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Elisha ben Abuya

@Elishabenabuya

2 Oct

(Due to a holiday, I didn't get to post much about Gen 1-6, so here's a late thread about Adam's WIVES.)

Because of contradicting narratives in the Torah-anthology, legends were invented.

The result is more entertaining than the myths themselves.

#Bereishit
#EBAMeme

1/9

First up, we have Lilith. Because Gen-1 says man and woman were created at the same time, and Gen-2 changed that, we get a story about a mate who declared she was equal, wanted to be on top during coitus, so Adam hated her, and God disposed of her:

#Bereishit
#EBAMeme

2/9

Next, to answer why Adam had to sleep while God made a women, we have the story of Adam being grossed out when he watched God making one, all that blood and organs, and wouldn't touch her

So God got rid of her!

#Bereishit
#EBAMeme

3/9

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Elisha ben Abuya

@Elishabenabuya

12 Jul

In this week's #Torah portion, we are introduced to several supernatural entities, one of which is called "Rephaim".

Keep in mind that "Rephaim" is older than the OT and is an appropriated word from the Canaanites.

So what were they in ANE literature?

#Devarim
#EBAMeme

1/5

In ANE religions lie the OT, death was dreary and undesirable. It is a lonely existence unless you were deserving in life, meaning, a great hero or leader. In such a case you could serve the Gods, interact with the living, making you one of the Rephaim.

#Devarim
#EBAMeme

2/5

We see this from the author of the Divine War story in Genesis 14 or Joshua 9-13, where the Rephaim of the Goddess Ashteroth are participants.

And in Job where the Rephaim are mentioned as being distinct from the other residents of Sheol.

#Devarim
#EBAMeme

3/5

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Elisha ben Abuya

@Elishabenabuya

11 Jul

This week begins the Book of Deuteronomy. It's a collection of narratives with views/legends that are distinct from the others, and are often are at odds with Gen-Num.

Deuteronomy also has several anachronisms that could only have been written much later.

#Devarim
#EBAMeme

1/4

The opening verses of Deut. provides us with a list of places that the other books didn't mention,, but where the Hebrews apparently traveled, but the point of view is from someone in the future living in Israel.

#Devarim
#EBAMeme

2/4

Ibn Ezra, one of the more honest classical Jewish commentators, notes that these anachronisms could not have been written by Moses, but won't cross the line into true heresy!

#Devarim
#EBAMeme

3/4

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Elisha ben Abuya

@Elishabenabuya

27 Oct 20

Here's a short thread about Hagar who appears in Genesis 16 and 25.

As with Sarai, we don't have any background information in the text. Legends say she was a princess, an Egyptian. And another says that she became Abraham's wife after Sarah died.

1/5

#EBAMeme
#Lech_Lecha

The plain text tells us that she was a slavegirl, a shifcha. We see this term also apply to Bilha and Zilpah, who served Rachael and Leah:

2/5

#EBAMeme
#Lech_Lecha

Sarai cannot get pregnant, and has Hagar fulfill her duties as an intermediary birther, which she immediately regrets and hates the haughty pregnant slave:

3/5

#EBAMeme
#Lech_Lecha

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Elisha ben Abuya

@Elishabenabuya

25 Oct 20

[Sarai thread]

Let's talk about Sarah, who is first appears in Genesis 11 as Sarai.

The text gives very little information about her.

And many people assume that in Chapter 12, she is 65 years old.

But is she?

#EBAMeme
#Lech_Lecha

1/5

The first time we have ANY reference about her age is many chapters later in a tale about a miraculous birth.

It is an often used error to assume that the details in one story by one author will carry over into other stories by other authors.

#EBAMeme
#Lech_Lecha

2/5

But nowhere in chapter 12 do we have any indication that she is anything but the most beautiful and desirable woman in all of Egypt.

That men would be falling all over themselves to sleep with her seems to indicate a young, rather than an old women.

#EBAMeme
#Lech_Lecha

3/5

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Elisha ben Abuya

@Elishabenabuya

24 Oct 20

This week's Torah portion begins with a man named by his father as "Esteemed Patriarch" or "High Father" (AvRam). The text doesn't give his age. Commentators like to use "75", making his wife, Sarai, 65.

They're also the first characters to own slaves.

#EBAMeme
#Lech_Lecha

1/5

The very first verse of the passage comes with a problem: why is Yahweh telling Abram to go from the land of his birth when he already did that a long time ago?

#EBAMeme
#Lech_Lecha

2/5

Another issue that we come across, and we are only at the 6th verse, is that it gives us a time-frame that is based on the view that the Canaanites were no longer in the land, long after the time of Joshua.

#EBAMeme
#Lech_Lecha

3/5

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