Contributor(s): Categories: Tags: This letter, written in Imperial Aramaic in 419 BCE, is among the vast number of papyrus letters found in Elephantine, also known as Yeb. The Jewish (or more accurately, Judean) community of Yeb is a fascinating bit of history — a group of Judean mercenaries who settled in Egypt and built their own smaller temple! Although their origin was clearly Judean, and they referred to themselves as the ḥeila yehudaya = Judean garrison, their form of worship featured no Deuteronomic centralization, no discussion of the patriarchs, and questionable monotheism! Although the primary deity was YHW (note the difference in spelling), multiple other deities or hypostatized aspects of divinity were worshipped, and verbs for the word “God” are conjugated in the plural rather than the singular. This text is one of a series of letters written between the brothers Yedaniah and Ḥananiah. In this case, it is giving instructions for keeping the holiday of Pesaḥ. These instructions are interesting in their own right — the prohibition on beer could alternatively be read as a prohibition on any alcoholic drink, which would align with Karaite practice rather than rabbinic. But what’s even more interesting is what isn’t mentioned — the instructions given mention nothing whatsoever about the exodus from Egypt, or even God! The diktat to observe the holiday is accredited not to God or Moses, but to Darius, king of the Achaemenid Empire! This passage is a fascinating taste of a part of Judaism that we know very little about. Vocalization according to Tiberian norms and translation into English by the translator. . . . Contributor(s): Categories: Tags: 7th century B.C.E., supplementary hypothesis, 34th century A.M., annual Torah reading cycle, let's review, פרשת השבוע Parashat haShavua, redaction criticism, פרשות parashot, midbar quest, the Plains of Moav, שבת חזון Shabbat Ḥazon, mythopoesis, דברים Devarim The text of parashat Devarim, distinguished according to the stratigraphic layers of its composition according to the Supplementary Hypothesis. . . . Contributor(s): Categories: Tags: redaction criticism, פרשות parashot, theophany, Decalogue, שבת נחמו Shabbat Naḥamu, the Plains of Moav, שמע shema, 7th century B.C.E., mythopoesis, 34th century A.M., let's review, supplementary hypothesis, annual Torah reading cycle, ואתחנן va'Etḥanan, פרשת השבוע Parashat haShavua The text of parashat va’Etḥanan, distinguished according to the stratigraphic layers of its composition according to the Supplementary Hypothesis. . . . Contributor(s): Categories: Tags: mythopoesis, let's review, supplementary hypothesis, עקב Éqev, annual Torah reading cycle, golden calf, פרשת השבוע Parashat haShavua, egel hazahav, redaction criticism, פרשות parashot, theophany, the Plains of Moav, 7th century B.C.E., שמע shema, 34th century A.M. The text of parashat Éqev, distinguished according to the stratigraphic layers of its composition according to the Supplementary Hypothesis. . . . Contributor(s): Categories: Tags: mythopoesis, 34th century A.M., let's review, supplementary hypothesis, פרשת ראה parashat R'éh, annual Torah reading cycle, כשרות kashrut, פרשת השבוע Parashat haShavua, נביאות nevi'ut, redaction criticism, פרשות parashot, tithing, the Plains of Moav, predation, 7th century B.C.E. The text of parashat R’éh, distinguished according to the stratigraphic layers of its composition according to the Supplementary Hypothesis. . . . Contributor(s): Categories: Tags: bal tashḥit, פרשת השבוע Parashat haShavua, kings, redaction criticism, judges, פרשות parashot, tithing, the Plains of Moav, 7th century B.C.E., predation, 34th century A.M., mythopoesis, let's review, נביאות nevi'ut, supplementary hypothesis, פרשת שפטים parashat Shoftim, annual Torah reading cycle The text of parashat shoftim, distinguished according to the stratigraphic layers of its composition according to the Supplementary Hypothesis. . . . Contributor(s): Categories: Tags: פרשת כי־תצא parashat Ki Tetsei, supplementary hypothesis, annual Torah reading cycle, פרשת השבוע Parashat haShavua, צער באלי חיים tsa'ar baalei ḥayyim, redaction criticism, predation, פרשות parashot, predatory gaze, the Plains of Moav, anti-predatory, 7th century B.C.E., predatory nature, 34th century A.M., sexual predation, let's review, mythopoesis The text of parashat Ki Tetsei, distinguished according to the stratigraphic layers of its composition according to the Supplementary Hypothesis. . . . Contributor(s): Categories: Tags: פרשת כי־תבוא parashat Ki Tavo, supplementary hypothesis, amen, blessings, annual Torah reading cycle, צער באלי חיים tsa'ar baalei ḥayyim, פרשת השבוע Parashat haShavua, predation, redaction criticism, predatory gaze, פרשות parashot, anti-predatory, the Plains of Moav, predatory nature, 7th century B.C.E., sexual predation, 34th century A.M., curses, let's review, mythopoesis The text of parashat Ki Tavo, distinguished according to the stratigraphic layers of its composition according to the Supplementary Hypothesis. . . . Contributor(s): Categories: Tags: the Plains of Moav, 7th century B.C.E., blessings, 34th century A.M., curses, let's review, mythopoesis, פרשת נצבים parashat Nitsavim, supplementary hypothesis, choose life, annual Torah reading cycle, וילך Vayelekh, פרשת השבוע Parashat haShavua, redaction criticism, פרשות parashot The text of parashat Nitsavim, distinguished according to the stratigraphic layers of its composition according to the Supplementary Hypothesis. . . . Contributor(s): Categories: Tags: supplementary hypothesis, annual Torah reading cycle, פרשת השבוע Parashat haShavua, redaction criticism, פרשות parashot, the Plains of Moav, 7th century B.C.E., 34th century A.M., פרשת נצבים parashat Nitsavim, mythopoesis, וילך Vayelekh The text of parashat Vayelekh, distinguished according to the stratigraphic layers of its composition according to the Supplementary Hypothesis. . . . Contributor(s): Categories: Tags: פרשת השבוע Parashat haShavua, redaction criticism, פרשות parashot, the Plains of Moav, 7th century B.C.E., 34th century A.M., שיר Shir, mythopoesis, פרשת האזינו parashat Haazinu, supplementary hypothesis, annual Torah reading cycle The text of parashat Haazinu, distinguished according to the stratigraphic layers of its composition according to the Supplementary Hypothesis. . . . Contributor(s): Categories: Tags: supplementary hypothesis, annual Torah reading cycle, פרשת השבוע Parashat haShavua, redaction criticism, פרשות parashot, the Plains of Moav, 7th century B.C.E., שיר Shir, 34th century A.M., mythopoesis, פרשת וזאת הברכה parashat vZot haBrakhah The text of parashat v’Zot haBrakhah, distinguished according to the stratigraphic layers of its composition according to the Supplementary Hypothesis. . . . |