Hebrew Bible: Short Stories

Hebrew Short Stories

Ruth, Jonah, Esther, Judith, and Tobit

12/02/2011

In the Hebrew Bible -- Ruth, Jonah, and Esther

Omitted -- Tobit and Judith

   regardless of the cannonization of the books, they were all most likely written in Hebrew originally.

Novellas

   fictional short stories that are often entertaining and edifying

• although the short stories are located in different locations, the share in common their novella structure
• especially in the Christian Bible, the novellas are located in totally different places

Apocrypha

   see NRSV Bible page 1362 for cannonization chart

• The Jews still read the apocryphal (or deuterocannonical) works, even if they are not considered Scriptural
• e.g. the event from which Hanukkah is derived is located only in the Apocrypha (1 and 2 Maccabees)
•  the oil of Hanukkah is a later rabbinic tradition
• The Chart -- 
• **How did all these books end up in the Christian Apocrypha but not the Jewish cannon?
• the cannon represents a certain timeline (no later)
• the Jews considered the Apocrypha to be written too late to be cannonical
• the issue of revolts developed after the Second Temple period
• 70 CE -- Romans torch the Temple in Jerusalem
• 139 CE -- Bar Kokhbah's revolt
• **Jewish leaders decide that revolts are bad, so writings that favor revolts are not considered Scriptural

Ruth

    Plot:  Ruth, the main character is a Moabite, a race that is often looked down upon in the Hebrew Cannon.  Naomi is an Israelite, and Ruth marries into an Israelite family, yet Naomi's sons die.  Ruth does not return to her home but stays with Naomi.  Naomi has Ruth "lie at Boaz's feet" to get him to marry her -- this is a euphemism:  "feet" = "genitals".  Genealogy is given from Ruth to King David.

    Lessons:  the importance of the kinsman-redeemer (Boaz) in society and religious integrity; the use of a Moabite as the main character opposed strict ethnic purity Ezra-Nehemiah supported.

    Composition:  either just before or during the Hellenistic period

Jonah

    although Jonah is considered a prophet in the Christian Bible, the lack of prophecies and the prose content makes it more like a short story. 

    Plot:  Jonah flees from God's command to prophesy to Nineveh in order that they repent.  On a boat, Jonah is thrown overboard;  he lives inside a giant fish (like Pinocchio) and eventually goes to Nineveh.  His teaching gets them to repent/convert, so God's wrath upon them is subsided.  Then Jonah gets mad at God's grace. 

    Fiction:  records from Nineveh show no evidence of a Jonah-like prophet or mass conversion.

    Lessons:  bell of a fish represents turmoil and distress "in the waters," but for Christians, this has been interpreted as a sign of Christ's burial and resurrection.  The Jews understood this story as fictional but with moral/spiritual significance (whereas Christians often understand the story to be literally true).

    Why included in the Cannon?

• message:  don't take prophets too seriously!
• not written in first-person like most prophets
• not consisting of prophecies
• God's ways are above people's
• for Christians, "the sign of Jonah" represents Jesus' resurrection
• God's grace/mercy can rest on Israel's enemies
• in contrast to Harem -- "total destruction," most notably ordered when Joshua led the Israelites into the promised land
• a whole nation can be converted
• mercy specifically to Assyrians

Esther

    Plot:  Israelite woman lives in Persia as the king's wife; a court tale -- popular motif in Hebrew literature; Mordechai verses Haman (Ha-MAHN); Esther saves the people by her bravery; the king orders Haman's death and the Jews are allowed to kill their enemies.

    Purim:  a celebration of victory over enemies -- deliverance of Jews in Persia; today, Purim is celebrated by drunkenness, costumes, and noisemakers, and the point is to party so hard that you don't know who's your friend and who's your enemy.

    Critiques of the story:  

• "God" is never mentioned in the cannonized text 
• the Diaspora (Israel) doesn't want to leave Persia 
• Diaspora -- "displaced" Israelites living outside their homeland
• e.g. the diaspora in Deerborn, Michigan
• Esther lives in the Persian king's harem....

For the first time, the concept of killing of all the Jews arises.

The Greek versions of Esther are longer, containing prayers, dream, and "God"

Tobit

    Plot:  Tobit lives in Nineveh; he buries the dead (illegal but moral); a bird poops in his eyes, blinding him; son Tobias is instructed to marry someone from the family, and he goes to Medes for money; Raguel, an angel in disguise, and a dog accompany Tobias; Sarah's 7 husbands all died by a demon before their marriage was consummated; demon is warded off when Tobias and Sarah marry; Tobit is cured.  :)

    Not cannonical:  too late a date of composition; concerns Northern Jews; **yet the book gives us insight onto the culture of 2nd Temple Judaism; historical inaccuracies; the text appreciates but doesn't know the Law

Judith

    Plot:  Judith in Judah during military conflict; she goes into the Assyrian (?) camp, into the general's tent; general:  "a woman this beautiful would be offended if I don't seduce her"; Judith cuts off his head

Big historical errors, such as Nebuchadrezzar living in Nineveh.