The book of Habakkuk is told in three short chapters. Habbakuk's vision is described as a "burden" (per the King James translation) as Habakkuk is a troubled prophet of Israel. All around him he sees destruction and decay. His name likely comes from an early Hebrew word meaning "embrace." Unlike other prophets, Habakkuk has the gaul … Continue reading The Just Shall Live By His Faith: Habakkuk Considered
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The Persian Fantasy of Esther
The Scroll of Esther is an unusual text for a variety of reasons. First, because the story is an odd burlesque tale of the ancient Israelites in Persia, and it makes no mention of God -one of only two Biblical texts (the other being Song of Solomon). Instead, Haman (the brutal Persian oppressor of the Jews) notes the … Continue reading The Persian Fantasy of Esther
The Harvest of Ruth
There is a vigorous debate among Biblical scholars regarding the origins of "The Scroll of Ruth". Is Ruth, in fact, a late Biblical text, or not? Clearly the writer of the text intended for it to be akin to the Judges period in Israelite history, hence why it was placed with the former prophets, between Judges and Samuel in the … Continue reading The Harvest of Ruth
Thoughts on The Phoenician Women
Euripides's Phoenician Women comes down to us as a heavily edited dialogue. Some have suggested it was performed during Euripides's lifetime, while others have suggested it remained unfinished and was expanded upon by later Greek writers. The play is an interpretation of Aeschylus's Seven Against Thebes - in which Oedipus's two sons, Polynices and Eteocles battle for the kingship of Thebes. Recall … Continue reading Thoughts on The Phoenician Women
Further Consideration of Jonah
Though we know almost nothing about the author of the Book of Jonah, it has been suggested that the book emerged after the Babylonian exile due to its universalist monotheistic message which came about with Second Isaiah, the anonymous sixth-century prophet of Babylonian exile. This global conception of God is wholly different than the more … Continue reading Further Consideration of Jonah
In Appreciation of the Song of Songs
The foundational books of the Hebrew Bible were originally composed, though not edited, from the 10th or 9th century to the 7th century BC, excluding a few archaic poems. The critical moment in biblical history was the Babylonian exile, which began after the conquest of Judah and Jerusalem in 586 BC. The Song of Songs, … Continue reading In Appreciation of the Song of Songs
The Tragedy of Mob-Rule: Iphigenia in Aulis
Euripides's Iphigenia in Aulis was produced in conjunction with the Bacchae and the Alcmaeon at the Dionysia in 405 BC, shortly following Euripides's own death. It was produced by his relative, Euripides the Younger. It tells the story of the Greeks en route to Troy. Agamemnon is forced to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to Artemis to gain favorable winds in sailing … Continue reading The Tragedy of Mob-Rule: Iphigenia in Aulis
Notes on Numbers
The traditional Hebraic title for the book of Numbers is "Bemidbar" meaning "In The Wilderness." It is titled to honor the census that takes place in its opening chapters, followed by a reiterating of the Israelites in the Sinai wilderness following the embodiment of the Lord in a cloud. Eventually, at Chapter 11, the Israelites complain … Continue reading Notes on Numbers
The Failure of Orestes
While many other Greek tragedies tend to reiterate already established myths and customs, Euripides's Orestes appears to be entirely his own invention. Chronologically, the plot of the play takes place after the events contained in Aeschylus's Libation Bearers. It was first performed in 408 BC, near the close of the Peloponnesian War. In Orestes, Electra recounts the story … Continue reading The Failure of Orestes
Notes on the Enuma Elish
The Enuma Elish, or "when on high", is named for the opening lines of the poem. It is a fragmented Akkadian poem that borrows from a number of earlier cosmogonies from the Sumerians and Semitic cultures. The Akkadian version, discovered in the ruins of ancient Babylon, exists on seven tablets and has sometimes been called the … Continue reading Notes on the Enuma Elish
