The Biblical Texts Of The Jewish People - 2417 Words

For the Jewish people, Jerusalem has long been regarded as a special city, chosen by God as he chose the people of Israel. The importance of Jerusalem in the Jewish religious tradition can be traced back to the Hebrew Bible, in which narratives describe the events which make the city sacred. However, these events alone do not make Jerusalem a sacred place; the biblical texts also work together to portray the importance and holiness of Yahweh, the God of Israel. The concept of sacredness is also highlighted by Mircea Eliade, who theorized about how a sacred place comes into existence. The biblical texts support Eliade s ideas of the sacred by narrating repeated hierophanies and promises, working together to reveal the importance of the divine to the people of ancient Israel. Eliade s primary concept is that of the axis mundi, around which everything else revolves. An axis mundi is a connection between earth and the supernatural, where humans and the cosmic can come together (Eliade, 3 7). Becoming sacred, according to Eliade, is made possible through a hierophany, an experience through which the divine manifests itself (21). This hierophany sets a place apart, creating a break in homogeneity that separates it from the profane (Eliade, 63). He also emphasizes the idea that sacredness makes a place real, and becomes a â€Å"fixed point, a point of reference that people align their whole world to (Eliade, 22). A hierophany opens up the very possibility of a connection with theShow MoreRelatedAncient Jews And Their Belief Of God1604 Words   |  7 PagesAncient Jews and their Belief in God(s) Throughout the centuries, the Jewish people have maintained their customs and religion. One of the most common assumptions has been that the ancient Jews have always been monotheistic. Yet, upon closer examination, this conventional wisdom is inaccurate. Ugaritic texts, archeological data, and the Biblical narrative itself all demonstrate that the ancient Jews were not monotheistic, contrary to what many believe. In fact, there is proof that they acknowledgedRead More Dead Sea Scrolls Essay1603 Words   |  7 Pageswhich helped to preserve the scrolls. Archaeologists searched for the dwelling of the people that may have left the scrolls in the caves. The archaeologists excavated a ruin located between the cliffs where the scrolls were found and the dead sea. This ruin is called Qumran. The ruins and the scrolls were dated by the carbon method and found to be from the third century which made them the oldest surviving biblical manuscript by at least 1000 years. Since the first discoveries archaeologists haveRead MoreThe Jews And The Jewish War1177 Words   |  5 Pageswho recorded Jewish-Roman history. He was born Jewish, and even fought against the Romans in the first Jewish-Roman war. But after being captured and later freed by the Roman emperor, Joseph was given Roman citizenship. Josephus’ seven-book collection of The Jewish War was written around 75AD. The Jewish War covers Jewish history from the time Jerusalem was captured, to the first war between Jewish and Roman people; the same war he fought in as a Roman citizen against his previous people, the Jews.Read MoreDead Sea Scrolls Essay1603 Words   |  7 Pageswhich helped to preserve the scrolls. Archaeologists searched for the dwelling of the people that may have left the scrolls in the caves. The archaeologists excavated a ruin located between the cliffs where the scrolls were found and the dead sea. This ruin is called Qumran. The ruins and the scrolls were dated by the carbon method and found to be from the third century which made them the oldest surviving biblical manuscript by at least 1000 years. Since the first discoveries archaeologists haveRead MoreEssay about Bibles Book of Esther is Full of Mysteries999 Words   |  4 PagesThe book of Esther is full of mysteries that has grasped the attention of Biblical scholars and audiences throughout ages and still presents some challenges to the contemporary audiences. It is important to understand the purpose and theme of the book in order to better understand the text in its context. Many Christian scholars and audiences’ alike eisegesis the text instead of using exegesis therefore there have been many misconceptions regarding Esther. The book of Esther is a very important bookRead MoreTaking a Look at the Old Testament868 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction The Old Testament is a very complicated book. The meaning of the Old Testament is embedded in the history of the writers,people who read , people who passed it on, people who rewrote it and people who read it again. This statement implies that Old Testament was not written in one place or at one time. Some of the parts that make Old testament a rich literature is its complexity that resulted from its composition and redaction, which is believed to have took place a long time ago. OneRead MoreEssay Dead Sea Scrolls1336 Words   |  6 Pagesscrolls were discovered in 1947 by a shepherd-boy who wandered into a cave after a stray goat. The texts are believed to have been hidden in eleven caves for safe-keeping prior to the destruction of Rome in A.D.70. The scrolls are a collection of biblical and non-biblical documents comprising of the Hebrew Bible, (every book except Esther); the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha; rules for community life; biblical commentaries; a Testimonia, (a collection of verses from the Bible about the Messiah); a WarRead MoreThe discovery of The Dead Sea Scrolls Essay980 Words   |  4 Pages The discovery of The Dead Sea Scrolls was the most important archeological discovery in history, and the single most important biblical find ever. The term Dead Sea Scrolls refers to the 850+ documents, most left in fragments from the wear of time, that were discovered in the Judean desert, around Qumran. Two teenage boys one a 15-year-old Bedouin shepherd first discovered the documents. The boys were surprised to hear the sound of breaking pottery upon throwing rocks down a hole they discoveredRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of High Holy Day By Jane Shore815 Words   |  4 Pagesoccurring. This poem primarily focuses on Judaism along with the prejudice experienced by the Jewish community. The speaker is characterized as a child on the cusp of a transition in maturity and attitude. This plays a key role in understanding the text. While the speaker appears to be merely a child, no greater than thirteen-years-old, she is presented with feelings of great responsibility to lead her people a nd â€Å"defend them against the broken windows† (Shore 59) and â€Å"the spray-painted writing on theRead MoreThe Israelites Still Family After Generations1506 Words   |  7 PagesGenerations Since the 1600’s, Biblical writers, scholars, linguists and interpreters have concluded that the Bible was written by different people, with multiple revelations. The result is a compilation of stories that, in a written format, present the voice of God. The evidence for such a hypothesis is contained in the writing of Carr and Conway’s An Introduction to the Bible, as well as Richard Horsley’s In the Shadow of Empire. Both authors refer to source texts identifying â€Å"Yahwistic Sources