The Primeval Narratives Origin Stories Before the history

The Primeval Narratives Origin Stories Before the history of the Hebrews

Cycles n What happens repeatedly in almost each of the 4 primeval narratives? Adam & Eve in the Garden n Cain & Abel n People in Noah’s day n Babel n

Cycles n n Things are good People do evil God punishes People remember God and change, making things good again.

What are we to know about God? n n What does God (what do the writers want us to think that God) dislikes? How does God punish? What are the effects of God’s punishment? Look for other parallels between the stories.

The Fall: beginning of death & mortality n n n n Talking animals (staple of global folklore) Serpent not called evil, but “subtle” and “crafty. ” Questions the way God runs things. It knows what God knows. Effects of human disobedience are immediate and deeply painful. Sexual knowledge is realized as part of sin. Line is drawn between the immortal and mortal. God is still compassionate: makes clothes (first sacrifice. First shedding of blood)

n n Hugo van der Goes The Fall of Man 1470’s n n Iris symbolizes purity Serpent is female temptress

n Titian Adam & Eve: 1550 n n Serpent is child Fox symbolizes evil, cunning, sensuality Is Adam lusting or trying to stop Eve Adam is on the right, is he in the right?

n Jan Brueghel the Elder with Peter Paul Rubens, The Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man, c. 1615 n Notice grapes above Adam & monkey behind him

Cain & Abel: the first murder n n n Cain is produced with the help of Yahweh. Sibling rivalry theme resurfaces later. Does God prefers the younger child? Cain: “an offering of the fruit of the ground” (Gen 4: 3) Abel: “the firstlings of his flock, the fat portions” (Gen 4: 4) How does God treat Cain?

Noah: A new start n n n Composed of J & P sources interwoven God expresses profound sorrow (6: 5 -6) Earth returns to a pre-creation state when “darkness covered the face of the deep” (1: 2)(7: 11) Full of ironies. Full of terror, annihilation, compassion, hope. Noachan covenant. Rainbow is a symbol. (9: 817)

The Sons of Noah disperse and fill the land.

n H: Bible imagesFloo d20_colette _isabella_les _animaux_e ntrent_dans. jpg

Babel: the last straw n n n An etiology (story explaining how something originated) Themes of human ambition and divine retribution Furthers man’s isolation from the divine

Reading for next week n Genesis 12 -22: Origins of the Hebrews Where did they come from? n Why did God call Abraham? n What did God promise Abraham? n What kind of person is Abraham? n