1 / 11

Literary Genres

Literary Genres. Of the Torah. A story line An unidentified narrator Torah has multiple narrators because of multiple authors Narration advanced with dialogue and speeches For example, Yahweh’s private conversations with Moses. Narrative. Torah contains mythological motifs

garron
Download Presentation

Literary Genres

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Literary Genres Of the Torah

  2. A story line • An unidentified narrator • Torah has multiple narrators because of multiple authors • Narration advanced with dialogue and speeches • For example, Yahweh’s private conversations with Moses Narrative

  3. Torah contains mythological motifs • Not extended myths like Gilgamesh • “myth refers to traditional narratives about events in the remote and unrepeatable past, typically involving tales of creation, human origins, or . . . Divine-human relationships. Myth

  4. Does “myth” = falsehood? • Myths can be “true” in a more profound way • Not associated with a literal fact • For the Genesis authors, the six-day creation account served primarily as a means to express their concept of a monotheistic cosmos. Myth, cont

  5. Priestly “P” contribution • Provides continuity • In Torah the genealogies are in a fairly rigid form of age, birth order, etc, of sons • They trace an unbroken line from Adam to Abraham Genealogies

  6. Stories that explain the cause or origin of some natural phenomenon, social custom, or religious ritual • For example, Lot’s wife being changed into a pillar of salt accounts for the unusual salt formations bordering the Dead Sea Etiology

  7. Divine speeches in which Yahweh or El Shaddai promises Canaan to Abraham’s descendants • Genesis authors show that Israel’s right to possess the area was part of God’s plan from the beginning Etiology, cont

  8. One of the Torah’s oldest methods • Characterizes nomadic societies • Shows point of departure, destination, specific place names or geographical features • Is related to the journey motif • For example, Moses at Mount Sinai Itinerary

  9. Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and the people of Israel are almost constantly on the move traveling to the Promised Land • The metaphor of homeless wanderers ever seeking a permanent resting place dominates the Torah story of Israel’s early life. Itinerary, cont

  10. Serves to validate centers of worship • Jacob erects a monument and names it “Bethel” or House of God to commemorate his experience of his visionary dream of ascending and descending divinities. • Mirrors worship practices of other cults Cult Legends

  11. Multiple legal instructions indicate multiple authors • And multiple purposes • The codes demonstrate the complex nature of the divine-human relationship • In its final form, the Torah incorporates at least five originally separate bodies of law as well as the ten commandments Legal Codes

More Related