Intro. to the Hebrew Bible

Study Guide for Quiz #2

Spring 2004

Reading

Bible: Genesis 25-37:2
Web:
Lilith (Overview, Prologue to Gilgamesh, Appearances in the Bible, the Alphabet of Ben Sira),
Noah divided according to source (look at 'J' & 'P'),
Marriage contracts (ignore Dumuzi's Wedding)
The Other Bible:
Haggada on Adam & Eve (pp. 25-38),
On the origins of the world (pp. 62-74),
Book of Enoch (pp. 485-494),
2 (Secrets of) Enoch (pp. 495-500),
Genesis Apocryphon (pp. 201-207)
The Old Testament Story: pp. 40-71

Terms

etiology
ex nihilio
iconography
monolatry (henotheism)
monotheism
polytheism

more Biblical Creation / Adam and Eve

more Harmonizing the two stories
Adam as Androgyne / hermaphrodite
idea of "image of God" including both male and female
related to concept of androgyny of God
Eve not Adam's first wife
Genesis Rabbah / Lilith
Lilith
midrash
succubus / baby stealer

Sumerian terra cotta relief
as first wife of Adam
solves problem of two creations of Eve
as wife of Samael / Satan
Lilith / Serpent as temptress
woman's story or men's story?
subversive hermeneutics
Feminine serpent in Renaissance temptation pictures

vs. usual Christian view of snake as (masculine) Satan
snake = Sin = femininity
Sin is female in Milton
women viewed as incapable of controlling physical urges
women viewed as non-spiritual
snake as female doubles femininity of blame for fall
note snake looks like Eve
Eve's alter-ego (she tempts herself)
sexual dynamic of the fall
knowledge (moral and sexual)
fruit of tree = sex
Lilith / Serpent as temptress
Seduces Eve
Eve made impure by Samael's semen
etiology for menstruation
Adam impurified by sexual relations with Eve during period of menses
Interpretations of Adam & Eve (second story)
Iconography & Ishtar (snake/tree)
interpretation of snake as representing pre-exilic worship of foreign god(desse)s
priestess as courtesan
Gnostic (re)version
Sophia
Evil rulers of this world (Authorities)
Snake as revealer / savior
A & E's legacy in later Judaism & Christianity
Nakedness
aram (naked: A&E) / arum (cunning: snake)
note connection of knowledge = sexual intercourse
unencumbered
living in paradise
no worries, all needs met
innocent
like children
no fear of weather or wild beasts
view of Church fathers that fruit=sexuality
e.g. had intercourse before proper time
vulnerable
unprotected both physically and mentally
sexual
freely sexual without guilt

Ancient Near Eastern parallels to Biblical stories

Myth
definition
historical vs. "true"
comparison of Geo. Washington stories
mythical time
Ra & the Serpent
Creation by coupling with him/herself
Androgyny/hermaphorditism
Defeat of the serpent
Enuma Elish (//s to Creation)
Tiamat & Apsu
Kingu
Marduk
parallels and contrasts re. Genesis
Tiamat = Tehom ('abyss' in Gen 1.2)
Biblical references to God defeating 'Rahab'
also parallel in Ra & the Serpent
people created from dust / mud
receive consciousness from deity
breath of God vs. blood of Kingu (tears in Ra & the Serpent)
polytheistic vs. monotheistic world view
people as slaves (E.E.) vs. having dominion over earth (Bible)
Creation out of body of Tiamat (E.E.) vs. ex nihilio similariteis/differences re. Noah
Genesis: "In the beginning God created..." vs. "When God began to create..."
Babylonian Creation festival
Dependency issue
Epic of Gilgamesh (//s to Adam & Eve)
etiology
Ishtar
Shamash
Gilgamesh // Samson
Enkidu
seduction
parallels to fall of A&E
lives in primordial paradise
woman to blame for loss of primitive bliss
possible relation between fruit of tree of knowledge and sex
Plant of Life
parallels to fall of A&E
Tree of life = plant of life
Snake steals eternal life from Gilgamesh
Utnapishtim [/Atrahasis] (//s to Noah)
Other culture's versions of the flood story
similarites to Enuma Elish
Parallel accounts in Noah story
(Bible)

Hebrew Names for God

Yahweh/Jehovah/LORD
Tetragrammaton = YHWH
Yahweh, Jehovah
YHWH + vowels from Adonai = Yehowah = Jehovah
'HYH = "I am"
"I am what I am" (Ex 3.14)
existence or creation as distinguishing feature of God
YHWH = "He is" / "He causes to be"
God's refusal to give a real name
parallel to Jacob and the god/angel at the river
magical use of the name of God (see below)
not pronounced since early 2nd Temple period
Adonai
English translations: LORD, GOD
e.g. Lord GOD = Adoni YHWH
Elohim
Plural- reasons not clear
Other and cognate forms:
Eloh (Job)
Ilah (Arabic)
Al-lah = "The God"
El (Canaanite), Ilu (Babylonian/Assyrian)
English translation: God, god
rarely as adjective: 'very great'
rarely as noun: heavenly being (like an angel), great one
El or YHWH with descriptive
El Shaddai
Shad = female breast
evidence for androgyny of God
androgyne vs. hermaphrodite
Story of Ra & the serpent
English translation: God Almighty
patriarchalization stemming from fear of feminine aspects of God
sometimes explained as 'God of the mountains'
mountains = breasts
El Elyon
E.T. = God Most High
YHWH Tsavaot (Sabaot)
E.T. = LORD of Hosts (Armies)
Magical name of God
Not in the Bible
but compare the story of Jacob at the river
May come from no longer pronouncing YHWH
Antique and Medieval Jewish magic centers around knowing the 'true name' of God
Lilith (flies out of Eden)
Maimonides (solves murder)
Rabbi Judah Leow of Prague (makes the golem)