Monthly Archives: February 2015

Crimes against history

Posted on February 27, 2015 by theoutwardquest

I am distracted today from events in the ancient Near East by events in the contemporary Near East. Note the Biblical reference in  the New York Times report: The reports are like something out of a distant era of ancient conquests: … Continue reading →

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Secommbe-Jesus’ death as generating a community

Posted on February 26, 2015 by theoutwardquest

It is Lent, the season leading up to Good Friday and Easter.  So I am blogging about David Seccombe’s account of the closing months of Jesus’ ministry. The gospels portray Jesus as giving Peter a special place in the kingdom he … Continue reading →

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Seccombe-the mission of the 72

Posted on February 24, 2015 by theoutwardquest

For Lent I am reading the last chapters (those leading up the passion of Christ) in David Seccombe’s study of Jesus, The King of God’s Kingdom. In Luke’s gospel Jesus sends the disciples on a major mission twice.  First, in … Continue reading →

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Seccombe-Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem

Posted on February 23, 2015 by theoutwardquest

It is Lent.  So both as a spiritual exercise and because I need to look at the New Testament from time to time, I will write something about Jesus. There is in my library a book that not too many people know … Continue reading →

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Zipporah’s conversion

Posted on February 19, 2015 by theoutwardquest

One of the problematic texts that Georg Fohrer assigned to his N (Nomadic) stratum of the Torah was Exodus 4:24-26.  I am going to do a pretty literal translation here.   Now on the journey, at a lodging place, YHWH … Continue reading →

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Confused about Hormah

Posted on February 18, 2015 by theoutwardquest

Today I express my confusion about Hormah as a place. There are several passages that mention it. First, in Numbers 21:3 it is a place that the Israelites attacked from their base in Kadesh and conquered. “The Lord listened to … Continue reading →

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Hamor in Judges 9:28

Posted on February 16, 2015 by theoutwardquest

While I am getting ready for my next reading project I will look at some passages in the Hebrew Bible that puzzle me.  These are the kind of passages that people tend to pass over because they don’t seem to … Continue reading →

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Fohrer-from G to Ezra

Posted on February 12, 2015 by theoutwardquest

I have been reading the part of Georg Fohrer’s Introduction to the Old Testament that gives his view of the development and sources of the Pentateuch or Torah. To clarify Fohrer’s form of the Documentary Hypothesis, let me summarize it … Continue reading →

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Saving ancient artifacts

Posted on February 11, 2015 by theoutwardquest

Did you see the George Clooney movie, Monuments Men?  It was based on something that occurred in World War II.  There was a military group of mostly academics who boldly saved paintings and other pieces of Europe’s cultural heritage from … Continue reading →

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Fohrer-will we run out of letters for the sources?

Posted on February 10, 2015 by theoutwardquest

In his Introduction to the Old Testament in a section called “The Problem of a Third Early Source Stratum” Fohrer asserted that there are conflicting theologies within the JE material.  He said that the old stories (when you take the … Continue reading →

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