History and Religion of Second Temple Judaism -- The Power of Evil (2018 Boccaccini), course

From 4 Enoch: : The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism, and Christian and Islamic Origins
Jump to navigation Jump to search

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? 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."

Syllabus (Fall 2018)

PART 1 - From Polytheism to Monotheism

<1>

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

The presence of demonic forces is not questioned in antiquity, they are a fact of life. Ancient Jews are no exception. Dualism is a first attempt at simplifying the picture and so is henotheism (the idea of living protected in their own land by their own god). How and why the Jews became monotheist. Exile and return.

<2>

Mon Sept 10, 2018: The Answer of the Mosaic Tradition -- Evil is under control -- Freedom of will -- Genesis and Deuteronomy

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.

<3>

Wed Sep 12, 2018:

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>

Mon Sept 17, 2018:

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. The Satan is allowed by God to test the righteousness of the individual. 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

< Wed Sept 19 - Yom Kippur - no class >

<5>

Mon Sept 24, 2018:

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

<6> 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.

<7> Mon Oct 1, 2018:

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.

<8> Wed Oct 3, 2018:

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 allegorical interpretation of the sin of Adam: Adam is the mind, Eve is the senses, the serpent is pleasure. Disney's The Lion King (I) and the Circle of Life.

<9> Mon Oct 8, 2018:

- The Lion King (II)

<10> Wed Oct 10, 2018:

Apocalypticism and Law: The Book of Daniel

<11> Wed Oct 17, 2018:

Apocalyticism without Law: Dream Visions. Apocalypticism and a new Law: Jubilees

<12> Mon Oct 22, 2018:

The Qumran community and the Idea of Predestination. 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.


<13> Wed Oct 24, 2018: Mid-Term Exam (in class)

PART 2 - Christian and Rabbinic Origins

<14> Mon Oct 29, 2018:

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 Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs and the doctrine of the spirits.

<15> Wed Oct 31, 2018:

The Deal with the Devil: The Faust Tradition. The Devil of Mr Webster (I)

<16> Mon Nov 5, 2018:

The Devil of Mr Webster (II)

<17> Wed Nov 7, 2018

Can evil be forgiven? the Parables of Enoch. John the Baptist. Jesus as the doctor. "so that you know that the Son of Man has on earth the authority to forgive sins".

<18> Mon Nov 12, 2018:

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. The Omen (I)

<19> Wed Nov 14, 2018:

The Omen (II)

<20> Mon Nov 19, 2018:

The Rabbinic Answer: 4 Ezra and the Yetzer hara. The Golem (I)

<21> Mon Nov 26, 2018:

The Golem (2)

<22> Wed Nov 28, 2018:

Th Evil and human responsibility. The rise of Hitler and the Holocaust. Partners in crime: Mephisto (I)

<23> Mon Dec 3, 2018:

Mephisto (II)

<24> Wed Dec 5, 2018:

Discussions in class

<25> Mon Dec 10, 2018: Final Exam

Guidelines for the mid-term

  • How was evil explained in polytheism?
  • Which are the three major explanations of the origin of evil in ancient Jewish monotheism?

Free will (covenant) / Cosmic rebellion (fallen angels) / Absence of evil (circle of life)

  • 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?

Guidelines for the final exam

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 (and Christians)?

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

Contemporary culture reflects ancient models of evil:

  • (a) What is the idea that you can fin in "The Lion King"?
  • (b) What is the idea that you can find in "The Devil and Daniel Webster"?
  • (c) What is the idea that you can find in "The Omen"?

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?

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.

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. <Catherine S.>
  • 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. <Chase M.>
  • 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>
  • 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. <Jasmine P.> / <Peter Y.>
  • Lifeboat (1944) - No devil here, but the evil of Nazism. <Noah M.> / <Sahil P.>
  • 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. <Musa Y.>
  • 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. <Anna C.>
  • 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. <Katherine S.>
  • 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. <Chase M.>
  • 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. <Jordan F.> / <Sidharth R.>
  • Rosemary's Baby (1968) -- Rosemary Woodhouse is raped by the Devil and gives birth to the Antichrist. <Vivian T.> / <Jasmine P.>
  • The Omen (1976) -- In which Satan's son Damien Thorn is the Antichrist. <Seen in class>
  • 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. <Helena K.>
  • 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. <Seen in class>
  • Crossroads (1986) -- The Devil is portrayed as a trickster who takes souls in exchange for unparalleled musical prowess, a la Faust. <Katherine S.>
  • 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. <Joshua K.>
  • 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. <Rachel R.>
  • 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. <Nishant P.> / <Megan A.>
  • The Music Box (1989) - If a member of the family is a devil. <Christina S.>
  • 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. <Vivian T.> / <Brian I.>
  • 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. <Noah M.> / <Musa Y.>
  • 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. <Shannon R.>
  • 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. <Abraham A.> / <Moustafa M.>
  • Bedazzled (2000) <Black Comedy> -- A comic retelling of the Faust story. <Anna C.(5)>
  • 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. <Sahil P.>
  • 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. <Brian I.>
  • 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. <Luke S.> / <Abraham A.>
  • The Omen (2006) -- A Remake of The Omen. The Antichrist is born. <Moustafa M.> / <Lucki L.>
  • 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. <Brian P.> / <Sidharth R.>
  • 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. <Andrew J.> / <Michael K.>
  • Hannah Arendt (2012) - The Eichmann Trial; or, The Banality of Evil. <Helena K.> / <Bella G.>
  • This Is the End (2013) <Horror comedy> -- Satan is portrayed as an enormous seven-headed creature with magma-like skin. <Brian P.> / <Nishant P.>
  • The Witch (2015) <Horror> -- The film follows a Separatist family encountering forces of evil in the woods beyond their New England farm. <Luke S.> / <Lucki L.>
Retrieved from "https://4enoch.org/wiki5/index.php?title=History_and_Religion_of_Second_Temple_Judaism_--_The_Power_of_Evil_(2018_Boccaccini),_course&oldid=237199"