Religions of the Middle East Class Notes for Thursday, April 25,

Test Date change:
We can now take our test on the following days:

Monday, April 29 9-8:00
Tuesday, April 30 9-8:00
Wednesday, May 1 9-8:00
Thursday, May 2 9-8:00
Friday, May 3 Till 5:00


(1 and 2) Underlying reason for split of the kingdoms:

Secular: Reheboam’s stiff policies and attitude with regard to Northern tribes and threats of more building. People decided to not put up with this treatment and separated.

Religious reason – Solomon built pagan temples and allowed idol worship and worshiped pagan gods himself.

Both groups end up forgetting God’s commandments and God allows them to be taken over by foreign invaders.

3) How did Babylonian captivity change the religion of the Israelites?

586-530 BC – Babylonian captivity
No temple so no priestly rituals or sacrifices
Solomon built the temple but it was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Romans.
There was no monarchy, Judaism becomes a religion centered around the study of the scriptures led by a rabbi in a local home, or later, building. (Synagogue) When they resettled after Babylonian Captivity, they started meeting in buildings…Synagogues.
Ceremonial elements take a lesser role.

Synagogue system: local, devotional, scriptures and interpretations are all important!

Temple system: Central, rituals, ceremonial, scriptures are somewhat important.


Ark of the Covenant – “God in a Box” – 2 tablets and Rod of Aaron

Job – God makes a bet with Satan (Hebrew “Shaitan”) Satan as we know him doesn’t appear until later.
(Satan – “the Adversary” “The Enemy” of man)

God will withdraw rewards and protection to see if Job curses him. Job loses his family, servants, cattle stolen, health. Job never curses God. Three visitors come to comfort him. They say “you must have sinned!” Closest Job gets is demanding his “Day in court”, (Deut. 28)


4) The book’s answer:

A. Humankind can’t hope to understand God’s reason’s for doing what he does.
B. Its not our place to question God. We should just trust and obey.
C. It’s futile to challenge God’s authority.
D. Suffering is a test of faith.

No corporate responsibility in this story. If Job is being punished, he is paying for his own sins.

Zoroastrianism – Persia (modern day Iran)

- Good god and an evil god
- Hierarchy of angels
- Resurrection of Dead
- Heaven and Hell

These beliefs filter into Judaism – maybe because Persia conquered the Israelites.

Influences on Resurrection of the Dead:

A. Zoroastrianism
B. Vision of the Valley of Dry bones (Ezekiel) This is a picture of the restoration of Israel…not intended to be literal.
C. Concerns about God’s justice.




For next week: Tuesday, Start reading the Gospel of Mark