everything in the Bible can be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, there is far more proof than most people Christian or non-Christian are aware of. As apologists for my faith, it is my job to line up the available evidence, base my decisions upon it, and present the evidence to others to help give them an intelligent foundation for their decisions. "An intelligent Christian ought to be able to point up the flaws in a non-Christian position and to present facts and arguments...
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...How does Davis refute this theory? 4. Give several examples of external evidences for Mosaic authorship? 5. Give several examples of internal evidences for Mosaic authorship? 6. Does any one specific evidence stand out to you more than the rest? Which one? Why? 7. What is significant about the date for the writing of the book of Genesis (not about the events of Genesis)? 8. Is it important to know exactly how old the earth is? Why or why not? 9. What is considered the most important purpose of Genesis? Why? 10. Why is Genesis relevant for today? DAYS OF CREATION Bible Topics | * The Origin of the Universe * Days or Ages? * When Life Began | People to Know | Places to Know | Terms to Know | Elohim | | “waw” consecutive“bara”“asa”Gap theoryEnuma Elish“tohu” & “bohu”“yom”“divine fiat”canopy | Study Questions Answer the following questions (based on the reading), save it and then submit it to the professor. 11. What does the use of the “waw consecutive” normally describe? 12. The qal stem of the term “bara” is used exclusively in the Old Testament for what? 13. What word seems to be interchangeable with “bara”? 14. Summarize the main thought of the Gap Theory. 15. Give evidences against the Gap Theory. 16. List several ways the biblical view of creation is different from the...
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...to lead the Israelites to freedom. But Moses feels unworthy and is reluctant to be God's spokesperson. In Exodus 3:13-18, God gives Moses two names - first, He is the God of the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and second, He is "the One who is." Revealing Himself as the God of the Israelite forefathers served to reassure Moses that just as God had been there for his ancestors, He would continue to be by his side now, granting salvation and aid without fail. This passage is crucial because it reveals the identity of the One responsible for miraculous feats and the instigator of the events in Exodus, as well as marks the start of God's direct contact with His chosen people. Before Exodus, in the time of creation, God was known as Elohim, a title with an emphasis on His creatorship. Later on, the patriarchs knew God as El Shaddai, God Almighty. "I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty [El Shaddai], but by my name the Lord [Yahweh] I did not make myself known to them." Now, by making Himself known, God shows the change in His relationship with the Israelites and the dawning of a new era. This paves the way for a closer relationship with the Israelites as He is granting them the liberty and privilege to know Him more intimately and address Him in a personal way. God is bringing His personas together, not just a creator or the God of the Patriarchs, making promises to His people, but a combination of both, as well as a savior who fulfills His promises...
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...Gen 1:1-2:4a World Behind the text Historical and Cultural Context Genesis illustrates the way Biblical writers J (Yahwist), E (Elohist) and P (Priestly) drew upon the cultural and religious legacy of the Ancient Near East (ANE) along with its stories and imagery and transformed it to conform to a new vision of a non-mythological God and a monotheistic, superior religion. “The Pentateuch developed against the background of the Ancient Near Eastern culture first cultivated in and spread by Sumerian, Assyrian, and Babylonian empires”. This exemplifies how Israelite religion, was “shaped by responses to and reactions against this culture due both to contacts with neighboring Canaanites and to conflicts with Assyrian and Babylonian empires”. Genesis 1:1-2:4a can therefore be said to reflect the “Babylonian account of creation, which we call Enuma Elish…known from at least 1700 BCE,” “predating the earliest text of Genesis by at least a millennium.” In both Genesis and the ancient Babylonian myth, water is divided into upper and lower waters. The Enuma Elish is recorded on seven tablets and the Genesis account is completed in seven days. The Babylonians created humans to serve as slaves yet in Genesis God creates humans in the likeness of the divine. The Priestly source penned the creation story with the intent of being a “monumental historiographic composition…with the purpose of portraying both the beginnings of mankind and Israel in the spirit of a monotheistic concept...
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