[OT] 24 - Alternative Visions: Esther, Ruth, and Jonah

I must admit that I'm about three lectures behind.  Something about summer vacationing, I suppose. :-)  But I intended to finish this  rewarding set of lectures in the coming weeks.

This is the last of the lectures.  Thanks to those who motivated me to go through this, and those who've shared insights and thoughts with me, and to the list.

I am finishing up some notes on a book on the 1st chapters of Genesis and will post some of those notes.  I hope everyone feels free to share thoughts, ask questions, or otherwise make use of this list.

If you are about to read a book of the Old Testament, I'd recommend listening to, or reading the associated lecture from this series in order to enhance your experience.

- ClairB

Lecture 24 - Alternative Visions: Esther, Ruth, and Jonah

Overview:

In this lecture, two final books of the Bible are examined and their attitudes towards foreign nations compared. In contrast to Daniel's reliance on divine intervention to punish the wicked, the book of Esther focuses on human initiative in defeating the enemies of Israel. Finally, the book of Jonah--in which the wicked Assyrians repent and are spared divine punishment--expresses the view that God is compassionate and concerned with all creation. Professor Hayes concludes the course with remarks regarding the dynamic and complex messages presented in the Hebrew Bible.    

Reading assignment:

Bible:
(1) Introduction to Esther (JSB pp. 1198-9), Esther 1-9
(2) Introduction to Ruth (JSB pp. 1578-9), Ruth 1-4
(3) Introduction to Jonah (JSB pp. 1623-5), Jonah 1-4
(4) "The Religion of the Bible" (JSB pp. 2021-2040)

"Apocalypses." In The Anchor Bible Dictionary (pp. 279-288) 

Class lecture:

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[OT] 22 - The Restoration: 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah

This is a little early this week, due to family vacation.  And it appears that I skipped this lecture last week.

RLST 145: Introduction to the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible)

Lecture 22 - The Restoration: 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah

Overview:

This lecture continues the discussion of the psalms, and the genres and forms in which they appear, such as psalms of praise and thanksgiving, divine kingship, lament and petition, blessing and cursing, or wisdom. Another poetic book of the Bible is the Song of Songs, an erotic work the sexually explicit content of which has been piously reinterpreted over the centuries. The second half of the lecture turns to the period of the Restoration when the Judean exiles returned to what was now the province of Yehud under Cyrus, the Persian ruler. The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles refer to some of the events of this time as well as the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezra and Nehemiah are said to renew the Mosaic covenant with the Torah at its center, and to institute a number of social and religious reforms (including a universal ban on intermarriage that will ultimately fail) in order to consolidate the struggling community.   

Reading assignment:

Bible:
(1) Introduction to Ezra and Introduction to Nehemiah (JSB pp. 1666-71 and 1688-9)
(2) Ezra 1-10; Nehemiah 10, 13
(3) "Reading Biblical Poetry" (JSB pp. 2097-2104)
(4) "Historical and Geographical Background to the Bible" (JSB pp. 2055-2062)

Class lecture:

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[OT] 23 - Visions of the End: Daniel and Apocalyptic Literature

Lecture 23 - Visions of the End: Daniel and Apocalyptic Literature

Overview:

The Book of Ruth, in which a foreign woman enters the community of Israel and becomes great-grandmother to none other than King David, expresses a view of gentiles entirely opposed to that of Ezra and Nehemiah. Other prophets of the Restoration period are discussed, including Third Isaiah who also envisions other nations joining Israel in the worship of Yahweh. This period also sees the rise of apocalyptic literature in works like Zechariah, Joel and Daniel. Written during a period of persecution in the 2^nd c. BCE the book of Daniel contains many features and themes of apocalyptic literature, including an eschatology according to which God dramatically intervenes in human history, destroying the wicked (understood as other nations) and saving the righteous (understood as Israel).   

Reading assignment:

Bible:
(1) Isaiah 56-66
(2) Introduction to Joel (JSB pp. 1166-7), Joel 1-4
(3) Introduction to Daniel (JSB pp. 1640-42), Daniel 1-12

Class lecture:

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[OT] 21 - Biblical Poetry: Psalms and Song of Songs

Introduction to the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible)

Lecture 21 - Biblical Poetry: Psalms and Song of Songs

Overview:

After a detailed explanation of the requirements for the paper assignment, Professor Hayes turns to the Writings - the third section of the Bible - and considers a recent approach to the study of the Bible, called canonical criticism. The books in this section of the Bible explore various questions associated with suffering and evil. An example is the book of Ecclesiastes which constitutes a second attack on the optimism and piety of conventional religious thinking. The lecture concludes with a discussion of a number of Psalms, their genre, purpose, and language.

Reading assignment:

Bible:
(1) Introduction to Psalms (JSB pp. 1280-4), Psalms 1, 2, 8, 19, 21-24, 32, 37, 44-46, 49, 52, 55, 72-74, 78-80, 90, 93, 96-99, 103-106, 109, 110, 112, 114, 115, 118, 119, 128, 131, 136, 137, 139, 150
(2) Introduction to The Song of Songs (JSB pp. 1564-1566), Song of Songs 1-8

Lecture

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[OT] 21 - Biblical Poetry: Psalms and Song of Songs

Introduction to the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) (Fall, 2006)

Lecture 21 - Biblical Poetry: Psalms and Song of Songs

Overview:

After a detailed explanation of the requirements for the paper assignment, Professor Hayes turns to the Writings - the third section of the Bible - and considers a recent approach to the study of the Bible, called canonical criticism. The books in this section of the Bible explore various questions associated with suffering and evil. An example is the book of Ecclesiastes which constitutes a second attack on the optimism and piety of conventional religious thinking. The lecture concludes with a discussion of a number of Psalms, their genre, purpose, and language.

Reading assignment:

Bible:
(1) Introduction to Psalms (JSB pp. 1280-4), Psalms 1, 2, 8, 19, 21-24, 32, 37, 44-46, 49, 52, 55, 72-74, 78-80, 90, 93, 96-99, 103-106, 109, 110, 112, 114, 115, 118, 119, 128, 131, 136, 137, 139, 150
(2) Introduction to The Song of Songs (JSB pp. 1564-1566), Song of Songs 1-8

Class lecture:

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[OT] 20 - Responses to Suffering and Evil: Lamentations and

Introduction to the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) with Professor Christine Hayes

Lecture 20, Responses to Suffering and Evil: Lamentations and Wisdom Literature

Overview:

This lecture begins with the Book of Lamentations, a short book of dirges that laments the destruction of Jerusalem and moves on to introduce the third and final section of the Hebrew Bible - the Ketuvim, or "Writings." This section of the Bible contains three books that exemplify the ancient Near Eastern literary genre of "Wisdom" -- Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes. Proverbs reinforces the Deuteronomistic idea of divine retributive justice according to which the good prosper and the evil are punished. The conventional assumption of a moral world order is attacked in the Book of Job. The book explores whether people will sustain virtue when suffering and afflicted, and brings charges of negligence and mismanagement against God for failing to punish the wicked and allowing the righteous to suffer.

Reading assignment:

Bible:
(1) Introduction to Ketuvim (JSB pp. 1275-9)
(2) Introduction to Lamentations, Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes (JSB pp. 1447-9,1499-1505, 1587-1589, 1603-1606)
(3) Lamentations 1-5; Proverbs 1-13, 32; Job 1-11, 21-31, 38-42; Ecclesiastes 1-12

Lecture:

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[OT] 19 - Literary Prophecy: Perspectives on the Exile (Jeremiah, Ezekiel and 2nd Isaiah)

Introduction to the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) (Fall, 2006)

Lecture 19 - Literary Prophecy: Perspectives on the Exile (Jeremiah, Ezekiel and 2nd Isaiah)

Overview:

The destruction of Jerusalem challenged the faith of the nation. What was the meaning of this event and how could such tremendous evil and suffering be reconciled with the nature of God himself? Professor Hayes shows how Israel's prophets attempted to answer this question, turning the nation's defeat and despair into an occasion for renewing faith in Israel's God. The lecture continues with an in-depth study of the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel's denunciations of Jerusalem are among the most lurid and violent in the Bible and he concludes that destruction is the only possible remedy. Ezekiel's visions include God's withdrawal from Jerusalem to be with his people in exile, and his ultimate return. Ezekiel's use of dramatic prophetic signs, his rejection of collective divine punishment and assertion of individual responsibility are discussed. The last part of the lecture turns to Second Isaiah and the famous "servant songs" that find a universal significance in Israel's suffering.

Reading assignment:

Bible:
(1) Introduction to Jeremiah (JSB pp 917-920), Jeremiah 1-8, 18-21, 23, 25-45, 52
(2) Introduction to Ezekiel (JSB pp 1042-45), Ezekiel 1-5:4, 8-11, 16-18, 23, 28, 33, 36-37, 40, 47
(3) Isaiah 40-42, 49-55

Class lecture:

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