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TimestampEmail AddressNameWhat did you read?Key concepts I learned from this reading:What ideas did you learn from the reading? What surprised you about the reading? What new issue or question is raised by the reading?
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9/5/2016 22:00:17burdettev2@winthrop.eduBurdette, VictoriaThe ExodusChiefly, Carvalho discusses the main events included in the exodus, the historical background, and the preservation and purpose of these stories. This reading offers useful information to both generally understand the story and more deeply understand its significance.Concerning Carvalho’s discussion of Liturgy and Oral Tradition, I had never previously considered the function of holidays as a way of preserving the stories that are important within a religion. Specifically, Carvalho notes the way that the annual celebration of Passover regularly enforces the events of the exodus. I can now view holidays as more than a celebration, but also an important reminder of identity and origins of faith.
Since before I can remember, I have heard the story of the exodus through picture books, tv, and Sunday School lessons. I could even still sing the song (with motions too) that I learned at church about Moses and the pharaoh. However, I was surprised by the breadth of events that Carvalho points out is included in “the exodus pattern” (72). Typically, when I hear “exodus” Moses parting the water for the Israelites is the only picture that enters my mind. Carvalho brought to my attention that the exodus is much more than this one event and all parts are “so central to the Israelites history” that no moment—from slavery to plagues, the burning bush to the ten commandments—can be left out.
While speaking of “Yahweh as Warrior,” Carvalho explores the reasons why the Israelites might have associated violence with their God. The explanation of cultural and historical context is useful in understanding this portrayal. However, this pushed me to consider if we have similar tendencies in the way we depict our faith today—do we allow culture or surrounding religions to influence our portrayal of God? Additionally, after considering Carvalho’s discussion on the matter, how, if at all, should we adjust our understanding of God’s character with knowledge of the author’s cultural context?
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9/6/2016 9:21:37buschm3@winthrop.eduBusch, MadisonChapter 3: The ExodusThe birth of Moses, Israelites' delivery from slavery, Exodus' overview, and some historical background.On pg. 44, I really liked the breakdown of why Sarai was so upset. I think I had subconsciously processed all of that, but had never really thought about it all. I think it brings about other issues I didn't think about, like the issue of racism! I also like the fact that Carvalho didn't shy away from approaching that. I like the fact that She didn't forget to point out that Abraham was also to blame for what happened to Sarai and Hagar, thus making him look not-so-perfect. I think this is a key point in the way that Abraham is portrayed in stories and life.
As for the story about sacrificing Isaac, I found myself wondering what happened to the trust of Abraham after that. Like, does Isaac ever feel comfortable trusting his father after that? And then what about Abraham? Does he feel like God has betrayed him? And then Sarah, who dies shortly after Isaac's near-sacrifice (pg. 53). I wonder her death had anything to do with trust and stress?		On pg. 46, Carvalho was talking about the covenant between Abraham and God being repeated. The thoughts that I had never really considered were that even though there were three different accounts of the same story, the accounts were generally the same. However, the things that made the covenant accounts so different were the important things!
In general, I was surprised about the way Carvalho had the ability to break things down so that I, as a psychology major, could apply concepts and analyze things.
On pg 49 it mentioned something about exclusion and inclusion. I think it would be really interesting to pursue the thought of in-group and out-group further with not only genealogies, but seeing how that effected religions and people of the time.
On pg. 55, it's talking about the blessing of Esau and Jacob. After reading the designated portion, I now wonder if Esau felt, even from the womb, the way he was going to be treated. Could this contribute to how he grew up? Because he felt the resentment and the resistance from the beginning? Would that not make him mentally stressed from the very beginning?
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9/6/2016 13:39:46Cookea7@winthrop.eduCooke, Alexander ExodusThe central idea of this passage was to talk about the introduction of Moses and talk about his story in getting his people out of slavery under King Pharoh. Most of this information is familiar to people with any church background. Personally I remember listening to the songs of Moses telling pharoh to let his people go throughout Sunday school as a child and in church the older I got.I learned that just like the Greeks believed their Gods fought alongside them in battle, Yahwehist believed that Yahweh fought along them every time they entered battle. My only personal experiance with this is from movies were Gods were depicted coming down from the skies and helping humans defeat the supernatural creature that they were dealing with. For example, Clash of the Titans.I was surprised to read how God was said to be violent and manipulative in this chapter. This struck me as surprising because you usually only hear of the love and compassion of God and not the violence inflicted on the people. In the text it talks about how "Yahweh" fights alongside the humans in battle and how violent he was but it doesn't speak from the point of what the Elohist believed or even if they believed the same thing. Which raised the question for me if the Yahwehist and the Elohist encountered and retold this part of the story the same way?
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9/6/2016 1:13:25cookk19@winthrop.eduKaylaChapter 3: Exodus, pp. 67-75The Central thesis for Exodus is starting to understanding the history of the reading, and also the importance that Exodus holds when it comes to understanding the role that the lord had when it came to being a warrior. The difference between Exodus the book, and the actual story of the israelites. I think the main thing that connected me to the reading is the different ways that god has. I have always known that God is a God of nurture and love. But in the book of Exodus it is very clear that God is also a God of war. It was not really frightening, but kind of satisfying. one thing that surprised me about the reading was how much was left out of what i learned since being a child, and how God was more feared during this time. As a child you are taught more about the story of Moses, and most other things are left out. God was feared more than looked to someone for guidance which was a little surprising to me. this view of God being violent, understanding the entirety to fully understand the matter of the story
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9/5/2016 15:04:38corierwin@hotmail.comErwin, CoriCh. 3: The Exodus The central thesis of this reading was to provide the audience with a better understanding of not only the history behind, but also the importance of the book of Exodus. She begins the chapter by explaining an overview of how the book is divided up, then she moves on to the historical significance behind it (68-71). Finally, Dr. Carvalho explains the significance of the story of the exodus and Yahweh’s role in it as a mighty warrior (71-75). This background information will make the reader more equipped for understanding the book of Exodus and its importance in the lives of those who believe the Hebrew Bible. One of the ideas that I found fascinating in this chapter came from the box on page 68 titled “The Bible and Film.” I like how Dr. Carvalho made the distinction that even though biblical movies can depict events very well from the scripture, they are still providing the information that the producers thought was most important, and they are doing it based on their interpretations of what happened. This means that movies that are based on biblical truths cannot adequately replace actually reading the Bible. However, when thinking of movies’ connections with the Bible, I remember a sermon that was done recently at my church in which one of our pastors actually analyzed a modern da non-biblical movie and found biblical truths portrayed in it. He recounted how during his days as a college student, he was able to have an interview with a movie producer. This man told the college class that there were a number of producers, directors, etc. who found ways to incorporate biblical truths into movies that had no mention of God or the Bible. He said that this was a select few people’s small rebellion against the part of Hollywood seeking to remove God from the media. Although I agree with Dr. Carvalho that movies cannot replace reading the Bible, I do still believe that we should be open to finding the word of God in modern day films as well as in the scriptures.

What surprised me the most about the reading was how much the Bible slowed down time-wise between Genesis and Exodus. Although the latter book still covers a couple hundred years, it’s nothing compared to the vast timespan that elapsed in the first book of the Bible. This makes me think that Genesis was more of an introductory book that provided some main characters, a setting, and a brief backstory, while Exodus gets into the heart of the tale where we dive deeper into understanding and getting to know God as a defender and a warrior. I believe that by slowing down time so much and really describing the lives of Moses and the Israelites more fully, the writers behind Exodus were really trying to stress Yahweh’s role as our protector and give us hope that he will be with us no matter how disheartening the obstacles in front of us may seem.
In addition to this, I found the box titled “Sacred Landscapes: Cities, Mountains, and Wilderness” on page 70 very interesting. I have never before considered the symbolic meanings of the different places in the Bible. Dr. Carvalho says in this box, “When you read biblical texts, remember that physical features aren’t mentioned accidentally. Each feature means something” (70). She then goes on to explain the symbolism behind various formations such as mountains, cities, springs, and the wilderness. This was a very eye opening passage for me to read that I believe will help me in the future to understand hidden meanings written between the lines of the scriptures.

I would like to further explore the various roles of God including the warrior, the father, etc. As a warrior, is Yahweh always what we would deem moral today? I recall reading the Bible with my parents in the past, and coming across the part where the Lord “hardened” Pharaoh’s heart against the Israelites. It almost appears that for God to receive the glory of setting His people free and winning this great battle, He had to manipulate the Pharaoh into pursuing evil and sealing his own death. In further readings, I hope to understand the reasoning behind some of God’s actions and dive deeper into understanding some of the other roles that Yahweh plays throughout the Bible.
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9/6/2016 12:43:07earnesta3@mailbox.winthrop.eduEarnest, AustinThe ExodusThis reading provides a background for the reading of the book of Exodus. It explains first what the narrative basically details. The first half of the book detailing the event of the exodus, telling the history of Israel from the birth of Moses to the deliverance of the Israelites from oppression by the Egyptians. The second half then detailing the time the Israelites spent in the Wilderness, including many Laws being given to them at Mt. Sinai, and the building the tabernacle. One major key concept that I learned from the reading was that this story is to the Israelites like the story of the passion narrative is to the Christians; it is their "core narrative," containing very essential core elements of what their faith is. This reading connects again very well with an idea of the Bible as literature, not historical documentation. The author discusses mythical elements and features of the text, including exaggeration and symbolism. These elements of the text, along with other signs, such as a lack of exact dates and locations, clue the reader in that this is more along the lines of ancient folklore, rather than exact historical truths. The section about Yahweh as a warrior really drilled in the idea that to gain a better understanding of these texts, it is important to supplant yourself into their shoes to try and understand their perspective or where they were coming from. The idea of being in a relatively safe country, with big guns and a strong army contrasting with being a little weak nation, with inferior weaponry, really opens up the viewpoint of God being violent and "fighting" alongside soldiers to kill their enemies. I liked what Carvalho said about how God killing and being violent is a way to "express the impossible hopes of a powerless nation, not the violent fantasies of a military machine." In the society we live in, viewing God as a violent deity seems wrong, because we aren't oppressed or weak, we have big guns that can be violent and kill all by themselves, perhaps to much! But, if we were out-gunned and out-manned by our neighbors in the world, perhaps thinking of God as being violent on our side, almost like a substitute for the weaponry we don't have, would make us feel more empowered and uplifted versus feeling almost wrong. The entire section of Yahweh as a warrior surprised me. I found it at first a little shocking, and then just very interesting to compare the view of "God being a warrior" from a safe and strong country, like where we are, and from a weak and endangered country, like where the Israelites were. A theme that has surprised me in all the readings so far is a some-what like mindedness with the other peoples surrounding the Israelites. Like, when Carvalho mentions Greek/Roman mythology having their Gods and Goddesses 'going into battle' with them, and that the Israelites also believed that Yahweh would 'go into battle' with them. Another surprising aspect of the reading was the close relation between the Passion Narrative and the book of Exodus. I always knew that the story of the exodus was important, but the explanation and comparison to the Passion Narrative for Christians really enlightened me that for the Jewish people this was not just another story in their Bible, rather the centerpiece of their stories, much like a cornerstone of what they believed. One more thing that wasn't exactly surprising, but intriguing, was the historical evidence that we have for the story. Singularly being the mention of Israel being a settled people in the Levant by Merneptah, a Pharaoh, sometime in 12th century BCE. This timeline suggests that any exodus that would have occurred would had to have occurred long enough before Merneptah that the Israelites would have had time to settle and become and identifiable group. I was also surprised that such a large chunk of the book is dedicated to the construction of the tabernacle, to me that is suggesting that the story of its construction, and it itself must have some importance. My biggest question involves more historical criticism knowledge, I would like to know more about Egyptian records involving the Israelites. They were mentioned by Merneptah, but what did he say about them? Is there any mention of them by Egyptians (Merneptah or later) having once been slaves in their land? Is there any record of the adopted child by a Pharaoh's daughter (Moses)? I would also like to learn more about the tabernacle now, with 15 chapters dedicated to describing its construction there must be significant importance to how it was built and its symbolic meaning to the people.
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9/5/2016 9:34:32ervinj7@mailbox.winthrop.eduErvin, JacquelineChapter3: The ExodusKey concepts I learned from the reading, and this is in agreement with what Carvalho said about The Bible and the Film. Although we have all these different versions of the stories of the bible, I still rather get into the word, and study for myself. Even with me saying this, each person has a right to their own opinion and understanding of the Bible.The idea that got me thinking from the reading was the paragraphs concerning The Bible and Films on page 68. One statement said, imagine that you are hired to make a film of a biblical scene, who would you cast in the scene and why?. Because of my learning and understanding of the Bible, I would cast more, not all, but more people of color. As a little girl growing up in an old fashion southern baptist church, it wasn't identified, or explained that there were people of color in the Bible days, and the roles they played. The part that surprised me the most about the reading was Carvalho's statement on page 72. It stated, "We will see that the book of Exodus portrays God as violent and manipulative, especially in the treatment of the Egyptians". I never thought of God as being nothing but "Just and Righteous". Now, there was a time when I questioned God's judgement. In 1Samuel 15:3, God said to utterly attack, and destroy the City of Amalek, spare nothing or nobody. Why the infants, I asked, they are innocent. But God was trying to rid the land of a sin that the infants, if spared, would have repeated the same sin again.The question that arose when reading this chapter is on page 72, fourth paragraph. It talks about the author using mythic elements to heighten the importance of these events. Exactly how much truth is heighten, and how much heighten from the truth? What is the truth? Did God , or author, give us what we want or needed to survive down here on earth; live righteous. These questions I will pursue.
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9/5/2016 11:24:38fullerd4@mailbox.winthrop.eduFuller, DanniPages 67-75, Carvalho, Encountering Ancient VoicesCarvalho begins to explore the book of Exodus in this reading. She discusses the two main parts of the book, the sources used to compile the text we now have, and the character of God that is portrayed (and the stark contrast to the modern Christian ideas about God's character.)Reading about the idea of liberation theology initially struck a chord with me... I thought, "Yes! I am offended by oppression! I love this concept." I loved this idea as a reason to justify the violence God uses in the exodus story...However, I was quickly sort of knocked down when it was noted that in the eventual Israelite settling of their new home they displaced the Canaanites. Justice for one group often infringes on another group in some way. I was also interested in the way that Carvalho relates Christian knowledge of the passion narrative with how Israelites would have viewed the exodus journey. I was surprised in the reading to read about the use of symbolism by way of discussing physical characteristics of places, as well as the use of many common folklore elements. The way that mythic elements were used would have been more obvious to an original audience, and is lost in translation a bit when we read it through modern perspectives. Why are some people God's chosen... Why is God okay with killing Egyptian children? Why is God okay with displacement of the Canaanites?

I am also interested in the changing nature of God... I think of God as "constant", but if I really look at scripture that idea is not so. Is the warrior God of Exodus the same God who'd send his son to die for the sins of humanity? I have trouble syncing both ideas. I see the human influence on God's character greatly-- do we just twist God to suit our needs as time passes? (the lowly oppressed Hebrews needed a warrior God, comfortable Americans need a God who sends "blessings" and justifies their judgment of others?)
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9/6/2016 13:24:02gdib869@gmail.comTheo DibChapter 3: The ExodusIn this section of Encountering Ancient Voices, Carvalho explains the importance of Exodus itself as a book, and goes into detail about the differences between the different sections within. She also talks about how the view of God by Christians has changed over history. New ideas such as the fact that these ancient Jews were surrounded by a world that believed in multiple and different deities, even other Jews themselves. Also the idea of liberation theology was a new term that I hadn't heard before, and it's interesting to think of the fact that the Jews, while victims themselves, also caused the Canaanites to become victims. What surprised me about this, in a way, was the question of who I would choose to put in a movie about the Bible/biblical scene. The question itself did not surprise me, but the amount of thought that I put into it did. Who would I put into a movie like this? Would I get Christian actors? Jewish actors? Should I ignore white actors altogether? It's an intriguing thought. I would like to pursue the idea of... unfairness towards the other people in the Bible. People like the Egyptians and the Canaanites, not all of them were "bad" people, they just believed in different ways, it's odd to just massacre their firstborns or displace them from their homeland. A question is also raised about the mythical and sacred land formations like mountains and such in one of the boxes Carvalho puts in the book. I am curious about these as well.
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9/5/2016 21:40:40goodmanl5@winthrop.eduGoodman, LaQuashaChapter 3: The ExodusThis chapter on Exodus begins to say how the book of Exodus can be broken down into parts. One part is the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery and the other is the time spent in the wilderness. Later on in the book the writer explains the background of Exodus and how it can be broken down into three parts. I learned that Exodus has three distinct sources from the periods of the Israelites history. They are called the Yahwist (united monarchy), the Elonist ( divided monarchy), and the Priestly Writer ( the Restoration Period). All which played a huge role in the breaking down of Exodus. I was surprised that people in the Old Testament would look at God as being violent. It also surprise me at how now and day Christians would be offended by the chose God made to kill all those people and fight in wars. Somehow it connects us today. This connects us to how we pray in todays society for soldiers when there going to war and how we pray for a safe return back home. My question is in one of the gray box areas it talks about the Habiru. My question is, what is the difference, if any, between the biblical Hebrew and the Egyptian Habiru and how are they both significant?
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9/6/2016 1:25:49harrellj5@winthrop.eduHarrell, JasminChapter 3: The ExodusThe key concepts of the reading was the summary of what we should expect in Exodus. The key people we should be looking out for in the reading and their role in the freedom of the Israelites. We learned how important the exodus is to the Israelites, Carvalho compared it to the Jesus' life on earth and how important that is to Christians. As a fellow christian, I know that based on the comparison the exodus is something big for Jews. Carvalho also brought up that Exodus is told like a folk tale that focuses on the event instead of the specifics. The last topic broached was about God as a warrior. Apparently the way God handled the situation with the Egyptians was cruel, which is understandable because God did kill a lot of kids. We see this from an outsiders perspective, however, so we can't imagine how much the Israelites wanted to be rescued and God did it, which is probably why they hold the exodus in such high regard.My big ah-hah moment came when I was reading the section, "The Bible and Film," and the simple reason for that is, I expected too much from the directors of movies. I have always thought that all of the movies based on the bible would go exactly how I pictured the bible. I recently watch Exodus:Gods and Kings and I didn't really like it. I thought that it would be the typical Moses story; Moses gets found down river, grow up with the pharaoh, see a burning bush one day on his hike, come give pharaoh his conditions and before each plague he comes talks to pharaoh. That movie gave me a fresh perspective on Moses and pharaoh but I didn't like how they portrayed God as a child nor the way they did the plagues. It just conflicted with what I believed to be the story of Exodus so I didn't like it although now I understand that it was the directors interpretation of what happened.I loved the section about the Liberation Theology because one wouldn't think that there would a whole group that is based on God delivering people from oppression. My favorite part is the ending of the section when Robert Warrior states, "One group's liberation might lead to another group's oppression." This quote just puts into words, perspective. If we look at one side we see happiness that they are finally free, where they can settle down and make a family. While the group that was already there is confused and fearful about what is going on and how life is changing for them. Its sad that to give someone land is to take anothers' land.Honestly, I am just ready to get an in depth view of the text. I have never read Exodus, just heard the stories, so I'm excited to find out what I have been missing all of these years.
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9/6/2016 12:32:43hastingsm2@winthrop.eduMeredith HastingsThe ExodusI learned about what exodus is about and how the book is divided up. There is also an explanation of the historical background.I found the explanation of the way the book was written very interesting, the way that multiple writers with different points of view of the story being told. Also the way she explains the way that it was written, how people wrote it down after the fact and these were the stories that had been passed down generations much like the christians tell the story of Jesus' death. In the book she says that the focus is more on God than the events that are coming. If the bible has these events that are told using these mythic elements than are their other historical stories that have been fluffed or altered based on the fact that it is told from just one perspective that could have a bias.One thing that surprised me was the complexity of the background of where the stories come from. We don't usually think of all of the background that influences what is going on in the story, not only present but events of the past that have lead up to what is happening.I would like to look more into the history of the events that are happening in the book.
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9/6/2016 0:26:56keenw2@mailbox.winthrop.eduKeen,WilliamEncountering Ancient Voices pgs. 67-75Key concepts I learned from the reading include the idea of Liberation Theology and how this allows Christians to view God as an opposer to human oppression. The concept of sacred landscapes and how we picture something different then might have actually existed (the example of the mountain) and how these were used as symbols throughout the Bible to represent human society, the unknown, and the powerful nature of the Lord. The final concept I learned was about the division of the book Exodus and how the term exodus can also refer to the Israelites' deliverance from slavery along with a book in the Bible.The idea that really stuck with me was the concept found in the section "Yahweh as Warrior". This section really opened up my eyes to the powerful and vindictive nature of the Lord that is found in the book of Exodus. Also, how when those of other faiths look at their god/goddesses they view this signs of strength and respect and now we try to graze over that and still view God as loving, understanding, etc. and completely ignore the strength and vengeance that God posses.I think what surprised me the most was the concept of Liberation Theology. I liked the ideas presented that God opposes all form of human oppressions and we are all equal in the eyes of the Lord. It surprised me because of how some people preach the gospel and they depict it as this hateful experiences full of negativity and it just surprises me that these two vastly different interpretations can come from the same text. Also, since this is such an important text to so many people to think about how these interpretations influence ways of thinking and the interactions that people have with those surrounding them.A new question that came to mind was how the transition of the perception of violence/war happened other religions to Christianity. I mentioned this before, but it really peaked my interest to understand why this shift occurred. Is it because of the doctrine of Christianity and how it perceives violences, could it be a cultural shift and how the Western society views violence is translated into its perception of the Bible. Also, if we have such a negative view of violence because of the way completely ignore its depiction in the Bible. Why do we want God to support those troops if they are participating in such violent acts? Or why do we view a win in battle/war as an act of God if we don't view him as a violent being?
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9/6/2016 12:01:10kiskerp2@winthrop.eduKisker, Paige The Exodus Carvalho began to explain the purpose behind the book of Exodus, the difference between Exodus and exodus, and how this text can be divided into two main parts. The main theological event for the Israelites is their deliverance from slavery in Egypt under the guidance of Moses. The first part of the text emphasizes the "exodus," the sequence of events that led up to the Israelites' deliverance. The second part highlights the Israelites journey in "the wilderness." Carvalho also goes on to explain the importance of the story told in Exodus and the powerful image of a warrior God despite how modern readers' might offensively interpret this point. I really appreciated and resonated with the Carvalho's idea that the main goal of Exodus is not factual accuracy. The main purpose for Exodus enforced the understanding of God's concern for the Israelites, thus becoming one of the overarching themes for Christianity today. In my opinion, when we are reading the Bible, we do need to appreciate historical evidence and context, but we cannot solely rely on what we literally see and have proof of. Where is the faith in that? Yes, I believe the Bible is Truth, but I think we should appreciate exactly how the Bible was crafted. I learned how the narrative might have been exaggerated by Israelite storytellers in order to make certain theological ideas more clear and distinct. I also never made the connection that it is most likely that the kings did not mention the battles in which they had not won. Therefore, we cannot easily dismiss Exodus as inaccurate, but we have to be aware of the outside factors that may make certain texts in the Bible "unbelievable" or "contradictory." I was honestly surprised when Carvalho described the portrayal of God as "violent and manipulative." These would definitely not be the first words that would come to mind when I think of God. I tend to think of God as more loving, patient, a Redeemer. I have heard people criticize God especially in the Old Testament for appearing to be cruel and unloving, but I did not like my reaction when I read this description of God. I was surprised how quickly I became offended and almost defensive, but I am glad that I kept reading because I now understand how the Israelites revered and respected this warrior idea of God. I still would venture to argue that "manipulative" is not an accurate word to use because it is against God's nature, but I can appreciate and respect Carvalho's point. I also enjoyed how Carvalho made the explanation relevant to our society today, illustrating we also pray to God during war times for protection and peace. I have only slightly heard of liberation theology, and I am curious to further examine this perplexing idea. I agree with the thought that God opposes human oppression, and that we are all equally created, that no man is more favored in God's eyes than another. I would be interested to see how this theology would answer to the "Black Lives Matter" movement or even the HB2 law, the bathroom law that has been passed in North Carolina to protect transgender people. How do people that are not typically or even stereotypically fit in into this liberation theology as well?
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9/6/2016 11:56:14lynchr3@winthrop.eduLynch, RileyChapter 3One of the key concepts is that the book of Exodus goes into a three part cycle, slavery in Egypt, deliverance from that slavery and the law given in the wilderness. Carvallho is in large part just laying out the narrative of Exodus for the reader and walking them through some of the key parts of the narrative and what that means. She provides the context and back story and then gets into the meat of the text.Similar to my first reflection I am seeing that this book comes into a collision with most things I have learned about the Bible over my 22 years, so while I do not feel like I am learning anything new about the Bible per se I do feel like I am learning about new perspectives and angles people take at the Bible most of which I disagree with entirely. For example the book claims that the book of Exodus was written some during the united kingdom, some during the divided kingdom and some during the restoration period. I believe that the book and really the Pentateuch as a whole was mostly written by Moses. There is evidence for that notion across the Pentateuch and Bible as a whole (Deut. 31, Matthew 8:4, Numbers 33, etc.) naturally it would be difficult to say that Moses wrote the whole of the Pentateuch since his death is written of, so I believe that Moses wrote a substantial amount of the books and Joshua finished them. So the notion of the authorship not being Mosaic is pretty new to me. Now there is one thing I learned that I quite enjoyed, I enjoyed the whole bit about women fooling Pharaoh. I had never looked at it that way. I have known those stories for as long as I can remember, but I had never thought of them in that way. It actually is pretty funny and it is also interesting how in so many ways some of the women in the Bible had it pretty good compared to other women in other societies of the day. That is especially true when you get to the New Testament.I had actually never realized the verse in Exodus 7 that says, "And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet." I think that is a pretty interesting verse and one that is very surprising. Throughout scripture we see that God is righteously jealous for his glory and for his name to be made known, while I do not think God is likening Moses to himself here at all I do find it surprising that God says I have made you like God to Pharaoh. I was surprised by that simile for sure especially when you are reading the book of Exodus where God so famously displays his power and might and proves just how much he will do to advance his will even if that means bringing tragedy to the Egyptians.I think I would like to know more about the whole JEPD deal. It is hard to understand right now and I think knowing more about it would help me understand the Bible better and what others have to say about it. It is a new idea to me that I am wrestling with to grasp on to it. I would definitely like to pursue that next.
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9/5/2016 15:23:01mcmurphya2@winthrop.eduMcMurphy, AdrianaExodusThis chapter was on Exodus, the Biblical book, and also the exodus, in reference to the actual event. Historical background from the time of Exodus was given, as well as information on liturgy, oral tradition, and how YHWH was viewed by the Israelites during this time.I learned about Liberation theology, as well as got a small refresher on Redaction criticism. I was pleased to learn about God in the section "Yahweh as Warrior." Many people accuse the OT God of being violent and unjust. However, Carvalho explained this issue with historical context. Anyone under severe oppression will desire to have a strong, war-like deity or power on their side. So, perhaps YHWH/God is not inherently violent, but acted in such a way that the Israelites needed at that time of their existence. I would be interested in learning more about how early Judaism was influenced by other cultures such as the Babylonian and Canaanite ones. Creation stories in Genesis were inspired by Jews in exile in Babylon, so what other ideas could they have possibly adapted and taken back with them?
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9/5/2016 11:06:22moxleyj2@winthrop.eduMoxley, JenniferChapter 3: The ExodusOverall, Carvalho discusses the contents of the book of Exodus and how it can be broken up into two parts (the deliverance of the Israelites and their time in the wilderness). She then goes on to write about certain themes that one can find in this chapter, such as the core narrative in Christianity that was preserved through oral means and the explanation as to why God was portrayed as a wrathful being. I learned that the Yahweh, Elohim, and Priestly Writer sources were used to complete Exodus, which I found helpful to know, because it allowed me to understand the different writing styles and discrepancies. Also, I found it interesting that Carvalho gives a name to the act of Christians retelling the same story year after year. The core narrative sums up the bulk of Christian storytelling and thanks to the Israelite oral traditions, this core narrative did not become forgotten or lost. Lastly, I learned more about the Israelite culture by their portrayal of God. I didn't realize that this was how the ancient peoples viewed their gods, so it was interesting to discover how the perception of these beings adapted to the different situations of war and wandering. I was surprised to learn about the reason why God was portrayed as a violent being in the Old Testament. For me, it is easy to forget that the Israelites had known a different world that was polytheistic and war-focused because I assumed that as Christians, they only believed in one God who is loving; however, I am only thinking about modern day Christianity. I'm glad that I learned about this fact, because it allows me to compare and study the religious beliefs and practices of the Old and New Testament Christians as well as follow the evolution of believing in the warrior God to a merciful God.In one of the gray boxed sections, Carvalho reveals that certain land structures (mountains, springs, cities) had a sacred significance to the Israelites. I would like to learn more about the meanings behind these structures as well as what other structures had a religious connotation.
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9/6/2016 10:08:20oepend2@gmail.comOepen, DevonChapter 3: Exodus, Encountering Ancient VoicesThe primary focus of this section from chapter three is to set the stage and provide historical/biblical context for Exodus. Carvahlo provides a brief overview of the events of Exodus, from the birth of Moses to the creation of the Tabernacle. She then goes in depth exploring the historical context for the exodus and accounts for divergence between the text and history itself. She then introduces the concept of Yhaweh as Warrior and discusses Gods more vengeful and violent actions that make Exodus troubling to the modern reader. I was entirely unaware of the historical context for Exodus, nor did I, as a first time reader of the Bible, know there was even a difference between "Exodus" and "the exodus." I found the discussion of the different sacred landscapes of Exodus interesting, as I had never really thought about the "cosmic significance" of a landscape (70). The discussion of mountains as homes to deities and the placement of temples on mountains for this reason was fascinating. This tied in with the opening comment of the Bible and film. If one were to make a film of the Bible, the setting would be important not only for historical accuracy but for the weight behind each setting. Additionally, the term Habiru was entirely new to me. I was not aware that such distinction was placed on the social groups and ethnic groups of Egypt. I was surprised by the discussion of Yahweh as Warrior. I have often heard people say that the Old Testament and New Testament show two very different sides of God. While I am unfamiliar with the text, I knew that the Old Testament was more violent. This explanation for why God would need to be a warrior for the Israelites offers justification for the two sides of the same coin narrative seen between the two testaments.
Another surprise for me was, in closing the discussion of historical context, Carvahlo says that "the main goal of the book of Exodus is not historical accuracy." This can be applied to all books of the Bible and is something i'm very much trying to remember as I go through this reading. It's easy to be combative against a faith that is not your own, and one such way to challenge the Bible is by outlining its many historical inaccuracies. But, if it is true that the intent is not historical accuracy, then this argument loses validity and purpose. I'm not actively attempting to refute anything and am very interested in the text at hand, so explanations such as this are eye opening. 		I would be interested in outlining more instances of God as the warrior and exploring what we make God in to now as an explanation and inspiration for our own human actions.
Additionally I am interested in continuing to read Exodus and exploring the texts.
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9/5/2016 12:34:14rodriguezy2@winthrop.eduRodriguez, YomiraCh. 3 ExodusBuilding on a previous comment on the part of The Bible and Film. I found the concept within that part helpful in tying together, when Carvalho mentions in the first reading, that some stories in the bible are not set up with all the detail but allow room for questions. Carvalho points out the gap of details and information as room for the reader to fill in the space, which I never thought of reading the bible that way. Then in The Bible and Film part, Carvalho clearly points out to not mix the understanding of a film based on a story from the Bible as the a substitute for the bible. The film serves as one optional interpretation of the bible. I use to think there was a proper perspective to view the stories within the bible and I use to fear questioning the bible too much. Through Carvalho perspective, I learned that the writing styles used within the stories are set up intellectually to get our minds going to seek answers for certain question we may have as we read. Certain ideas I learned from my previous classes of art history and other histories tend to connect back to ancient times. I know that in ancient times, all the way back to the Egyptians, many people did not people in just one single god but in many gods and deities. That idea is not too new or that people believed in gods of wars that would look after them in war. Taking world religion before this class has helped, additionally from being a Chaplain assistant in the military. The reading continues to keep my mind open to the ideas that were held by people in those times. Like people would actually do their religious activity whether it be praying or a ritual before going to war and would only got to war feeling secure if their god felt present. The surprising part would be the violence that is present yet that I have gone without noticing until Carvalho points out how some polytheistic cultures believed that their divine beings did accompanied them in their human army, rather then be portrayed as deities battling in heaven. I was surprised by the way my thinking is shaped on the culture today and religion now. Carvalho does mention how most of us now would be offended by thought of Gods fighting in war but then connects it too how we pray before going to war. The connection made their helped me understand that both ideas are rather similar.Carvalho does a great job in flipping from a religious perspective and historian perspective when trying to explain why their may be lack of evidence or information. For example, some of the wars can not be traced with records but Carvalho mention how battles lost would not go on record since rulers would not like to track their loss but not looking at the stories through a historian perspective the main point would not being able to prove if events happened but the lesson that can be taught by them. My question surrounds the lack of evidence and information. Would much of the bible, its stories and influence, change if there were more evidence as far as battles lost and dates?
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9/5/2016 20:20:11smithc97@mailbox.winthrop.eduSmith, ChristopherChapter 3 The Exodus pp. 67-75Carvalho put great emphasis on the distinction between the Book of Exodus and the exodus journey the Israelite nation took. The central thesis seems to be YAHWEH as a Warrior and the historical background of the time period the Book of Exodus took place.It had not occurred to me until reading this chapter that because Christians living in America were religious freedom is still protected American Christians have a tendency to think of God as a God only of Love when he has more than one nature. In this reading about Exodus it clearly shows God is also strong and is a God of War as well as a God of Love. I know in my own life I have leaned more towards thinking of God as Love, which I believe He is, and forgetting that He is also a God of War which is both frightening and also comforting at the same time.I think for me the thing that surprised me the most about this reading was the similarities between the god's of other nations fighting along side of their armies and the depiction of Israel's God fighting an unseen side of the wars. It makes me curious to learn what other similarities are held between other religions and the Christian faith. For me the issue raised is how can God remain just while killing innocent babies to let force the Egyptians to let the Hebrews go free.
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9/5/2016 23:13:21switzerk2@winthrop.eduSwitzer, KristaChapter 3-The ExodusThis chapter discusses the book of Exodus and what inspired this book of the Bible to be written in the way that it is today. Carvalho discusses the history of the time era and tries to fit the events of the Exodus to a certain time era in Egyptian history. Additionally, Carvalho discusses the difference between what you would read in a history book and a religious text such as the Bible. I learned how the Bible is not going to be as concerned with relating facts such as dates and names, but more on how to tell the story in a way that shows God's salvation. Finally, Carvalho talks about how God appears as a warrior in Exodus and in many parts of the Old Testament. She compares it to the time era and other religions at the time that had warrior gods. Also, Carvalho discusses how having a warrior God who helps liberate them from slavery is seen as a sign of hope for the Hebrews.One part of this chapter that I found to be extremely interesting was the little box on page 68 that discusses movies that portray parts of the Bible. I have been raised Christian all my life, and I have seen numerous religious movies. Carvalho discusses in this section of the text how one should not take the movie's version of the Biblical events as complete fact. She reveals that it is simply one person's interpretation of the Bible. I found this very interesting, for I know from personal experience that many people including myself seem to follow a film's interpretation of the event. I have never really thought while watching on these movies that it was simply the director's interpretation, and I can read the story and decide for myself how I want to interpret it. I feel like after reading this, I will not watch another movie based off of the Bible blindly but will instead remember that everyone interprets the story differently. Additionally, on page 70 I found the discussion of sacred landscapes to be extremely fascinating. I never realized while reading the Bible the significance of mention a certain landmark. Carvalho states that the authors of the Bible mention these landmarks because of religious significance. For example, mountains are mentioned continuously throughout the Bible and Carvalho discusses how mountains represent the home of deities. So when the authors of the Bible emphasis a mountain as a location for something that happened, such as Moses receiving the Ten Commandments from God, that it is on a holy place.What surprised me most about this reading was the discussion about how many historians cannot find much proof of the events in the Exodus. I have grown up believing without a doubt that everything happened just the way it is described in the Bible. I found it extremely surprising to find out that there is no historical evidence of the plagues in Exodus or the Hebrews fleeing Egypt. I found it interesting to find out that the Exodus story would be exaggerated by the Israelites to emphasis the point of the story which is the unjust treatment by the Egyptians and God's displeasure in that treatment. The Exodus story helps teach readers that the Israelites are the chosen people by God and that God will always protect them. It is a story that would give the Israelites hope during tough times. I can see now why the story would be exaggerated in order to provide that hope for people. I would like to find out more on the term Habiru and how it relates to the Hebrews. On page 69, it is discussed that in many Egyptian texts, a group of people called the Habiru are discussed. People have started to think that the Habiru refers to the Hebrews since the term Hebrew would normally refer to the language not a group of people. I would like to know more about this research and if the correct way to refer to the Hebrews would be the Habiru. Have we been referring to this group of people for so many years with an incorrect name? If so, why did we decide to call them Hebrews when the word would refer to the language and not a group of people? Or is there just another group of people in Egypt who were similar to the Hebrews?
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9/6/2016 13:48:12willsa2@winthrop.eduWills, AnnaCh. 3: ExodusThe main idea or theme of this reading is the book of Exodus. It covers context to allow the reader to better understand the stories or accounts that are being told throughout the book. It goes into detail about various stories in Exodus that we may have heard growing up, but never fully understood because we did not know every detail. I thought the section entitled "Yahweh as a Warrior" was very interesting. I have often been reading through the Bible and found myself so confused as to how the ancient people could be so appreciative of a seemingly savage god. However, hearing that the Israelites were hopeful because they had God fighting alongside them, was extremely comforting. I thought the section entitled "Yahweh as a Warrior" was very interesting. It kind of surprised me that others have had these same thoughts. I have often been reading through the Bible and found myself so confused as to how the ancient people could be so appreciative of a seemingly savage god. However, hearing that the Israelites were hopeful because they had God fighting alongside them, was extremely comforting. I would like to learn more about liberation theology, because I want to learn more about the mindset behind liberation theologists. I had never heard of that term before this reading and want to be able to differentiate between that and other types of theologists.
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9/6/2016 11:09:17wrightl14@mailbox.winthrop.eduWright, LukeCh. 3: The ExodusCarvalho breaks the book of Exodus into two main parts. The first is the events of the exodus itself and how Moses led the Israelites from slavery and out of Egypt. The second part of the book deals with the time after the exodus when the Israelites are in the area they refer to as "the wilderness."I learned that the book of Exodus is set in a specific time period that is exemplified by the cities of Pithom and Ramses being built. I also learned that the exodus must have taken place well before the 12th century BCE, because that is the time period of the first mention of Israel in a historical context by the Egyptian pharaoh Merneptah.I was surprised to learn that the book of Exodus was not written for factual evidence, but rather to convey a message to the Israelite people about God's work in their lives. Also, I had never thought of God as being portrayed violent. It was interesting to learn that people believe that now but it helped the Israelites since they were a weaker nation and needed the belief of a higher being on their side.This reading had me question why God would be okay killing human beings that he made since they aren't the Israelites. If he truly is okay with that, then is there a chance that God would be willing to kill those who are not of direct Israelite decent?
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