2 October 2007
The story is told of a young man who was preparing for a long trip. He told his friend,
"I am just about packed. I only have to put in a guidebook, a mirror, a microscope, a lamp, a telescope, a volume of fine poetry, a package of old letters, a few biographies, a book of songs, a sword, a hammer, and a set of books I've been studying."
"But you can't get all that into your bag," said his friend.
"Oh yes I can," he replied It doesn't take much room."
With that, he placed his Bible in the corner of his suitcase and closed the lid.
IN THE BEGINNING"I am just about packed. I only have to put in a guidebook, a mirror, a microscope, a lamp, a telescope, a volume of fine poetry, a package of old letters, a few biographies, a book of songs, a sword, a hammer, and a set of books I've been studying."
"But you can't get all that into your bag," said his friend.
"Oh yes I can," he replied It doesn't take much room."
With that, he placed his Bible in the corner of his suitcase and closed the lid.
This list of the biblical canon was set to music by jazz great, Duke Ellington. The Bible is divided into two Testaments or Covenants: the Jewish Testament, which Christians call the Old Testament; and the New Testament, with Jesus Christ as the center of the Covenant. Jewish Bibles are arranged a little differently from Christian Bibles. First of course there is no New Testament in the Jewish Bible. Because for Jews Jesus has not replaced the Torah (or Law/Teaching of Moses). The Jewish Bible, in other words, is not "old," but current. The Mosaic Law (Law of Moses) rules even today, although blood sacrifices ceased with the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. For Christians, blood sacrifices ceased because Jesus was the perfect blood sacrifice, so no other was needed.
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Michah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Matthew Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation.
IN THE BEGINNING
This is part of American composer, Aaron Copland's a cappella ("in chapel style"=without instruments) setting of the first verses of Genesis, called In the Beginning (1947).
1: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2: And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3: And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4: And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5: And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
6: And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7: And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
8: And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
9: And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
10: And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
I beheld the earth and lo, it was without form ad void and the Heavens and they had no light. I beheld the mountains and lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly I beheld and lo, there was no man and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld and lo the fruitful place was a wilderness and all the cities thereof were broken down by the presence of the Lord and by his fierce anger.
He saw an animal that liked to growl, big furry paws and he liked to howl, great big furry back and furry hair. "I think I'll call it a bear."
THE TITANIC2: And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3: And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4: And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5: And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
6: And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7: And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
8: And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
9: And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
10: And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
JEREMIAH and Genesis
"Intertextuality" is a key word in modern critical theory, meaning that texts refer to other texts. The Bible was the first "intertextual" book and became more so by the time of Jesus, so that almost every word Jesus spoke seemed to predict Jesus or Jesus seemed to fulfill the Jewish Scriptures. The incipit (first words) of the Gospel of John famously refers back to the first words of Genesis. Here Jeremiah mocks the words of Creation in Genesis by warning of a de-creation for the sinful people of his time:I beheld the earth and lo, it was without form ad void and the Heavens and they had no light. I beheld the mountains and lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly I beheld and lo, there was no man and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld and lo the fruitful place was a wilderness and all the cities thereof were broken down by the presence of the Lord and by his fierce anger.
MAN GAVE NAMES TO ALL THE ANIMALS
In the 1970s Bob Dylan became a Christian. It's not clear if he's still a Christian, but this song, about Adam naming the animals, is from his first Christian album:
Man gave names to all the animals In the beginning, in the beginning. Man gave names to all the animals In the beginning, long time ago.In the 1970s Bob Dylan became a Christian. It's not clear if he's still a Christian, but this song, about Adam naming the animals, is from his first Christian album:
He saw an animal that liked to growl, big furry paws and he liked to howl, great big furry back and furry hair. "I think I'll call it a bear."
The water was always a source of terror to the Jews, who were not a seafaring people (not good on the sea). Moreover to combat pagan sea gods, the Jews made clear "in the beginning" that God ruled the seas (Jesus will do the same when he walks on water); and in the book of Revelation, there is no sea and so no monsters of the sea. In psychological terms, there are no mental monsters (the sea=the unconscious). Here the modern terror of the sea is imagined as punishment from God for wicked (in this case, rich) people. These sentiments may sound vengeful, as do many psalms; but the idea is that God's goodness must be upheld:
God moves on the waters, April the 14th day, children. God moves on the water, everybody had to run and pray. Titanic left Southhampton and all was sport and games, but when they struck that iceberg I know their minds were changed. God moves on the waters, April the 14th day. Yes, God moves on the waters, everybody had to run and pray. Their mothers told their daughters on a pleasure trip they may go but when they struck that iceberg they haven't been seen anymore. God moves on the water, April the 14th day. Yes, God moves on the water, everybody had to run and pray.
THE CREATION
This is a brief section from the beginning of Haydn's famous oratorio, The Creation, especially memorable for its setting of the climactic word, "light." (An oratorio is a religious choral setting of a text, from the Latin "orare" meaning "to pray." [The Latin root survives in the English words "oration" and "orator."])
And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
ADAM IN THE GARDEN
An early Afro-American shout (praise) song, based on a famous text in Genesis:
God called Adam, pinning [picking] up the leaves, Adam in the garden, pinning up leaves. God called Adam pinning up the leaves, Adam wouldn't answer, pinning up leaves (2)
THE JUICE OF THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT
Way back in old times long years before the war, when the apple tree Eve she did climb. She threw down the core that made her feel sore for Adam her husband to chaw [chew, eat]. And ever since then, all manner of men, the blind and the lame and the mute, the bankers and clerks, politicians and turks drink the juice of the forbidden fruit.
ADAM LAY YBOUNDEN
{This old English song says that Adam (that is, Man) lay bound ("ybounden") in sin for four thousand years because he ate the apple. Yet if the apple had not been eaten, the Virgin Mary ("heavenly queen"), mother of Jesus, would never have come. In this view, sin became a gift, as in the famous Latin phrase, "felix culpa," or "happy fault."}
Adam lay ybounden*, bounden* in a bond. Four thousand [*bound
winters thought he not too long. And all was for an apple, an apple that he took. As clerks* finden* written in their book. Ne* had [*writers *find *nor
the apple taken been (the apple taken been) Ne had never our lady
a-been* heavenly queen. Blessed be the time that apple taken [*had been
was, therefore we moun* singen*, Deo gracias*! [*might *sing *Thanks to God!
Adam told Eve, "Listen here to me, don't you let me catch you messing 'round that apple tree."
Yes, Adam was happy as a man could be 'til he started messing with that old apple tree. Ain't that just like a woman, ain't that just like a woman, ain't that just like a woman, they'll do it everytime.
winters thought he not too long. And all was for an apple, an apple that he took. As clerks* finden* written in their book. Ne* had [*writers *find *nor
the apple taken been (the apple taken been) Ne had never our lady
a-been* heavenly queen. Blessed be the time that apple taken [*had been
was, therefore we moun* singen*, Deo gracias*! [*might *sing *Thanks to God!
Sacred Harp Gospel: Ocean
This is a "fuging" choral music from early America. "Fuging" refers to the "chasing" of one voice after another, so different parts of the tune are sung at the same time. Simply, this is "counterpoint," but not as smooth as in classical music. This song shows the terror of the sea, common in the Bible, as well as God's mastery over it:
This is a "fuging" choral music from early America. "Fuging" refers to the "chasing" of one voice after another, so different parts of the tune are sung at the same time. Simply, this is "counterpoint," but not as smooth as in classical music. This song shows the terror of the sea, common in the Bible, as well as God's mastery over it:
Thy works of glory, mighty Lord, that rules the boisterous [noisy] sea: who tempts the dangerous way, at Thy command the winds arise and swell the towering [big] waves. The men astonished mount the skies and sink in gaping graves.
As for me, I can see I was meant to rejoice in the round vibrant sound of my own voice. It's all so perfect and so ideal and yet I do have one tiny reservation, there's nothing handy for making conversation here in Eden.
How did I come, where am I from, what's my utlimate aim, I don't know, even so, I'm glad I came. It's all so lovely, I may just weep, I love this garden and everything that's in it. And something tells me to treasure every minute, blossoms and violets, mountains and mud, I know I'll be happy, perfectly happy here in Eden.
With every sweet and juicy luscious bite of this not forbidden fruit, you'll see your mind expand and your perceptions grow more and more acute and you can teach him plumbing and philosophy, new techniques for glazing pottery, woodcraft, first aid or economy, Madam, Adam will be overjoyed when he becomes aware of your attainments he'll beam with loving pride, and he will say "Oh Eve you're indispensable please don't leave my side. And with your nifty new-found education, he'll relish every conversation, why you'll be Adam's inspiration this way, just an apple a day, wait and see, come with me to that tree, now!
THE APPLE TREE
Written by the team of Bock and Harnick, who wrote Fiddler on the Roof, The Apple Tree included three stories, one of which was about Adam and Eve. These two songs are from that musical. The first is Eve's monologue in Eden; the second is the serpent's temptation of Eve:
Written by the team of Bock and Harnick, who wrote Fiddler on the Roof, The Apple Tree included three stories, one of which was about Adam and Eve. These two songs are from that musical. The first is Eve's monologue in Eden; the second is the serpent's temptation of Eve:
HERE IN EDEN
So many creatures, so many things, each one wondrous object is beautiful and striking and I see nothing that isn't to my liking, here in Eden. There's plums and peaches and pears and grapes, so ripe and juicy and utterly inviting. I find the apples especially exciting here in Eden.As for me, I can see I was meant to rejoice in the round vibrant sound of my own voice. It's all so perfect and so ideal and yet I do have one tiny reservation, there's nothing handy for making conversation here in Eden.
How did I come, where am I from, what's my utlimate aim, I don't know, even so, I'm glad I came. It's all so lovely, I may just weep, I love this garden and everything that's in it. And something tells me to treasure every minute, blossoms and violets, mountains and mud, I know I'll be happy, perfectly happy here in Eden.
FORBIDDEN FRUIT
Listen closely let me fill you in about the rich ripe round red rosy apples they call forbidden fruit, what I'm about to say is confidential so promise you'll be mute, because if every creature in the garden knows, they'll come round like hungry buffalos and in no time there'll be none of those precious apples left for you and me. Now in the average apple you're accustomed to skins, seed, flesh and core. But you will find that these are special apples that give you something more. Why every seed contains some information that you need to speed your education, the seeds indeed of all creation are here. Why be foolish, my dear? Come with me to that tree.With every sweet and juicy luscious bite of this not forbidden fruit, you'll see your mind expand and your perceptions grow more and more acute and you can teach him plumbing and philosophy, new techniques for glazing pottery, woodcraft, first aid or economy, Madam, Adam will be overjoyed when he becomes aware of your attainments he'll beam with loving pride, and he will say "Oh Eve you're indispensable please don't leave my side. And with your nifty new-found education, he'll relish every conversation, why you'll be Adam's inspiration this way, just an apple a day, wait and see, come with me to that tree, now!
THE STORY OF ADAM AND EVE
This song shows how Bible stories have become part of popular culture.
In the garden of Eden, a long time ago There was a story I'm sure you all know, I'm sure you remember and I know you believe The story of Adam and Eve. The Bible has been the source of much humor, as well as what we now call "sexism" (blaming women). Here are two references to the Adam and Eve story in early Rock records:This song shows how Bible stories have become part of popular culture.
Adam told Eve, "Listen here to me, don't you let me catch you messing 'round that apple tree."
Yes, Adam was happy as a man could be 'til he started messing with that old apple tree. Ain't that just like a woman, ain't that just like a woman, ain't that just like a woman, they'll do it everytime.
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