Alter: Introduction to the Old Testament

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p.11.1

Alter wrestles with a name for the Old Testament. Jesus and the New Testament authors simply call it 'scripture' . The reason that it's use is not popular is that it causes confusion with the desire to call the New Testament 'scripture'. This is purely an invented problem.

The Old Testament is scripture, and the New Testament is a 'peshar' or interpretation of scripture in light of the mystery hidden from the beginning being revealed in Christ and the cross. All New Testament teaching has a source in the Old . This does not denigrate the New Testament in any way, but elevates it at as the proper (Christian) interpretation of 'scripture' by those who would know: Jesus and his disciples. It is a shame that some scholars would dare to hint that Jesus and the apostles 'misappropriated' scripture since they violate Greek rules of interpretation imposed hundreds of years later. Our goal is to learn how they produced the pesher; to learn their rules of hermeneutics.

Did the Old Testament authors know they were writing a literal record with a mystery hidden inside? Probably not. They only had hints of the riddles, not the solutions. The Hebrew word for skins 'owr' עור sounds like the word for light 'owr' אור. Did Adam understand that light represented the Holiness of God, and that his garments were 'something like' God's holiness? Probably not, but he could marvel at the pun, without having a hint that Christ's holiness would cover him.

Scholars have used the term 'sensus plenior' to describe the phenomenon that the original authors did not know what they were writing in the mystery. But the term as used by them is limited to a few dozen scriptures which are not easy to wrest into a literal-historical interpretation. The mystery is the warp and woof of scripture.

p.11.2

The names suggested by Alter do not fit the needs of describing the mystery, though are probably fine for describing the literal books.

The Bible is divided into seven large parts.

The Table of contents

The Book of the Father - part 1

The Book of the Father - part 2

The Book of the Son - part 1

The Book of the Son - part 2

The Book of the Holy Spirit - part 1

the Book of the Holy Spirit - part 2

This outline does much to smooth out the observed heterogeneity.

The Table of Contents

The the first large pericope includes the first seven days, ending with Ge 2:5 not Ge 2:4 as is popularly believed. Each day points to a large portion of scripture, outlining the rest of the Bible.

The Book of the Father - Part 1

The three fathers in this book represent three aspects of one 'father' and includes records pointed to by the first two days of creation. Seth restores worship of God, as does Noah in a very different way. They hint at the voice of the son as the priest.

Day 1 - The light: Adam and Seth.

Day 2 - The waters: Noah

The Book of the Father - Part 2

These three fathers also represent one 'father'. The records of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are associated with the land, by way of the promise and hint at man's rule over the land (representing the flesh) as kings. The heart of the Father is revealed as he speaks of his son. Though there is trouble in the land, the son has it covered. He declares, "See my son!" as he brags on Joseph who is the son made King of Kings. This record finishes Genesis.

The Book of the Son - Part 1

The son obtains his bride 'from light' (from his holiness) indicated by Day 4 where 'lights' מארת is interprets by notarikon as 'from מ light אר finished by life from revelation ת'. His new bride is led by the pillar of light. His leads them to the water/word which separates his bride from the world she has left behind. The voice of the judge condemns the world.

The Book of the Son - Part 2

He obtains his bride from water (the word) as indicated by Day 5, as they cross the sea. He laments that his father has given him a bride who is a prostitute. But he loves and works for her, wooing her to his side. This book carries through the end of the Old Testament. His work is that of a prophet with a look forward to the coming Messiah.

The Book of the Holy Spirit - Part 1

In the Gospels, the Holy Spirit, as a best man, proclaims "Here comes the bridegroom!", as a reflection of Day 6 . He obtains his bride from the ground (representing the flesh). He is coming to obtain his bride. There is much wooing, but the marriage is not consummated until the cross, where the church is a 'virgin birth' by the Spirit, in a 'likeness' of her husband.

The Book of the Holy Spirit - Part 2

The letters tell of the seventh day, where the man and his bride have entered into rest, and are fruitful and multiplying, by the fruit of the Spirit, and teaching. With the Kingdom of heaven being 'teaching', and eating being a metaphor for learning, there is a banquet feast of doctrine at the Wedding of the Lamb (the cross), as the mystery, which has been hidden from the beginning, is made known.

p12.1

Literary scholars are familiar with the device used when time becomes a construct. Parts of a record may be missing, time can be compressed or extended. Though the Bible does use this, it also only records the aspects of literal history required to construct the mystery. Whole portions of the literal history are missing.

Words are metaphors for ideas. In the mystery, not only do the words have multiple meanings which produce the low level content, but the lives become like the words and sentences of the idea. Only those portions of their lives are used, which produce the mystery on multiple layers.

We are to God like fish in the river. We swim where we will, and he invisibly and quietly nudges us where he would have us go. The scriptures were produced as an analogy to this. We live our lives producing a literal-historical record, but he subtly 'inspires' the authors to produce a record , which is invisible to them.

They write an apparent heterogeneous cacophony of records, which produce the beautiful fractal revelation, only visible after the cross.

p.12.2

It is not a religious ideology which joins the various books, but the hidden mystery, written, collected, and preserved by the divine hand, which stitches them together. This is bigger than religion. It is the invisible God, who can neither be seen nor heard, making himself known through an 'invisible' story. Much of the metaphor used by the mystery is not defined until after the cross.

It is a hidden anachronism to speak of the cross, before the cross. It is in such detail, that is it impossible for it to be a human invention after the cross, which imposed back on the Old testament. We cannot invent it, but merely observe it. The discernment of it it is self-correct8ing in the same manner as a crossword puzzle. You know it is correct when it works.

One may not be able to solve a crossword puzzle, but when it is complete, almost everyone can validate it.

References to 'missing' texts are misunderstood. The authority to say this is Jesus Though secularists may object to this appeal, it is a courtesy of Literary scholars to read a work in the context of it's own claims, whether they are accepted as personal views or not. The work is assumed to be internally consistent.

This is what differentiates the skeptical Literary scholar, from a mere scoffer. The scoffer assumes his frame is true and measures all things by it.

p13.1

The recapitulation of ideas, told in various ways and manners, are the hints of the underlying fractal revelation of the cross. Each time the mystery is told, it builds on the imagery of the Messiah and the cross, like transparencies laid upon one another, each adding details as the picture is 'filled in'.

p13.2

The example of Ruth and Boaz is a transparency to be laid on the picture painted by Abraham's record. We learn of incarnation and kingship of the Messiah through Abraham's call. This is a foundational layer. The story of Ruth builds on that with the imagery of the Redeemer Kinsman, which was not hinted at until Abraham rescues Lot. Some of the lines in Ruth's transparency, overlay that of Abraham and that of Lot.

p.14.1

Ruth is not so much being set up as a founding mother, but as the bride of Christ, redeemed by her husband. If we point the arrow of interpretation back at Ruth, it is in the wrong direction. It always points to Christ and the church.

p.14.2

Alter correctly, though perhaps accidentally, identifies that the literary elements are the very things that identify pattern in the text... and that pattern IS prophecy. The theologian misses this for the very reason that Alter identifies; he brings his own theology to impose it upon the text. If the scriptures are to be a mirror by which we measure ourselves, we must place our own dogmas aside to see what it would impose upon us. The literary elements are the indicators of truth which are useful to sort out the various claims in the modern Areopagus.

p.15.1

The modern emphasis to determine the original authors frame and intention is misplaced, since the literal-historical record is merely an example, given for training the flesh in righteousness. The meat of the scripture is in the mystery, revealing the very heart and mind of God. Religious practitioners are often left preaching 'self-help' sermons, leaving the knowledge of the heart of God to mysterious workings of the Spirit. But God said that we may know. The secrets of his heart are revealed through the literary devices discerned in the mystery.

p.16.1

The untidy elements of scripture are important to the recapitulation as the fractal expands. The theme of desolation: without water/the word, without children, etc. to fruitfulness can be seen in the seeds of the idea in the words themselves. The word desolate 'shamem' שמם, which by formation is the Spirit ש, the Father מ, and the Son ם, before creation (they had not yet become fruitful), transforms to the word for heaven 'shamaym' by adding creation י between the Father and the Son שמים. Heaven is not desolate, it is fruitful, because God created.

The genealogy at the end of the Adam-Seth pericope, expresses the fruitfulness after the Christ-type (Seth) has obtained his bride. Lest we think this is an eisogetic imposition, the genealogies of Cain and Seth are used to solve the riddle of the beast in Revelation 17. Like the crossword puzzle, riddle crosses with riddle to lock in meaning.

The law has a shadow , something which is not the law, but is attached to it. It is the shadow which speaks of Christ. teh law was 'dinner theater' to the Jews to prepare them for the big reveal that Jesus 'fulfilled' all the shadows of the law.

p.16.2

The 'literary impulse' likely began as the first tablet was written by the finger of God, a feat repeated with Moses, and handed to Adam. Adam had an impulse to write, which impulse and record was passed from Father to Son, along with the impulse of accurate preservation of the record. Parallel stories in ancient cultures would trace back to a common knowledge at Babel, where the grandparents of Abraham carried the written record, leaving all other language groups to preserve their history orally.

p.17.1

Some would have us believe, that in the story of Jephthah, a fable was created to explain an odd tradition. Odd traditions do not just spring into existence that need fairy tales to explain. There was a historical event which produced the tradition.

Even today there are Christians who view keeping a vow as more important than the sin that might be performed in keeping it. A fad called "Promise Keepers" started off with an odd belief that if a man made a vow to other men, he would be more likely to keep his vow to his wife. This fad led to people actually eating dirty socks, with all the inerrant dangers of serious infection ingesting so much bacteria, just to keep a silly bet made over a sports game. "If they win, I'll eat my dirty socks". It is not unreasonable to believe that Jephthah has such a religious fetish, or that his honor was culturally or personally more important than his love for a daughter.

As it turns out, behind the scenes, God used the record of Jephthah to paint a picture of Christ and the cross. Unfortunately for Japhthah, the mystery of the church was hidden to him, or he would have known that Christ as the husband can nullify sinful oaths of his bride.

Consider Jephthah as a shadow of Christ, the Greek rules of 'types' may not apply:

v.10:17

'Ammon' עמון is a 'dual' word to 'Immin' ימינ where 'Ammon' are the people עמ of the flesh ע, and Imeen are the people on the right (the sheep).

The people pof the flesh were camped in the rocky region (Gilead). They are surrounded by stones 'aben' the Father 'ab' and the son 'ben' together, for the purpose of pursuing them ג to teach ל the flesh ע the law ד: Gilead גלעד.

Isreal - man 'ish' יש joined to God 'el' אל by revelation ר.

Mitpeh - watchtower. From מ watching [[[צ]] what you have been drawn to but not understood ה

The people of God were gathered because though they have heard the voice of the shepherd, they have not understood his words.

v.10:18

Those people of God in Gilead wondered who would fight the flesh.

v.11:1

Jephthah - "he opens", Jesus is the one who opened the door to the Holy of Holies to all men.

He was the mighty man who opened the gates of heaven. He was the son of a harlot, as a shadow of the taint on Mary being pregnant while betrothed.

v.11:2

Jephthah was cast out by his brothers, as Jesus was rejected by Israel. ( A hint of the cross)

v.11:3

Jesus dwelt in a good land among sinners.

v.11:4

The people of God warred with the flesh.

v.11:5

They came to Jesus.

v.11:6

Come be our leader in the fight against the flesh.

v.11:7

Why come to me now after you have rejected me (at the cross)

v.11:8

You may help us fight against the flesh now

v.11:9

If I help you conquer the flesh will I be your Lord?

v.11:10

Of course (in a vow, hence the importance placed upon vows)

v.11:11

And Jesus went with them and taught all the words that proceed from the mouth of God

v.11:12

And Jesus confronted the flesh (the carnal mind of men) asking why do you still seek those who are mine?

v.11:13

Because the people of God took from מ the Father אב (Moab)ץ

v.11:14

So Jesus confronts the flesh again.

v.11:15

The people of God did not take the land from the Father of from the flesh (My kingdom is not of this world)

v.11:16

When the people of God came out of the earth, and died and were resurrected from מ the speaking דב of thק revelation ר (Midbar) and being measure מד by the Son of God הר, and in a mystery ף was completed ס as creation י was finished by the Son ם (sea) and was made Holy (Kadesh)...

v.11:17

Then the people of God asked to avoid the flesh, but the flesh would not consent for the people of God to be Holy.

v.11:18

They went through the judgement (Midbar) and did not enter the flesh (in Christ there is no condemnation).

v.11:19

So the people of God sent to the Word/Lamb אמר of God י and asked for a passover by the flesh ע of the Son בר.

v.11:20

But the Lamb did war against the people of God, and was trodden down (Jahaz) (Christ's tribulation at the hands of his people)

v.11:21

God delivered the Lamb into the works of the people of Israel.

The story goes on How Christ conquered the flesh on behalf of his people "Who will save me from this body of sin and death?"

v.11:30

If you will deliver the children of the flesh to me,

v.11:31

then the 'firstborn' (also Christ) of my house I will offer in total devotion (burnt offering).

v.11:32

So Jesus passed over the children of the flesh and delivered them in his works.

v.11:33

And he killed the flesh/skins ער (Aroer) even the bread (manna מנ of them ית) (Minneth) ... thus the flesh was subdued.

v.11:34

And out of the righteous mystery (Mizpah) came Jesus (in kenosis, represented by the daughter) purposed for the mystery death תף (timbrels) and from מ profanities חלה (bearing our sin). The only child.

v.11:35

And when he saw he must die, he divided his works. (Asked for the cup to be removed). but he took up the will of the father and faced the cross.

v.11:36

"It is my Father's will that I die. In order to conquer the flesh."

v.11:37

Let me mourn for two renewals/graces (refreshed in flesh and spirit) that I die desolate.

v.11:38

He did so. The angels attended him at Gethsemane?

v.11:39

He faced the cross according to the father's will.

v.11:40

And according to the Word of God (four voices) they do this in remembrance of him.

p.18-35

Alter demonstrates skill in Literary criticism and the tools of close reading. I hope to add to his tool box formations and notarikon, as well as other techniques specified by the second century teacher, Rabbi Eliezer. Using these, the underlying purpose of these odd accounts is to produce a prophecy of Christ and the cross in order to make the invisible Father known for his Holiness and Love.