Monthly Archives: December 2016

 year-end reflection after about six years of blogging

Posted on December 27, 2016 by theoutwardquest

What interests me is the foundations of the Judeo-Christian tradition.  The claim that the God the Israelites called YHWH revealed himself to them and made them his people draws me to the Hebrew Scriptures.  The claim that this God further … Continue reading →

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Mead-the mother of meaning

Posted on December 22, 2016 by theoutwardquest

Each year around Christmas it has become my habit to read something from Walter Russell Mead’s Yule Blog. Mead usually writes about politics, especially geopolitics. But he is a Christian. And each year he reflects about the meaning of Christmas. … Continue reading →

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Another suggestion about Khirbet Qeiyafa

Posted on December 21, 2016 by theoutwardquest

The problem about the Elah Valley fortress Yosef Garfinkel has excavated at Khirbet Qeiyafa is that the people of Israel and Judah were still very close to their hill country village phase. Thus it is unexpected that they would build … Continue reading →

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More on David

Posted on December 19, 2016 by theoutwardquest

I wrapped up my consideration of Joel Baden’s The Historical David.  But I am still thinking about David’s career.  One way of thinking about David is that the Bible uses him as a bad example and as part of the … Continue reading →

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Christmas Letter-2016

Posted on December 14, 2016 by theoutwardquest

For unto us a child is born. . . Isaiah 9:6 (and Handel’s Messiah) 2016 news from the Corders Children and grandchildren: Connor turned 8 in August.  This year he has taken up gymnastics, and he is getting better all … Continue reading →

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Baden-the broken hallelujah

Posted on December 13, 2016 by theoutwardquest

In the conclusion to Joel Baden’s The Historical David, he notes that the story of the end of David’s life and the installation of Solomon as king is not an apology for David. David appears weak and old.  This last … Continue reading →

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Baden-how Solomon became king

Posted on December 12, 2016 by theoutwardquest

The main difference between my view of the story of David in the books of Samuel and Joel Baden’s (in The Historical David: The  Real Life of and Invented Hero) has to do with the idea of literary creativity and … Continue reading →

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Baden-Absalom’s miscalculation

Posted on December 9, 2016 by theoutwardquest

With Joel Baden’s The Historical David as a guide, I continue to reflect on what happened at the beginnings of the Davidic dynasty in Israel. David’s son Absalom rebelled against him and tried to make himself king  2 Samuel 15-19). … Continue reading →

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Baden-the historical Bathsheba

Posted on December 7, 2016 by theoutwardquest

Over the last few days I have read through the rest of Joel Baden’s The Historical David. I have decided to rearrange the order in which he treats Absalom and Bathsheba. He treats the rebellion of Absalom as the major … Continue reading →

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Religion is all about the base

Posted on December 6, 2016 by theoutwardquest

I am a Christian but I have a bone to pick with the Christianity I often encounter. Shallow Christianity, it seems to me, has never discovered its base in Judaism.  Our base Bible is the Hebrew Bible.  Too many Christians … Continue reading →

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