Monthly Archives: October 2012

A Hurricane Prayer

Posted on October 29, 2012 by theoutwardquest

Father James Martin has published this prayer for those in peril from Sandy: A Prayer in the Storm “God of the Universe, at the dawn of creation, your Spirit breathed on the waters, making them the wellspring of all holiness. … Continue reading →

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Life, Death and a Russian Movie

Posted on October 29, 2012 by theoutwardquest

Earlier this week I watched the Russian movie, The Island.  You shouldn’t confuse this with the American sci/fi movie by the same name. This movie is about a Russian Orthodox monk who isn’t exactly what we would call well adjusted. Pyotr … Continue reading →

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Frank Moore Cross on the Tribe of Reuben

Posted on October 26, 2012 by theoutwardquest

In From Epic to Canon: History and Literature in Ancient Israel Frank Moore Cross had an essay entitled “Reuben, the Firstborn of Jacob: Sacral Traditions and Early Israelite History”. In that essay he argued that Reuben’s place as first born in … Continue reading →

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Israel’s Roots in History

Posted on October 24, 2012 by theoutwardquest

I am not sure that arguing with the president of Iran will get you anywhere.  Nevertheless, when somebody tries to rewrite history he needs to be called out.  Richard Elliot Friedman does that very well in this PDF editorial. The … Continue reading →

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Remembering Frank Moore Cross

Posted on October 24, 2012 by theoutwardquest

I am rereading an essay of Frank Moore Cross called “Reuben. the First Born of Jacob: Sacral Traditions and Early Israelite History.”  I will put up my summary and reaction to that essay later this week. Meanwhile, here is the … Continue reading →

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The Joseph Epic-Conclusion

Posted on October 22, 2012 by theoutwardquest

I am interested in accurate history.  I doubt that the compilers of the Joseph epic shared this interest.  To me accuracy means telling what actually happened in the past as precisely as possible. To the compilers of the Joseph epic, … Continue reading →

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The Joseph Epic–Genesis 49:28-50:14

Posted on October 19, 2012 by theoutwardquest

It is almost Halloween, so I will deal with stories about mummies, Jacob’s mummy and Joseph’s mummy.  Jacob’s death and burial is the subject of Genesis 49:28-50:14. Most of Genesis 49 does not belong to the Joseph epic.  It is a poem with … Continue reading →

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The Joseph Epic-Genesis 47:29-48:22

Posted on October 18, 2012 by theoutwardquest

Intelligently reading the Bible calls for recognizing layers. I’ve been blogging through the Joseph epic. But the Joseph epic is part of Genesis. And the Joseph epic is also part of the Jacob cycle within Genesis. In fact, the way the Joseph … Continue reading →

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An Archaeological Mystery

Posted on October 16, 2012 by theoutwardquest

I have been on the road.  Blogging while traveling is something I haven’t figured out yet.  Since I am retired and one of the benefits of that includes more freedom to just pack up and go, blogging  will get sparse occasionally. … Continue reading →

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The Joseph Epic-Genesis 47:13-26

Posted on October 10, 2012 by theoutwardquest

I mentioned before that Genesis 47:13-26 might extend the courtier tale told in chapters 40-41.  A courtier tale in Egypt involved someone lowly and disadvantaged rising to the top rungs of leadership in Egypt.  Chapters 40-41 detail the rise of Joseph. … Continue reading →

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