DOCSLIB.ORG

"Let Ishmael Live Before You!" Finding a Place for Hagar's Son in the Priestly Tradition

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Harvard University - DASH "Let Ishmael Live Before You!" Finding a Place for Hagar's Son in the Priestly Tradition The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters. Noble, John Travis. 2013. "Let Ishmael Live Before You!" Citation Finding a Place for Hagar's Son in the Priestly Tradition. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University. Accessed April 17, 2018 4:09:34 PM EDT Citable Link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:11156812 This article was downloaded from Harvard University's DASH Terms of Use repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA (Article begins on next page) “Let Ishmael Live Before You!” Finding a Place for Hagar’s Son in the Priestly Tradition A dissertation presented by John Travis Noble to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the subject of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts January, 2013 © 2013 –John T. Noble All rights reserved. Dissertation Advisor: Professor Jon D. Levenson John Travis Noble “Let Ishmael Live Before You!” Finding a Place for Hagar’s Son in the Priestly Tradition Abstract Since Julius Wellhausen’s synthesis of the Documentary Hypothesis—and no doubt owing in part to the Protestant Reformation—dominant portrayals of the Priestly material have described a self-interested legist with little or no concern for those outside the Levitical ranks. Though this negative characterization is recognized by some to be reductionist and misguided, none has undertaken to examine Ishmael’s critical role in what is better understood as a universal mode of thinking in P. Examining first the narratives that give indication of Ishmael’s status in J and E, I have contrasted Ishmael with the other non-chosen siblings of Genesis, concluding that he is favored in these sources in a way that the others are not; also, that Ishmael and his mother adumbrate not only the distress of Israel’s bondage in Egypt, but also their deliverance. With this background from J and E, I have sought to elucidate P’s relationship to these sources through its representation of Ishmael in the Abrahamic covenant. It appears that P has recast the promises that Ishmael receives in J and E so that Ishmael is more explicitly excluded from God’s covenant with Abraham, on the one hand; but P also identifies Ishmael with the blessing of fertility, invoking the divine injunction to all humanity through both Adam and Noah to “be fruitful and multiply” (Gen 17:20), on the other. P’s emphasis on fertility also relates to Ishmael’s own participation—though he is non- chosen—in circumcision as the sign of the covenant. Therefore P accounts for God’s iii universal regard for humanity through Ishmael even in his particular covenant with Abraham. I argue that even though Ishmael is not chosen, he nevertheless figures into P’s larger theological outlook as one whom God favors outside the purview of the Abrahamic covenant. A correlative argument is that this new understanding of Ishmael gives him a more precise definition as a transitional figure between the universal covenant with Noah, on the one hand, and the particular covenant with Abraham on the other. iv Table of Contents Chapter One 1 Introduction The problem of Hagar and Ishmael, and the question of the universal and the particular in P Chapter Two 18 Patterns of Exodus: Hagar, Ishmael and Patriarchal Promise The treatment of Hagar and Ishmael in J and E Chapter Three 59 Particularity and Ambiguity in the Priestly Abrahamic Covenant The use and adaptation of the Ishmael traditions in P Chapter Four 90 Covenant and Context in P The covenantal architecture of P and Ishmael’s place therein Chapter Five 137 Ishmael, Ishmaelites and Biblical Narrative The Ishmaelites and their relationship to the biblical traditions of Ishmael Chapter Six 169 Conclusion Bibliography 176 v Acknowledgements A long list of people deserve my gratitude for their support and encouragement to complete this dissertation and degree. At the top of the list, of course, is my wife, Abi, and our three children: Grace, Henry and Eliot. Their sacrifices have not been few or insignificant. Similarly, my parents, Jerry and Gayle Noble, have been a tremendous support. Gordon College, and specifically Brian Glenney, provided the accommodations necessary for doing the research and writing. Apart from this resource—to say nothing of Brian’s encouragement—the logistics of this work would have been much more difficult. Suzanne Smith has been my writing tutor throughout this project, and her well- trained eyes have been the first to peruse every chapter draft. Suzanne’s many suggestions and encouragements have contributed enormously to the end result. The venerable readers of my dissertation committee, Andrew Teeter and Peter Machinist, have both supplied the kind of careful, constructive criticism that one might expect from scholars of their caliber. Peter deserves my profound thanks, in addition, for overseeing my degree progress and providing the backbone of my education at Harvard. Finally, one does not find a better dissertation adviser than the eminent Jon Levenson. I am indebted to him not only for his generous, timely, and expert guidance throughout the process, but also for his suggestion of the subject at the outset. Most significantly, and as a testament to his scholarship, Jon has graciously given space for my perspective to diverge from his at certain points. To all of these, and no doubt many others, I am deeply indebted. vi For Abi בטח בה לב בעלה vii Chapter 1 Introduction I. The Nature of the Problem The intention of this study is to investigate the significance and function of Ishmael in the patriarchal traditions of Genesis, and particularly in those traditions reflected by the Priestly source (P). The expected conclusion is that Ishmael’s role is, for P, much more than incidental, that he figures into P’s larger theological outlook as a special representative of those non-elect whom God favors outside the purview of the Abrahamic covenant.1 The expression of P’s version of the Abrahamic covenant in Genesis 17 warrants special consideration in a study of Ishmael because of its peculiar treatment of that non- elect son. Here, in contrast to the accounts of the Yahwist (J) or Elohist (E), there is no expulsion scene, nor any other hostility toward Ishmael. In fact, in P Ishmael remains on the horizon long enough to bury his father Abraham (Gen 25:9, 13–18), and has his own genealogy. It is perhaps most intriguing, though, that Ishmael enjoys very similar promises to those that the deity bestows on Abraham himself in the same passage (17:4– 6). God assures Abraham that he will bless the patriarch’s first offspring, that he will make that son fruitful and very numerous, that Ishmael will father twelve “chieftains” or “princes,” and that God will make of Ishmael, too, a great nation (v. 20). The preceding line, verse 19, makes it clear that the divine covenant is with Isaac, yet the passage also 1 I am assuming as a tentative framework Joel Kaminsky’s three levels of election in the Hebrew Bible: the elect, non-elect and anti-elect. One of his central points, to be tested here, is that divine favoritism does not necessitate alienation of the non-chosen from God or exclusion from his blessings (Yet I Loved Jacob [Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2007], esp. 16, 34). 1 explicitly mentions Ishmael’s participation with Abraham in the sign of the covenant, circumcision, along with all the other males in Abraham’s household. The question of Ishmael’s status before God is thus ambiguous, and is especially at issue in the theology of P. The curious relationship between Genesis 9 and 17, two P passages that describe covenants of God with Noah and Abraham, respectively, serves as the backdrop for this study: in the first of these two covenants, the terms are universally applied to Noah, his sons and their descendants, and even every living creature with them (9:9–10). According to the covenant established with Abraham, on the other hand, terms are only extended to this one individual and his seed—out of all of the descendants of Noah—and the seed that receives the covenant is restricted to that of the promised son, Isaac (17:19). The reader observes here a movement from the universal to the particular as the divine interests are narrowed or specified. II. Previous Scholarship Previous research relating to this thesis may be considered primarily within two categories of inquiry: election in the Abrahamic cycle, and particularly in the Priestly source; and interpretations of Ishmael in the tradition of Genesis 17. On Universalism and Election in the Abrahamic Cycle and P The issue of God’s favor for Isaac and (to some degree) Ishmael is part of a broader discussion of Abraham’s own election, and bears also on the chosenness of 2 Israel. Therefore its relevance is not only for our understanding of the complexities of universalism in P specifically, but also for our reading of the Abrahamic Cycle.2 The point of departure for any consideration of Abraham’s election is Gen 12:1– 3, a J passage that details YHWH’s promise to Abram that he will make of him a great nation, that he will be a blessing, and, ultimately, that in him all families of the earth will either “bless themselves” (through the use of Abraham’s name as a positive example), or What seems to be at stake is the scope of YHWH’s favor, which 3.(נברכו) ”be blessed“ extends primarily to Abraham and his descendants on the one hand, or to all the families of the earth on the other hand.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Byzantine Missionaries, Foreign Rulers, and Christian Narratives (Ca
    Conversion and Empire: Byzantine Missionaries, Foreign Rulers, and Christian Narratives (ca. 300-900) by Alexander Borislavov Angelov A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (History) in The University of Michigan 2011 Doctoral Committee: Professor John V.A. Fine, Jr., Chair Professor Emeritus H. Don Cameron Professor Paul Christopher Johnson Professor Raymond H. Van Dam Associate Professor Diane Owen Hughes © Alexander Borislavov Angelov 2011 To my mother Irina with all my love and gratitude ii Acknowledgements To put in words deepest feelings of gratitude to so many people and for so many things is to reflect on various encounters and influences. In a sense, it is to sketch out a singular narrative but of many personal “conversions.” So now, being here, I am looking back, and it all seems so clear and obvious. But, it is the historian in me that realizes best the numerous situations, emotions, and dilemmas that brought me where I am. I feel so profoundly thankful for a journey that even I, obsessed with planning, could not have fully anticipated. In a final analysis, as my dissertation grew so did I, but neither could have become better without the presence of the people or the institutions that I feel so fortunate to be able to acknowledge here. At the University of Michigan, I first thank my mentor John Fine for his tremendous academic support over the years, for his friendship always present when most needed, and for best illustrating to me how true knowledge does in fact produce better humanity.
    [Show full text]
  • Jeffrey Eli Pearson
    UC Berkeley UC Berkeley Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Contextualizing the Nabataeans: A Critical Reassessment of their History and Material Culture Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4dx9g1rj Author Pearson, Jeffrey Eli Publication Date 2011 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California Contextualizing the Nabataeans: A Critical Reassessment of their History and Material Culture By Jeffrey Eli Pearson A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Ancient History and Mediterranean Archaeology in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in Charge: Erich Gruen, Chair Chris Hallett Andrew Stewart Benjamin Porter Spring 2011 Abstract Contextualizing the Nabataeans: A Critical Reassessment of their History and Material Culture by Jeffrey Eli Pearson Doctor of Philosophy in Ancient History and Mediterranean Archaeology University of California, Berkeley Erich Gruen, Chair The Nabataeans, best known today for the spectacular remains of their capital at Petra in southern Jordan, continue to defy easy characterization. Since they lack a surviving narrative history of their own, in approaching the Nabataeans one necessarily relies heavily upon the commentaries of outside observers, such as the Greeks, Romans, and Jews, as well as upon comparisons of Nabataean material culture with Classical and Near Eastern models. These approaches have elucidated much about this
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Doctrine of Ishmael 1. Ishmael Was the Firstborn Son of Abraham By
    Doctrine of Ishmael 1. Ishmael was the firstborn son of Abraham by Hagar, an Egyptian maid of his wife Sarah. Abraham was 86 at the time and had lived in Canaan for 11 years. 2. Sarah, the barren wife, in keeping with customs of her times as seen in the Babylonian law code of Hammurabi, gave her slave Hagar to Abraham to produce an heir for the family. 3. When Abraham was 99 God renewed His covenant with him and enjoined circumcision of Ishmael as a sign of his membership in the covenant community. 4. God also announced that He would fulfill the divine promise through his wife Sarah, although Abraham looked on Ishmael with deep affection and prayed that he might be the promised heir (Gen 17:18). Gen 17:18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! Gen 17:19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. 5. When Ishmael was circumcised, Abraham and his household (those born to the men and women who had grown up in his employ and newcomers to the household through purchase from foreigners) were also circumcised. 5.1 Ishmael was 13 years old at the time of his circumcision. Many Arab tribes still circumcise their youths at the age of 13. 6. Fourteen years after the birth of Ishmael, Isaac was born to Sarah and Abraham. The jealousy that had long separated Sarah from Hagar came to a breaking point at the time of the weaning of Isaac.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 the Turks and Europe by Gaston Gaillard London: Thomas Murby & Co
    THE TURKS AND EUROPE BY GASTON GAILLARD LONDON: THOMAS MURBY & CO. 1 FLEET LANE, E.C. 1921 1 vi CONTENTS PAGES VI. THE TREATY WITH TURKEY: Mustafa Kemal’s Protest—Protests of Ahmed Riza and Galib Kemaly— Protest of the Indian Caliphate Delegation—Survey of the Treaty—The Turkish Press and the Treaty—Jafar Tayar at Adrianople—Operations of the Government Forces against the Nationalists—French Armistice in Cilicia—Mustafa Kemal’s Operations—Greek Operations in Asia Minor— The Ottoman Delegation’s Observations at the Peace Conference—The Allies’ Answer—Greek Operations in Thrace—The Ottoman Government decides to sign the Treaty—Italo-Greek Incident, and Protests of Armenia, Yugo-Slavia, and King Hussein—Signature of the Treaty – 169—271 VII. THE DISMEMBERMENT OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE: 1. The Turco-Armenian Question - 274—304 2. The Pan-Turanian and Pan-Arabian Movements: Origin of Pan-Turanism—The Turks and the Arabs—The Hejaz—The Emir Feisal—The Question of Syria—French Operations in Syria— Restoration of Greater Lebanon—The Arabian World and the Caliphate—The Part played by Islam - 304—356 VIII. THE MOSLEMS OF THE FORMER RUSSIAN EMPIRE AND TURKEY: The Republic of Northern Caucasus—Georgia and Azerbaïjan—The Bolshevists in the Republics of Caucasus and of the Transcaspian Isthmus—Armenians and Moslems - 357—369 IX. TURKEY AND THE SLAVS: Slavs versus Turks—Constantinople and Russia - 370—408 2 THE TURKS AND EUROPE I THE TURKS The peoples who speak the various Turkish dialects and who bear the generic name of Turcomans, or Turco-Tatars, are distributed over huge territories occupying nearly half of Asia and an important part of Eastern Europe.
    [Show full text]
  • Abraham, What Kind of an Ancestor Is He ? a New Look at Biblical Traditions
    A. de Pury, Abraham. A New Look 1 Abraham, what kind of an ancestor is he ? A new look at Biblical traditions As we all know — be we Muslims, Christians, or Jews — Abraham is a much loved, much coveted, much invoked, and therefore perhaps disputed ancestor1. Our respective traditions are well known to us, even the traditions of the families of faith to which we do not belong. We know, for instance, that for Muslims2, Ibrahim (who says: aslamtu li-rabbi l-‘alamin (Sur 2,31)) is held to be the first Muslim in history, and that in Mecca the pilgrim is the guest of Ibrahim and Isma'il even more so than he is of Muhammad. Ibrahim is held in such high esteem, that in the medieval Bâb el Khalîl of Jerusalem, the gate that opens the road to Hebron, an Islamic inscription of the shahada allows the confession of Muhammad as the rasûl'Allah to be replaced by the words : ’ashhadu ’an Ibrahim khalîl-’allah3. We know that for the first Christians4 as well as for many Jewish proselytes, Abraham came to be the human father par excellence, the “father of faith” and the “father in faith” : having accepted the call of God, Abraham became the model of the convert, the model of the believer (l Macc 2,50-52; James 2,21-23), and, being himself justified by faith rather than by his own righteousness or obedience (Rom 4,1-5), Abraham becomes the “father” of all believers, whether they be his physical descendents or not, whether they follow or not the law of Moses, and even, at the limit, whether they be righteous or sinners.
    [Show full text]
  • Lehi and the Arabs
    Lehi and the Arabs Here we discuss Lehi’s personal contacts with the Arabs, as indicated by his family background and his association with Ishmael, whose descendants in the New World closely resemble the Ishmaelites (Bedouins) of the Old World. The names of Lehi and some of his sons are pure Arabic. The Book of Mormon depicts Lehi as a man of three worlds, and it has recently become generally recognized that the ancient Hebrews shared fully in the culture and traditions of the desert on the one hand and in the cultural heritage of Egypt on the other. Lehi’s ties with the Arabs are many and interesting. Since the only comprehensive study of this theme is a chapter of Lehi in the Desert, we can do no better in this lesson than to quote that chapter, with necessary alterations and additions. Signicance of Manasseh Now of all the tribes of Israel, Manasseh was the one which lived farthest out in the desert, came into the most frequent contact with the Arabs, intermarried with them most frequently, and at the same time had the closest traditional bonds with Egypt.1 The prominence of the name of Ammon in the Book of Mormon may have something to do with the fact that Ammon was Manasseh’s nearest neighbor and often fought him in the deserts east of Jordan; at the same time a prehistoric connection with the Ammon of Egypt is not at all out of the question. The seminomadic nature of Manasseh might explain why Lehi seems out of touch with things in Jerusalem.
    [Show full text]
  • Jacob in Canaan Lesson 13 Genesis 33-36
    THE BOOK OF BEGINNINGS Studies in Genesis Jacob in Canaan Lesson 13 Genesis 33-36 Trinity Bible Church Sunday School November 26, 2017 Genesis – the Book of Beginnings < The great salvation of God • The revelation of God in Christ (John 1:18; 5:39) • The revelation of Christ’s work of salvation (John 14:6; 1 John 4:14) < The work of salvation in man – “the just shall live by faith” (Hab 2:4) < Style – narrative – stories from history Genesis 1-11 – Setting the Stage < Creation • God Almighty - Sovereign LORD • Man – image of God; servant of God • Good creation < The Fall • “We fail because we distrust God, and distrusting we disobey Him.” Griffith Thomas, D.D. • The death of man and creation – the curse of God • Great wickedness; every intent of the heart only evil continually Genesis 1-11 – Setting the Stage < The Flood • The wrath of God against sin • Total destruction with preservation of 8 humans and 2 or 7 of all animals • Inability of the flood to eradicate sin and the curse. < The Tower of Babel • Rebellion against God’s command to populate the earth (1:28 and 9:1) • Division by language (10:5, 20, 31; 11:9) • Judgment – makes salvation harder in a divided humanity Genesis 1-11 – Setting the Stage < The Gospel introduced • Protevangelium (3:15) • “The LORD had regard for Abel and his offering.” (4:4) • Enoch (5:22-24) • Noah found grace (6:8) • Lamech’s hope (5:29) • The Covenant with Noah, animals and the earth (9:1-17) Genesis 12-50 – Beginning of Salvation < The revelation of the plan begins in earnest < Abraham • The Abrahamic Covenant/Promise (12:1-3, 7; Hebrews 8) – Great nation; blessing; blessing to all nations; Seed of Abraham • Justification by faith (15:6; Gal 3:6-7; Rom 4:1-4) < Isaac • Isaac and Ishmael – no place for human works (21:9-14; Gal.
    [Show full text]
  • The Amazing Prophecies of Muhammad in the Bible Them
    _____________________________________________ THE AMAZING PROPHECIES OF MUHAMMAD in the BIBLE Twenty-Eight Proofs from the Bible of Muhammad’s Prophethood _____________________________________________ The Clear Religion Series - Part 5 Excerpted from Who Deserves to Be Worshipped www.saaid.net/The-clear-religion/017.pdf Majed S. Al-Rassi Edited by Ann Ronayne Revised 2019 This book may be copied and distributed for free as long as no changes are made. www.saaid.net/The-clear-religion/06.pdf NO DOUBT THIS LIFE IS AN EXAMINATION WHICH NEEDS YOUR FULL CONSIDERATION AS TO WHAT YOU WILL TAKE TO YOUR FINAL DESTINATION ONLY TRUE BELIEF AND GOOD DEEDS ARE YOUR WAY TO SALVATION (Muhammad Sherif) CONTENTS HONORIFIC PHRASES IN THIS BOOK 3 ABOUT THE WORD ‘LORD’ 3 ABOUT THE WORD ‘ALLAH’ 4 INTRODUCTION 5 MUHAMMAD (BPUH) IN THE BIBLE 7 THE MAIN ATTRIBUTES OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD’S PROFILE IN THE BIBLE 9 1. His name 9 2. His characteristics 10 3. The location from which he was to emerge 27 4. The message to be revealed through him 29 5. Fulfilment of prophecies which he foretold 31 6. The time when he was to appear 33 7. The unique proof 36 8. The lack of warnings from previous prophets 36 9. The consistency between Muhammad’s and Jesus’ teachings 37 THIS IS IT 40 A WHISPER 41 HOW TO BECOME A MUSLIM 44 BEST DECISION THEY EVER MADE 49 Other Muslims who were formerly Christians 57 2 The amazing prophecies of Muhammad in the Bible BIBLIOGRAPHY 59 APPENDIX 60 GLOSSARY OF ISLAMIC TERMS 62 HONORIFIC PHRASES IN THIS BOOK (the Exalted): used after the mention of God/Allah to express: Glorified and Exalted is He (bpuh): Blessings and peace be upon him; used after mention of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Peace be upon him; used after mention of any prophet or after mention of Angel Gabriel (May Allah be pleased with her): used after mention of a female Companion of the Prophet ABOUT THE WORD ‘LORD’ he word lord in English has several related meanings.
    [Show full text]
  • Genesis 25 By: Dr
    XLI. Genesis in Biblical Perspective The Gospel of Christ from Genesis “The Last Words and Deeds of Abraham” Genesis 25 By: Dr. Harry L. Reeder III We are going to bring to a conclusion the life of Abraham as we come to the Lord’s Supper in Genesis 25. Genesis 25:1–18 says [1] Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. [2] She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. [3] Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. [4] The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. [5] Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. [6] But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country. [7] These are the days of the years of Abraham's life, 175 years. [8] Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. [9] Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, [10] the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife. [11] After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi. [12] These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant, bore to Abraham.
    [Show full text]
  • The Conquest of the Promised Land: Joshua
    TABLE OF CONTENTS Brief Explanation of the Technical Resources Used in the “You Can Understand the Bible” Commentary Series .............................................i Brief Definitions of Hebrew Grammatical Forms Which Impact Exegesis.............. iii Abbreviations Used in This Commentary........................................ix A Word From the Author: How This Commentary Can Help You.....................xi A Guide to Good Bible Reading: A Personal Search for Verifiable Truth ............. xiii Geographical Locations in Joshua.............................................xxi The Old Testament as History............................................... xxii OT Historiography Compared with Contemporary Near Eastern Cultures.............xxvi Genre and Interpretation: Old Testament Narrative............................. xxviii Introduction to Joshua ................................................... 1 Joshua 1.............................................................. 7 Joshua 2............................................................. 22 Joshua 3............................................................. 31 Joshua 4............................................................. 41 Joshua 5............................................................. 51 Joshua 6............................................................. 57 Joshua 7............................................................. 65 Joshua 8............................................................. 77 Joshua 9............................................................
    [Show full text]
  • March 2021 E-Newsletter
    Established August 1, 1996 The Apple of His Eye Mission Society March 2021 e-newsletter www.appleofhiseye.org Why? By Steve Cohen On Saturday, March 27th , the first night of the eight day festival know as Passover, we hosted our 2021 family Passover Seder at our Georgetown, Texas home. A LOT of work went into the planning, preparation Toi Powell helping Nancy, Toi, grandson and serving of this wonderful event. with setup Andy and Kristy prepping The tables were set with great care, and the menu was given much consideration. The ceremonial items of Karpas (parsley & salt water), Maror (freshly ground horseradish) to the marvelous Charoseth (chopped apples with honey and other yummy ingre- dients). The dinner included superb Matzo Ball soup (yes they were light and fluffy, not brick like to be shipped back to Egypt) Israeli salad, lemony chicken and heavenly brisket, potatoes, brussels sprouts, and for desert fresh fruit and macarons (not to be con- fused with macaroons). Of course no bread was served as this is the seder because this is also the feast of unleavened bread, so Matzoh was the order of the day. One of the highlights of the Passover seder is the asking of the traditional four questions by the young- est child at the table who can read. This year was no different; the questions asked were: The Apple of His Eye Administrative Center: PO Box 1649 Brentwood TN 37024 Brentwood PO Center: 1649 Administrative Box Eye His of Apple The Ma nishtanah halailah hazeh mikol haleilot? The rest of the Passover seder is set to answer those four questions and retell the story of our liberation from bondage and slavery in Egypt.
    [Show full text]
  • Medieval Hebrew Texts and European River Names Ephraim Nissan London [email protected]
    ONOMÀSTICA 5 (2019): 187–203 | RECEPCIÓ 8.3.2019 | ACCEPTACIÓ 18.9.2019 Medieval Hebrew texts and European river names Ephraim Nissan London [email protected] Abstract: The first section of theBook of Yosippon (tenth-century Italy) maps the Table of Nations (Genesis 10) onto contemporary peoples and places and this text, replete with tantalizing onomastics, also includes many European river names. An extract can be found in Elijah Capsali’s chronicle of the Ottomans 1517. The Yosippon also includes a myth of Italic antiquities and mentions a mysterious Foce Magna, apparently an estuarine city located in the region of Ostia. The article also examines an onomastically rich passage from the medieval travelogue of Benjamin of Tudela, and the association he makes between the river Gihon (a name otherwise known in relation to the Earthly Paradise or Jerusalem) and the Gurganin or the Georgians, a people from the Caspian Sea. The river Gihon is apparently what Edmund Spenser intended by Guyon in his Faerie Queene. The problems of relating the Hebrew spellings of European river names to their pronunciation are illustrated in the case of the river Rhine. Key words: river names (of the Seine, Loire, Rhine, Danube, Volga, Dnieper, Po, Ticino, Tiber, Arno, Era, Gihon, Guyon), Kiev, medieval Hebrew texts, Book of Yosippon, Table of Nations (Genesis 10), historia gentium, mythical Foce Magna city, Benjamin of Tudela, Elijah Capsali, Edmund Spenser Textos hebreus medievals i noms de rius europeus Resum: L’inici del Llibre de Yossippon (Itàlia, segle X) relaciona la «taula de les nacions» de Gènesi 10 amb pobles i llocs contemporanis, i aquest text, ple de propostes onomàstiques temptadores, també inclou noms fluvials europeus.
    [Show full text]