Ruth and Esther Midterm

Who wrote Joshua?

Joshua, ultimately unknown

Date of composition of Joshua?

587–539 Babylonian/exilic period

date of events described in Joshua?

12,000 BC Iron Age

What is the structure of Joshua?

1. Conquest of land

2. Division of land

3. Joshua’s farewell speech

4. Renewal of the covenant

What does Joshua mean?

YHWH is salvation

What is the roles of Joshua as a character?

1. Successor of Moses

2. Apprentice

3. Military commander

4. Administrator of land

5. Continues story of deuteronomy

What are the themes of Joshua?

1. Fulfilling genesis promise of land

2. Problems: lure of syncretism

3. Solution: obedience to Gods instruction

4. Joshua as a new Moses

5. YHWH a God of underdogs

Who wrote judges?

Samuel, ultimately unknown

Date of composition of judges?

587–539 Babylonian/exilic period

The events described in judges

1200-1050 Joshua —> Samuels birth

What is the structure of judges?

• 1st introduction: result of foreign wars

• 2nd introduction: challenges of foreign idols

• 1st conclusion: challenges of domestic idols

• 2nd conclusion: challenges of domestic wars

What is the characteristics of judges?

• not selected based on lineage

• Mostly military captains

• Arise in times of crisis

• Never unity of tribes

• Some aided in the spirit of YHWH

• Seldom judges in judiciary capacity

What is the systematic pattern in judges?

I. People do evils

2. YHWH turns them over to oppressors

3. Israel repents and cries out

4. YHWH delivers via a judge

5. Land rests while the judge lives

What are the themes of judges?

1. YHWH the deliverer

2. Unlikely hero, unlikely object, unlikely story

3. Prominent role of women

4. Israel’s moral and ethical obligation

Israel’s moral and ethical deterioration

• role of women goes from positive to negative

• Systematic pattern breakdown

• Unraveling and additives

What are the positive examples of women in judges?

• Achsan

• Deborah

• Jael

• The certain women

• Samsons mother

What are some negative examples of women in judges?

• Jephthans daughter

• nagging

• Sexual lures

• Greedy and deceitful (Delilah)

• Abduction of the virgins

Why should we read Ruth?

1. Ruth as a literary exhale, comes after judges

2. Ruth as a figure is audacious

3. Ruth recalls the stories of famous ancestors

4. Ruth is ordinary

Who wrote Ruth?

Maybe Samuel, maybe a Jerusalem Palace scribe, maybe a female author, we don’t know

What is the composition date of Ruth?

Uncertain, 10th and 4th century, David to post exilic period

what are the dates of events described in Ruth?

1200-1000BCE

What is the structure of Ruth?

1. Prologue to the problem: Naomi and Ruth return

2. Encounter in the field: short term security

3. Encounter at the threshing floor: long term security

4. Legal solution and epilogue

What are the genre options for Ruth?

1. Idyll: short picturesque, idealized tale

2. Novella: taut narrative featuring character development, rich dialogue, and a surprising conclusion

3. Short story: a narrative that is shorter, more realistic, and revealing

What is Ruth canonical position?

• different placements

• Jewish: genre/ chronocentric, placed in writings

• Christian: Chronocentricplaced in historical books

How can Ruth plot development be characterized

• tribalism to monarchy

• Geographical: Israel→Moab→Israel

• Civic: family life to the city gates

• Biological: sickness/death/life

• Sociological: no status to celebrated status

What are the keywords and Ruth?

• Moab/ Moabites

• Lads

• Hessed

• Security

• Empathy

• Bitter

• Cling

• Lodge

• Brought back/ restorer

• Prominent/ worthy

• Wings/ cloak

What are the themes of Ruth?

1. Rescue from extinction

2. Humanity and courage of the other

3. Care for the other

4. Features of community at peace

5. Features of faithful living

6. The role of the family

7. The meaning of hope

How would you characterize the theology of the book of Ruth?

1. God as an active presence

2. God as hidden

3. Ruth as theological diversity/ ambiguity

4. Ruth offers a theology of human cooperation

5. Theology of chance