Wednesday, November 28, 2018

The Bible: A Biography, Karen Armstrong, c. 2007 -- Chapter 2

Chapter 2, "Scripture."

The story of Ezra.

Ezra's reading marks the beginning of classical Judaism, a religion concerned not merely with the reception and preservation of revelation but with its constant reinterpretation.

The law that Ezra read was clearly unknown to the peope, who wept in fear when they heard it for the first time. From now on, Judaism would constantly reinterpret the Torah.

By this time, there were two established categories of scripture: the Torah and the Prophets (Neviim). But after the exile, another set of texts were produced: the Kethuvim, the "writings." These writings sometimes simply reinterpreted the older books.

Thus Chronicles, a historical narrative written by priestly (P) authors, was essentially a commentary on the Deuteronomic history of Samuel and Kings. 

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