Exam I Flashcards
(49 cards)
the ‘first’ or ‘earliest’ meaning. An attempt to read a text on its own terms.
historical-critical reading
name 3 characteristics / questions you would ask for when reading something in a historical-critical way
§ Authorship; Does the text have an author? Is this author historical?
§ Date; before or after very consequential events?
§ Addressees/Audience; Does the text indicate who were first or intended readers?
§ Provenance; Where did it come from?
§ Circumstances/Occasion; What situation does a text address? Political/social context?
§ Sources; Is this text a complete work or a kind of quilt? Does it know other parts of the bible? § Archaeology; Physical objects from the period help us imagine an ancient world.
less interested in this world behind the text as a way of getting at meaning but primarily interested in the text as it is – take it as it is offered
canonical-traditional reading
Larkin and the Tomb
- the statue of the earl + countess holding hands, interpreted in present day as “What Will Survive of Us is Love”
- actually sculpted to hold hands just so that the sculptor could fit a Latin inscription
- changes the meaning of the statue because a) people don’t speak or read Latin anymore b) new era, new conception of love
- reading it originally –> historical-critical, reading it with the new meaning –> traditional-canonical
Shelley on “Ozymandias”
- statue of a king on a pedestal, “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings, look on my works, ye mighty and despair!” because he was an arrogant king
- statue decays over time, changes the meaning of the inscription to emphasize the impermanence of status / wealth / power / etc
Novick’s two claims
historical-critical and traditional-canonical can both COEXIST and MUTUALLY REINFORCE
the three Canons / list of authoritative books
1 - Hebrew Bible
#2 + #3 - Christian Old Testament books
What is another name for the Hebrew Bible?
TaNakh
What does the “TaNakh” stand for?
Torah/instruction, Nevi’im/Prophets Kethuvim/Writings
the traditional text of the Hebrew scriptures that, before the 1950s, came from a few 10th c. CE manuscripts (e.g. The Leningrad Codex).
The Masoretic Text
found in 1950s and pushed the dating of our manuscripts back from 900 CE to 200-100 BCE, shows us that the text of the Hebrew Bible has quite a bit of stability but also notable fluidity. Some books are shorter, some longer, and many the same.
The Dead Sea Scrolls
Refers to the translation of the Hebrew scriptures into Greek.
LXX
What is the Roman numeral for 70?
LXX
Why is the LXX called the LXX?
This is based on a legendary account where 70 Jewish scholars came together but translated the bible into Greek separately, only to compare each other’s translation and find that they all had the same text! Again, this is just a legend of the translation. In fact, it was made gradually over time as various pieces were translated.
Latin translation of the Hebrew Bible by Jerome in the 4th century CE)
Vulgate
What are the four groups of Old Testament texts in Christianity?
1 - Pentateuch (the five books of Moses))
2 - Historical Books,
3 - Poetic Books
4 - Prophetic Books
What has fewer books, Protestant or Catholic canons? Why?
Protestants have fewer books because they did not accept those books which can only be found in Greek. They accept only those books which can be found in the Hebrew scriptures.
What does Genesis 1-11 refer to?
Primordial History … Creation, People live for centuries, cosmic Flood
What does Genesis 12-50 refer to?
Stories of Abraham and sons. Descendants become Israelites in Egypt.
What does Exodus refer to?
Israelites enslaved. Moses leads them out of Egypt and receives the Law at Mt. Sinai
What does Leviticus refer to?
God’s instructions to Moses about offerings, ritual purity, and priestly duties
What does Numbers refer to?
After receiving the Law at Mt. Sinai, the Israelites wander in the wilderness for 40 years
What does Deuteronomy refer to?
A series of speeches from Moses retelling much of the above history.
Describe the ancient Israelite cosmology as referred to in Genesis 1:6-10.
dome with water all around it, firmament is the earth
