Introduction to Comparative Scripture - Essay Example

RLST 002 Introduction to Comparative Scripture Part I Identifications In a reflective exploration of the meaning and scope of comparative Scripture,various terms such as Tanakh, Torah, Mishnah, Gemara, Talmud, Hebrew Bible, Jewish scripture, Old Testament, and First Testament assume importance as these terms are related to one another. The Hebrew term Tanakh is used to denote the canon of the Hebrew Bible, i.e. Old Testament, in Judaism and other terms such as Masoretic Text and Miqra are used to refer to the same. It is also important to realize that the term Tanakh is formed from the first letters of the three traditional subdivisions of the Masoretic Text: The Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim. "Torah" is a Hebrew term meaning 'teaching' or 'instruction', which is used to refer to the Five Books of Moses, otherwise known as Pentateuch, which include Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. However, the term is also used to refer to the entire Jewish bible and to the entire Jewish law and teachings, in its broadest sense. The Talmud may be realized as one of the central texts of conventional Judaism which incorporates the rabbinic teachings concerning Jewish law, ethics, customs and history, and it has two components: Mishnah and Gemara. The Hebrew term Mishnah (or Mishna), which means 'repetition', can be comprehended as the earliest written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions and it can refer to the entire tradition of the Oral Torah. The second component of the Talmud, known as the Gemara, is a collection of rabbinical commentaries and studies of the Mishnah. The terms such as Hebrew Bible, Jewish scripture, Old Testament, and First Testament are closely connected, because all these refer to the same scripture in different traditions. Thus, the Hebrew Bible refers to the books of the Jewish Bible (also known as Tanakh), which is known as the Old Testament in Christian Biblical canon. Similarly, First Testament is another term used for the familiar term Old Testament, referring to the first section of the Christian Biblical canon. Therefore, Tanakh, Torah, Mishnah, Gemara, Talmud, Hebrew Bible, Jewish scripture, Old Testament, and First Testament are important terms used to refer to the various Scriptures, books, traditions etc in the Jewish and Christian religion. A profound source criticism of the Bible refers to significant designations such as J (Jahwist), E (Elohist), P (Priestly), D (Deutoronomist), and Q (Quelle) and these terms denotes the major sources of the Old Testament and the New Testament. One of the major developments in source criticism of the Bible has been the "documentary hypothesis", according to which the first five books of the Old Testament ((known as the Pentateuch) were comprised of four major sources such as J (Jahwist), E (Elohist), P (Priestly), and D (Deutoronomist). The Jahwist (J), one of the four major sources of the Torah, is the oldest source according to the "documentary hypothesis" and it refers to God as Yahweh. The second source of the Torah, known as the Elohist (E), refers to God as Elohim and presents God as less anthropomorphic to Yahweh of the earlier Jahwist source. The most recent of the four chief sources of the Torah is the Priestly Source (P) emphasizes the laws of Moses and priestly duties. The fourth source of the Torah, i.e. the Deuteronomist (D), considers the texts of Scripture as products of human intellect. Therefore, the Jahwist, the Elohist, the Priestly, and the Deutoronomist are the four major sources of the Torah, according to the "documentary hypothesis". It is also important to recognize these four sources were in the long run combined into the Pentateuch to organize the first five books of the Old Testament. Source criticism of the New Testament introduces one to the term Q (Quelle), which refers to an earlier, lost source of the Gospels. Significantly, the German word 'Quelle' means 'source' and this lost textual source was central to the origin of the Gospels, especially the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke. Part II Short essay Biblical scholars are people who are engaged in an essential study and analysis of biblical writings in order to arrive at perceptive and judicious judgments of the various biblical texts and the works of these scholars are fundamental to a profound understanding of the several pertinent questions concerning the Bible. Thus, these scholars deal with the origin of biblical writings, including when, where, how, why, by whom, and for whom was a particular text written, apart from analyzing the major influences of the text, the sources used in its composition etc. in their effort to deal with such essential aspects of biblical writings, the Biblical scholars face several challenges such as identifying and understanding different sources for a received text; interpreting passages that appear to be conflicting; interpreting passages that are troubling to later readers; understanding the purpose of different literary genres within the body of scripture; and understanding the institutional evolution of a religious tradition through its scriptural history (process of canonization), etc. This paper makes a reflective exploration of the three Biblical selections from the history of Judaism and Christianity, i.e. the call of Abraham, the call of Moses, and the birth of Jesus the Messiah, in order to comprehend some of the challenges faced by Biblical scholars. In a profound analysis of the call of Abraham in the history of Judaism, it becomes lucid that this Biblical selection offers various challenges to the Biblical scholars. Significantly, the call of Abraham marks the history of Jewish people and Abraham sets out his journey to Canaan (ancient Palestine) following the call of God. With the call of Abraham, God promises to make Abraham's descendants a great nation which will be the source of blessing to the world. The God's call, which Abraham responds faithfully, is one of the most essential parts of Judaism. The biblical scholars analyzing this Biblical selection find it difficult to identify the various sources of the text and to understand the purpose of different literary genres within the body of scripture. "Within the Abraham narrative the theme of seed centres on the divine assurance that Abraham will have many descendants. The initial promises that Abraham will become a 'great nation' (12:2) and that his 'seed' will possess the land of Canaan (12:7) are set against the background of Sarah's inability to have children (11:30)." (Alexander) Here, the interpretation of the divine promises concerning Abraham becomes difficult to the biblical scholars who may be tended to interpret on the basis of differing traditions of biblical study. Analyzing the call of Moses in the history of Judaism, one realizes that the biblical selection offers several examples of the customs and traditions of the people of the time. Thus, God appears before Moses and hands over the divine covenants, speaking from a burning bush. God asks Moses to remove his sandals from his feet, for the place was holy ground to the God. This instruction by God should be realized in connection with the "custom in many ancient Near Eastern religions of going barefoot in a holy place still, practiced in Islamic mosques." (Van Voorst et al, 214) The biblical scholars find it difficult to interpret such passages that are troubling to later readers of the text. Similarly, the biblical selection also raises questions concerning the name of God which is presented in the scripture as "Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh", meaning "I am what I am," based on the holy name YHWH, probably pronounced "YAH-weh." "This name both reveals and conceals God's nature. It is translated here, as in the ancient synagogues, as "the Lord."" (Van Voorst et al, 214) Significantly, the scholars are faced with challenges of identifying and understanding the different sources for this received text. The several challenges faced by the Biblical scholars in the interpretation and analysis of the biblical writings become apparent in an understanding of the birth of Jesus the Messiah, as presented by the Gospels. According to the gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus is conceived by the action of the Spirit of God in the Virgin Mary. According to the Gospels, the miraculous conception of Jesus signifies the divine "Sonship of Jesus". The Biblical scholars are faced with several questions concerning the birth of Jesus the Messiah and it is not easy to come up with a general interpretation of the passages in this biblical selection. The interpretation of the passages in this biblical selection often varies according to the religious traditions of the Biblical scholars. Thus, "Roman Catholics, who confess the lifelong virginity of Mary, do not interpret this verse to mean that Mary and Joseph did have sexual relations after Jesus' birth." (Van Voorst et al, 258) Therefore, the Biblical scholars dealing with this biblical selection face challenges in interpreting this troubling passage to later readers and understanding the purpose of different literary genres within the body of scripture. In conclusion, the Biblical scholars are faced with various significant challenges in their effort to arrive at perceptive and thoughtful judgments of the various biblical texts through their studies and analyses of biblical writings. Thus, an understanding of the three Biblical selections from the history of Judaism and Christianity, i.e. the call of Abraham, the call of Moses, and the birth of Jesus the Messiah, suggests the normal challenges faced by the Biblical scholars in interpreting the biblical writings. Significantly, the call of Abraham offer challenges with reference to identifying and understanding the sources for the received text and understanding the purpose of different literary genres within the body of scripture. Similarly, the call of Moses in the history of Judaism also offers challenges of identifying and understanding the different sources for the received text. The birth of Jesus the Messiah as described in the gospels of Matthew and Luke offer challenges in interpreting the troubling passage to later readers. Works Cited Alexander, T. D. "Abraham Reassessed Theologically: The Abraham Narrative and the New Testament Understanding of Justification by Faith." Feb 23. 2010. . Van Voorst, et al. Introduction to Comparative Scripture. Custom Edition for UC. P 215. Read More