History and Religion of Second Temple Judaism -- Evil, the Devil and the Messiah (2023 Boccaccini), course

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History and Religion of Second Temple Judaism -- Evil, the Devil and the Messiah is a course offered by Prof. Gabriele Boccaccini at the University of Michigan in the Fall 2023.

Description

Who the hell was the devil? How is it possible that the good Lord made a world full of evil? Where do demons and evil spirits come from? Who is the Messiah and what is the Messiah's relatonship with the Devil (if any)? The course explores the origin of evil in ancient Judaism and Christianity, and the diverse answers that were given to the eternal question of the struggle between good and evil, light and darkness. The study will be done in the context of a general introduction to Second Temple Judaism, the period that by Jews is often described as the one "between the Bible and the Mishnah," and by Christian as "Judaism at the Time of Jesus and the New Testament."

Lectures: Tue Thu 5:30pm-7:00pm

Office Hours: 4145 Thayer, Department of Near Eastern Studies, Tue Thu 4pm - 5:30pm

e-mail: gbocca@umich.edu; skype: "gboccaccini"; Facebook Messenger: "Gabriele Boccaccini"

Syllabus (Fall 2023)

Text-Book: Gabriele Boccaccini, "Roots of Rabbinic Judaism" (2002)

PART 1 - From Polytheism to Monotheism. Three Different Answers to the problem of Evil. The Emergence of the figure of the Satan (At the beginning he was as a Marginal Character)

<1> Tue Aug 29, 2023

Wed Sept 5, 2018 -- Introduction -- Polytheism and the Problem of Evil -- Dualism

1. Evil in Polytheism: The Fight of the God of Israel against other gods.

The presence of demonic forces and powerful heavenly gods was not questioned in antiquity; they were a fact of life. Ancient Jews were no exception. The Canaanite Pantheon: El - Hochmah (Wisdom) and their "children" -- Henotheism (the idea of living protected in their own land by their own god) was a first attempt at simplifying the picture.

<2> Thu Aug 31, 2023

2. From Polytheism to Monotheism.

How and why the Jews became monotheist. Exile and return. The "other" gods become "angels" under the One God.

<3> Tue Sep 5, 2023

The Answer of the Mosaic Tradition -- Evil is under control -- Freedom of will -- Genesis and Deuteronomy

3. Evil in Monotheism (I): The Result of Free Will. The Fall of Adam in Genesis.

Readings: Genesis chps. 1-4

Creation as the victory of the one God against the forces of evil. They have not disappeared, but are now relegated outside the boundaries of the inhabited world (they live in the desert and in the ocean). God is able to control them and even to unleash them when necessary as punishment (the Flood, the Ten Plagues). The relations between God and humans are regulated by commandments. Evil as a consequence of a wrong use of human Free will. God relies on human free will, and act accordingly by punishing or rewarding.

The Zadokite society. Post-exilic Judaism is a theocracy. Everything happens according to God's will. God's creatures have their own place in the created world, that cannot be changed and has marked by clear boundaries of purity. The problem of the correspondence between human actions and God's actions. Collective retribution vs. individual retribution.

<4> Thu Sep 7, 2023

4. Evil in Monotheism (II): Evil as a test from God. The book of Job.

Readings: Book of Job

The challenge of the Wisdom tradition. The suffering of the righteous. God cannot be at the same time the second party and the Judge. The Book of Job, the Book of Jonah and the Book of Qoheleth. God cannot be questioned. Evil is a test from God, a tools for education. At the end evil does not exist, as God is Almighty and turns even evil into good.

See: Devil - Book of Job - Book of Jonah - Book of Qoheleth

<5> Tue Sep 12, 2023

5. Evil in Monotheism (III): Evil as a Rebellion against God

The challenge of Enochic tradition. God's universe has been corrupted by a cosmic rebellion. The myth of the fallen Angels explains the presence of evil and the presence of the demons (evil spirits) who are the children of the Fallen Angels. The world have gone out of God's control, who will restore God's order by putting an end to this evil world and will make a new creation.

See: Evil -- 1 Enoch

<6> Thu Sept 14, 2023

Judaism without the Devil. The angels as God's heavenly messengers and agents. The messiahs as God's human messengers and agents.

The term "Satan" is not a personal name but denotes a bad advisor (the adversary). The adversary may be an animal or a fellow human. The term "satan" may also denote one of God's heavenly messengers of punishment, such as, the angel of death. God uses angels and humans as messengers of grace, to bring deliverance to the righteous.

<7> Tue Sept 19, 2023

Devil as a Member of God's Court, the Chief Prosecutor.

The Prologue of Job. The Devil's function is to test the faith of the believers. "Satan" is now the name of an officer (the Chief Prosecutor) at the court of God. Angels are protecting the righteous from the power of the demons. Book of Tobit

<8> Thu Sept 21, 2023

"Satan" becomes a personal name. The Devil as the Chief of the Fallen Angels and the commander of the Evil Spirits.

Azazel, Shemiyaz and their children (the evil spirits). The former Gods as demons.

<9> Tue Sept 26, 2023

Wed Sept 26, 2018:

The Maccabean revolt and the problem of Martyrdom. 1 Maccabees vs. 2 Maccabees. The emergence of the idea of resurrection and the last judgement. Collective retribution and individual retribution are now two separate and independent problems. A righteous person may suffer as part of a guilty society and yet, be saved as an individual.

The political and social situation of the people of Israel in the Late Second Temple Period. The diversity of groups and parties: Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, Hellenistic Jews.

<10> Thu Sep 28, 2023

The World without the Devil

The Answer of the Jewish Hellenistic Tradition to the problem of evil. The Centrality of the Order of the University. Judaism and the Religion of Humankind. The Logos as the supreme manifestation of God. The allegorical interpretation of the sin of Adam: Adam is the mind, Eve is the senses, the serpent is pleasure.

<11> Tue Oct 3, 2023

The Enochic Book of Dreams, the Epistle of Enoch,

All humans beings, including the Jews are under the power of evil. The Devil and his human agents (the kings and the landowners).

<12> Thu Oct 5, 2023

Jubilees and the Emergence of the Essene movement.

The Essene Halakhah as a remedy agains the power of evil. The Essene as a group of chosen among the chose, Separation as a way to preserve their purity.

<13> Tue Oct 10, 2023

An Extreme view to solve the problem of Evil: Dualism and Predestination.

The Community Rule of Qumran, God created both the Devil and the "Prince of Light," both the "children of light" and the "children of darkness". Everything depends on the quantity of evil or good spirits that each individual has received. The obedience to the Law as a way to understand and verify your own status. The omnipotence of God restored, but the freedom of human will is overshadowed.


PART 2 - Christian and Rabbinic Origins

Text-Book: Gabriele Boccaccini, "Paul's Three Path to Salvation" (2020)

<14> Thu Oct 12, 2023

The Book of Daniel / The Psalms of Solomon

The Messiah Son of David as the Restorer of the order, not as the Savior from Evil

Read: Son of David

< Tue Oct 17, 2023, Fall Break >

<15> Thu Oct 19, 2023 =

The Devil as the God of this World. The Messiah, son of man, as the destroyer of the Fallen Angels

From the Fallen angels to the Devil: the Life of Adam and Eve. The Serpent is the Devil in disguise. Humans are under eternal Temptation.

The messiah "son of Man" as he destroyer of evil. The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs and the doctrine of the spirits.

< Mon Oct 23, 2023 (4:00pm-5:30pm):

Additional Lecture (extra-credits): Prof Meghan Hennings >

<16> Tue Oct 24, 2023

Forgiveness of sins as a Remedy against the Power of Evil.

The Parables of Enoch and the angel Phanuel. The Preachng of John the Baptist.

See Forgiveness -- Phanuel

<17> Thu Oct 26, 2023

The Messiah as a gift from God: Jesus as the Doctor and the Remedy (the Gospels)

The Fight against the Devil

<18> Tue Oct 31, 2023

Jesus as the forgiver. "so that you know that the Son of Man has on earth the authority to forgive sins".

<19> Thu Nov 2, 2023

Who are the recipients of the gift? Jews only? Jews mainly and some gentiles? Jews and gentiles alike? (Acts of Apostles)

<20> Tue Nov 7, 2023

Paul: Slaves of Evil. A more pessimistic view. Humans are completely hopeless before evil. The death of the Messiah as the only way to counterbalance the power of evil.

<21> Thu Nov 9, 2023

John: The Messiah-God.

Judaism, Christianity, Islam

<22> Tue Nov 14, 2023

The Devil in the Christian Tradition (I): The Deal with the Devil: The Faust Narrative. Christ Is the Remedy.

<23> Thu Nov 16, 2023

The Devil in the Christian Tradition (II): The Devil as the Enemy. Christ Is the Remedy.

<24> Tue Nov 21, 2023

< Thanksgiving Recess, no classes >

<25> Tue Nov 28, 2023

The Rabbinic Answer: there is no Devil. 4 Ezra and the Yetzer hara. Free Will is the Remedy, not the Messiah.

<26> Thu Nov 30, 2023

The Muslim Answer. There is a Devil but acts under God's command.

= <27> Tue Dec 5, 2023

Final Meeting

Grades and Requirements

There will be two multiple-choice exams (mid-term and final), and a research paper, which would require the analysis and comparison of two films chosen from the following list.

Guidelines for the mid term-exam (deadline Nov 3)

A 6-page paper dealing with the following questions:

  • How was evil explained in polytheism?
  • Which are the three major explanations of the origin of evil in ancient Jewish monotheism?
    • (a) Mosaic tradition / Free will / covenant
    • (b) Wisdom tradition / Absence of evil / circle of life (wisdom)
    • (c) Enochic tradition / Cosmic rebellion / Fallen angels
  • Which are the pros and cons in each of these theologies about the origins of evil?
  • How did the development of the idea of resurrection complicate the picture?
  • Which events in the history of Israel played a major role in the theological discussion about the origin of evil? and why? The Babylonian exile or the Maccabean revolt, in particular.
  • Is there any remedy to the power of evil? Is this remedy collective or individual?
  • Why did some Jewish apocalyptic groups stress the idea of periodization of history, or even individual predestination?

Angels

A 6-page paper comparing the role of angels in 4 works (one from antiquity and 3 from contemporary times):

  • + at least 3 films: "It's a Wonderful Live" (1946); "The Angel Levine" (1970); and "Wide Awake" (1998) + (optional) "The Bishop's Wife" (1947) or "Angels in the Outfield" (1994)

  • "It's a Wonderful Live" (1946)

  • "The Angel Levine" (1970)

  • "Wide Awake" (1998)

  • "The Bishop's Wife" (1947)

  • "Angels in the Outfield" (1994)

Guidelines for the final papers

First paper summarizing the content of the second Part of the class

How was the story of Adam and Eve interpreted by different jewish groups in the Second Temple period? Who in particular is the serpent?

  • (a) by Hellenistic Jews (allegorically)?
  • (b) by the Pharisees?
  • (c) by the Essenes (and Christians)?

How was the figure of the Devil interpreted :

  • (a) By the Qumran Essenes? (predestination)
  • (b) By non-Qumran Essenes?

What was the Christian idea of the Messiah as the remedy to the power of evil, as you can find in John the Baptist, Jesus and Paul?

Why Rabbinic Judaism and Islam rejected the Christian idea of the Devil as an angel rebellious to God?

Second Paper, comparing movies

  • The Omen (1976) -- In which Satan's son Damien Thorn is the Antichrist.
  • Mephisto (1981) -- The film adapts the story of Mephistopheles and Doctor Faustus by having the main character Hendrik Höfgen abandon his conscience, continue to act and ingratiate himself with the Nazi Party, to keep and improve his job and social position.
  • The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941) -- A poor farmer Jabez Stone sells his soul for seven years of luck and prosperity but gets it back with the help of Daniel Webster. <Seen in class>
  • (a) What is the idea that you can find in "The Devil and Daniel Webster"?
  • (b) What is the idea that you can find in "The Omen"?
  • (c) What is the idea that you can find in "Mephisto"? [In "Mephisto" there is no "superhuman" devil. The approach is secular. The Devil is Nazism. There a discussion about evil and free will. What is the message of the film?]

Pick up 1 or 2 additional movies from the list below:

Films on the Devil

  • Faust (1926) -- Faust, an old alchemist sells his soul to Mephisto for his youth but gets it back after he sacrifices himself.
  • The Student of Prague (1926) -- Balduin, a poor university student and fencer sells his soul to become more popular but ends up having to fight his doppelgänger to save it.
  • Heaven Can Wait (1943) <Comedy> -- When kind playboy Henry Van Cleve dies and goes to Hell he isn't so sure whether he is evil enough to stay.
  • Lifeboat (1944) - No devil here, but the evil of Nazism.
  • Angel on My Shoulder (1946) -- He teams up with local small time gangster Eddie Kagle to get revenge on Smiley Williams while getting him to pose as Judge Frederick Parker who is his exact double.
  • Alias Nick Beal (1949) -- A successful district attorney sells his soul to catch a mob boss and to run for governor but he gets it back with the help of his wife and local priest.
  • The Bad Seed (1956) -- No devil here, but the mystery of evil.
  • The Story of Mankind (1957) -- He goes by the name of Mr. Scratch and opposes the Spirit of Man at a trial to determine the fate of mankind and the planet Earth in front of the High Judge when the potential of nuclear war with the H-Bomb becomes a threat to Heaven but is stopped.
  • Up in Smoke (1957) -- Sach Jones sells his soul to the devil in order win a horserace but gets it back when his horse loses.
  • Damn Yankees (1958) -- "Mr. Applegate" bargains with a middle aged baseball fan to give him youth and prowess in baseball in exchange for his soul but he gets it back in the end.
  • Bedazzled (1967) -- A comic retelling of the Faust legend, set in the Swinging London of the 1960s. The Devil (Peter Cook) offers an unhappy young man (Moore) seven wishes in return for his soul, but twists the spirit of the wishes to frustrate the man's hopes.
  • Rosemary's Baby (1968) -- Rosemary Woodhouse is raped by the Devil and gives birth to the Antichrist.
  • The Devil and Max Devlin (1981) -- In which Satan makes a Faustian pact with Max Devlin to deliver three innocent people to Hell in exchange for longer life.
  • Crossroads (1986) -- The Devil is portrayed as a trickster who takes souls in exchange for unparalleled musical prowess, a la Faust.
  • Angel Heart (1987) -- In which the character "Louis Cypher", a play on the name "Lucifer," is revealed to be the Devil at the end of the film.
  • Prince of Darkness (1987) -- In which the Devil has stored its essence in a container and attempts to break to the world through a mirror, seen only in the end.
  • The Witches of Eastwick (1987) -- Three Women who are unaware of the power they possess, unknowingly summon what they consider to be the perfect man. He seduces all three of them and their lives dramatically improve. But, when they attempt to distance themselves, they see their worst fears materialize. The film does not directly refer to the man as the devil, but it is strongly implied.
  • The Phantom of the Opera] (1989) -- Erik (The Phantom of the Opera) sells his soul so that the world would love his music. In return the devil scars his face so that he can never be loved.
  • We Are Not Angels (1992) -- A comedy film in which the Devil fights the Angel (played by Uroš Đurić) for the soul of the Belgrade playboy (Nikola Kojo), who is unaware that he impregnated a high school student.
  • The Good Son (1993) - No devil here, but the mystery of evil.
  • The Prophecy (1995) -- Lucifer attempts to prevent Gabriel from triggering an angelic civil war that will create a new Hell to 'compete' with Lucifer's own.
  • The Devil's Advocate (1997) -- John Milton — a reference to Paradise Lost — who is ultimately revealed to be Satan in human form, manipulates his son (Keanu Reeves), a criminal attorney who is ignorant of his true parentage, to accept his demonic heritage.
  • The Ninth Gate (1999) -- A trio of 17th century books feature engravings supposedly created by Lucifer; legend states that the nine correct engravings, when brought together, reveal an inscription that will summon the Devil.
  • End of Days (1999) -- Satan is the main villain, portrayed as a malignant, invisible force that takes possession of a businessman in order to conceive the Antichrist before the turn of the millennium, only to find himself opposed by an atheist ex-cop–turned–private–security–guard when he attempts to capture and rape the young woman who was prophesied to become his bride.
  • Bedazzled (2000) <Black Comedy> -- A comic retelling of the Faust story.
  • Little Nicky (2000) -- Lucifer is the father of Satan and preparing to retire as ruler of Hell; he is presented as a sympathetic character more interested in maintaining balance than actually taking over the world.
  • The Crow: Wicked Prayer (2001) -- Luc "Death" Crash (a Satanic cult leader), is possessed by Lucifer (here called Satan) and wishes to jumpstart the Apocalypse by impregnating Crash's fiancée Lola Byrne (who is also a part of the cult) with the Antichrist, but is distracted by Jimmy Cuervo. The sun rises before Lola can be impregnated, and Jimmy impales Crash on a spike and slits his throat. Lucifer is sent back to hell following his host's death.
  • Constantine (2005) -- Lucifer makes an appearance after being summoned by John Constantine to prevent Mammon from entering the human world, stating that he prefers waiting for humanity to damn itself rather than Mammon's plan to condemn the world to Hell himself; he later removes the source of Constantine's lung cancer to give the redeemed Constantine another chance to prove that he belongs in Hell after Constantine sacrifices a chance to save his own life to ask Satan to release someone else from Hell.
  • The Omen (2006) -- A Remake of The Omen. The Antichrist is born.
  • Ghost Rider (2007) -- Mephistopheles sets everything in the film into motion, making deals for souls. Desperate to get back one contract for 1000 souls before his son Blackheart does, he calls in the marker he has on daredevil Johnny Blaze in exchange for curing his father's cancer, turning him into his bounty hunter.
  • The Devil's Carnival (2012 <Horror> -- Lucifer is the leader of a Carnival occupied by demons portrayed as Carnies, which three sinners must go through; God is depicted as the enemy of Lucifer.
  • Hannah Arendt (2012) - The Eichmann Trial; or, The Banality of Evil.
  • This Is the End (2013) <Horror comedy> -- Satan is portrayed as an enormous seven-headed creature with magma-like skin.
  • The Witch (2015) <Horror> -- The film follows a Separatist family encountering forces of evil in the woods beyond their New England farm.

Grading System and Requirements (for students attending the course)

[Read this section of the syllabus very carefully. The syllabus is like a contract between the student and the instructors, which we are all bound to respect.]

ATTENDANCE: The course is based on lectures, weekly discussion session, two written exams, and one paper. Regular attendance is mandatory. If you happen to miss a session, it is your responsibility to ask the Professor or a class-mate for information about what was discussed in class. Students whose attendance is poor (that is, have missed more than 1/3 of total classes, either lectures or discussion sessions, without justification) will see their final grade reduced up to six percentage points. Students who do not attend the class regularly (that is, have missed more than 50% of classes, either lectures or discussion sessions, without justification), or do not fulfill each and all the requirements of the course, will not be graded and will receive a NR report

GRADING SYSTEM: The final grade is based on four elements: (a) Attendance, Participation, and Homework: 30% -- (b) Midterm: 30% -- (c) Final : 40%

(a) Quality of participation in class and discussion sessions makes 30% of the final grade (it is a seminar!). The evaluation will be made by the Professor on the basis of the student’s attention, comments, questions, commitment for an enjoyable environment, etc., as follows: Outstanding (100%) / Excellent (95%) / Very good (90%) / Good (85%) / Average (80%) / Poor (75%) / Very poor (70%) / Insufficient (65% or less)

(b) The mid-term exam is made of two short papers. (see instructions above)

(d) The Final exam also is made of two short papers (see instructions above)

The College of Literature, Sciences, and the Arts at the University of Michigan is a community in which personal responsibility, honesty, fairness, respect, and mutual trust are maintained. Students must behave honorably and take responsibility for their own actions. In addition, students are expected to take constructive action if they witness or are aware of behavior that violates the standards of academic integrity. Any student determined to have engaged in any form of academic dishonesty—including but not limited to plagiarism, cheating, unauthorized collaboration, and attendance forgery—will receive a zero on the assignment, and in particularly serious cases, a failing grade in the entire course. In accordance with University policy, all cases of misconduct will be reported to the Office of the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education.

VERY IMPORTANT !! If you have any questions or something goes wrong, or you realize that your attendance is going to be poor or insufficient, please do not wait until the very last moment to express yourself. I will be always available to talk to you immediately after class or during my office hours or, if necessary, scheduling a meeting at a different time. We can find together a solution to (almost) every problem. But, please, don’t ask the impossible when there is no more time.


IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG, NEVER BLAME OTHERS. BLAME NO ONE BUT YOURSELF.

IF YOU ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY, YOU ARE IN THE POSITION TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

WHATEVER OTHER PEOPLE’S FAILINGS MIGHT BE, YOU ARE THE ONE TO SHOULDER RESPONSIBILITY.

THERE ARE NO EXCUSES.

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