I believe that the Hebrew Bible (actually an anthology rather than a book) is unique and redeemed by the fact that everyone in it is fallible, makes mistakes, or sins, one way or another; nobody in it is a saint, beginning with the Garden of Eden. Father Abraham lied to the Pharaoh that his wife, Sari, was his sister while traveling in Egypt. Jacob was a liar and a conniver. Joseph was a vain dreamer. Moshe Rabbanu, in his anger, made a mistake or two and was denied entry into the Promise Land. The Israelites worshiped the Golden Calf. King David, the greatest king in biblical history, committed adulatory and murder. Even G-d regrets decisions He’s made – “And the Lord regretted that He had made man on earth, and His heart was saddened.” Genesis 6:6. G-d learns from experience and changes His mind. “Never again will I doom the earth because of man, since the devisings of man’s mind are evil from his youth.” Genesis 8:21. These all make for very interesting characters, G-d and all. We can identify with their human fallibilities, which makes them all the more heroic.
Then we turn to the Xian (Greek) Bible which is depicted as the exact word of G-d. There are only a few flawed characters in it – Judas the “betrayer,” the doubting Thomas, and the two criminals crucified on each side of Jesus. Saint Peter denies his companionship with Jesus before the cock crowed three times. Saint Paul outdoes himself by calling attention to his one flaw. Overall, they are all super-human saints. Its very predictable and made up of one diamentioal characters; of course they will always do the right miraculous thing.
You can identify each one of them in pictures and frescoes by their Egyptian sun halo around their heads. G-d is characterized as this stark, perfect, and vengeful being, demanding a Greek styled crucifixion of an innocent man. He shall receive payment for the sins of mankind. Those who don’t believe and repent, are sent to hell forever in eternal fire and torment. Where’s the agape in this? You as a reader are held up against an unrealistic perfection, making one feel pretty inadequate or incredulous in comparison.
The Hebrew Bible is real and realistic. Never does it make a claim of it’s divine authorship. It’s surely a lot more interesting as poetry, literature, drama, tragedy, and philosophy, i.e, with some humanity in it! And some call the Hebrew Bible the “Old. . .”? Unless you believe in miracles (people walking on water, et cetera), the Greek Bible appears very fictional and Greek to me.
kosheragnostics 