{"id":507,"date":"2024-03-07T18:11:18","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T23:11:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theydidntteachmethat\/?p=507"},"modified":"2024-03-08T09:38:15","modified_gmt":"2024-03-08T14:38:15","slug":"ancient-israel-something-new-under-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theydidntteachmethat\/2024\/03\/ancient-israel-something-new-under-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"Ancient Israel: Something New Under The Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Believers in the historic accuracy of the Bible say it chronicles Israel\u2019s history from creation through the destruction of the Second Temple\u2026but does it?<\/em><\/p>\n

Jerusalem\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Pixabay Image by condi316<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Before we begin this discussion, we need to define exactly what we mean when we say Israel<\/em>.\u00a0 People familiar with the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament to Christians), will recognize that the first time we encounter the name Israel<\/em>, we find it attached to Abraham\u2019s grandson, Jacob, his son Isaac\u2019s son.\u00a0 Abraham\u2019s grandson, Jacob, wrestles YHWH or his representative (the translations are not clear).\u00a0 After the wrestling, YHWH tells Jacob that because he has striven with YHWH, his name going forward will be ISRAEL<\/em>.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Jewish Study Bible says that \u201cIsrael\u201d\u00a0 translates to \u201cEl rules\u201d or \u201cEl preserves,<\/a>\u201d where \u201cEl\u201d means \u201cgod\u201d or \u201cthe god.\u201d\u00a0 YHWH has not yet revealed his true name.\u00a0 That will come later with Moses.<\/p>\n

What does the Bible say about ancient Israel?<\/h2>\n***
** ***Let\u2019s do a quick review of Israel\u2019s history as presented in the Hebrew Bible:<\/p>\n

\nYHWH creates the world<\/li>\nEve sins, Adam sins, Cain sins<\/li>\nCreatures of heaven (the Sons of God) impregnate human women<\/li>\nTheir offspring create havoc in the world<\/li>\nEl Shaddai appoints the Godly man, Noah to save mankind<\/li>\nEl Shaddai floods the earth, killing everyone except Noah\u2019s family and some animals<\/li>\nNoah\u2019s family re-populates the world<\/li>\nEl Shaddai appoints Abraham to be the father of El Shaddai\u2019s people<\/li>\nAbraham\u2019s grandson, Jacob is appointed to father the Twelve Tribes of Israel<\/li>\nHe does<\/li>\nJoseph, a poor relation, is sold to Egypt;<\/li>\nJoseph becomes important in Egypt<\/li>\nJoseph dies and is forgotten in Egypt<\/li>\nEl Shaddai\u2019s people are now living in the Nile delta, the Land of Goshen<\/li>\nEl Shaddai\u2019s people want to leave Egypt<\/li>\nPharaoh says No<\/li>\nMoses, a person of El Shaddai is appointed to free the people from Egypt<\/li>\nMoses and Pharaoh argue, debate and trade magic<\/li>\nMoses prevails and the people leave Egypt<\/li>\nEl Shaddai tells Moses his real name is YHWH<\/li>\nYHWH\u2019s people wander for 40 years, covering a distance of about 250 miles<\/li>\nYHWH\u2019s people complain and revolt over and over<\/li>\nEvery time, Moses intercedes in their behalf<\/li>\nYHWH\u2019s people reach Canaan, the land promised by YHWH<\/li>\nYHWH tells his people to kill everything that breathes in Canaan<\/li>\nYHWH\u2019s people begin to conquer Canaan<\/li>\nCanaan becomes the Nation of Israel and the people become Jewish<\/li>\nIsrael raises Saul, then David, then Solomon as King<\/li>\nAt Solomon\u2019s death, the kingdom is divided in two<\/li>\nBoth kingdoms are conquered first by Assyria, then by Babylon, Persia, Greece and then Rome.<\/li>\nThe Jews begin to leave Israel and settle other parts of the Middle East<\/li>\nThe people of YHWH have come to expect a King to come from YYHWH to deliver the Jews from Roman oppression and usher in a kingdom of YHWH<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nAt this point, the Hebrew Bible concludes and the New Testament of Christianity takes up the narrative beginning some time around 5 BCE to 5 CE.<\/h2>\n****

An ocean of ink<\/a> has been used to retell, explain, interpret, comment, justify, reconcile, and rationalize these stories with what archaeologists have found to support or not support these versions of historical events.<\/p>\n

Another sea of ink has been committed to the study of the texts of the various books of the Bible and to drawing inferences<\/a> from the texts about how and by whom they were written<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Generally, these studies have focused on writing style, vocabulary, syntax, idiomatic usage and other tells that give hints as to the technical questions regarding these ancient texts of which we have no actual originals, but thousands of contradictory copies made over hundreds of years.<\/p>\n

Many writers have found theological meaning in the texts of the Hebrew Bible, but other writers are better able to interpret those findings.\u00a0 My focus here is on history.<\/p>\n

A new and exciting theory has been proposed.<\/h2>\n*****
** *****A recent book, published by Cambridge University Press, on October 19, 2023, has turned that history completely around.<\/p>\n

Why the Bible Began<\/em><\/a> by Professor Jacob Wright of Emory University takes a completely new look at ancient Israel and shows how we have been looking through a clouded lens.<\/p>\n

Why the Bible Began\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0fair use for review Source: Amazon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n*****
** *****\u00a0<\/p>\n

Professor Wright, while acknowledging the groundbreaking work of such scholars as Wellhausen<\/a>, Friedman<\/a>, Dever<\/a>, Baden<\/a> and so many others, shows first, by exploring the big picture of the world in which ancient Israel existed to the details of how and then, why the Hebrew Bible was written<\/em> and just as importantly, why it was written the way it was<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Dr. Wright\u2019s thesis is that the Hebrew Bible is a product of Jewish scribes, writing during and after the Babylonian captivity.\u00a0 He shows how these scribes were actually fabricating a history of a people without a nation, without a king, without a land.<\/p>\n

What does Israel become?<\/h2>\n*******
** *******The book shows in a step-by-step manner, how the Hebrew Bible reacts to the defeats of YHWH\u2019s people which occur time and time again (even after the Hebrew Bible is written) and how the need for a national identity for a people<\/em> without a nation<\/em> was important.\u00a0 It gives the Jewish people<\/em> something physical and tangible to hold on to as they navigate an always hostile world.<\/p>\n

Israel at this time is only a people<\/em>, not a nation<\/em> with a land and a king.\u00a0 The Hebrew Bible is, as Dr. Wright shows, not an accurate (this was never the intent) history of\u00a0 Israel, but a teaching tool for the Jewish people<\/em> to understand themselves and their peoplehood<\/em> for all ages to come.\u00a0 This was a noble enterprise on the part of these scribes.\u00a0 It is through their work that the Jewish people truly become the \u201cPeople of the Book<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

What else can we take from this today?<\/h2>\n*******
** A number of conclusions and inferences might follow:<\/p>\n
** \nThe Hebrew Bible is a teaching tool for the Jewish people, not a history book.<\/li>\nYHWH\u2019s people, forcefully removed from their (YHWH-given) homeland, needed a tangible and sacred object as a reminder of their important place in the world.<\/li>\nThat sacred object is the scriptures that became the Hebrew Bible.<\/li>\nReligions arising from Judaism have found the Hebrew Bible to be useful in making points about their own faiths, even if these points are obscure or do not actually follow.<\/li>\nReligious people in all ages since the Hebrew Bible was produced have misused it to control the behavior of people for whom it was never intended.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
** But it seems that there has never been a time when religious people have failed to use religion to exert power over others.<\/p>\n
** Never.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
** *******Believers in the historic accuracy of the Bible say it chronicles Israel\u2019s history from creation through the destruction of the Second Temple\u2026but does it? Before we begin this discussion, we need to define exactly what we mean when we say Israel.\u00a0 People familiar with the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament to Christians), will recognize that the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5432,"featured_media":510,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-507","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nAncient Israel: Something New Under The Sun<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Bible's believers say it chronicles Israel's history through the destruction of the Second Temple...but does it?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theydidntteachmethat\/2024\/03\/ancient-israel-something-new-under-the-sun\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ancient Israel: Something New Under The Sun\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Bible's believers say it chronicles Israel's history through the destruction of the Second Temple...but does it?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theydidntteachmethat\/2024\/03\/ancient-israel-something-new-under-the-sun\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"They Didn\u2019t Teach Me That...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-03-07T23:11:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-03-08T14:38:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/2147\/2024\/02\/Pixabay-Image-by-condi316.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"760\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"427\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"William T. 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