From Adam to Noah: a Reconsideration of the Antediluvian Patriarchs' Ages
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The Figure of Joseph the Patriarch in the New Testament and the Early Church
ABSTRACT “Much More Ours Than Yours”: The Figure of Joseph the Patriarch in the New Testament and the Early Church by John Lee Fortner This paper investigates the figure of Joseph the patriarch in early Christian interpretation, demonstrating the importance of such figures in articulating a Christian reading of the history of Israel, and the importance of this reading in the identity formation of early Christianity. The paper also illumines the debt of this Christian reading of Israel’s history to the work of Hellenistic Judaism. The figure of Joseph the patriarch is traced through early Christian interpretation, primarily from the Eastern Church tradition up to the 4th century C.E. The key methodological approach is an analysis of how the early church employed typological, allegorical, and moral exegesis in its construction of Joseph as a “Christian saint of the Old Testament.” A figure who, to borrow Justin Martyr’s phrase, became in the Christian identity “much more ours than yours.” “Much More Ours Than Yours”: The Figure of Joseph the Patriarch in the New Testament and the Early Church A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Miami University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of History by John Lee Fortner Miami University Oxford, Ohio 2004 Advisor ________________________ Dr. Edwin Yamauchi Reader ________________________ Dr. Charlotte Goldy Reader _________________________ Dr. Wietse de Boer Table of Contents Introduction 1 Early Christian Hermeneutics 1 The Aura of Antiquity 6 Apologetics of Hellenistic Judaism 8 Scope and Purpose of Study 12 1. Joseph in the New Testament 13 Acts 7 14 Heb 11 15 2. -
The Question of the Fathers (Twba) As Patriarchs in Deuteronomy1
346 Lombaard: The Question of the Fathers OTE 22/2 (2009), 346-355 The Question of the Fathers (Twba) as Patriarchs in Deuteronomy1 CHRISTO LOMBAARD (UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA) ABSTRACT In an involved argumentation that runs most influentially from Van Seters via Römer and Lohfink, the question of whether the “fathers” (twba) in the book of Deuteronomy had indeed ini- tially referred to the patriarchal trio of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has been under discussion since the 1970s. In this arti- cle, the debate is taken into review in the light of the author’s recently published position on the competition between tra- dents within post-exilic Israel as reflecting inner-Judean iden- tity politics. His conclusion concurs with Römer’s theory, that editorial insertion of the patriarchs’ names next to the father references in Deuteronomy is probable. A OH FATHER, WHERE ART THOU? Within the scholarly discussions on the composition of the Pentateuch, the re- lationship between Genesis and the rest of the “Big Five” (Lombaard 2005:152) finds a particular point of focus in the patriarchs of Israel: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, so prominent within the opening book of the Bible, seem to have exerted very little influence on the rest of the Old Testament. Though this may in some way be understandable for other genres of literature in the Hebrew Bible, such as the Prophets (cf. Lombaard 2005:152-159) or the Psalms (cf. Lombaard 1998:59-70), it is certainly unexpected with Exodus to Deutero- nomy. Hence, this relative scarcity of patriarchal references outside Genesis must be a factor for consideration in understanding the relationship of these five books to one another and the compositional history of the whole of this “mosaic of Moses” (Deist 1988). -
Difficulties of New Testament Genealogies
DIFFICULTIES OF NEW TESTAMENT GENEALOGIES R. LARRY OVERSTREET The genealogies in Matthew and Luke are integral parts of those Gospels. They are remarkably precise documents, each accomplishing the aim of testifying to God's design in the birth of Jesus Christ. This article presents the purposes and peculiarities of each genealogy, and also examines the difficulties of interpretation attendant to them. Special attention is focused on the difficulties found when Matthew is compared to the OT. and on the difficulties found when Matthew is compared to Luke. Both genealogies are reckoned as accurate in even the smallest details. * * * HE NT opens with an arresting prefatory record of names. T Many readers probably pass over them as being of no practical value. However, this genealogy which opens the NT is, in many respects, one of the most important documents in the Scriptures. Much of the Bible stands or falls with its accuracy. If the Word of God contains mistakes in this section, how is any of it to be trusted, for this is the connecting link between the OT and NT? Evidently, genealogies were available to the ancient public, and it could be established easily if a person had a legitimate claim to any particular line. For example, Ezra 2:62 states, "These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood." This demonstrates how it was then possible to check the register of the tribe of Levi and remove those that made a false claim. -
Old Testament Timeline: an Overview* Patriarchs to Judges (C
Old Testament Timeline: An Overview* The following dates (all B.C.) are close approximations based on correlating dates between the Bible and other ancient Near Eastern sources (largely from Assyrian accession lists, Babylonian king-lists, or Egyptian historical sources). Often dates can be confirmed between the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires by narratives recording contacts between these two countries. Patriarchs to Judges (c. 2166–1030) 1446 Date for Exodus** 1260 Date for Exodus** Abraham 2166–1991 2000–1825 Isaac 2066–1886 1900–1720 Jacob 2006–1859 1840–1693 Joseph 1915–1805 1749–1639 Moses’ birth 1526 1340 Exodus 1446 1260 Desert wanderings 1446–1406 1260–1220 Entrance into Canaan 1406 1220 Period of the judges 1375 to 1050–1030 1210 to 1050–1030 United Monarchy (c. 1050–931) Dates Notes 1050–1030 to Numerals relating to Saul’s age and length of reign may be missing Saul’s reign 1010 in the Hebrew text (see 1 Sam. 13:1)*** David’s reign 1010–971 Solomon’s 971–931 reign Divided Monarchy to Exile (931–586) See The Divided Kingdom: Kings of Judah and The Divided Kingdom divided 931 Kingdom: Kings of Israel Syro-Ephraimite 740– Pekah (Israel) and Rezin (Syria) pressure Jotham and Ahaz (Judah) to war 732 join their opposition to Tiglath-pileser III (Assyria) Fall of Samaria 722 Shalmaneser V (727–722) and Sargon II (722–705) of Assyria (Israel) Josiah’s reforms 628 Battle of 605 Daniel and three friends exiled to Babylon Carchemish Jerusalem Nebuchadnezzar II takes exiles to Babylon including Jehoiachin and 597 attacked Ezekiel Fall of Jerusalem 586 Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon (Judah) Return from Exile (539–445) Fall of Babylon 539 Cyrus of Persia (539–530) 1st return of exiles to Jerusalem 538 Temple building begins 536 Temple completed 516 Darius I (522–486) Esther in palace of Xerxes 478 Xerxes I/Ahasuerus (485–464) 2nd return of exiles to Jerusalem under Ezra 458 Artaxerxes I (464–423) 3rd return of exiles to Jerusalem under Nehemiah 445 *See also Historical Books Timeline; The Divided Kingdom: Kings of Judah and The Divided Kingdom: Kings of Israel. -
On the Morality of the Patriarchs in Jewish Polemic and Exegesis
Chapter Title: ON THE MORALITY OF THE PATRIARCHS IN JEWISH POLEMIC AND EXEGESIS Book Title: Cultures in Collision and Conversation Book Subtitle: Essays in the Intellectual History of the Jews Book Author(s): DAVID BERGER Published by: Academic Studies Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.com/stable/j.ctt21h4xrd.13 JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at https://about.jstor.org/terms This content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. Academic Studies Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Cultures in Collision and Conversation This content downloaded from 173.63.46.245 on Wed, 22 Jul 2020 18:05:36 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms Interpreting the Bible OONN TTHEHE MORALITYMORALITY OFOF THETHE PATRIARCHSPATRIARCHS IINN JJEWISHEWISH PPOLEMICOLEMIC AANDND EEXEGESISXEGESIS1 From: Understanding Scripture: Explorations of Jewish and Christian Traditions of Interpretation, ed. by Clemens Thoma and Michael Wyschogrod (Paulist Press: New York, 1987), pp. 49-62. Reprinted with slight revisions in Modern Scholarship in the Study of Torah: Contributions and Limitations, ed. -
The Global Flood of Noah
THE GLOBAL FLOOD OF NOAH by Bert Thompson, Ph.D. DEDICATION This book is dedicated with deep appreciation to Joe and Beryl Nisbet, two “wee Scots” who, as husband and wife, have devoted their entire adult lives to teaching the Gospel in their native Scot- land and who, through their many personal sacrifices and exemplary conduct on behalf of the Lord and His church, have become such an endearing example for everyone around them. APOLOGETICS PRESS, INC. 230 Landmark Drive Montgomery, Alabama 36117-2752 © Copyright 1986 Revised Editions © Copyright 1999, 2005 ISBN: 0-932859-78-X All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or critical reviews. -i- TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION......................................................................1 Mankind’s Response to the Genesis Flood .....................................1 CHAPTER 2 THE FLOOD IN SCRIPTURE AND HISTORY....................5 The Importance of the Doctrine of the Global Flood ......................5 The Reason for the Flood................................................................6 Supernatural Elements of the Flood ................................................8 The Ubiquity of Flood Stories.........................................................9 CHAPTER 3 THE GLOBAL FLOOD OF NOAH.......................................11 The Antediluvian World ...............................................................11 The Necessity of Constructing -
The Evolution of Creationism
IT’S TIME!—RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP & SAVE 15% NOVEMBER 2012 | VOL. 22, NO. 11 A PUBLICATION OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA® The evolution of creationism Inside: Call for Proposals: 2013 GSA Annual Meeting & Exposition, p. 14 Preliminary Announcement and Call for Papers: 2013 GSA North-Central Section Meeting, p. 18 2012 GeoCorpsTM America Participants, p. 20 VOLUME 22, NUMBER 11 | NOVEMBER 2012 SCIENCE ARTICLE GSA TODAY (ISSN 1052-5173 USPS 0456-530) prints news and information for more than 25,000 GSA member read- ers and subscribing libraries, with 11 monthly issues (April/ May is a combined issue). GSA TODAY is published by The Geological Society of America® Inc. (GSA) with offices at 3300 Penrose Place, Boulder, Colorado, USA, and a mail- ing address of P.O. Box 9140, Boulder, CO 80301-9140, USA. GSA provides this and other forums for the presentation of diverse opinions and positions by scientists worldwide, regardless of race, citizenship, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or political viewpoint. Opinions presented in this 4 The evolution of creationism publication do not reflect official positions of the Society. David R. Montgomery © 2012 The Geological Society of America Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright not claimed on content prepared Cover: Noah’s Ark as the floodwaters recede as wholly by U.S. government employees within the scope of depicted in plate LXII to illustrate Genesis 8:8–9 in their employment. Individual scientists are hereby granted Johann Scheuchzer’s Physica Sacra (Sacred Physics, permission, without fees or request to GSA, to use a single figure, table, and/or brief paragraph of text in subsequent 1731). -
"The World of the Hebrew Patriarchs," Scripture
se RIP T U R .E THE WORLD OF THE HEBREW PATRIARCHS HE biblical stories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob have . interested and perplexed Christian readers these many T It is inspiring to contemplate the faith of Abraham as moves away from his country, his kindred and his father's the Syrian desert towards an unknown destination. One is the charming narrative or Rebecca at the well, perplexed by cpnduct towards.Esau. The modern reader of these narratives of is in a more fortunate position than his Christian predecessor in respect, namely, knowledge of the patriarchal world. When the are read against the colourful background of Mesopotamia and in the first half of the second millennium, understanding of increased perplexity diminished and the inspirational quality . It is an arduous task to call forth from its sandy tomb'the the past, and archaeologists merit our admiration and esteem. is a science requiring great diligence and endless patience. It is after some fifty years of scientific digging that the larger rewards efforts begin to appear, and archreology is able to present a An eminent achievement of this character . is the work of w, F. Albright (of Johns Hopkins University,U.S.A.), From th~ Age to Christianity (Baltimore, 2nd ed. 1946). An unexpected and aspect of recent excavation$ in Mesopotamia and elsewhere IS they have thrown on the world of the Patriarchs. The data only partly studied, but it is not altogether premature to things to the attention of the lay-reader. Of course before one can undertake to draw the picture of archal world one must fix the date of the Patriarchs. -
The Nephilim Race
DSBC Date: 1/21/07 P/T: Ron Adema Text: Gen.6:1-8 Genesis Series (2005), (#48) File: D070121 THE NEPHILIM RACE “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were mighty men who were of old, men of renown.” (6:4) The Nephilim became the third race of the Antediluvian civilization. Write the other two on the blank lines _______________________ and the ________________________. We will examine our lesson text by the following FIVE point homiletical outline. · Daughters of men (Gen.6:1-2) Copulation Nativity · Days on earth (Gen.6:3) Countdown Number (120 years) · Depraved race (Gen.6:4) Children Nephilim · Divine judgment (Gen.6:5-7) Corruption Nefarious (extremely wicked) · Devout believer (Gen.6:8) Chromosomes Noah’s family This lesson will study SIX aspects of the Nephilim as the third race of the Antediluvian civilization. 1. The Hebrew word, Nephilim, is an articular noun that means the fallen ones (Gen.6:4). The word Nephilim is formed from the hiphil (causative) of the verb naphal. The niphal form of naphal refers to them also as tyrants. “The real idea of the word must have been ‘fallen ones’ or monsters of the mixed human and angelic birth, like the rebellious Titans.” (Unger Bible Dictionary, pg.402) In old Greek, they were referred to as heroes or Titians or “mighty men who were of old, men of renown.” (Gen.6:4). 2. Many scholars believe them to be the subject of the Titans and Olympians of Greek Mythology. -
Young-Earth Creationism, Creation Science, and the Evangelical Denial of Climate Change
religions Article Revisiting the Scopes Trial: Young-Earth Creationism, Creation Science, and the Evangelical Denial of Climate Change K. L. Marshall New College, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH1 2LX, UK; [email protected] Abstract: In the century since the Scopes Trial, one of the most influential dogmas to shape American evangelicalism has been that of young-earth creationism. This article explains why, with its arm of “creation science,” young-earth creationism is a significant factor in evangelicals’ widespread denial of anthropogenic climate change. Young-earth creationism has become closely intertwined with doctrines such as the Bible’s divine authority and the Imago Dei, as well as with social issues such as abortion and euthanasia. Addressing this aspect of the environmental crisis among evangelicals will require a re-orientation of biblical authority so as to approach social issues through a hermeneutic that is able to acknowledge the reality and imminent threat of climate change. Citation: Marshall, K. L. 2021. Revisiting the Scopes Trial: Keywords: evangelicalism; creation science; young-earth creationism; climate change; Answers in Young-Earth Creationism, Creation Genesis; biblical literalism; biblical authority; Noahic flood; dispensational theology; fundamentalism Science, and the Evangelical Denial of Climate Change. Religions 12: 133. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12020133 1. Introduction Academic Editors: Randall Balmer The 1925 Scopes “Monkey” Trial is often referenced as a metonymy for American and Edward Blum Protestantism’s fundamentalist-modernist controversy that erupted in the years following World War I. William Jennings Bryan, the lawyer and politician who argued in favor of Received: 25 January 2021 biblical creationism1—in keeping with his literal understanding of the narratives in Genesis Accepted: 12 February 2021 Published: 20 February 2021 1 and Genesis 2—was vindicated when the judge ruled that high school biology teacher John Scopes had indeed broken the law by teaching Darwinian evolution in a public school. -
Creation/Evolution
Creation/Evolution Issue XXIV CONTENTS Fall 1988 ARTICLES 1 Formless and Void: Gap Theory Creationism by Tbm Mclver 25 Scientific Creationism: Adding Imagination to Scripture by Stanley Rice 37 Demographic Change and Antievolution Sentiment: Tennessee as a Case Study, 1925-1975 by George E. Webb FEATURES 43 Book Review 45 Letters to the Editor LICENSED TO UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED About this issue ... In this issue, Tom Mclver again brings his historical scholarship to bear on an issue relevant to creationism. This time, he explores the history of and the major players in the development and promotion of the "gap theory." Rarely do we treat in detail alternative creationist theories, preferring instead to focus upon the young- Earth special creationists who are so politically militant regarding public educa- tion. However, coverage of different creationist views is necessary from time to time in order to provide perspective and balance for those involved in the controversy. The second article compares scripture to the doctrines of young-Earth special crea- tionists and finds important disparities. Author Stanley Rice convincingly shows that "scientific" creationists add their own imaginative ideas in an effort to pseudoscientifically "flesh out" scripture. But why do so many people accept creationist notions? Some have maintained that the answer may be found through the study of demographics. George E. Webb explores that possibility in "Demographic Change and Antievolution Sentiment" and comes to some interesting conclusions. CREATION/EVOLUTION XXIV (Volume 8, Number 3} ISSN 0738-6001 Creation/Evolution, a publication dedicated to promoting evolutionary science, is published by the American Humanist Association. -
Eridu, Dunnu, and Babel: a Study in Comparative Mythology
ERIDU, DUNNU, AND BABEL: A STUDY IN COMPARATIVE MYTHOLOGY by PATRICK D. MILLER, JR. Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ 08542 This essay focuses on some themes in two quite different myths from ancient Mesopotamia, one known commonly as the Sumerian Deluge or Flood story, discovered at Nippur and published around the turn of the century by Poebel (I 9 I 4a and b ), the other published much more recently by Lambert and Walcot (1966) and dubbed by Jacobsen (1984) "The Harab Myth." The former myth was the subject of some attention at the time of its publication and extensive analysis by Poebel, par ticularly in King's Schweich Lectures (1918). As Jacobsen notes, it has not been the subject of much further work except for Kramer's transla tion (Pritchard, 1955, pp. 42-44) and Civil's translation and notes in Lambert and Millard (1969, pp. 138-147). More recently, Kramer has given a new translation of the text together with notes (Kramer, 1983). Both texts have now been the subject of major new treatments in the last three or four years by Jacobsen (1978 and 1984), and that is in a large sense the impetus for my turning to them. Indeed, I first became interested in the two texts when Jacobsen delivered a paper on them entitled "Two Mesopotamian Myths of Beginnings" at a symposium on mythology given at Sweetbriar College several years ago. His rationale for dealing with the two of them at that time was that each "in its own way stands apart and it seems to me, raises interesting questions of a more general nature-about composition, interpretation, and what hap pens when a myth is borrowed from one people to another" ( 1978, p.