The Prayer of Manasseh is a fascinating little prayer. Today, it is included among the biblical apocrypha -and sometimes it is included among thePsalms or at the end of Second Chronicles. It is an imagined prayer of Manasseh, successor king to Hezekiah of ancient Judah, as he makes an apologia in penitence for his sins -praising of other gods. The prayer is divided into fifteen verses, and … Continue reading Thoughts on the Prayer of Manasseh
theology
Socrates Ridiculed in the Clouds
The Clouds, first performed in 423 BC at the Dionysia, is Aristophanes's masterpiece, though it received only third place at the festival. Aristophanes's earlier plays had all been a string of successes. There is a rumor that, in anger at his loss over the Clouds, Aristophanes edited the original manuscript. This is referenced in the … Continue reading Socrates Ridiculed in the Clouds
Notes on 1 and 2 Esdras
The Books of First and Second Esdras (or "Ezra" meaning something like "help" in Hebrew) are apocryphal and somewhat apocalyptic texts in the Hebrew biblical tradition, particularly the second book of Esdras. They are non canonical Biblical books, however they do appear in certain Greek Orthodox, Episcopal, and Lutheran Bibles. At the Council of Trent in 1540s-1560s, the … Continue reading Notes on 1 and 2 Esdras
Notes on Nahum
Nahum is an elusive figure. Some suggest he lived during the fall of Nineveh to the Babylonians or the Persians, or perhaps just prior to the downfall of Assyria. The intent of the text is to show the "vision" of Nahum, as identified at the outset. Ironically, Nahum means something like "comforter" in Hebrew, though … Continue reading Notes on Nahum
Notes on Micah
As announced at the outset of his book, Micah lived during the reign of Hezekiah, making him a contemporary of Isaiah, Amos, and Hosea. He was from a town in southwest Judah. He comes down to us as a rural prophet critiquing the immoral life of the city. The text of Micah echoes the same … Continue reading Notes on Micah
The Reckoning of Edom in Obadiah
The book of Obadiah is a text that claims to record a vision of Obadiah; a vision of the downfall of Edom (the kingdom that is descended from Esau), a mountainous kingdom located just south of Moab and Israel, or Judah. The book is a single chapter lasting twenty-one verses, and is sometimes written as "Abdias". … Continue reading The Reckoning of Edom in Obadiah
Plague and Drought in Joel
The name Joel can be loosely translated to mean "YHWH is God". The Book of Joel is one of the shorter books of the "minor prophets" (named for their length, not their significance). In it, Joel preaches the "word of the Lord" to the "old men" and "inhabitants of the land" -it is an account that is … Continue reading Plague and Drought in Joel
Notes on Amos
Amos lived during the same epoch as Hosea, as both prophets were active in the Northern Kingdom of Israel ("Samaria"), during the reign of Jeroboam II, though Amos is not explicitly described as a prophet in the text (neither he nor his father are described as prophets). He is believed to have been an older … Continue reading Notes on Amos
Infidelity in Hosea
Hosea is the first book of the twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible. It is one of the shorter books of the Bible. The text suggests that Hosea was an active prophet during the reign of Jeroboim II, during the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel ("Samaria"), which happened around 721 BC. The Talmud praises Hosea … Continue reading Infidelity in Hosea
Notes on the Context of the Tanakh
The ancient national identity of Israel arose as a separate and unique group from the Canaanite and Philistine tribes of the ancient Levant (French meaning "rising" coming from the Arabic phrase for the 'rising sun in the east'). Today the Levant roughly comprises Cyprus, Jordan, Israel, Syria, Palestine (the territories), and Lebanon. In the late … Continue reading Notes on the Context of the Tanakh
