Donkeys in the Biblical World

Donkeys in the Biblical World PDF Author: Kenneth C. Way
Publisher: Penn State Press
ISBN: 1575066432
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 289

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Book Description
In this volume, Kenneth Way explores the role of donkeys in the symbolism and ceremonies of the biblical world. His study stands alone in providing a comprehensive examination of donkeys in ancient Near Eastern texts, the archaeological record, and the Hebrew Bible. Way demonstrates that donkeys held a distinct status in the beliefs and rituals of the ancient Near East and especially Canaan-Israel. The focus on ceremony and symbol encompasses social and religious thoughts and practices that are reflected in ancient texts and material culture relating to the donkey. Ceremonial considerations include matters of sacrifice, treaty ratification, consumption, death, burial, “scapegoat” rituals, and foundation deposits; symbolic considerations include matters of characterization, association, function, behavior, and iconographic depiction. However, the distinction between ceremony and symbol is not strict. In many cases, these two categories are symbiotic. The need for this study on donkeys is very apparent in the disciplines that study the biblical world. There is not a single monograph or article that treats this subject comprehensively. Philologists have discussed the meaning of the Amorite phrase “to kill a jackass,” and archaeologists have discussed the phenomenon of equid burials. But until now, neither philologists nor archaeologists have attempted to pull together all the ceremonial and symbolic data on donkeys from burials, ancient Near Eastern texts, and the Hebrew Bible. Way’s study fills this void.

Donkeys in the Biblical World

Donkeys in the Biblical World PDF Author: Kenneth C. Way
Publisher: Penn State Press
ISBN: 1575066432
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 289

Get Book

Book Description
In this volume, Kenneth Way explores the role of donkeys in the symbolism and ceremonies of the biblical world. His study stands alone in providing a comprehensive examination of donkeys in ancient Near Eastern texts, the archaeological record, and the Hebrew Bible. Way demonstrates that donkeys held a distinct status in the beliefs and rituals of the ancient Near East and especially Canaan-Israel. The focus on ceremony and symbol encompasses social and religious thoughts and practices that are reflected in ancient texts and material culture relating to the donkey. Ceremonial considerations include matters of sacrifice, treaty ratification, consumption, death, burial, “scapegoat” rituals, and foundation deposits; symbolic considerations include matters of characterization, association, function, behavior, and iconographic depiction. However, the distinction between ceremony and symbol is not strict. In many cases, these two categories are symbiotic. The need for this study on donkeys is very apparent in the disciplines that study the biblical world. There is not a single monograph or article that treats this subject comprehensively. Philologists have discussed the meaning of the Amorite phrase “to kill a jackass,” and archaeologists have discussed the phenomenon of equid burials. But until now, neither philologists nor archaeologists have attempted to pull together all the ceremonial and symbolic data on donkeys from burials, ancient Near Eastern texts, and the Hebrew Bible. Way’s study fills this void.

Mouth of the Donkey

Mouth of the Donkey PDF Author: Laura Duhan-Kaplan
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1725259079
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 79

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Book Description
The Hebrew Bible is filled with animals. Snakes and ravens share meals with people; donkeys and sheep work alongside us; eagles and lions inspire us; locusts warn us. How should we read their stories? What can they teach us about ecology, spirituality, and ethics? Author Laura Duhan-Kaplan explores these questions, weaving together biology, Kabbalah, rabbinic midrash, Indigenous wisdom, modern literary methods, and personal experiences. She re-imagines Jacob's sheep as family, Balaam's donkey as a spiritual director, Eve's snake as a misguided helper. Finally, Rabbi Laura invites metaphorical eagles, locusts, and mother bears to help us see anew, confront human violence, and raise children who live peacefully on the land.

Talking Donkeys and Wheels of Fire

Talking Donkeys and Wheels of Fire PDF Author: J. Stephen Lang
Publisher: FaithWords
ISBN: 0446567639
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 217

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Book Description
Bible trivia expert J. Stephen Lang pulls together some wild and wacky biblical tales. Think the Bible is boring? Think again. These tales will both entertain and enlighten the reader, and engender a desire to read the Bible in search of more.

The Donkey Who Carried a King

The Donkey Who Carried a King PDF Author: R. C. Sproul
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781567692693
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
"Davey the donkey was never chosen to do anything, until the day he found himself carrying the King. After that, he felt proud of himself, until he saw what the King had to carry"--Page 4 of cover.

Camels in the Biblical World

Camels in the Biblical World PDF Author: Martin Heide
Publisher: Penn State Press
ISBN: 1646021703
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 433

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Book Description
Camels are first mentioned in the Bible as the movable property of Abraham. During the early monarchy, they feature prominently as long-distance mounts for the Queen of Sheba, and almost a millennium later, the Gospels tell us about the impossibility of a camel passing through a needle’s eye. Given the limited extrabiblical evidence for camels before circa 1000 BCE, a thorough investigation of the spatio-temporal history of the camel in the ancient Near and Middle East is necessary to understand their early appearance in the Hebrew Bible. Camels in the Biblical World is a two-part study that charts the cultural trajectories of two domestic species—the two-humped or Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) and the one-humped or Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius)—from the fourth through first millennium BCE and up to the first century CE. Drawing on archaeological camel remains, iconography, inscriptions, and other text sources, the first part reappraises the published data on the species’ domestication and early exploitation in their respective regions of origin. The second part takes a critical look at the various references to camels in the Hebrew Bible and the Gospels, providing a detailed philological analysis of each text and referring to archaeological data and zoological observations whenever appropriate. A state-of-the-art evaluation of the cultural history of the camel and its role in the biblical world, this volume brings the humanities into dialogue with the natural sciences. The novel insights here serve scholars in disciplines as diverse as biblical studies, (zoo)archaeology, history, and philology.

The Horsemen of Israel

The Horsemen of Israel PDF Author: Deborah O’Daniel Cantrell
Publisher: Penn State Press
ISBN: 1575066475
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 163

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Book Description
Almost every book in the Hebrew Bible mentions horses and chariots in some manner, usually in a military context. However, the importance of horses, chariots, and equestrians in ancient Israel is typically mentioned only in passing, if at all, by historians, hippologists, and biblical scholars. When it is mentioned, the topic engenders a great deal of confusion. Notwithstanding the substantial textual and archaeological evidence of the horse’s historic presence, recent scholars seem to be led by a general belief that there were very few horses in Iron Age Israel and that Israel’s chariotry was insignificant. The reason for this current sentiment is tied primarily to the academic controversy of the past 50 years over whether the 17 tripartite-pillared buildings excavated at Megiddo in the early 20th century were, in fact, stables. Although the original excavators, archaeologists from the University of Chicago, designated these buildings as stables, a number of scholars (and a few archaeologists) later challenged this view and adopted alternative interpretations. After they “reassessed” the Megiddo stables as “storehouses,” “marketplaces,” or “barracks,” the idea developed that there was no place for the horses to be kept and, therefore, there must have been few horses in Israel. The lack of stables, when added to the suggestion that Iron Age Israel could not have afforded to buy expensive horses and maintain an even more expensive chariotry, led to a dearth of horses in ancient Israel; or so the logic goes that has permeated the literature. Cantrell’s book attempts to dispel this notion. Too often today, scholars ignore or diminish the role of the horse in battle. It is important to remember that ancient historians took for granted knowledge about horses that modern scholars have now forgotten or never knew. Cantrell’s involvement with horses as a rider, competitor, trainer, breeder, and importer includes equine experience ranging from competitive barrel-racing to jumping, and for the past 25 years, dressage. The Horsemen of Israel relies on the author’s knowledge of and experience with horses as well as her expertise in the field of ancient Near Eastern languages, literature, and archaeology.

Get Off Your Donkey!

Get Off Your Donkey! PDF Author: Reggie McNeal
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 1441241086
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 150

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Book Description
Jesus had little patience with institutional religion that cared for its own needs while neglecting the plight of ordinary people. In one of his most famous parables, he sets up as a model of Christian behavior a man who, unlike some religious folks, actually gets down off his donkey and helps a person in dire need. With energy and enthusiasm, Reggie McNeal calls believers to dismount, get down and dirty, and live a life that makes a difference. He shows readers how to recalibrate their spiritual efforts to move from church-centric service to greater community engagement in order to do their essential part in creating a world worth living in. McNeal also shows readers that helping others actually helps the one doing the service just as much as the one being served. In fact, serving is the very best way to learn about yourself and grow spiritually. Anyone who longs to have the impact on the world that Jesus did will love this provocative and inspirational message.

And God Said? Let There Be Donkeys!

And God Said? Let There Be Donkeys! PDF Author: Jeannie Thompson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781511584005
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 122

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Book Description
and God said... Let there be donkeys! Seven adventurous donkeys find themselves in true Bible events! Seymour and Shaula What was it like to be the very first don- key? Seymour, who was one of God's many wonderful creations, was soon joined by Shau- la. They lived in the beautiful Garden of Eden until one fateful day when the devil, disguised as a serpent, entered the Garden and intro- duced sin to God's once-perfect world. Manny and Dovey Noah's donkeys, Manny and Dovey, car- ried loads of supplies to help Noah build the ark according to God's instructions. Later, they became fellow passengers with the other animals God had sent to the ark to find refuge from the approaching flood. Jenny God used Jenny, Balaam's "talking" don- key, to assist the angel of the Lord in teaching Jenny's wicked master an important lesson about loving the one true God and doing His will. Did Balaam learn God's lesson? Read the story to find out. Gabe Gabe, whose name is short for "Gabriel", was used by God to transport Mary safely as she and Joseph traveled the hazardous journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, where Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Moshey Moshey, whose name is a derivative of the name "Moses", was the donkey colt Jesus chose to ride for His triumphal entry into Jeru- salem. Just a few days later, Moshey witnessed our Savior's death, burial and resurrection.

The Wisdom of Donkeys

The Wisdom of Donkeys PDF Author: Andy Merrifield
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 1780724624
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
'An amazing book... Erudite, acutely observed and spontaneous.' - John Berger 'This is Zen and the Art of Donkey Walking. I cannot imagine a more charming, informative or restful book.' - Jim Crace 'Pleasantly eccentric and elegantly written, suffused with the patient calm of the admired beast.' - New York Observer 'A fond meditation on the calming virtues of donkeyhood and daydreaming... a wistful travelogue.' - The Sunday Times When Andy Merrifield made his first trip to America aged ten, he vowed that one day he would leave his native Liverpool and live in New York. He eventually got there, but his dream quickly turned sour. In 2003, weary of city life, he moved to central France and embarked upon a journey of the soul, walking amid the ruins and spectacular vistas of the Auvergne. This book is the story of that slow pilgrimage, on which his only companion is Gribouille, a tender and intelligent donkey with soft, thick fur on his brow and calm, dark eyes. The purposeful pace of his journey allows Merrifield gradually to confront himself, as well as the larger mysteries of existence - while marvelling at his tranquil surroundings and revelling in the oddities of French rural life. The Wisdom of Donkeys reminds us that observing, being mindful, and being present in the moment are essential to a fulfilled life. It teaches us that enlightenment is all around us if we only take the time to seek it.

Donkeys and Kings

Donkeys and Kings PDF Author: Tripp York
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1606089404
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 78

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Book Description
What do talking donkeys, fasting lions, and wolves playing with sheep have in common? They are all found in the Bible. Author Tripp York and illustrator Zak Upright bring to life eight different stories about animals as discovered in Scripture. York spins a different account on these stories (such as the flood, Jonah, as well as Daniel and the lion's den), by attempting to imagine what it might mean to understand these narratives from the perspective of the animals. Though the short stories in this collection are written for children, adults will take much from them as they attempt to provoke the readers to new ways of understanding some of the most popular stories in the Bible.