Source: Marvin A. Sweeney, Jewish Mysticism: From Ancient Times through Today (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2020), 89–127.
3. Picturing an Unseen God.mp4
THE FORMER PROPHETS AND PSALMS.wav
This section explores visionary and dream texts within the Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings) and Psalms, revealing how they depict the presence of YHWH among humanity. These visions often draw on imagery connected to the temple, the ark of the covenant, military figures (especially reflecting Israel's interactions with empires like Assyria), kingship (particularly the House of David), and creation. The authors employ these diverse metaphors to convey divine power and action without providing a direct, tangible image of YHWH, thereby adhering to Israelite prohibitions against idolatry and emphasizing YHWH's transcendence.
For many, the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) brings to mind a collection of foundational and familiar stories. We recall the walls of Jericho tumbling down at the sound of trumpets, David felling the giant Goliath with a single stone, and Elijah calling down fire from heaven. These narratives are cornerstones of Western culture, shaping our understanding of faith, heroism, and the nature of God. They are often read as straightforward accounts of historical events and moral lessons.
However, behind these well-known tales lies a world of historical context, literary artistry, and theological debate that is often surprising. Modern biblical scholarship, through a deep analysis of the text in its original language and historical setting, reveals these stories to be far more complex and profound than they first appear. They are not just simple records of the past, but carefully crafted documents with specific theological and political aims, written for specific audiences facing existential crises.
This article will explore five counter-intuitive insights drawn from a close reading of the text. Each one challenges a common assumption, revealing how biblical authors used history, literature, and even the ideas of their neighbors to construct powerful arguments about God, Israel, and the human condition. Prepare to see these ancient stories with new eyes.
The Book of Joshua is popularly understood as a historical record of Israel's swift and total military conquest of the land of Canaan. The narrative describes a series of decisive victories where cities fall and enemies are vanquished, fulfilling God's promise to the nation.
However, this portrayal is not historically accurate. Modern scholars recognize that the conquest as depicted "could never have taken place." Archaeological evidence from the period shows that three key cities in the narrative—Jericho, Ai, and Gibeon—were actually "uninhabited tels or ruined city mounds" around the time Israel was supposed to have conquered them. The story, therefore, is not a literal battle-by-battle account.
The actual purpose of the narrative was to make a powerful theological point to its intended audience: the people of Israel and Judah facing the national disaster of the Babylonian Exile. The story was deliberately formulated to show that God is faithful to his covenant promises, even when the people are not. To drive this point home, the authors fill the narrative with impossibly miraculous events: the Jordan River parts, the walls of Jericho fall from the sound of trumpets, and the sun stands still in the sky. These are not historical claims; they are theological arguments in story form, designed to show that it is God, not human armies, who secures the land.