Subject: Class notes for Monday, October 7.
Class: Religions of the Middle East, Mon. session.

Announcements:
1.) Guest speaker Lars Larson and Allan Speron of "Critical Mass" will address whether the media upholds a conservative or liberal stance (see flyer from Prof. B.)

2.) Final attendance will be taken next week for the term.

3.) Two handouts given- a study guide for the test and expectations for the faith interview paper.

4.) First test will be available to take on Wednesday, October 16th through Monday, October 21st at 3 p.m.

5.) If you want to read ahead (since no new assigned reading) look at the Gospel of Mark.

I. Exodus-> the departure (from Egypt)
*Israelites delivered form slavery form Egypt.
*Defines many customs, festivals, and the 10 Commandments.
*Furthers understanding of Judaism.
*Moses was saved by floating in the reeds along the Nile and was subsequently adopted by the Pharaoh's daughter, thus Moses was biologically a Hebrew and raised in an Egyptian environment.
*Moses kills Egyptian taskmaster and saves many Israelites, when he settles in the desert with his (Ethiopian) wife and discovers the burning bush.

(Summation of Exodus-> Israelites are enslaved by the Egyptians and through the help of Yahweh employs the Ten Plagues. This was an effort of by Yahweh to get the Egyptians to the Israelites to leave, spread the name of Yahweh, and make an example of his power through Egypt. (Class discussed some naturalistic reasons for the Plague's i.e. red algae as cause of the Nile appearing as blood; dead fish carcasses attracting massive amounts of insects etc.) Once freedom was granted after the Angel of Death made its passover, the Pharaoh and Egyptians were drowned in the Red Sea by forty foot walls of water. (see Exodus 14 for God as man of war)).

II. Custom of Passover->commemorates Exodus and symbolizes the angel of death passing over the Hebrew households with the use of lamb's blood to avoid death. (death of the first born is most crucial for he/she inherits the clan and its wealth).
*As a custom-> slaughter healthy lamb, make unleavened bread (signifies the haste to leave Egypt), eat bitter herbs (like the bitterness of slavery), and eat dressed for travel. Nowadays only the first three steps are employed along with the recitation of Exodus at dinner time.
*Class discussed the "evilness" of unleavened bread.

III. The Ten Commandments-> See Exodus 20
*The ninth commandment means not to commit perjury (in reference to the quasi court system of the time).
*The tenth commandment implies internal, attitudinal thinking and behavior.

IV. Kosher foods
a. Bugs- locusts, crickets, grasshoppers, i.e. joint-legged insects.

b. fish- scales and fins required; NO shellfish.

c. birds- no birds of prey or scavengers (unclean animals). Turkey, pheasants, and ducks are okay.

d. Land animals- must be split-hooved and chew the cud (a grazing animal).

*These customs set Jews apart and prevents cultural absorption as well as other divinely ordained customs such as letting the beard and sideburns grow at will.

V. Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)
*A day for praying for leftover sins through animal sacrifices. The priest tribes are the only ones to do the sacrifice (remember Saul tried this and subsequently lost his kingship).
*First the high priest sacrifices a bull for he and his family and they become clean. Then there are two goat (a sacrificial and a scapegoat=Azazel). The priest lays his hands on the latter and transfers all sins to the goat and they let it run off into the wilderness.
*Today this is a bloodless ceremony where the day is one of somber reflection, resolution, and to do better in the coming year.

VI. Homosexuality and four denominations of Judaism.
a. Orthodox= steadfast to ancient traditions and homosexuality is a sin and worthy of stoning i.e. equivalent to having sex with an animal.

b. Conservative= less severe, but still looked down upon

c. Reformed= Iffy on spiritual beliefs and even have gay support groups.

d. Reconstructionists= a small radical group of Jews who might say that Moses was homo phobic.

(Phylacteries are a wooden box worn by Orthodox Jews said to promote meditation on God).

VII. Mediums and wizards
*Yahweh says you aren't to meet with them concerning anything. Could be a reference to the jealousy of God.

VIII. Miriam and leprosy (Numbers 12)
*Moses married a black women and Miriam complained, so Yahweh made Miriam extremely white as punishment for his anger over an interracial relationship i.e. Yahweh appears to be punishing racist ideas.

IV. Blessings and Cursings-> reasons to follow Yahweh's commands i.e. reward vs. punishment for one's behaviors.
*See Deuteronomy 28 for full list- the cursings are much more detailed and lengthy!

X. The invasion of Canaan-> the promised land that becomes kingdom of Israel.
*Yahweh says to drive them out and kill them to make it their dominion.
*The ban- being under the ban means a city "devoted to destruction" ex. ban on taking personal loot; everything must be killed and burnt accept tor valuables which go into God's treasury.
*Achan takes some treasure, thus goes against the ban and suffers the consequence. It shows a sense of group responsibility whereby God punishes the group for an individual's actions. This marks an attempt for the individuals to hold each other to their expectations and avoid suffering the punishment for something they didn't do.
*Achan's sin causes defeat against the city of Ai.

-THIS WAS THE END OF TIME FOR TODAY'S CLASS-