Saturday, February 21, 2015

Biblical Literalism

It is amazing the things I learn while reading the Bible, interpretations thereof, and thinking about a spiritual reality while with others interested in the bigger picture. I know that some do not believe that there is a God or a spiritual something out there, but, as pointed out in my "Proof of God" essay posted a while back, I know there is a real spiritual extension of ourselves out there. I quite enjoy trying to figure out what that may be and how it relates to me, us, the world and the universe. The Bible poses interesting questions, though it is not the source of all of or perhaps many of the answers.

There are many for whom the Bible is the be all end all source of spiritual authority. Still others are convinced that it is a work of God, inspired by God and accurate even historically down to the last letter. One thing that stands out as a truth throughout my readings is that the Bible was never intended to be taken as literal history. In fact there is very little in it that is likely "true historical fact" as written, whatever true historical fact even means. There may be hints and tidbits, but historical truth was never the intention of its authors, which, as it turns out, is probably a good thing.

The concept of recording history back in, long before and well after Biblical times was NOT to convey actual history. The objective was to tell a story, perhaps plausibly linked to historical events, but ultimately designed to teach a lesson. Without reference materials, TV reporters, old photographs or even the internet to impinge on their creativity, authors were free to bend and shape historical reality to their purposes, without concern that someone could, or would even care to, prove their versions less than accurate. Much like Fox News today.

The concept of writing for historical accuracy did not come about until well over 1,000 years later as books and records became more accessible and history was no longer carried forward only by oral tradition.

Several years ago I had the opportunity to sit with a rabbi for some time during a period when we attended a Christian church that believed in the literal interpretation of the Bible. The rabbi explained to me that the Old Testament stories, which is of course not how he referred to them, are Jewish tales. Jewish tradition understands that these stories are not historically true or accurate, nor are they intended to be. Instead, in the Jewish midrash tradition, they debate actively what these old stories, songs, proverbs and books by the prophets are actually trying to tell us. According to Haaretz, a Jewish website, 
"Midrash is a method of interpreting biblical stories that goes beyond simple distillation of religious, legal, or moral teachings. It fills in gaps left in the biblical narrative regarding events and personalities that are only hinted at." 
What is the moral of the story? How do their teachings apply today? I love this, though I believe reference to old books to be only an avenue toward enlightenment, but as the Midrash tradition teaches, it cannot be found only there. Even Jesus explains to his disciples as he tells them about the Spirit of Truth, "I have much to say to you, more than you can now bear." Even Jesus points out that it is not all contained in the Bible.

The New Testament was also largely written by Jews, whose approach would have been the same: create stories that address problems of the day, address concerns, help to answer questions and teach a lesson applicable then in particular, but arguably throughout time. Jesus taught in tales we call parables, which the listener heard and interpreted in a way that made sense to him or her. Much the same way one appreciates Picasso or Dali. Each piece speaks to us in different ways depending in part on where we are in our own journeys on the particular day we read or see the passage or work.

The first century of the Common Era (CE which replaced AD), was a very turbulent and violent time. Rome ruled the area, but was going through huge political and leadership changes which created instability throughout the empire. The Judeans even managed to wrest Jerusalem from the distracted Romans for a few years before being crushed in 70 CE. Thousands were murdered in the streets, the great Temple was leveled never to be rebuilt, and the Judeans/Jews were scattered.

Through all of this Christians were trying to create a religion, build Jesus into a worthy god-like person-being, and convert the Jews to an understanding that Jesus was the Messiah (Christ in Greek), despite the fact that he met virtually none of the credentials required or expected. This while steadily converting Gentiles in huge number, who the Jews considered to be unclean.

Ultimately the Jews, and particularly the establishment, had had their fill of Christians. They were blamed for the destruction of Jerusalem and in an effort to re-purify the Jewish faith and preserve it in these desperate times, as the Jews had so many times before, the Jewish leadership excommunicated the Christians from the synagogues for good in around 88 CE. By the time Luke, Acts and John were written, the Christians were an increasingly Gentile movement and the remaining Jewish/Christians had been cut off from everything they had grown up with.

The letters of Paul, The Book of Acts (which was written decades later and conflicts often with Paul's own accounts), and the four Gospels were all written at various stages of this turmoil. Each addressed different issues relevant at the time it was written. Issues most of us cannot even begin to understand. There is not one document in the entire Bible written earlier than a decade after the end of Jesus' ministry. As mentioned, most were written many decades later.

We have only third party recitals of Jesus' time on earth and the tales he told. In truth, we know very little for certain about Jesus or his ministry. But that is OK, as everyone knows, the goal of addressing history at all is to learn its lessons.

If we take the stories in the Bible as literally historically accurate, I fear that we will lose the truth contained within them, discovered perhaps only through Midrash.