Friday, September 25, 12-1
Last week, our study group examined Chapters 2-5 of Finkelstein and Silberman’s The Bible Unearthed. We began with a brief consideration of the possibility of re-titling our subject of study. A few of us thought that the title The Bible Unearthed suggested a search for empirical evidence that lent credence to the narratives recorded in the Hebrew Bible. Five chapters into this text, it appears that the title The Bible Debunked might be more appropriate because it appears as though Finkelstein and Silberman seem more dedicated to demonstrating that the narratives recorded in the Hebrew Bible are a constructed fiction. Their method seems to be 1) offer readers an overview of the Biblical narrative (e.g. Joshua’s ”conquest” of Canaan or King David’s rise to power); 2) present readers with a record of archaeological explorations of regions related to the Biblical narrative and plausible historical speculation that emerged as a result of such exploration (e.g. Israelites were nomadic shepherds who ”gradually infiltrated Canaan and settled there or King Solomon constructed magnificent buildings in Jerusalem); 3) supplying readers with a record of archaeological evidence that essentially negates all such historical speculation (e.g. Israelites were NOT Joshua’s invading armies nomadic shepherds but instead were long-time peasant residents who rebelled against their feudal overlords or there is no archaeological evidence of King David’s armies or King Solomon’s magnificent palace and Temple).
Some of the points made by our authors in the material we read last week included:
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the ethnic identity of the Israelites grew slowly among the inhabitants of Canaan who lived not in major cities but small self-sufficient agricultural villages
-
the emergence of early Israel was an outcome of the collapse of Canaanite culture, not the cause of it.
-
there was no mass exodus from Egypt and no violent conquest of Canaan. Most Israelites were local people who were originally Canaanite.
-
One factor that distinguished Israelite settlements from those of other inhabitants of the region (e.g. Moabites or Ammonites) was the absence of pig bones.
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the arrival of of monarchy of King David broke a cycle of sin–divine retribution–salvation–sin, etc. The stories told of Kings David and Solomon depicted a Golden Age.
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even though there is physical evidence of the existence of these kings, the Golden Age was clearly idealized
-
compilers of the Hebrew Bible during the time of King Josiah (7th c. BCE) constructed stories of a mythical Golden Age that were based on theological and political hopes of a united monarchy
When our group gathers on September 25, we will begin a discussion of Part Two, chapters 6 and 7, of The Bible Unearthed (pp. 149-195), in which our authors present the main outlines of the rise, fall, and rebirth of Israel from 930 -842 BCE with a perspective quite different from the Biblical narrative.
Our informal discussion group is held online every Friday from 12-1. All are welcome to join us, regardless of their level of expertise or attendance at previous noon study group discussions. If you have questions, or would like the Zoom link, please contact Jay Jacoby at jbjacoby@uncc.edu.
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Just as healthy foods nourish us through the blood stream, so Jewish meditation nourishes our “soul stream.” Meditation can be transformative, taking us from the intellectual awareness of ourselves to a deeper spiritual practice that links us to Judaism in the most profound way. Each mitzvah, holy day and cycle of life has its own rhythm, nuance, taste and character. Jewish meditation is a practice of infusing their essence into our daily spiritual lives.
Ready to give it a try? Join us via Zoom (every Sunday from 2:30pm – 4pm. No previous meditation experience necessary. This opportunity is free and open to all. Please contact Linda Wolf at linda@networktype.com for the online meeting information.
Friday, September 25, 12-1
Last week, our study group examined Chapters 2-5 of Finkelstein and Silberman’s The Bible Unearthed. We began with a brief consideration of the possibility of re-titling our subject of study. A few of us thought that the title The Bible Unearthed suggested a search for empirical evidence that lent credence to the narratives recorded in the Hebrew Bible. Five chapters into this text, it appears that the title The Bible Debunked might be more appropriate because it appears as though Finkelstein and Silberman seem more dedicated to demonstrating that the narratives recorded in the Hebrew Bible are a constructed fiction. Their method seems to be 1) offer readers an overview of the Biblical narrative (e.g. Joshua’s ”conquest” of Canaan or King David’s rise to power); 2) present readers with a record of archaeological explorations of regions related to the Biblical narrative and plausible historical speculation that emerged as a result of such exploration (e.g. Israelites were nomadic shepherds who ”gradually infiltrated Canaan and settled there or King Solomon constructed magnificent buildings in Jerusalem); 3) supplying readers with a record of archaeological evidence that essentially negates all such historical speculation (e.g. Israelites were NOT Joshua’s invading armies nomadic shepherds but instead were long-time peasant residents who rebelled against their feudal overlords or there is no archaeological evidence of King David’s armies or King Solomon’s magnificent palace and Temple).
Some of the points made by our authors in the material we read last week included:
-
the ethnic identity of the Israelites grew slowly among the inhabitants of Canaan who lived not in major cities but small self-sufficient agricultural villages
-
the emergence of early Israel was an outcome of the collapse of Canaanite culture, not the cause of it.
-
there was no mass exodus from Egypt and no violent conquest of Canaan. Most Israelites were local people who were originally Canaanite.
-
One factor that distinguished Israelite settlements from those of other inhabitants of the region (e.g. Moabites or Ammonites) was the absence of pig bones.
-
the arrival of of monarchy of King David broke a cycle of sin–divine retribution–salvation–sin, etc. The stories told of Kings David and Solomon depicted a Golden Age.
-
even though there is physical evidence of the existence of these kings, the Golden Age was clearly idealized
-
compilers of the Hebrew Bible during the time of King Josiah (7th c. BCE) constructed stories of a mythical Golden Age that were based on theological and political hopes of a united monarchy
When our group gathers on September 25, we will begin a discussion of Part Two, chapters 6 and 7, of The Bible Unearthed (pp. 149-195), in which our authors present the main outlines of the rise, fall, and rebirth of Israel from 930 -842 BCE with a perspective quite different from the Biblical narrative.
Our informal discussion group is held online every Friday from 12-1. All are welcome to join us, regardless of their level of expertise or attendance at previous noon study group discussions. If you have questions, or would like the Zoom link, please contact Jay Jacoby at jbjacoby@uncc.edu.
- 1Share
With services unavoidably cancelled, the Ritual Committee is working hard to find ways we can support each other as a community when we can’t be together in person. It’s very distressing to be unable to say Kaddish for a loved one, or to contemplate not sharing a Seder meal with friends and family. We’d like to share with you some plans we have for filling these gaps in our lives.
Please join me beginning this Friday, March 27, at 6:00pm, when we will begin holding Kabbalat Shabbat services via Zoom. A rotation of folks will lead the service, including Josefa, who will lead Family Shabbat on the second Friday of each month. As long as at least 10 adults log in, we’ll be able to say Kaddish, so please consider attending, even if you’re not a Friday night regular.
A link to the online service is below. Zoom is easy to use and will let us see and hear each other as we welcome Shabbat. If you haven’t already downloaded Zoom to your computer or phone, you must do so before joining the meeting on Friday at 6:00pm. You only need to download Zoom once, after that you simply log in, always using the same Meeting ID: 406 391 4937. Easy instructions are below this message.
We recognize that this is a big departure from traditional practice, and the Ritual Committee did not make this decision without serious discussion. This is a temporary measure to keep us all connected while we can’t be together physically.
If you’d like to borrow a siddur for use at home while services are cancelled, we’ll be happy to lend you one! Please contact the office for details.
Eva Blinder
CBI Ritual Chair
Instructions for Downloading Zoom
The first time you ever use Zoom on a computer, do the following:
Go to https://zoom.us
Hover over (don’t click) “RESOURCES” on the top right and then click “Download Zoom Client” from the drop-down menu that appears
Click “Download” under “Zoom Client for Meetings”
If it asks you to allow it to download “zoom.us”, click “Allow” or “Yes”
Open the downloaded file and follow the instructions to install Zoom on your computer
The first time you ever use Zoom on a smart phone, do the following:
Go to the App Store and find “Zoom Cloud Meetings” and download it (it is free)
Instructions for attending services on CBI’s Zoom Account 1:
Right before the start of services, either go to https://zoom.us on your computer or open your Zoom app on your smartphone
Click “Join a Meeting”
Type in this Meeting ID: 406 391 4937 and click “Join”
If you’re using the computer and Zoom asks you to allow it to open “zoom.us”, click “Allow” or “Yes” or “Open” and then click “Join With Computer Audio”
If you’re using a smart phone and Zoom asks you to allow using the microphone/camera, allow it
If it says “Waiting for the host to start this meeting”, just wait a few minutes for CBI’s service leader to start the meeting