| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Elroy Willis" |
| Date: |
20 Dec 2003 08:57:15 AM |
| Object: |
Ancient Plays |
I've read a few articles which suggest that some of the Bible stories
are actually ancient plays, like Job. There were different actors who
played out the different parts in the stories, just like modern day
plays. Bands of actors would travel around and do plays for the
people of some town, and then move on to another town.
Interesting idea I think, and I can't remember it being discussed here
before, at least in the threads I've paid attention to.
Assuming that Job was a play, what other Bible stories were also
supposed to be ancient plays?
--
Elroy Willis
EAP Chief Editor and Newshound
http://web2.airmail.net/~elo/news
.
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| User: "methodios" |
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| Title: Re: Ancient Plays |
20 Dec 2003 01:50:12 PM |
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Elroy Willis wrote:
I've read a few articles which suggest that some of the Bible stories
are actually ancient plays, like Job. There were different actors who
played out the different parts in the stories, just like modern day
plays. Bands of actors would travel around and do plays for the
people of some town, and then move on to another town.
Interesting idea I think, and I can't remember it being discussed here
before, at least in the threads I've paid attention to.
Assuming that Job was a play, what other Bible stories were also
supposed to be ancient plays?
Maybe not as a play, but the story of Jonah and the whale (great fish)
was by intention a dramatic tract for the times, not a literal
historical account as commonly assumed. Jonah's role in the drama is to
personify the Hebrews who interpretate being the "chosen people of God"
in terms of special privilege and status, rather than having been chosen
for special responsibility to bear witness to the nations around them.
When God sends Jonah to preach to that wicked city of Nineveh (Assyria)
he flees instead to Tarshish. After being thrown overboard and
swallowed by the 'whale', he reluctantly concedes and proceeds to
Nineveh whose king and people surprisingly take to heart his message and
repent in sackcloth and ashes. Jonah then becomes very angry because
God does not destroy the Ninevites, and sits down pouting in the shade
of a vine, still hoping to see Nineveh demolished. The vine providing
him shelter vine withers away, adding insult to injury. He says, "I do
well to be angry, angry enough to die." To which God responds, "You pity
the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow...And
should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than
a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their hand from
their left, and also much cattle?" The drama is opened ended in tht we
are left to decide for ourselves whether are willing to act for the
welfare of even our worst enemies.
methodios
--
Elroy Willis
EAP Chief Editor and Newshound
http://web2.airmail.net/~elo/news
.
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| User: "Elroy Willis" |
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| Title: Re: Ancient Plays |
21 Dec 2003 11:18:02 AM |
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methodios <dgillesp@pemtel.net> wrote in alt.atheism
Elroy Willis wrote:
I've read a few articles which suggest that some of the Bible stories
are actually ancient plays, like Job. There were different actors who
played out the different parts in the stories, just like modern day
plays. Bands of actors would travel around and do plays for the
people of some town, and then move on to another town.
Interesting idea I think, and I can't remember it being discussed here
before, at least in the threads I've paid attention to.
Assuming that Job was a play, what other Bible stories were also
supposed to be ancient plays?
<snip Jonah story>
It's possible I suppose, but it sounds like it might be a hard
scenario to act out on some stage or before an audience back at
the time it was first written. Hard to say, though, you might be
right, who knows?
What are the earliest admitted "Jewish plays" that you can come up
with? There are plenty of Greek and Roman plays, but what is the
first Hebrew or Jewish play that is recognized by Jewish people all
around the world? Is there one in particular?
--
Elroy Willis
EAP Chief Editor and Newshound
http://web2.airmail.net/~elo/news
.
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| User: "Bill, The Avender" |
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| Title: Re: Ancient Plays |
20 Dec 2003 11:26:37 AM |
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In alt.atheism on Sat, 20 Dec 2003 14:57:15 GMT, Elroy Willis
<elo@airmail.net> wrote:
I've read a few articles which suggest that some of the Bible stories
are actually ancient plays, like Job. There were different actors who
played out the different parts in the stories, just like modern day
plays. Bands of actors would travel around and do plays for the
people of some town, and then move on to another town.
Interesting idea I think, and I can't remember it being discussed here
before, at least in the threads I've paid attention to.
Assuming that Job was a play, what other Bible stories were also
supposed to be ancient plays?
I almost feel _obligated_ to say "The Nativity". Somehow, it would be
a perfect fit if that were the case.
--
L8r,
Bill
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
The quest is never fruitless -
even when all you walk away with
are memories of the search.
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
.
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| User: "Elroy Willis" |
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| Title: Re: Ancient Plays |
21 Dec 2003 11:12:26 AM |
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(Bill, The Avender) wrote in alt.atheism
Elroy Willis <elo@airmail.net> wrote:
I've read a few articles which suggest that some of the Bible stories
are actually ancient plays, like Job. There were different actors who
played out the different parts in the stories, just like modern day
plays. Bands of actors would travel around and do plays for the
people of some town, and then move on to another town.
Interesting idea I think, and I can't remember it being discussed here
before, at least in the threads I've paid attention to.
Assuming that Job was a play, what other Bible stories were also
supposed to be ancient plays?
I almost feel _obligated_ to say "The Nativity". Somehow, it would be
a perfect fit if that were the case.
It fits pretty well into current times, since people do plays about
and erect fixed outdoor scenes that supposedly depict some
nativity scene. Even if the character names changed over time,
such as it being Jesus instead of Horus, and Mary instead of Isis,
such plays would still continue on, I would think. The artwork of
Isis and Horus was adopted to represent Mary and Jesus, so I don't
see any reason why plays wouldn't also change over time to reflect
the current beliefs of the times.
--
Elroy Willis
EAP Chief Editor and Newshound
http://web2.airmail.net/~elo/news
.
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