Good (like David)
OK (kind of like David)
Bad (not like David)
Northern:
Bad (like Jereboam)
Worse (like Jereboam)
Division of Kingdom
David, Solomon, Jereboam, Reheboam
Northern vs. Southern religion
Syncretism (worship of neighboring gods)
High places vs. centralized worship
Bull as symbol of Yahweh
Golden Calf
Succession Story
David & Michal
Bathsheba & Uriah
Amnon & Tamar
Absalom's rebellion
David's old age
Abishag the Shunamite
Adonijah
Solomon
Joab and the horns of the altar
Dating the Succession story
theme/purpose
makes David look bad
? response to post-restoration messianic expectation ?
Zerubabel
rel. to Deuteronomist
similar to supplementary hypothesis
Wisdom Literature 1
wisdom school
literacy in the ancient Near East
writing and alphabets
international 'community' of literati
development of wisdom literature
Theodicy (problem of evil)
traditional theology (Proverbs, etc.)
Proper action --> good circumstances
Wrong action --> bad circumstances
why do bad things happen to good people?
Paradox:
a) God is good
not an issue in Greek mythology
justice vs. mercy: God may be too good for our taste
b) God is all powerful
not usually an issue in polytheistic systems, since any one god's power is limited by another's
Kushner: God needs our help
c) Evil exists
tapestry theory: what seems bad is really part of God's perfect plan
death may not be evil in larger evaluation
Ahiqar
Persecuted by evil nephew, but vindicated in the end
Job
Structure:
Prose, poetry (dialogue), poetry (Elihu), poetry (God), Prose
prose sections are probably old story like Ahiqar
dialogue is wisdom community discussion of the problem - no resolution
Elihu is later intrusion
God's speech is affirmation of insolubility (God does what he wants - we can't understand)
Message(s)
Dialogue without solution
God is God, you are not
tapestry theory
Wisdom & apocalyptic
Problem of theodicy addressed through
reward/punishment in afterlife
eschatological restoration of paradise
Satan
not really name but title: " accuser" / "reviler"
orig. prosecuting attorney of Heaven
in Job does not appear to be in conflict with God
Hebrew concept of din (judgment) vs. hesed (mercy)