Minute Paper 11.19.15

We started off by analyzing biblical text as a whole. We looked at authorship and the Documentary Hypothesis, as well as background issues that religious texts would be grappling with. Then we moved into Adam and Eve and we used this story to explore various Rabbinic traditions and how different groups of people with different needs interpreted Adam and Eve, shifting blame between Adam, Eve, and various other characters. We then moved in Noah and looked at the morality of the story. Our group was very focused on why Noah’s reactions during the story weren’t addressed in the text. We also read Abraham and Isaac and looked at how different groups of people dealt with moral concerns. We learned to dig deeper into the text and not shy away from difficult analytical questions.