DOCSLIB.ORG

The GENESIS: a Symphonic Work and Analysis

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The GENESIS: a Symphonic Work and Analysis Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Faculty Publications 2017 The GENESIS: A Symphonic Work and Analysis Max Keller Andrews University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pubs Part of the Composition Commons Recommended Citation Keller, Max, "The GENESIS: A Symphonic Work and Analysis" (2017). Faculty Publications. 1522. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pubs/1522 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Catalyst ISSN 2408-137X, Volume 15, No. 1, 2017 The GENESIS: A Symphonic Work and Analysis Max Keller Abstract The biblical account of creation found in the Book of Genesis is known to billions around the world through its proclamation by multiple religions and numerous denominations. As such it is embedded in many cultures, especially that of the Western civilization and art. This article contains all but two of the movements, three and six, of Max Keller’s analysis of his multi-movement symphonic work The Genesis. The work sought to be a musical expression of the creation narrative found in the Book of Genesis, with direct correlations to the original Hebrew text. As such, the analysis takes an in-depth look into the relationship between the composition itself and the text, with specific attention given to the translations of the original Hebrew into English to better understand the reasoning behind the interpretative choices made by the composer and how they are applied musically. Key words: Genesis, creation, exegesis, composition, music analysis Literature Review Some of the earliest accounts of Genesis’ story of creation can be found in poetry of the Bible in the book of Psalms. “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” (Psalms 33:6) According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, God is the creator of the universe and as such “Creation became a key-point in the faith of Israel…” (Luz, 2010). Christians trace their history and faith through the Israelites’ writings up until the birth of Jesus. Two of the gospel writers, Matthew and Luke, take particular time to establish Jesus’ genealogy within the history of the Jewish nation and ultimately the world. The account given by Luke begins with Jesus and works backwards to the first man, Adam, and then ultimately God the Creator (Allen, 2015). Coming out of the same tradition, followers of Jesus, Christians, hold creation as a foundational tenant of their faith. As such, the book of Genesis has been the source of inspiration for many great works of Western art. In 1512 Michelangelo completed his commission from Pope Julius II, the frescoes covering the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. “The Sistine Chapel holds a central place in Christendom as the private chapel of the pope and the site of the papal conclave, where the College of Cardinals gathers to elect new popes. Thanks to Michelangelo… however, the chapel’s significance extends to all who have been inspired by the originality and power of his vision—both directly and indirectly, through its influence on subsequent artists and the iconography of world culture.” (Katz, 2009). The epic poem Paradise Lost by John Milton was first published in 1667. When considered today “Paradise Lost is not just the greatest epic poem ever written in the English language, it is also one of the greatest epic poems in the wider European Tradition.” (Reisner, 2011, p. 151). The poem goes much beyond the creation of the world to include war in heaven and the fall of mankind described in the Book of Genesis after the creation story with its final climax being the telling of the plan of redemption to Adam before he and Eve are cast out of the Garden of Eden (Milton, 1667). While Paradise Lost is the most well-known and influential work, there are many others that deal with the biblical creation. Many such works also focus on the fall of mankind, perhaps due to the drama of a perfect world being corrupted. However, the 20th century poem The Creation by the American poet James Weldon Johnson published in 1922 does not delve into any areas other than the creation of the world (Johnson, 1922). Instead, it ends with the creation of man thereby making that the culminating climax of the work which much more in alignment with the first chapter of Genesis. Perhaps the seminal work in regards to biblical creation in the classical repertoire is Haydn’s oratorio The Creation, which had its public premier in 1799. Not completely unique in its language, 32 Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost was a reference for the libretto of Haydn’s work (Edwards, 1891). “In The Creation we see the greatest composer of the time, at the very height of his powers, gathering all his resources to tackle the central mystery of our existence. It was a supreme moment in musical history.” (Temperley, 1991, p. 8). In the 20th century, a collaborative work headed by film composer Nathaniel Shilkret depicted not only creation, but many of the other stories in Genesis up to the fall of Babel. The work entitled Genesis Suite was completed in 1945 and included seven composers. In order by movement they were Arnold Schoenberg Prelude – Earth was without form, Nathaniel Shilkret Creation, Alexandre Tansman Adam and Eve, Darius Milhaud Cain and Abel, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco The Flood ("Noah's Ark"), Ernst Toch The Covenant ("The Rainbow"), and Igor Stravinsky Babel. This work covers much more than just the creation and finishes with the scattering of mankind after the tower of Babel in Genesis chapter 11. A more recent large-scale work depicting the creation is the ballet The Creation of the World by the Russian film composer Andrei Petrov in 1968. “The Creation of the World shows Petrov to be a kind of tongue-in-cheek faux-naif with its grotesque and effervescent mixture of folk, jazz, and the nursery.” (Snook, n.d.). The ballet is based on and named after the cartoon cycle of the same name by the French painter and cartoonist François Lejeune who worked under the pseudonym Jean Effel. Throughout the pantheon that is Western music, the amount of large-scale orchestral works depicting the biblical account of creation are not as numerous as would perhaps be expected of a subject matter that has been and is still exceedingly culturally influential. However in addition to the creation found in the Book of Genesis, the Bible as a source of inspiration is extremely prevalent in Western classical and contemporary music as can be attested to by oratorios such as Handel’s Messiah, Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and John Adam’s El Niño, the ballet Job: A Masque for Dancing by Ralph Vaughan Williams, the song cycle Four Serious Songs by Brahms, and Leonard Bernstein's Symphony No. 1 entitled Jeremiah not to mention the expansive abundance found in the areas of sacred choral and solo vocal works. Methodology The Genesis is a programmatic symphonic work composed by Max Keller in 2016 that depicts the creation of the heavens and the earth as described in the biblical book of Genesis. The scoring is set for 2 Flutes, Oboe, English Horn, 2 Clarinets in B¨, 2 Bassoon, 4 Horns in F, 2 Trumpets in B¨, 2 Trombones, Bass Trombone, Tuba, 4 Timpani, 3 Percussion, Harp, Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello and Bass. Due to length restrictions, this article does not include movements three and six from The Genesis or their analysis. However, it does follow the format of the complete paper which is divided into two main sections, the methodology which addresses the texts considered and pre-compositional thoughts, and the analysis, which seeks to display those thoughts in the music. Both sections are organized in seven smaller sections coinciding with each of the seven movements of the work. However, the movements themselves are set according to the days of creation described in the Book of Genesis. Each day of the creation, while containing unique traits and formations, fits sequentially into an overarching narrative, and was also viewed in a teleological fashion with the completion of all the Earth and its living inhabitants as the goal. Essentially the analysis will view the entire creation week as being contained within a timeline that depicts order and aesthetic beauty formed out of nothing as well as chaos. 33 Movement 1. Tohu (Confusion) 1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day (KJV, Genesis 1:1-5) To be able to describe how musically this scene could be depicted, the description of the state of the earth must be examined. Starting in verse two the Earth is described as being “without form, and ṯō-hū). According to Strong (1890), this word carries) ת ֹ֙הוֹּ֙֙ void.” The words “without form” come from with it multiple meanings: formlessness, confusion, unreality, and emptiness (h. 8414). Emptiness ḇō·hū) and simply means) וָב ֹ֔ הּו would coincide with the next description, void, which comes from emptiness (Strong, 1890, h.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Eve's Answer to the Serpent: an Alternative Paradigm for Sin and Some Implications in Theology
    Calvin Theological Journal 33 (1998) : 399-420 Copyright © 1980 by Calvin Theological Seminary. Cited with permission. Scholia et Homiletica Eve's Answer to the Serpent: An Alternative Paradigm for Sin and Some Implications in Theology P. Wayne Townsend The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, `You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die. "' (Gen. 3:2-3) Can we take these italicized words seriously, or must we dismiss them as the hasty additions of Eve's overactive imagination? Did God say or mean this when he instructed Adam in Genesis 2:16-17? I suggest that, not only did Eve speak accu- rately and insightfully in responding to the serpent but that her words hold a key to reevaluating the doctrine of original sin and especially the puzzles of alien guilt and the imputation of sin. In this article, I seek to reignite discussion on these top- ics by suggesting an alternative paradigm for discussing the doctrine of original sin and by applying that paradigm in a preliminary manner to various themes in the- ology, biblical interpretation, and Christian living. I seek not so much to answer questions as to evoke new ones that will jar us into a more productive path of the- ological explanation. I suggest that Eve's words indicate that the Bible structures the ideas that we recognize as original sin around the concept of uncleanness.
    [Show full text]
  • God Made Eve and Ordained Marriage
    GGOODD MMAADDEE EEVVEE aanndd oorrddaaiinneedd mmaarrrriiaaggee Several thousand years have passed since Adam and Eve became man and wife, but God hasn’t changed what he first instructed mankind regarding marriage in the Bible. Did you know that God was the One who decided that man and woman should marry? In Genesis 2 we find part of the wedding service spoken in many wedding ceremonies today. Men and women and marriage and children are very important to God. Marriage is not just a good idea… it’s a “God Idea”! But some people don’t know or don’t believe what God says about marriage. They say that marriage is something to be tried out to see if it will work—depending upon how you feel about it. Many folks are even suggesting that the idea of marriage is outdated. But what does the Bible say about marriage? Let’s take a look and find out! God decided that Adam needed a wife to help him and to be his companion. Genesis 2:18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” God decided that Adam should not live alone. - God was his Creator and knew what was best for him. - God didn’t ask Adam what he wanted or thought best. - God made the decision to make a wife for Adam. God loved Adam and wanted him to be complete. - God knew that Adam wouldn’t continue to be happy if he remained alone. - Because God loved Adam and wanted what was best for him, he decided to make a wife for him.
    [Show full text]
  • Another Look at Cain: from a Narrative Perspective
    신학논단 제102집 (2020. 12. 31): 241-263 https://doi.org/10.17301/tf.2020.12.102.241 Another Look at Cain: From a Narrative Perspective Wm. J McKinstry IV, MATS Adjunct Faculty, Department of General Education Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary In the Hebrew primeval histories names often carry significant weight. Much etymological rigour has been exercised in determining many of the names within the Bible. Some of the meaning of these names appear to have a consensus among scholars; among others there is less consensus and more contention. Numerous proposals have come forward with varying degrees of convincing (or unconvincing as the case may be) philological arguments, analysis of wordplays, possi- ble textual emendations, undiscovered etymologies from cognates in other languages, or onomastic studies detailing newly discovered names of similarity found in other ancient Semitic languages. Through these robust studies, when applicable, we can ascertain the meanings of names that may help to unveil certain themes or actions of a character within a narrative. For most of the names within the primeval histories of Genesis, the 242 신학논단 제102집(2020) meaning of a name is only one feature. For some names there is an en- compassing feature set: wordplay, character trait and/or character role, and foreshadowing. Three of the four members in the first family in Genesis, Adam, Eve, and Abel, have names that readily feature all the elements listed above. Cain, however, has rather been an exception in this area, further adding to Genesis 4’s enigmaticness in the Hebrew Bible’s primeval history. While three characters (Adam, Eve, and Abel) have names that (1) sound like other Hebrew words, that are (2) sug- gestive of their character or actions and (3) foreshadow or suggest fu- ture events about those characters, the meaning of Cain’s name does not render itself so explicitly to his character or his role in the narrative, at least not to the same degree of immediate conspicuousness.
    [Show full text]
  • The Name of God the Golem Legend and the Demiurgic Role of the Alphabet 243
    CHAPTER FIVE The Name of God The Golem Legend and the Demiurgic Role of the Alphabet Since Samaritanism must be viewed within the wider phenomenon of the Jewish religion, it will be pertinent to present material from Judaism proper which is corroborative to the thesis of the present work. In this Chapter, the idea about the agency of the Name of God in the creation process will be expounded; then, in the next Chapter, the various traditions about the Angel of the Lord which are relevant to this topic will be set forth. An apt introduction to the Jewish teaching about the Divine Name as the instrument of the creation is the so-called golem legend. It is not too well known that the greatest feat to which the Jewish magician aspired actually was that of duplicating God's making of man, the crown of the creation. In the Middle Ages, Jewish esotericism developed a great cycle of golem legends, according to which the able magician was believed to be successful in creating a o ?� (o?u)1. But the word as well as the concept is far older. Rabbinic sources call Adam agolem before he is given the soul: In the first hour [of the sixth day], his dust was gathered; in the second, it was kneaded into a golem; in the third, his limbs were shaped; in the fourth, a soul was irifused into him; in the fifth, he arose and stood on his feet[ ...]. (Sanh. 38b) In 1615, Zalman �evi of Aufenhausen published his reply (Jii.discher Theriak) to the animadversions of the apostate Samuel Friedrich Brenz (in his book Schlangenbalg) against the Jews.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Genesis 1:1 'Eres Elohim Bara Bereshith the Hebrews Call This Book “Bereshith” from the First Word
    Genesis 1:1 ‘eres elohim bara bereshith The Hebrews call this book “Bereshith” from the first word. This Hebrew word is translated in the Greek Septuagint by the Greek word “genesis” which means “birth, origin” The first two chapters are formed with three units: 1) Gen. 1:1 2) Gen. 1:2-2:3 3) Gen. 2:4-25 Genesis 1:1 refutes all idols and false philosophies through history: 1) Atheism (No God) 2) Pantheism (God is in All) 3) Polytheism (Many Gods) 4) Dualism (Good verse Evil 5) Humanism (Man is God) 6) Evolution (Material is God) Psalm 14:1 “The fool says in his heart ‘There is no God’.” Liberal Biblical Scholarship: 1) J = Jehovah from 850 BC 2) E = Elohim from 750 BC 3) D = Deuteronomist from 620 BC (Josiah’s reform) 4) P = Priestly from 500 BC (Ezekeil to Ezra) 1 “Toledot” According to Luke 16:31; 24:27, 44 Moses is responsible of Genesis. How did Moses write it? 1) Direct Revelation 2) Oral Stories 3) Written Documents An important word in Genesis is “ toledot”. “Toledot” is a Hebrew noun from the root “y-l-d” which means “to bear”. It is translated by these words in English: “genealogy,” “generations”, account,” family history,” “ancestral narrative.” It is found in these verses: 2:4 “the account of” is Hb. “toledot” or “generations” 5:1 - Adam’s Line 6:9 – Noah 10:1 – Shem 11:10 – Terah 11:27 – Abraham, Isaac 25:19 – Isaac, Jacob 37:2 until Exodus 1:1 – Sons of Jacob Two themes: 1) The preparation of the land 2) The blessing of the creation (’eres is the Hebrew word translated “earth” in 1:1, 2 but land later.) Seven Hebrew words form the first verse, Genesis 1:1 a) identify the Creator b) explain the origin of the world 2 c) connect these past events with man’s future The Creator “God” is “Elohim”.
    [Show full text]
  • Adam and Eve—Community: Reading Genesis
    last day of creative work. In the second account, however, Man is created before anything else.2 Of course, it is not to be denied that the text did not spring up ex nihilo, created by a Volume 1, Issue 1 | Fall 2003 writer without reference to previous texts. The redactor undoubtedly had a number of Adam and Eve—Community: texts to which he could refer in creating the Reading Genesis 2-3 Genesis text, and he undoubtedly used works already familiar to him as sources. Or James E. Faulconer it is conceivable that there was no individual Brigham Young University redactor or set of redactors, but only the egin thinking about human community solidifying of an oral tradition. For our B and its possibility at the beginning, or purposes, it does not matter. In either case it almost at the beginning, one step after the is too much to assume that the final text is immemorial beginning.1 The biblical story merely contradictory. There may be of the creation of Man (’adam) and Woman contradictions within the text, but the more (’isha) and their expulsion from the garden obvious those contradictions are, the less places humans in the world in a particular likely it is that they are contradictions that way; it creates a habitation for human life so undo the text. It is too much to assume that that the history shared by humans and the the redaction of Genesis was a product of story that manifests community includes the blindness. A considerable amount of “cut possibility of gathering together all humans and paste” work was surely involved in the as unique individuals rather than simply as creation of the Genesis story, but unless we members of a collective.
    [Show full text]
  • Adam, Eve, and the New and Everlasting Covenant
    Adam, Eve, and the New and Everlasting Covenant Jeffrey M. Bradshaw While the importance of account of the Creation and the Fall in Moses 1-4 cannot be overstated, a careful reading of Moses 5-8 is required to see the prior material in its overall context.1 Reeves observes: Most modern students of Bible fail to discern the pivotal significance which [the tale of Cain and Abel] plays in the present narrative structure of Genesis because of the enormous religious significance with which ancient, medieval, and modern Christian interpreters have invested the immediately preceding story of Adam and Eve in the Garden… I would like to suggest that while admittedly the episode of disobedience in the Garden was not a good thing, the story of Cain and Abel introduces something far worse into the created order… It represents a critical turning point in antediluvian history, and is… the key crime which leads ineluctably to the Flood.2 Foreseeing the similar rise of alluring wickedness in our own time, the Savior warned that “as it was in the days of Noah, so it shall be also at the coming of the Son of Man.”3 The illustration above is taken from Stephen Vincent Benét’s 1936 story The Devil and Daniel Webster, made into a popular film in 1941. Piazza characterizes the latter as “a fascinating allegory, filmed on the eve of World War II, of a society gone mad with materialism, a premonition of the opportunities and dangers awaiting the United States as it recovered from the Great Depression.”4 Old Scratch is portrayed as polite, refined, and soft-spoken—and as usual, he “gets the best lines” as he preaches his gospel of cold cash to a down-on-his-luck New Hampshire farmer.
    [Show full text]
  • God's Rejection of Cain Outside the Garden of Eden (Genesis 4:1-16)
    Concordia Seminary - Saint Louis Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary Master of Sacred Theology Thesis Concordia Seminary Scholarship Spring 5-18-2018 Falling Far from the Tree? God's Rejection of Cain outside the Garden of Eden (Genesis 4:1-16) Mark Remington Squire Concordia Seminary - St. Louis Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.csl.edu/stm Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, Comparative Methodologies and Theories Commons, History of Christianity Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Squire, Mark Remington, "Falling Far from the Tree? God's Rejection of Cain outside the Garden of Eden (Genesis 4:1-16)" (2018). Master of Sacred Theology Thesis. 395. https://scholar.csl.edu/stm/395 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Concordia Seminary Scholarship at Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master of Sacred Theology Thesis by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FALLING FAR FROM THE TREE? GOD’S REJECTION OF CAIN OUTSIDE THE GARDEN OF EDEN (GENESIS 4:1–16) A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Department of Exegetical Theology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Sacred Theology By Mark Remington Squire April 2018 Approved by Dr. David L. Adams Advisor Rev. Thomas J. Egger Reader Dr. Joel C. Elowsky Reader © 2018 by Mark Remington Squire. All rights reserved. ii CONTENTS PREFACE ...................................................................................................................................... v ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................................................... vi ABSTRACT ...............................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Science & Mormonism Series 1: Cosmos, Earth, And
    Science & Mormonism Series 1: Cosmos, Earth, and Man Chapter Title: Science and Genesis: A Personal View Chapter Author: Jeffrey M. Bradshaw This book from which this chapter is excerpted is available through Eborn Books: https://ebornbooks.com/shop/non-fiction/mormon-lds/mormon-science/science-and- mormonism-1-cosmos-earth-and-man-hardbound-jeffrey-m-bradshaw/ Recommended Citation Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, "Science and Genesis: A Personal View" in Science & Mormonism Series 1: Cosmos, Earth, and Man, edited by David H. Bailey, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, John S. Lewis, Gregory L. Smith, and Michael R. Stark (Orem, UT, and Salt Lake City: The Interpreter Foundation and Eborn Books, 2016), https://interpreterfoundation.org/reprints/science-and-mormonism/SM1Chap06.pdf. SCIENCE AND MORMONISM 1: COSMOS, EARTH, AND MAN David H. Bailey, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, John S. Lewis, Gregory L. Smith, and Michael R. Stark The Interpreter Foundation Eborn Books 2016 © 2016 The Interpreter Foundation. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The goal of The Interpreter Foundation is to increase understanding of scripture through careful scholarly investigation and analysis of the insights provided by a wide range of ancillary disciplines. We hope to illuminate, by study and faith, the eternal spiritual message of the scriptures — that Jesus is the Christ. Although the Board fully supports the goals and teachings of the Church, the Interpreter Foundation is an independent entity and is not owned, controlled by, or affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or with Brigham Young University. All research and opinions provided are the sole responsibility of their respective authors, and should not be interpreted as the opinions of the Board, nor as official statements of LDS doctrine, belief, or practice.
    [Show full text]
  • Paradoxes in Paradise
    Paradoxes in Paradise Julie M. Smith In the last few decades, two very different interpretive communities, each presumably unacquainted with the other’s work, cast aside the millennia-old interpretation1 of Genesis 3 that found fault with Eve’s actions. They adopted the same innovative reading: Eve’s choice to eat from the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was wise—an idea that I will call the Wise Choice Theory. No one would be surprised that one of these groups consists of feminist biblical scholars;2 what may be a bit of a shock is that the other group is composed of members and leaders of the LDS Church.3 Obstacles to the Wise Choice Theory While the appeal of the Wise Choice Theory is obvious in an age of anxiety over women’s4 nature and roles,5 there are many problems associated with this reading. I will explore these difculties and then consider some other ways in which we might approach this most enigmatic of texts. I nd nine major obstacles to the Wise Choice Theory. Reactions Note the reactions to eating 6 the fruit: Adam and Eve hide from God (Genesis 3:8), they are afraid (v. 10),7 they are ashamed,8 and, most importantly, instead of proudly announcing their act when questioned, 9 they try to deect blame (vv. 12–13). Further, when asked why she had eaten, Eve states that she had been tricked (v. 13).10 These are not the responses of people who think they have just done something wise.
    [Show full text]
  • Righteous Abel, Wicked Cain: Genesis 4:1-16 in the Masoretic Text, the Septuagint, and the New Testament Joel N
    University of the Pacific Scholarly Commons Benerd School of Education Faculty Articles Gladys L. Benerd School of Education 7-1-2009 Righteous Abel, Wicked Cain: Genesis 4:1-16 in the Masoretic Text, the Septuagint, and the New Testament Joel N. Lohr University of the Pacific, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/ed-facarticles Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Lohr, J. N. (2009). Righteous Abel, Wicked Cain: Genesis 4:1-16 in the Masoretic Text, the Septuagint, and the New Testament. Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 71(3), 485–496. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/ed-facarticles/23 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Gladys L. Benerd School of Education at Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Benerd School of Education Faculty Articles by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Righteous Abel, Wicked Cain: Genesis 4:1-16 in the Masoretic Text, the Septuagint, and the New Testament JOEL N. LOHR Trinity Western University Langley, BC V2Y 1Y1, Canada THERE APPEARS TO BE a long-standing interpretive crux in the story of Cain and Abel (Gen 4:1-16) regarding why God looks with favor on Abel but not on Cain. The interpretive instinct to determine the reasons for God's favor is perhaps quite natural: religiously speaking, a deity who favors or disfavors without reason could appear arbitrary or unjust, an issue to resolve. The Old Greek (LXX) translation of the story also seems to explain God's favor toward Abel and not Cain in a partic­ ular way, perhaps providing one of the earliest extant examples of this interpretive practice.1 Through what might be called a theological translation, the LXX paints a negative portrait of Cain (in his offering and in other ways), one that has left an indelible mark on later tradition.
    [Show full text]
  • Sea-Monsters in the Hebrew Bible Associated with Leviathan
    i ABSTRACT Leviathan and the other sea-monsters in the Hebrew Bible have been a source of dissension amongst biblical scholars. Evidently, no consensus exists amongst them on how to translate the Hebrew words referring to these mythical monsters. Therefore, a tendency developed amongst exegetes to transfigure these mythical beasts into ordinary animals, to translate them in a vague and general way or to interpret them as mere symbols. This study, therefore, investigates ways in which the assumed existence of mythical creatures in the OT are denied, identified, or rejected. To gain a better understanding of the nature and function of these mythical creatures in the OT, similar creatures in the Ancient Near East (ANE) have been examined with a focus on sea-monsters and dragons associated with the primeval sea. These findings propose not only a more distinct epitome of Leviathan, but also of other monsters associated with the primeval waters as דָ ג גָד֔ ֹול tanninim), behemoth and the) תַּ נִּינִּ ִ֖ם ,depicted in the OT. These are Rahab (Jonah’s big fish). It was concluded that when these beasts are interpreted in the light of the magico-mythical cosmology of the ANE and the OT, they should be seen as mythical creatures, assumed to be real by the ancient audience of the biblical text. When striving for fidelity to and loyalty with regard to both the text and the current reader, any translation should, therefore, present the foreignness of these monsters or dragons to the contemporary reader. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 – THE PROBLEM OF SEAMONSTERS IN THE OT ......................
    [Show full text]