The Great Shift
Page 63
control of human life, 75–76, 80, 83, 90, 289, 291, 339
danger of encountering, 90–91
fluidity of, 84–88
kingship of, 376 n26
pantheons, 158–59, 163
deities in the ancient Near East. See also Asherah; Ba‘al; gods and goddesses; Marduk
care and feeding of, 94–95
fertility goddesses, 76, 360 n5
multiple dwellings 75, 359 n4
size, 70, 84, 349 n13, 360 n9
“whole army of heaven,” 160–61
Delphi oracle, 370 n10
demons
as cause of sin, 39–40, 200
dispatched by Satan, 38–40, 162
Mesopotamian, 81–82
Deo volente (“God willing”), 221–24
Descartes, René, 354 n21
Deuteronomy
in Dead Sea Scrolls, 315
God located in heaven, 365 n10
individual prominent in, 322, 406 n1
laws, 183, 185, 395 n47
name theology, 366 n10
Dinah, biblical story of, 260–61, 397 n7
Dinka people, 49–50
divine council, 408 n16
divine encounters, 57–150
angels as intermediaries in, 235–38, 253, 393 n21
auditory encounters, 13, 14
blurring of God-angel distinction, 8–9
danger in, xiv, 9, 10, 15, 91, 136–37, 165, 350 n20, 381 n24
dreamlike, 12–14
enabling visions, 124–26
fog of divine beings, 72–89, 338–39
frightening and fascinating, 91–92, 136–37, 364 n3
God’s appearance, 167–68, 168 n
in Greco-Roman religion, 16–18
humans in a fog, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 338, 348 n5
humans surprised, not flabbergasted, 14–16, 107–8, 339
interpreting angels in, 238–40
pattern in, 7, 15–16, 17–18, 126
of prophets, 107–8
seeing God, 4–5, 164–65, 165 n
Torah’s laws as, 385 n18
transformations in, 342–44
Don Quixote (Cervantes), 222–23
Drachenloch (site), Switzerland, 67
dreams
angelic interpretation of, 239–40
Daniel’s interpretation of, 244–45, 254
divine encounters, similarity to, 12–14
Jacob’s dream at Bethel, 13–14, 349 n17
Joseph’s interpretation of, 22, 34, 204, 254, 351 n10
REM sleep, 349 n15
dualism, 162–63, 381 n20
Dusares/Dushara (god), 104
Dyeus (deity), 159
E
E (Pentateuchal strand), 366 n10, 368 nn 42–43, 390 n2
Ea (god), 85–86
Ecclesiastes, book of
authorship, 274–75
contradictions in, 277–78
dating of, 203
dialect, 274
and the elusive individual, 269–78
reasoning in, 399 n30
ruaḥ in, 193 n
Eden, Garden of. See Adam; Eve; Garden of Eden
Egypt
deities, inhabiting other bodies, 84–85
divine kingship in, 376 n26
Joseph and his brothers, 22–26, 28–30
plagues, divine causality of, 20
pursuit of Israelites, 226–27
El (god), 84 n, 158–59
“electrocution” narratives, 96–97
Elephantine, Egypt, 365 n9, 367 n34
Eli (priest), 14–15, 144–45
Eliade, Mircea, 357 n11
Elijah (prophet)
ascent into heaven, 290, 291 n, 360 n4
encounter with God, 167, 221, 290, 291 n
Jezebel’s death threat against, 167
miracles, 371 n14
at Mount Carmel, 155–57, 167
reproved Ahab, 84, 155–57, 221, 261, 318
Elisha (prophet)
at Elijah’s ascent into heaven, 290
miracles, 371 n14
musicians, use of, 110
with “sons of prophets,” 370 n8
Elizabeth (prophet), 393 n13
elohim (God/the gods), 6 n
embodied cognition, 360 n4
empty-space aniconism, 104, 367 n40
enabling visions, 124–26
enchanted world, 69, 80–83
and semipermeable mind, 51
spells and enchantments, 48, 81, 111, 355 n33
encounters with God. See divine encounters
end of time. See apocalyptic eschatology
Enlil (god), 85, 86–87, 88, 98–99
Enoch, 237–38, 242–43, 290–91, 360 n4
1 Enoch, ix, 205–6, 291, 315, 380 n18
2 Enoch, 291
epileptic seizures, and religious feeling, 361 n14
Er (Judah’s son), 20, 21–22, 36
Esarhaddon, King (Assyria), 85
Esau, 279–80, 407 n5
Essenes, 305, 392 n7
Esther, book of, 315, 405 n30
eternal life, 328–30
eternity in ancient temples, 90–106
Babel, Tower of, 101–5
denying the obvious, 97–99
an elusive presence, 105–6
feeding the gods, 94–95
footsteps of the divine, 99–100
foreign embassy, 100–101
holiness, 92–94
ethnobotany, 358 n29
ethnography/ethnology. See anthropological research
Evans-Pritchard, E. E., 49, 78, 119
Eve
creation of, 63
and discovery of agriculture, 59–60, 64–66
encounter with snake, 60, 61, 64, 348 n4
life in the Garden, 60, 61, 63–64
nakedness, 61, 356 n4
Scripture interpretations concerning, 320
and undifferentiated Outside, 63–64
evil eye, 81
exaptation, 78, 361 n12
exile. See Babylonian exile
Exodus, laws of, 184–85
eyes
color vision, 128–30, 150, 379 n44
movement during REM sleep, 349 n15
Ezekiel (prophet)
admirers, 370 n9
eats scroll, 394 n44
encounters with God, xv, 110, 165–66, 235–36, 381 n27, 401 n18
end of classic prophecy, 394–95 n45
and spread of literacy, 396 n50
on transgenerational punishment, 278
vision of valley of dry bones, 408 n13
Ezekiel, book of, 365 n10, 393 n22, 406 n1
Ezra (sage), 207–8, 238, 243, 296–98, 311
F
fairness, in biblical laws, 137–39
famine, 22–23
fertility goddesses, 76, 360 n5
fire, first human control of, 61, 65, 357 n8, 358 n20
First Temple period
prophecy, nature of, 372 n21
Flanagan, O., 150
Flavius Josephus. See Josephus
fog of divine encounters, 4, 6, 7–13, 15–16, 338. See also divine encounters
footprints, ‘Ain Dara temple, 99–100, 339, 403 n16
G
Gabar, King (Ya’diya), 214
Gabriel (archangel), 31–32, 162, 239, 252, 380 n18
Gadreel (wicked angel), 38 n
Gage, Phineas, 377 n33
Galilee region, human ancestors, 357 n15
Garden of Eden. See also Adam; Eve
God in, 61, 63
life in the Garden, 60, 61, 63–64
snake in, 60, 64
undifferentiated Outside, 63–64, 70
Garrison, William Lloyd, 223
Geertz, Clifford, 50, 70, 78, 341–42, 411 n8
Gesher Benot Ya’akov (site), Israel, 357 n8, 358 n20
Ghana, 372 n29, 374 n47
voice hearing, 117–18
Gibeon, 368 n45
&n
bsp; Gideon, 7–8, 84
meeting with angel, 8–10, 15, 107, 348 n3
Göbekli Tepe (site), Turkey, 364 n1
God of Israel. See also monolatry; monotheism; YHWH
animal sacrifices to, 94–95, 366 n16
appears at first as “angel,” 8–9, 12, 349 n14
became remote, 175–76, 204, 209, 228, 289, 306–8, 309–11, 339–40
body of, 6, 6–7 n, 8, 12, 136, 163–66, 165 n, 169–70, 348 n4, 349 n14, 368 n45
in Canaan, 181–82, 383 n13
as cold and impersonal, 140–41
dangers of encountering, 90–91, 165, 219–20, 381 n24, 391 n9
divine lawgiver, 177–78, 184–86, 384 n14, 384 n17
in Garden of Eden, 61, 63
helpers (angels and spirits), 162–63, 191–93, 237, 306, 339–40
holiness as His essence, 93, 94
human affairs, intervention in, 19, 25, 35–36, 188–89, 218, 285
intermittent presence of, 105–6, 366 n10
inviolable borders of, 100–101, 137, 376 n18
kingship of, 141–43, 145, 331–37, 376 nn 25–26, 383 n1, 408 n14, 408 n17, 409 nn 20–23
long-range planner, 23–27, 30–33, 35
of Old, 12–14, 25, 27
omnipotence, 169–75
omnipresence, 12, 169–76, 317, 364 n43, 382 nn 36–37, 382 n39, 386 n4
omniscience, no doctrine of, 170, 171, 173, 377 n29, 382 n35
and polytheistic pantheon, 158–65
pronouns for, xiv n
spontaneous actions of, 25, 35–36
as Supreme Being, 158–65, 191–93, 237, 306, 339–40
in temple, 93, 104–5, 106, 365 n10, 367–68 nn 41–43
undifferentiated Outside, likened to, 146–47
weather, control of, 19–20
in wisdom writings, 23–26, 350 n3
“God spot,” 78, 361 n14
“God willing,” 221–24
God, search for, 257–337
the elusive individual, 259–84
heavenly travelers, 289–93
humans in search, 285–301
outside the temple, 302–21
personal religion, 322–37
placeless, occasionless psalms, 286–89
in Song of Songs, 298–301
the temple in the sky, 293–95
a world of mystery, 295–98
gods and goddesses (in general), 75–76, 80, 83, 90, 289, 291, 339, 359 n4. See also deities
Gomorrah, 143 n
good Samaritan, parable of, 326
gorillas, cranial capacity, 68
grave goods, 62–63
graven images. See iconic worship
Great Revolt (66–70 CE), 334
Greco-Roman religion
chthonic gods, 359 n4
deities, 84, 359 n4
divine encounters, 16–18, 349 n20
influence on Jewish religious thought, 172, 201–3, 382 n37, 390 n34
katadesma (“binding spells”), 48, 355 n33
mysterium, 364 n3, 401 n17
semipermeable mind, 52
soul, 200–205, 328, 387 n9, 389 n30, 389 n32
spells and enchantments, 48, 355 n33
syncretism, 75
Greece
conquest of Judea, 332
oracle at Delphi, 370 n10
Sesklo culture, 360 n5
Greek ferries, dream about, 26–27
Greek language, 38 n
Greek Psalter, 133 n, 375 n5
Gula (goddess), 87
H
H (Pentateuchal strand), 368 n43
Habakkuk (prophet), 113, 240, 319
Hadad. See Ba‘al
HADD. See hyperactive agent detection device
Hagar, 3, 4–5
Haggai (prophet), 249
Hallo, William, 99–100, 101
hallucinations, 18, 116, 350 n21, 372 n30
Halutzah, Israel, 104 n
Haman, 266
Hamlet (Shakespeare), 223
Hammurabi, King (Babylon), 178
Hannah, 20, 144–45, 224–25
Hanunóo people, 358 n29
Hasmonean priests, 400 n11
hatred in the heart (concealed hatred), 351 n3
Hattuša (Hittite capital), 178–79
hearing voices. See voice hearing
Hearing Voices Movement, 116–17
heart
in biblical Hebrew, 376 n28
God’s penetration of, 145–46, 376 n28
heaven
divine throne room, 309
kingdom of (See God of Israel, kingship of)
layers of, 292–93, 294, 309
temple in, 293–95, 309–10
heavenly travelers
Abraham, 293–94
angels accompanied, 292–94
Baruch, 294–95
discovered world of mystery, 295–98
Levi, 291–93, 307, 400 n11
Moses, 401 n15
sacrifices in heaven, 307, 404 n19
in Second Temple period, 289–92, 337, 340
temple in the sky, 293–95, 309–10
Hebrew Bible. See Bible; Scripture; Torah
Hebrews, Egyptian enslavement, 20
Hekate, 367 n40
Helen (in Iliad), 16–17, 350 n20
Hellenization of biblical narratives, 283–84, 399 n40
Heraclitus (philosopher), 389 n32
Hezekiah, King, 227
Hilkiah (high priest), 183–84
Hinduism, 372 n29, 376 n23
Hittites, 54, 178–81, 383 n7
holiness
as contagious, 93, 94
God’s defining characteristic, 92–93
Holy of Holies
divine presence in, 169, 189, 368 n42, 381 n30
in heavenly temple, 292, 309
in Jerusalem temple, 93, 104, 169, 367 n41, 381 n30, 401 n13
Holy Spirit, as poetic muse, 369 n4
Homer
and Abraham, 52–56
Achilles’s surprise in, 107
heroes’ actions as shaped by gods, 52, 54–55
his dependence on Muse, 52–53, 108, 355 n45
Iliad, 16–17, 52–53, 55, 349 n20, 410 n7
thymos/noos/psyche (inner life), 201–2, 389 n30, 389 n32
hominins, 61–62, 61 n, 64–65, 356–57 nn 6–9
Homo erectus/Homo ergaster, 61, 65, 68, 356–57 nn 7–8, 358 n20
Homo habilis, 61, 65, 68, 356 n6, 357 n18
Homo heidelbergensis, 62, 65, 357 nn 8–9
Homo neandertalis. See Neandertals
Homo orans (praying human), 150
Homo religiosus (ideal type), 62, 64, 357 n11, 362 n17
Homo sapiens, 62, 65, 68, 357 n12
Horeb, 212
Hosea (prophet)
versus Ba‘al, 72–75, 83–84, 88, 136, 359 n2
marriage and children, 127 n, 268
monolatry, 74–75, 380 n8
one of the “writing prophets,” 113
Höyük, Anatolia. See Ҫatal Höyük (site), Turkey
Huldah (prophetess), 184
human brain. See brain
humans. See also individual; Israel, people of
begin to contemplate, 68–70
compose placeless, occasionless psalms, 286–89
and the elusive individual, 259–84
and emergence of personal religion, 322–37
in search of God, 285–301
seek outside the temple, 302–21
the temple in the sky, 293–95
trapped in their humanity, 149–50
a world of mystery, 295–98
humans, early
African origins, 65, 357 n19
agriculture, discovery of, 64–65, 357 n15
causality, development of the idea of, 69–70, 75–76
contemplation, emergence of, 68–70
cranial capacity, 68
evolution, 61–62, 61 n, 356–57 nn 6–9
&nbs
p; fire, control of, 61, 65, 357 n8, 358 n20
origins, 357 n19
science of the concrete, 69, 358 n29
tool-making, 65–66, 356 n6, 357 n12, 357 n18, 358 n21, 358 n23
and the undifferentiated Outside, 65, 68–69
hyperactive (hypersensitive) agent detection device (HADD), 77–78, 80, 359 n31, 361 nn 10–13, 362 n17
I
“I.” See sense of self
iconic worship, 154, 367 n40, 379 n1
identity, social construction of, 387 n14, 398 n20
Iliad (Homer), 16–17, 52–53, 55, 349 n20, 410 n7
ilu (Akkadian for “god”), 85–87, 97, 338–39, 403 n16
immanence, divine, 382 n41
immortality, of heavenly travelers, 289
incantations. See enchanted world
India
different sense of self, 372 n29
voice hearing in, 117–18
individual, 259–84. See also personal religion
collective punishment, 259–66
determining own destiny, 278–84
emergence of, 259, 319
individual punishment, 263–65
Job and Ecclesiastes, 269–78
responsibility for own sin, 297–98
self-reflection, 267–69
infants, understanding of causality in, 359 n30
insh’allah (if God wishes), 221–22. See also Deo volente
intentional stance, 77, 361 n11
inward gaze, 200–201
Ion (Plato), 109, 370 n7, 370 n11
Iron Age religions, 363 n27
Isaac
Abraham’s near-sacrifice of, 35, 279–81, 320
angel interprets his dream, 239–40
and Rebekah, 229, 278–79
Scripture interpretations concerning, 320
and sons, 407 n5
three men foretell his birth, 6, 348 n5
Isaiah (prophet), xv, 230, 310
advised King Ahaz, 318
heavenly throne, 400 n9
literacy, 396 n50
one of the “writing prophets,” 113
as poetic prophet, 396 n51
prophecies, xv, 125–26, 165, 193, 253, 307, 368 n45
Isaiah, book of
authorship, 249, 396 n51
Jeremiah’s influence on, 269, 398 n22
Ishmael
name etiology, 3–4
Ishtar (goddess), 85, 86, 87, 97, 377 n30