EPISODE 2: THE HALL OF HEROES

Previously on

A WORLD OF HERO

ES

A WORLD OF HERO

ES

SumerEgypt

Assyria

Persia

Babylon

The LANDThe LAND

HISTORYHISTORY

PEOPLEPEOPLE

the context the context

revelation revelation

inspirationinspiration

traditiontradition

revelation revelation

inspirationinspiration

traditiontradition

The act of God manifesting His presence and His will to a person or persons He chooses.

It’s all God’s choice!

The act of God’s chosen people in safe keeping/safeguarding/ preserving God’s

revelation by remembrance, sharing with others, and recording

The act of God moving or motivating His chosen to respond to His revelation, to act according to

His will and purpose.

oraloral writtenwritten

Specific

circu

mstance

s

Specific

circu

mstance

s

Particular c

ulture

Particular c

ulture

Real hist

orical

eventsReal hist

orical

events

God’s Word comes to us clothed in the particular culture and historical experience of the chosen people

to whom He revealed His will with divine

inspiration.

God’s Word comes to us clothed in the particular culture and historical experience of the chosen people

to whom He revealed His will with divine

inspiration.

reading the Bible in context

reading the Bible in context

Can we take whatever is recorded in the Bible

at face value?

Can we take whatever is recorded in the Bible

at face value?

Can we take God’s Word revealed in the Bible as

genuine and true?

Can we take God’s Word revealed in the Bible as

genuine and true?

the hall of heroesthe hall of heroes

How did it develop?How did it develop?

What makes up the Bible?What makes up the Bible?

What are the essential concepts we need to

understand and keep in mind as we study the Bible?

What are the essential concepts we need to

understand and keep in mind as we study the Bible?

not just a

BOOK,

not just a

BOOK, but a wholeLIBRARY

but a wholeLIBRARY

New Testament

New Testament

Old Testament

Old Testament

not a collection of books written outright in any

modern language

not a collection of books written outright in any

modern language

a collection of books written in

ancient language

a collection of books written in

ancient language

rural and agriculturalrural and agricultural

Small, weak and

insignificant

Small, weak and

insignificant

Poetry and prayers

Poetry and prayers

prophecie

s

prophecie

s

Laws and ri

tuals

Laws and ri

tuals

Proverb

s and w

ise

sayings

Proverb

s and w

ise

sayings

Sermons a

nd songs

Sermons a

nd songs

A collection of different

kinds of writingA collection of different

kinds of writing

From REVELATION to TRANSLATION

From REVELATION to TRANSLATIONFrom ANCIENT

TEXT to MODERN EDITION

From ANCIENT TEXT to MODERN

EDITION

in person

in person

REVELATIONREVELATIONevents

situationsevents

situations

through other people

through other people

Through the Holy

Spirit

Through the Holy

Spirit

inspirationinspirationMoving,

motivating to respond

Moving, motivating to

respond

Listening, acting, sharing, transmitting,

preserving

Listening, acting, sharing, transmitting,

preserving

ORALORAL

traditiontraditionWRITTE

NWRITTE

N- testimony- Interpretation- instruction- reminder

- expression of faith

- not exactly an actual record of events- written in the context of the writer’s community

The Bible was not written in one day or even in a thousand

years!

The Bible was not written in one day or even in a thousand

years!

compilationcompilation

Gathering of extant or available documents and

examining them

Gathering of extant or available documents and

examining them

redactionredactionrecovering lost

documents through archaeology, piecing

together fragments and examining their

authenticity

recovering lost documents through archaeology, piecing

together fragments and examining their

authenticity

codexcodexA collection of

manuscripts compiled according to similarity -

origin, time of discovery, place found, subject

matter, author, people who collected them

A collection of manuscripts compiled

according to similarity - origin, time of discovery,

place found, subject matter, author, people

who collected them

canoncanonAuthenticated and

approved collection of manuscripts from various

compiled and redacted codices.

Authenticated and approved collection of

manuscripts from various compiled and redacted

codices.

HebrewHebrew

translationtranslationGreek (koine)Greek (koine)

LatinLatin

European languagesEuropean languages

Local and modern idiomLocal and modern idiom

editionseditionsDone according to need and

circumstancesDone according to need and

circumstances

St. Jerome

Latin Vulgate

St. Jerome

Latin Vulgate

John Wycliffe

1st English Bible

John Wycliffe

1st English Bible

editionseditionsDone according to need and

circumstancesDone according to need and

circumstances

ErasmusErasmusGutenbergGutenberg King James I

King James I

editionseditionsDone according to need and

circumstancesDone according to need and

circumstances

John CalvinJohn

CalvinMartin LutherMartin Luther

Noah Webster

Noah Webster

editionseditionsDone according to need and

circumstancesDone according to need and

circumstances

Paul VIPaul VIJohn XXIIIJohn XXIII John Paul IIJohn Paul II

so many editions

and versions, which one to read?

so many editions

and versions, which one to read?

Is this our Textbook

Bible ?

Is this our Textbook

Bible ?

Guided REFLECTI

ON

Guided REFLECTI

ON

Homework:

Reaction paper

Homework:

Reaction paper

Blogging the BibleWhat happens when an ignoramus reads the Good Book?By David Plotz

http://www.slate.com/id/2141050

Like many lax but well-educated Jews (and Christians), I have long assumed I knew what was in the Bible—more or less. I read parts of the Torah as a child in Hebrew school, then attended a rigorous Christian high school where I had to study the Old and New Testaments. Many of the highlights stuck in my head—Adam and Eve, Cain vs., Abel, Jacob vs. Esau, Jonah vs. whale, 40 days and nights, 10 plagues and Commandments, 12 tribes and apostles, Red Sea walked under, Galilee Sea walked on, bush into fire, rock into water, water into wine. And, of course, I absorbed other bits of Bible everywhere—from stories I heard in churches and synagogues, movies and TV shows, tidbits my parents and teachers told me. All this left me with a general sense that I knew the Good Book well enough, and that it was a font of crackling stories, Jewish heroes, and moral lessons.

Like many lax but well-educated Jews (and Christians), I have long assumed I knew what was in the Bible—more or less. I read parts of the Torah as a child in Hebrew school, then attended a rigorous Christian high school where I had to study the Old and New Testaments. Many of the highlights stuck in my head—Adam and Eve, Cain vs., Abel, Jacob vs. Esau, Jonah vs. whale, 40 days and nights, 10 plagues and Commandments, 12 tribes and apostles, Red Sea walked under, Galilee Sea walked on, bush into fire, rock into water, water into wine. And, of course, I absorbed other bits of Bible everywhere—from stories I heard in churches and synagogues, movies and TV shows, tidbits my parents and teachers told me. All this left me with a general sense that I knew the Good Book well enough, and that it was a font of crackling stories, Jewish heroes, and moral lessons.

So, what can I possibly do? My goal is pretty simple. I want to find out what happens when an ignorant person actually reads the book on which his religion is based. I think I'm in the same position as many other lazy but faithful people (Christians, Jews, Moslems, Hindus). I love Judaism; I love (most of) the lessons it has taught me about how to live in the world; and yet I realized I am fundamentally ignorant about its foundation, its essential document. So, what will happen if I approach my Bible empty, unmediated by teachers or rabbis or parents? What will delight and horrify me? How will the Bible relate to the religion I practice, and the lessons I thought I learned in synagogue and Hebrew School?

So, what can I possibly do? My goal is pretty simple. I want to find out what happens when an ignorant person actually reads the book on which his religion is based. I think I'm in the same position as many other lazy but faithful people (Christians, Jews, Moslems, Hindus). I love Judaism; I love (most of) the lessons it has taught me about how to live in the world; and yet I realized I am fundamentally ignorant about its foundation, its essential document. So, what will happen if I approach my Bible empty, unmediated by teachers or rabbis or parents? What will delight and horrify me? How will the Bible relate to the religion I practice, and the lessons I thought I learned in synagogue and Hebrew School?