It may seem like I’m hawking a lot of publications lately, but when it comes to Extra-Canonical literature, the Charlesworth 2-Volume Hardcover Old Testament Pseudepigrapha set is pretty much essential. For many, however, it is very cost prohibitive at nearly $100 for the set (the price I paid).

Now, I’m excited to let you know that it’s finally been reprinted in paperback, and Eisenbrauns is charging $39.95 for both volumes.  If you’re interested in having 1, 2, 3 Enoch, the Testament of Adam and Eve, Jubilees, and many many many more apocalyptic, testamental, wisdom, and expansion texts from the intertestamental period, you simply can’t beat it! 

The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship has launched a new journal entitled Studies in the Bible and Antiquity. I blogged about the hardcopy of it earlier, but would like to let you know it’s now available to read online.

The current edition (volume 1: 2009) contains the following:

• Editors’ Introduction
• “A Comparison of the Communal Lament Psalms and the Treaty Covenant Formula” (Daniel Belnap, assistant professor of ancient scripture, BYU; Ph.D., University of Chicago)
• “From the Hand of Jacob: A Ritual Analysis of Genesis 27″ (David E. Bokovoy, doctoral candidate in Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near East at Brandeis University)
• “‘And the Word Was Made Flesh’: A Latter-day Saint Exegesis of the Blood and Water Imagery in the Gospel of John” (Eric D. Huntsman, associate professor of ancient scripture, BYU; Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania)
• “Point Our Souls to Christ: Lessons from Leviticus” (Julie M. Smith, M.A. in biblical studies, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley)
• “The Valentinian Bridal Chamber in the Gospel of Philip” (Gaye Strathearn, assistant professor of ancient scripture, BYU; Ph.D., Claremont Graduate University)

I am already very much able to recommend this to you, as well as very much looking forward to future volumes.

While all of the articles are wonderful, I have to especially recommend the paper by David Bokovoy, on the ritual analysys of Genesis 27. Of all the papers, this one opened my eyes to some connections of symbolism and ritual I had completely missed.

This publication can be subscribed to here (it’s under Studies) , as well as the other Maxwell Institute publications. Otherwise, you can call the maxwell institute at 1-800-FARMS-15 to inquire about getting your own copy.

Elsewhere, David Bokovoy has said a little more about what to expect with future volumes of this publication:

“The next few editions of the journal will be “thematic,” covering topics such as 
“LDS 
Research
 on
 the
 Dead
 Sea
 Scrolls,” a theme selected 
in 
part
 to
 coincide 
with
 the
 2010 
BYU/Brill
 publication 
of
 an
 electronic 
library
 of 
biblical
 texts 
from
 Qumran,
 edited
 by BYU professors, 
Don 
Parry
 and 
Andy
 Skinner.
 This
 publication
 
has
 resulted 
in
 the 
complete
 publication
 of
 all
 DSS 
texts 
in 
a
 fully
 searchable 
electronic 
format,
 with
 accompanying
images.

In addition, a future version will focus 
on 
the 
King 
James
 Version 
of
 the 
Bible,
 coinciding 
with
 the celebration
 of
 the
 400th
 anniversary
 of
 its
 publication.”

I highly recommend getting on the bandwagon with this one!

EDIT: For convenience, now featuring all of the currently completed days edited together embedded below. Latest addition: Day Six, Part 1.

I’ve decided to play around and make ‘video previews’ of sorts for each of my entries on the Days of Creation.

The hope is that an added audio-visual feature may help the more abstract concepts ‘click’. They are not designed as ’stand-alone’ features, but as visual aids and general summaries (or even teasers) of the accompanying articles on this site. In fact, as each are made, I will be editing the earlier article entries to include the individual day’s video preview at the head of each.

Any and all feedback will be appreciated as I keep developing them!
The Companion Articles:
Day One: The Waters, The War, and the Wind
Day Two: The Division & Divine Agent
Day Three: The Pillars of Creation
Day Four: The Luminaries
Day Five: Inhabitants of the Heights and Depths
Day Six, Part 1: Beasts, Bulls, Snakes and Sheep

Feast Upon the Word has presented an old Times and Seasons post that was so good and relevant to the topic of this site, that I thought I would point you towards it. It discusses the very different manner in which the Hebrews wrote and recorded history, and gives suggestions as to how we can learn from it.  Read the post here: Why Reading the Old Testament is Sometimes so Difficult

The Typical Order of Israelite Kingship

While there are many accounts in the scriptures of anointed kings who are raised up as representatives of the LORD, the anti-type is also present.

In what is presented as the Proper Order of things, the LORD (The King of Kings) selects his representative, either personally or through a prophet. The King is anointed, and ascends to assume the throne of God, and receives the sacred Name. This entire ascent experience usually was associated with the Temple, referred to poetically as the Mountain of God. The King is viewed as the LORD’s vassal and representative with his people – he does not replace or supplant the LORD. Those who attempt to do so are cast down, cut down, and another takes his place.

In a recent discussion of Biblical Hebrew, I came across a very interesting reading of the original Hebrew of Genesis 4:1. First, the familiar translation:

“And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD [Yahweh].” (KJV)

In the original Hebrew,  the word rendered ‘gotten’ is qnh, which has, as one of its meanings, “procreate, beget, bear”. This would render the verse, literally:

“And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have procreated a man with Yahweh.”

On first look, this doesn’t appear to make sense. For in the same verse, we would see that:

• Adam procreated with Eve to produce Cain
• Yahweh procreated with Eve to produce Cain

Now, based on how we think, both can’t be right. The notion of Yahweh, God of Israel, literally procreating with Eve to be the father of Cain is ridiculous to modern readers, and may even be viewed as blasphemous.

Because of this, many modern interpretations of the verse take it to refer to the special cooperation mothers, as creators, have with the LORD, the great Creator of us all. This is a teaching I believe to be true.

But was that the extent of the understanding for the original Israelite readers of the text?

If not, what then, did this mean? What would the writer have been thinking?

The very satisfying answer that I’ve found, which is based on the covenant concept of what it means to take upon oneself the Name of Yahweh (which one of the Ten Commandments instructs us not to do in vain), comes from a broad understanding of Israelite imagery and symbolism that is found throughout the Old Testament and related writings. It is this understanding of the dualism that I wish to explore here.

And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. Genesis 5:24

By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Hebrews 11:5

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. Jude 1:14–15

In the Bible as presently constituted, these verses, with the addition of his genealogy, is all that is said of the Enoch figure. The reference in Jude, however opens a flood of questions. This short reference hints of a larger record of Enoch, regards him as a prophet, and even quotes from one of his prophecies. What was Jude’s source? What is it about? What does it mean? The balance of this post attempts to briefly sum up and summarize some answers to these questions.

Genesis Chapter 4 opens in a New Era. Adam and Eve have been cast from the Garden, and are now living in the lone and dreary world. It is here where we are introduced to Adam’s two sons, Cain and Abel.

I’ll be discussing this Genesis narrative in a few different contexts.

1. In the context of the Temple
2. In the context of Legitimate Priesthood Succession
3. In the context of the Chosen and Rejected Nations
4. In the context of Sacrifice and Rebirth

NOTE: The Latter-day saints have an additional account of this story, with additional details. While beneficial for modern doctrinal instruction, in this post, I will be presenting the account as it stands in its ancient Israelite context in the current form of the book of Genesis, and without involving or taking into consideration the additions to the story from the LDS Book of Moses.

I – The Temple

In the architecture and drama of the Temple, the exile of Adam and Eve from Eden would be an exodus of the High Priest from the Holy Place to the Outer Court of the temple, where is located the laver of water for washing, and the altar of burnt sacrifices. The altar of sacrifices and laver provide the opportunity for cleansing that allowed a priest to be in a state of ritual purity necessary to enter the Holy Place, and to perform redemptive work on behalf of the whole nation.

It then only natural that, having left the Holy Place of the Garden, it is to this altar that the story of Adam and Eve’s family continues.

Leaving the Presence of God

In the Genesis 2 account of the Creation of Man, after being formed of the Dust of the Earth, the Man, Adam, is then brought by God into a Garden, called Eden (or ‘Delight’).

It is a place where they were able to commune with God in His Presence, with access to the Tree of Life.

The Veil of the Temple

Separating the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place was an intricately woven veil. Its first mention comes with its command to be built for the Desert tabernacle. Moses describes it, according to the pattern shown him in heaven: “And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: “ (Exodus 26:31)

According to the eye-witness account of Josephus, a priest, in his day the veil was understood as a representation of the physical, material creation. The veil was,

“embroidered with blue, and fine linen, and scarlet, and purple, and of a contexture that was truly wonderful. Nor was this mixture of colors without its mystical interpretation, but was a kind of image of the universe; for by the scarlet there seemed to be enigmatically signified fire, by the fine flax the earth, by the blue the air, and by the purple the sea; two of them having their colors the foundation of this resemblance; but the fine flax and the purple have their own origin for that foundation, the earth producing the one, and the sea the other. This curtain had also embroidered upon it all that was mystical in the heavens, excepting that of the [twelve] signs, representing living creatures. “ [Wars of the Jews 5:213]

Whereas that in the Holy of Holies represented that which was Spiritual or Hidden, that which came through the veil from the side of Eternity would be passing into the Material, or Physical creation. The Veil was equivalent to the Firmament of the Genesis 1 Creation Account.