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“The history of thought is a tragic mixture of vibrant disclosure and deadening closure,” said A. N. Whitehead in Modes of Thought. This story is about “vibrant disclosures,” in the Hebrew Bible and in other Ancient Mediterranean Literature. The lives and reputations of Keziah, Jonathan, and their family were put at risk because of their insights and their willingness to live according to these insights and truths. They were preparing for a new future. But these discoveries were followed by “deadening closure.” Majority opinions were usually able to cover up dissenting or minority opinions. The majority was conservative and demanded loyalty to altar and state; they were the ancient fundamentalists. In this story the minority can win a debate, but in the long run their helpful contributions are silenced.
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This is a story about the scribes, who produced Genesis, as told by Keziah. She was the wife of Jonathan, one of the scribes. They collected the stories, and put them together according to a detailed plan. These same scribes worked in The Jerusalem Academy during the time of the Davidic Monarchy in about 1000 B.C.E. The scribes understood their work to be a Royal Epic, and it helped to bring Judah and Israel together and legitimize the throne of David. This epic was performed at the dedication of David’s palace, and it is interesting to note the interplay between the scribes’ text and the performance of the minstrels.
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For about four thousand years people have recorded their attempts to understand human suffering. Some of their thoughts are found in the ancient story of Job and in its counterparts in Sumer, Babylon, and Egypt. This subject is always with us as can be seen in Harold S. Kushner’s,When Bad Things Happen to Good People and in Archibald MacLeish’s, J.B. Since 11 September 2001, the problem of suffering has been thrust upon us once more. It is not just a question of why the innocent suffer or why the not-so-innocent prosper; it has to do with coming to terms with the lack of justice in our world (Job 19:7b, “There is no justice.”). The ancient story of Job is not helpful in our situation, but a later Job poem, which was covered up by the old story can give us creative help as we face an uncertain future. Our task is to uncover the later Job poem.
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Genesis is a true classic in the canon of Western Civilization. The art and literature of our culture are infused with its thought and images. At the university or in adult education, a class on Genesis is always a lively experience. In American life and culture, an author such as Mark Twain was continually fascinated with religious concepts raised for him by Genesis. As we enter the twenty-first century, we are fortunate, because we now know more about the Mediterranean world, its languages, and its thought that produced such a book. In this new translation of Genesis, the reader will enjoy these ancient stories as they were originally enjoyed. In our older translations, these stories are so covered with traditional patina that they cannot be understood. Here these gems have been cleaned, and they sparkle with the insight and purpose of a great royal epic. |
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Our world is fascinating, but life on this planet is not easy.
For many the Book of Job contains the message, which we need
to deal with the realities of this life. But who can understand
the Book of Job? The Rebel Job is the poem that was buried,
by the “righteous,” in the Book of Job. The Rebel Job deals
with suffering without resorting to fantasy. He was too radical
for his “righteous friends,” who believed in an all-powerful
God, who demanded fear. For the rebel this God did not exist.
The rebel has given us a great gift.
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