The Epic Nature of the Bible

As a society, we often try to categorize mythology into small, concise stories.  Many of us who were raised in the Christian church remember Sunday School as a series of little Bible stories, most of which were completely isolated and disconnected from the rest of the Bible.  For some reason we as humans prefer to view mythology in small chunks.  As a result, more often than not, we have an idea of ancient literature as simply "a group of fairy tales" that have no place in our modern rational thinking.  Isolated myths become silly superstitions in our minds. 

But this is not how most mythology is written.  The Bible, for example, is not a series of stories but a complete narrative.  In this case, The Exodus doesn't even start with the birth of Moses (Exodus 1), for that doesn't explain how the Jews came to be in Egypt in the first place.  For that, we would need to read the story of Joseph and his brothers, found in Genesis, chapters 37 - 50.  And how did Joseph come to exist?  Well, for that you would need to go back earlier and read of Jacob, whose name was later changed to Israel. 

The Exodus itself, of course, doesn't end in Chapter 14, where many movies and books end it, but continues on through the books of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.  But even with the death of Moses at the end of Deuteronomy, we still have a nation preparing to enter Canaan under a new leader, Joshua.  If we really consider the implications of the Exodus - an event in the history of a nation - then the story really continues to this day as Israel still struggles to find an identity.  The point is that mythology isn't always a series of isolated incidents, but a long and complicated history, which narrates the lives, origins, and outcomes of a specific group of people. 

The 13th-century Icelandic epic, Njall's Saga, covers approximately sixty years of history.  While there are incidents and stories within the narrative, each incident is either a direct or indirect result of a prior incident; to truly grasp each story's significance, one needs a complete understanding of the work as a whole.

I suppose that what I'm driving at is that we need to be careful when we begin to lump ancient literature into small groups of "fairy tales."  While this is certainly possible in some cases, most cultures shared their beliefs in terms of longer, more complex narratives.  The story of Phaethon meeting Apollo is not an isolated story in Ovid's work, but is a continuation of a previous narrative.  The incident - Phaethon crashing his father's sun-chariot - is merely an incident that stems from and leads to other incidents.

So when I speak to people who say, "The Bible is just a collection of fairy tales," my first question back is, "Have you read it?"  The story of Noah is about the destruction of mankind, not about cute fuzzy animals on a pleasure cruise.  The story of David and Goliath isn't about the underdog overcoming obstacles, but is about a war between two countries, and a champion who is killed when his head is broken open by a rock.  Jesus' resurrection only happens after his torture and execution.  None of these stories are pleasant and cheerful.  But more than that, all of these stories are connected to each other in a long narrative that includes The Exodus, an exile into Babylon, and 400 years of stagnant silence from God as Israel is prepared for her long-awaited Messiah.

So, lest we be too quick to judge a society based on a few stories, perhaps we should take the time to look at their literary works in totality.  Perhaps we should read through the entire Bible before jumping to conclusions about the historicity of certain events told in it.  What do you all think:  is history more accurately viewed as a series of isolated events, or a stream of constant change and movement, punctuated by bursts of activity and meaning?

The Behemoth

Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm:

 “Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.

“Would you discredit my justice?
    Would you condemn me to justify yourself?
Do you have an arm like God’s,
    and can your voice thunder like his?
 Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,
and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.
 Unleash the fury of your wrath,
    look at all who are proud and bring them low,
 look at all who are proud and humble them,
    crush the wicked where they stand.
 Bury them all in the dust together;
    shroud their faces in the grave.
 Then I myself will admit to you
that your own right hand can save you.

“Look at Behemoth,
which I made along with you
and which feeds on grass like an ox.
 What strength it has in its loins,
what power in the muscles of its belly!
 Its tail sways like a cedar;
the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.
Its bones are tubes of bronze,
its limbs like rods of iron.
 It ranks first among the works of God,
    yet its Maker can approach it with his sword.
The hills bring it their produce,
    and all the wild animals play nearby.

-The Book of Job, 40:1-20, NIV translation

Visitors to the Underworld

The Great Pharoah Ramses had a son named Setna.  Setna himself had a son named Se-Osiris.  Se-Osiris was strong in the learned arts of magic. 

One day, Se-Osiris and Setna were standing in the palace, looking out the great windows.  They saw two funerals that day as they watched.  The first funeral was for that of a wealthy nobleman.  His body was carried in a wooden sarcophagus overlaid with gold.  Dozens of mourners and priests accompanied the coffin, singing hymns and carrying gifts for him to use on his journey through the Underworld.  The second funeral was for a poor worker.  His two sons carried the unadorned coffin for him, while his widowed wife and two daughters-in-law followed behind.

Setna remarked, "I hope that my funeral will be like that of the nobleman"

Se-Osiris shook his head.  "No, Father, may your fate be like that of the poor man."

Setna was disturbed and hurt by this, so he asked his son, "Why would you say such a thing?"

Se-Osiris turned and said, "Come, and we will go to the Underworld together, so that you can see what is taking place for both men."

So the two of them went to the temple of Osiris, and the child began to draw magic circles on the ground.  On the altar to Osiris, he lit a fire of cedar wood, which blazed up towards the ceiling.  He threw a powder onto the fire, and Setna was surprised to see a ball of fire rise out of the flames and float away, as if it were a grain of sand carried by the wind.  Then Se-Osiris spoke some words of power, and as he finished, the flames blazed and were then suddenly extinguished, the entire place being plunged into inky darkness.

Soon Setna became aware of a light, however, and turned to see what caused it.  He nearly cried out in horror at the sight:  his son's body lay on one side of the altar, and his own body lay on the other side.  Floating above them were tongues of flame - their spirits.

Se-Osiris, in a soft whisper, said, "We must hurry.  If we are not back before morning, we will never see the sun rise again."  Setna looked at Se-Osiris, whose soul was like that of a great bird.

"Lead me," Setna answered, and followed his son on his own soul's golden wings.

They flew through the temple roof, and made straightway Underworld, West of the land of Egypt, just as the sun was setting.  They reached the Gap of The Destroyer, passing over the boat in which Ra crosses into the Underworld at the end of each day.  It was a wonderful boat to behold, colored as the great amethysts and emeralds of the kingdom. It also had adornings of turqoise, gold, and jade.  

The two souls of Setna and Se-Osiris settled into the boat, in order that they may ride across the River with the other souls of those who have departed this life.  The boat, pulled along by a troop of gods, approached the great doors of the first region of the Underworld, doors which were guarded on either side by six serpents.

The boat moved along the river, until it came to the doors of the second region.  Here the river flowed between tall walls, the tops of which were decorated with the points of spears, so that none could climb over.  The great doorway at the entrance was guarded by fire-breathing serpents, who coiled at the base of the great wooden doors.  The doors to the second region of the Underworld turned on pivots, and each of the souls in the boat whispered words of power as the doors swung open and the serpents regarded them with greedy eyes.

The second region, which they had now entered, was the Kingdom of Ra, with whom dwelt all the heroes and gods of old.  It was a place of peace and happiness, yet no one could set foot here until they had first passed into the third region:  The Judgment Hall of Osiris.

The boat came to the next doorway, and its passengers spoke the words of power.  The boat continued on, until the dead that were in it disembarked onto the shore, outside of the The Judgment Hall of Osiris.  The boat continued on through the other nine regions, carrying Ra out of the mouth of the Eastern Dragon as daylight once more dawned.  But Setna and Se-Osiris did not stay in the boat.  Instead, their souls flew over the others, who waited in line to be admitted by the Door-Keeper.  

This is what Se-Osiris showed his father:

The Door-Keeper would not allow a soul to enter into The Judgment Hall unless it could announce his name.  The soul who was prepared would answer, "Understander of Hearts is your name, and you are the Searcher of Bodies.

"To whom should I announce you?" the Door-Keeper would then inquire.

"Tell of my coming to the Interpreter of Two Lands!" was the response.

"And what is his name?"

"Thoth."

So the souls would then pass through the doorway, where Thoth would meet them.  "What is your purpose here?"

The soul would answer Thoth:  "I have come to be judged."

"And what is your condition?"

"I am pure of sin."

"Shall I then announce you to he whose ceiling is flame and whose walls are living serpents?  He whose ground is paved with water?"

"Yes."

So Thoth would lead the souls to Osiris, who sat upon his throne.  In his hands were the scourge and crook, upon his head was the serpent crown, and his body was wrapped in the linen of the dead.  In front of his great throne was a large balance, its two scales even, one empty, the other holding The Feather of Truth.  Anubis stood before the throne.  He took each soul from Thoth and led it into the presence of Osiris.

As the soul approached, he would speak in his defense, saying, "I am pure!"

Then the judgement would come.  Anubis would take the heart from each soul and place it on the scale.  If the heart was heavier than the Feather of Truth, then it was full of evil and would sink down.  If it sank far enough down, Ammit, the Devourer of Hearts, would catch the heart in its jaws and carry it off.  The sinner would then be driven out into the Underworld, where it would live for eternity in the Pits of Fire, ruled over by Apep the Terrible.

But if a soul was good, and the heart rose, Thoth would cry to Osiris, "True is this soul's proclamation!  He has not sinned against the gods or man!   He shall not go down to Apep, but shall find a place in the Fields of Peace!"

Then Horus would take the soul and lead it to Osiris.  He would declare the soul worthy before Osiris, saying, "May he be like those who follow Horus!"

Then Osiris would grant that the soul could pass on into the Fields of Peace.  The Fields of Peace offered all the joys of life:  land, food, wine, leisure.  There, the souls who passed the scales would dwell until Osiris returns to earth, bringing them back. 

Se-Osiris showed Setna all of these things.  He turned to his father and asked, "Do you understand why I wished your fate to be like that of the worker, and not the nobleman?  For the nobleman is being tormented forever, while the poor worker is dressed in ornate robes, surrounded by wealth and pleasure."

 Then the souls of father and son flew back to Thebes, where they entered their bodies.  They returned to their home as the sun rose, turning the cliffs to pink and purple, the golden sun casting its light over the kingdom of Egypt.

-From Egypt