The Apocrypha – The Book of Tobit – A Piece of Religious Fiction from the Second Century BC

Posted on June 20, 2014 by virgowriter

The Apocrypha – The Book of Tobit – A Piece of Religious Fiction from the Second Century BC

I’ve always been an avid reader, and usually loved reading in school, even in Elementary school. Although the only thing I recall reading from Calvert Street Elementary were the selections from the SRA box in third grade. For the uninitiated, the SRA Reading Laboratory consists of a series of large cards, each containing a short story, color coded to reflect increasing difficulty in the level of story and the reading comprehension questions at the end. At your desk, you read the card and jotted down your answers (likely in a notebook or on those wide-lined sheets of brownish paper that tore if you pressed your pencil to hard or tried to erase). Then you retrieved the answer card from the box and calculated your score. Perhaps it was deemed busy work, which was why we were entrusted to score and report our scores without supervision.

The stories were surprisingly engaging, though the fact that I was young and did not have high standards for story—outside of Encyclopedia Brown and Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Detectives books was probably a factor. Though short, each card’s story told something interesting, usually with a moral point, though the longer ones—as I recall—were about family or a young girl working hard at her new job to save up to buy a pearl (or maybe a black marble).

Although I have fond memories of these stories—for some reason I seem to have liked the Red stories best—they weren’t something I would save or go back and buy just to have. They served their purpose then and I have moved on.

The Apocrypha’s The Book of Tobit shared a similar fate as those SRA cards. This supposed piece of Biblical fiction (according to the brief introduction in my edition) was excised from the Old Testament. That doesn’t mean it’s worthless or uninteresting though.

This is the story of Tobit, who is prosecuted and jailed for discarding the bodies of dead people (which, apparently, was illegal). With his property seized and him finally released by a new, sympathetic ruler, Tobit has a warm, touching homecoming with his wife and son, Tobias. Soon, a freak accident involving birds blinds Tobit. No worries, for the king supports him and his wife gets a job; but not so fast: Tobit questions some of the gifts his wife gets, but he soon feels shame for doubting his good wife. He then asks God to punish him (3).

Worried that bad is right around the corner, Tobit counsels his son with a number of pieces of advice designed to help him take care of things. Among others: life will be good if you are good, pay those who work for you promptly (4:14), don’t do to anyone what you hate, and don’t get drunk (4:16).

So the son listens like a typical teenager (fine, whatever Dad); he’s more worried about procuring money his father had deposited in another town, for which he has a receipt (5:2). He’s sent on his way, but not before being told to find someone to travel with—which the son finds, in the form of a disguised angel, Raphael (5:5-6).

After catching some fish—parts of which Tobias is told to bury, parts he brings for a later purpose—their journey eventually leads them to the household of a young woman, Sarah, who has been married seven times. Yes, seven. It seems that she’s possessed by a demon, and on her wedding nights, before things can be consummated each new husband is killed. As a way to fix this demon, Raphael figures Tobias will be a good match for her. Which, as you might imagine, because he’s heard of her scares him (6:10). Still, Tobias makes an agreement with her father, and on the night of their wedding the still-carried fish parts enable the demon to be captured (who knew fish was so handy?), thus freeing Sarah. Joyous, her father throws them a 14-day marriage feast (8:19). In the meantime, Tobias asks Raphael to fetch his father’s money (9).

Eventually, Tobias, his new bride, and Raphael return home. There, the remaining fish parts cure Tobit’s blindness. Elated (and not just about regaining his sight), Tobit tells his son to compensate Raphael for all his help, and Tobias hands over half of Sarah’s dowry. Impressed, Raphael finally reveals his identity and promises to capture this story in prose form on a scroll (12:22). Tobit writes a prayer of rejoicing, singing God’s praises (13).

This is the type of story that engages readers, though the younger the better. Adults—myself included—can’t get past how convenient the plot points are or how handy fish parts turn out to be. Still, it’s interesting to see how much the people in this story care for their families, which is perhaps the plot’s best feature. Perhaps the lesson though doesn’t run deep enough to stand up next to more weighty tales, like Esther or Ezra. That doesn’t mean it should be destroyed, just perhaps not elevated in status like the rest of the Old Testament.

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The Apocrypha – The Second Book of Esdras – The Ezra Apocalypse

Posted on June 15, 2014 by virgowriter

The Apocrypha – The Second Book of Esdras – The Ezra Apocalypse

When I worked for a comic book and used record store in high school, my bosses collected (among other things) movie posters and lobby cards. Listening to them discuss their approach to this hobby informed how I approached collecting. When presented with an opportunity, Ken ponied up the cash or passed on an item based on his collection’s needs. I had thought it odd to think of a collection having needs—didn’t you amass a collection based on what you liked?; however, he believed that a collection needed to cover a number of interests and be able to represent a good cross section of the films and actors/actresses he enjoyed.

You can’t have one of everything, so a choice must be made somewhere, with a clear, intelligent line drawn to reflect this mindset. Sometimes, it helps to have logic impose an order on something driven by emotion, as most collecting is.

The Book of Revelations does most of the apocalyptic heavy lifting in the Bible, and its dark tone is such a stark, dark contrast to most of the rest of the good book that I was sure it was an anomaly that had survived mainly due its unique character. Well, turns out the Second Book of Esdras brings the apocalyptic party as well, and I understand why the choice was made to cut it: the Apocalypse is covered better elsewhere. It also adds little to the impression of Ezra as a man who really wants to help people get back on track spiritually.

Evil must be rooted out before good can prosper (4:29-30). Part of the problem: parents need to pass on knowledge of god to their children, for kids magnify problems /sins by forgetting God and worshiping strange gods. They need to learn about and remember what God has done for them (1:13). So Ezra has been chosen to teach them and pass on a lot of info. But before he can do this, God, apparently, has a crash course to deliver to him.

Part of this involves how screwed most (heathen) people are or will be (the end is coming soon, so don’t worry) (2:34-35) and that the righteous (believers) will be taken care of (2:28-29).

Once God leaves—there’s a lot of coming and going in this book—Ezra challenges God: you spare the wicked, he says (3:30) and those who have believed have not received their reward (3:33). Dispatched to clarify things, the angel Uriel tells Ezra over and over again – You seek understanding you cannot grasp (5:40).

Then left alone to process the info (and fast), Ezra is still unsure, so Uriel returns with the same message but different metaphors to explain the situation with God: be patient; he tells Ezra that God made the world like a woman’s womb, and asking for things to happen more quickly is asking that womb to produce ten children when it does so at intervals (5:46-7). Which, you have to admit, is kinda interesting. One wonders what Ezra could have said had Octomom been alive back then.

Then God returns again and warns of mass destruction (earthquakes) coming (6: 17-18) and that after the chaos ensues (and many die, 6:24), the survivors will “reset” things (6:26).

And then the pattern of more back and forth with God leaving, Ezra fasting for seven days, still doubting, Uriel returning, more messages of destruction, etc; repeat. In the end, Ezra wants to know when all of this will go down and he’s told to look for the tell-tale signs: earthquakes, tumult, heathen plots, wavering leaders, confused princes (9). Which basically sounds like we’ve been getting the same signs for centuries.

Then Ezra, who kinda accepts what he’s been told, has a series of crazy dreams/visions, for which he asks God for clarification. Most of these would be right at home in Revelations. Near the end, he’s told by a strange voice from a bush that there is much evil coming and he needs to warn people. Some of what he’s been told, however, he will circulate (publish to the masses) and some he will withhold for the wise (14:26). Though, if you’ve read this book, it appears that all of it has been published, though perhaps the only ones reading it are the wise (i.e. believers)?

The final chapter (15) ends with a lot of fire and brimstone, where the lord tells Ezra not to fear non-believers, because they will die. And then he catalogs all the destruction headed Earth’s way. In the end, the book closes on a dark note: fear God (15:67).

So much of the Book of Ezra in the Old Testament is positive, focusing on what this man accomplished, how he stood up to authority for what was right and pleaded for religious tolerance, and then once in Jerusalem, fought to get these people back on their feet. This Second book of Esdras has a darker tone, though, and doesn’t compliment the image of Ezra I developed. In fact, given its dissonance, it unsettles that positive image in favor of a murkier one: the Book of Ezra is all about hope and fighting for what’s right—and, ultimately, succeeding. This book is all about impending destruction. Perhaps this is one of the reasons this book was cut: that apocalyptic mindset is already covered elsewhere. I can’t say I disagree with the choice to omit it.

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The Apocrypha: The First Book of Esdras – Listen to and Learn from Reason (The 3 Guardsmen Story)

Posted on June 10, 2014 by virgowriter

The Apocrypha: The First Book of Esdras – Listen to and Learn from Reason (The 3 Guardsmen Story)

This year, I am coaching my co-ed, non-competitive league softball team for the first time. As coach, I have a number of things to consider when it comes to our 20-person roster, many of whom are playing for different reasons (just to have fun or to try and win) and come to the team with different ability levels. If I were solely focused on winning, I would play the “better” players more and squeeze in the lesser skilled players as little as possible. This might win us a few more games but it would also weaken the team, as those marginalized players have just as much right to play as every other player.

So, I have to balance the players who deserve to play with those who are driven to win. As it turns out, this balance is not as difficult to maintain as I had thought, for softball (like baseball) is a funny sport, where just about anything can happen, and even a player you might not think of a major contributor can tag the ball through a hole in the infield defense or make a great catch just when you need him or her to. The point is not that you sideline your best, strongest player, but by not allowing everyone have a chance to have at least some impact on the game, you might let a victory slip through your fingers (or glove).

So, the trick is to field your team and let the pieces (or balls) fall where they may, for the more you try and control the outcome, the less control you end up with.

I was looking forward to this first book included in the Apocrypha, in part because it handles Ezra, one of the people whose story I enjoyed the most in the Old Testament (and its theme of religious tolerance). I wanted to delve deeper into his story, and this book offers more details, although it doesn’t develop Ezra the way I expected. I was also surprised, for as I read, I couldn’t ignore that this was a book cut from the standard Bible, which to me means it wasn’t doing its job, contained redundant material, or didn’t serve the purpose of the person (or people) doing the cutting. Perhaps, from a certain perspective, all three. Which is a shame, for if Bible readers have not read this excised book, they’re missing out on a story that stands to inspire at least one reader.

This book covers events in the end of 2 Chronicles, Ezra, and part of Nehemiah. In that sense, there’s not much new material (which perhaps explains why it was cut–superfluous, given the three other books that handle the same/similar material). So what, if anything, is new? The story of The Three Guardsmen.

During a Gatsby-style banquet thrown by King Darius, the king over-indulges and needs a nap. The three guardsmen protecting the sleeping ruler hatch a plan: let’s devise a contest to see which of us can come up with an answer as to what is strongest, which the king will judge, and then shower the winner with gifts and prestige. They each write their answer on a scroll, seal it, and then place it under the king’s pillow–when he awakes, he will decide.

Who doesn’t love a good contest, especially one that is basically a riddle? It’s also fun how this particular riddle unfolds within a engaging story. When the king learns of the contest, he convenes a heavy-duty council of nobles, etc. in the council chamber and calls the men in to provide their answers. What will the men have decided on? Who will win? And what will he earn as a prize?

The first guardsmen states that wine does not discriminate, that it makes everyone happy–or at least forget their problems, leads minds “astray,” levels the mental playing field between adults and children, and even turns friends against one another in the moment. Therefore, wine is the strongest thing (3:19-24).

The second guardsmen suggests that the king is in fact the strongest. Perhaps playing up the earliest form of brownnosing in literature, this answer suggests that men control everything (wage war, build, levy taxes, etc.) but the king controls men; therefore, the king is the strongest (4:2-12). Too bad this guardsmen did not think to include the king’s alcohol tolerance, as that detail might have made for a better case

The third guardsmen is the most skilled speaker of the bunch, as he begins his answer by validating the first two; however, he contends that although the first two are in fact strong, he wonders who controls them? Answer: women. They give birth, command attention, and inspire men to do anything (4:14-32). But he’s not done. Truth, he says, is actually stronger than all of it, in part because, unlike everything else that has flaws, truth does not; it endures and plays no favorites (4: 39). His drawn-out explanation earns the adoration of the crowd and the king then asks him what he would like for his winning answer.

Although it’s unclear why he feels this way, but the third guardsman wants the king to respect his promise and rebuild Jerusalem. The King agrees (4:47). Perhaps the king obeys the faith of the contest but perhaps he also understand the point of the answer: truth equals what is right, just, and since he had said he would, so should he be bound to his word.

So what is so interesting about this story? First, it shows a rather bold person who takes a chance to ask a person in power–in this case, the king—to stand by his word. Darius could have very easily taken offense to his guard suggesting he had not kept his word. Instead, he does what I would hope any ruler would do: listen to reason, which was the point of the answers in the contest. He allowed himself to learn something. Someone may say that similar stories cover this life lesson in the Bible, but I would argue that none do in this way—or at least they don’t resonate as well for me. This might be a lesser known story within the Bible of which it used to be a part, but if it functioned to turn someone closer to the Bible in general and Christianity in particular, isn’t that the point of the Bible? Who loses by keeping it in?

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