Fellow
Historians:
For
our next class, as mentioned in our last class, please read Chapter 3, sections
1 and 2 of the text. In addition to that reading, and in conjunction with
our reading about the early Israelites, please read the the first three
"books" of the Torah, or Old Testament. This is the biblical
story of the creation. There are numerous translations and
versions. If you don't have one handy, you can try this one: http://bible.ort.org/books/torahd5.asp.
You may find this one interesting because it has the Hebrew Torah portion
(parsha) on the left-hand side and an English translation on the right with a
transliteration of the Hebrew underneath. You can read the text and then
click on Forward to make your way through the assignment. You will click
through 39 or so successive screens, but this really isn't that much because
there are only a few verses on each screen.
The purpose for reading this selection is not religious, but, rather, cultural and historical. When reading this assignment, think about the role of the serpent in both the Torah and in Gilgamesh. What are the similarities and differences? The same holds true with regard to the way women are viewed. Write down thoughts on this and be prepared to share them in class. For future classes, we will be reading the biblical version of the flood as well as a few laws from Leviticus.
We are going to need to reschedule class for Tuesday, October 23, 2012, as I will be out of town for a board meeting.
As always, if you have any questions you know what to do!
The Vedado Way, LLC
