Ikhnaton abolished the belief in countless gods of the Egyptian Pantheon; he then committed himself entirely to the worship of the sun. His new monotheistic belief was totally opposite to his previous belief of multitudinous deities. Scholars believe that there is some relation between the faith of the Israelites and the solar monotheism of Ikhnaton; Israelite influence must have been to a certain extent accountable.
Also, a scripture of Merneptah was discovered in 1896 and it is alleged that the name ‘Israel’ occurs on it. The inscription is a ‘song of triumph’ of Merneptah describing in pretentious language his victories in Canaan. However, it is not definite that the words ‘Ysiraal is desolated’ refer to Israel at all. Possibly, stating that Merneptah had devastated the district of ‘Jezreel’. And if ‘Ysiraal’ does mean Israel, then it refers to the settlements in Palestine by Israelites from Egypt before the Exodus. There is thus no logical reason for disagreeing with the current theory that the Pharaoh of the Oppression was Rameses II.
Another method that can be used in the dating of principal events of the Jewish scriptures is ‘Sitz Im Leben’; this Yiddish phrase means ‘life setting’. If we know the life setting of a text, it can shed light on its origins and help us to date it and furthermore, it can help us to gain a better understanding of it.
An example of how sitz im leben has been used is in the understanding of the law of not mixing meat and milk. In ancient times meat cooked in milk was considered to be a delicacy to be eaten whilst worshipping idols. Therefore, G-d forbidding the Jews from mixing meat and milk would ensure that they wouldn’t worship idols.
Another example is in the case of Abraham and the ‘akeda’, the sacrifice of his own son. At the time of Abraham, people were sacrificing children and Abraham fought strongly against this practice. G-d then tested Abraham’s faith by asking him to sacrifice his own son. This was an enormous ordeal and proved his absolute belief in G-d.
(B) ‘The Jewish scriptures are important for what they say about G-d but are no use as historical documents’ Discuss.
It could be argued that the Jewish scriptures are useful as historical documents. They list major events in Jewish history and through reading them; one can get a basic outline of Jewish history.
However, it is just that, ‘basic’. It is elliptical; in some aspects it is not complete. We only meet Abraham when he is in his seventies (?) and we do not know about his life beforehand. Similarly, we are introduced to Moses as an adult, once again we do not know about his life before we meet him.
Another reason that the Jewish scriptures are useful as historical documents is that through reading them we can learn who was responsible for what and which people lived at the same time. For example, we learn that Abraham and Moses did not live at the same time.
However, on the other hand, it could be argued that the Jewish scriptures are no use as a historical document and are only important for what they say about G-d.
The word Torah means teaching or direction. It is not only a historical document but it also contains law. We learn about our responsibilities to G-d and to each other. It is the word of G-d and He tells us via the Torah how he wants us to live our life.
In conclusion, it is clear that although the Jewish scriptures do have some use as a historical document, they are also very important for what they say about G-d. Reading the scriptures will outline what G-d has done for us and for our ancestors, therefore encouraging and reminding us to have gratitude to Him.
