NOVELLA Def

A short prose tale often characterized by moral teaching or satire.

Ruth Con't

- Scholars argee that Ruth is a narrative Story, and they often use terms like Novella 'to describe it. This style of writing reflects the Craftsmanship of the writer.

- The meanings hidden in the names: Elimelech- my God is king"
Naomi- "my gracious one" or my delight"; later she asks to be called Mara- "the bitter one"
Mahlon- "sick"
Chilion-"weakening"
Orpah-"mane"or"back of the neck"
Ruth-"Friend"
Boaz -"He comes in Strength"
- The use of names in the book of Ruth deepens the Story's narrative Strengthand assits the reader in appreciating the text's meaning.

ARCHAIC def:

Of, relating to, or characteristic of a much earlier, often more primitive period, especially one that develops into a classical stage of civilization.

Ruth Con't

The book of Ruth, according to many Scholars,was originally part of the book of Judges, but it was later separated from that book and made independent. It is likely that the author wrote the story after the time of King David.

- The message of the book shows acceptance of Israelites marrying converts to Judaism.

- According to theory, the book was written in response to Ezra's reform and in defense of a marriage to a foreign wife when the wife Converts to Judaism.

- The Book of Ruth demonstrates the belief that a marriage to a foreigner is acceptable to God when the foreigner follows God.

- Explaining the use of language in Ruth: wrote in archaic Style of Hebrew.

Ruth Con't

Many of the books of the old testament do not identify their authors, and the book of Ruth is one of these. There is, however, a historical tradition that alludes to a possibility . The Talmud refers to Samuel as the author, but Scholars do not accept this tradition because Samuel died before David became King, and the way in which the author writes the genealogy.

Some Scholars suggest that the author of the text is a women. Two observations point in the direction of a women author. First, the story centers on the life journey of two women in desperate straits in a male - dominnated society and appears to be from the Viewpoint of a Women. Second, Naomi and Ruth's ingenuity and assertiveness propels the Story line.

LEVITE: Def

In general, members of the priestly tribe of Levi. In the Book of Deuteronomy, a term for the priests who conducted sacrifices and administrated the law. After centralization of worship in
Jerusalm, the Levites were apparently reduced to a position subordinate to the Aaronide Temple priesthood. After the Exile, however, certain Levites constituted the temple choirs.

Ruth Con't

During the time of the Judges when there was a famine, an Israelite family from Bethlehem - Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their sons Mahlon and Chilion- emigrate to the nearby country of Moab. Elimelech dies and the sons marry two Moabite women: Mahlon marries Ruth and Chilion marries Orpah.

The two sons of Naomi then die themselves. Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem. She tells her daughters-In-Law to return to their own Mothers, and remarry. Orpah reluctantly leaves; however ...to be continued...

Ruth: Theo notes

Ruth is one of the Megilloth (five Scrolls) read out loud in the Synagogue , during the Shavuot(Feast of Weeks or Pentecost) celebrates the end of the Torah, Connecting the Story of the book with the 'Covenant between Yahweh and the people of Isreal.



Various places expolore the question of the value of the Ruth Story as an indicator of what Early Isrealite life was like. The Book of Ruth falls into the J Source, its short form places the writing in between poetry and prose.



The Book of Ruth Can be divided into four distinct Sections: Ruth1:1-22, Ruth2:1-23, Ruth3:1-18 and Ruth 4:1-22.

The book of Ruth is an exemplar of faith in the Coveanant of the Lord with the people of Isreal. The Role of Ruth in this book is a roleof unselfishness! In times when Naomi is bitter and hopeless, the Lord uses Ruth's faithfulness as an instrument to accomplish Naomi's redemption. In using Ruth as an instrument, Yahweh shows his love for Isreal through a marriage oriented toward redemption.

Across the centuries, many legends have grown around the biblical Story of Ruth. All of them begin in the ancient land of Judah.

The old testament Story of the pagan idolater Ruth, who married Mahlon found faith and a great Mother-in- law.

Theo Notes

Myth: A story of the Gods and ancient heros, which Symbolically alludes to forces that affect the lives of human beings.

Myths of creation in Babylon:

Atrahasis epic: Humans were created to be the Slaves of the Gods, providing offerings to the Gods. So that the Gods would not have to work.

EnumaElish: Marduk killed Tiamat and divided her corpus to form the dome of heaven and Earth.

- Genesis1:1 and Babylonian myths of creation have these qualities in common: Chaos is present before creation; the Earth is flat; and the Sky is a dome.

Etiology: A story set in the distant past that explains the origins of an aspect of humans living in the Present.

Theo Notes

Jewish bibles: Tanak

- Torah, Prophets, and the writings

- These make up 24 Scrolls Languages : Hebrew with a few pieces in Aramaic

- The Torah and prophets were collected and became normative by the Second Century B.C.E.

- Rabbis, who met at Jamnia on the coast of palestine in 100 C.E.

Established the books in Tanak as Canonical. The destruction of the temple and Jerusalem in 70C.E. Prompted these Jewish rabbis to identify these biblical texts as the unifying Principle of Judaism Protestant Bibles (16th) Century.

The old testament Pentateuch (Greek for the five Scrolls). Historical books, wisdom literature and Prophets. The Categories differ from the Tanak but the books in the collection.

Philo Notes

Categorical syllogism a syllogism consisting of three categorical Statements (Statements that affirm or deny a relation between two classes of things), in which the Premises connect two classes of things by means of a third class.


Deductive argument

1. All dogs are mammals

2. All mammals are animals

: All dogs are animals

Middle term - Mammals
Never occurs in the Conclusion

Dogs subject term

Animals - Predicate term

Disjunctive Syllogism

syllogism whose Premises are a disjunctive (either_or) Statement and a Statement that affirms or denies one part of the disjunctive Statement.


Hypothetical Syllogism a syllogism whose Premises are a hypothetical (if then) Statement and a Statement that affirms or denies one part of the hypothetical Statement.

Theo 201

The final book of the New Testament (the revelation of John) is, like the book of Daniel, an apocalyptic work featuring visions of the end of history and with the triumphant return of Jesus Christ , the beginning of a New age. The Jewish and Christian Bibles both have Central themes both focus on the involvement of the creator of the universe in the unfolding story of life ,especially human life.



Canon: From a Greek term for rule or standard any list of religious writings deemed authoritative.

Tanak: An acronym created from the Hebrew word for the three canonical sections
of the Hebrew BiBLE; Torah.

Torah: Hebrew for instruction, teaching Refers to God's instruction to the covenant people as well as, to the first five books of the tanak. In its broadest sense refers to all of the divine commandments, from both the tanak the written (Torah), Mishnah the oral Torah, and the other religious teaching, and thus to the total divine revelation of how the covenant people are to live.