犹太人的历史观

犹太人的历史观

旧约的历史又是如何体现“超自然”世界中的神与“自然”世界、人类社会中的人之间的从属、互动的动态关系。以divine history与希伯来民族与以色列国家的humane历史的缠结中如何来认识“神性”与“人性”的原型呢？

旧约可以看作希伯来文明以想像与信仰构建的一部神与人关系的史诗，并与历史上自己民族、国家的历史结合起来，以神性观照人性、叙述历史，实现真理的伦理意义。

美国Brandeis University校长Abram Leon Sachar博士在其《犹太人史》(A History of the Jews)中对“希伯来主义”（Hebraism）做出了准确概括：

The Hebrew stressed reliance upon an omnipotent God and conformity to a divinely sanctioned moral law; he was essentially serious, restrained, willing to recognize his finite limitations. To seek God was the ultimate wisdom, to follow His precepts the ultimate virtue.

The Hebrew was inclined to mysticism; he accepted the moral law and would not go beyond it. The ultimate idea with the Hebrew was conduct and obedience and the Hebrew believed in the beauty of holiness (Mathew Arnold)

✧History of the relationship between man and God

✧Collection of documents in Israel laws

旧约的历史叙述

旧约分“申命派”与“祭司派”两种不同史观

The Deuteronomist

Joshua

Judges

1 Samuel

2 Samuel

1 Kings

2 Kings

The Priestercodex

1 Chronicles

2 Chronicles

Ezra

Nehemiah

The history narrated by the School of Deuteronomy

✧The conquer of Canaan by Joshua by the will of Moses

✧The combat against slavery by the Judges

✧The great deeds by King Saul, David and Solomon for the establishment of

ancient Israel

✧The North and South Kingdoms: Israel and Judah

✧The fall of Israel and Judah by Assyria and Babylon Empires

The history narrated by the School of the Priestercodex

✧Parallel priestly narratives with the Book of Law and the history told by the

School of Deuteronomy

✧Combining Genesis with history of Israel

✧Extended to the period of religious revival led by Nehemiah and Ezra: the end of

the historical narratives of the Old Testament

The features of the Israel historical narratives

✧Historical accounts serving the purpose of religion

✧God over kings as protagonist of the narratives

✧Prophets between God and people

✧Democracy

✧Theological paradigm:

Disobedience – Punishment – Appeal –Salvation

The plot of the Deuteronomists:

From Moses before death at the east bank of Jordan River to the conquer of Canaan and division of the promised land (“Joshua”); fighting against attacks from other tribes at Canaan (“Judges”); the establishment of Israel by the kings of Saul, David and Solomon (“Samuel”), and split into North and South: Israel and Judah and fall at the invasion of Assyria and Babylon Empires (“Kings”).

The characterization and styles in the Deuteronomists

⏹Deuteronomist: Jewish theologians, literary writers and historians composed

around 621 BC during the reign of King Josiah (on religious reform)

⏹Focus on the covenant with God (the right understanding of 约): a

theologically-based history

⏹Stylistic features: strong religious and monitory colors and combined narrative

and expository styles of writing

⏹Characterization: God as a perfect protagonist and flawed human beings (even

between God and Man, such as judges and kings)

⏹Samson and women; David and the wife and Nabal; Solomon and the temples for

other gods …

⏹Epics of heroes: judges and kings; narratives and descriptions of wars and the

grand history of Israelites