Abstract
In the Hebrew Bible, some texts represent what we would call �natural� phenomena as being in some way related to entities classed to be אלהים in some sense of the Hebrew term; that is, God, gods, divine, deity, etc. Although various perspectives on these relations already exist in the available research on the topic, no philosophical approach to the data has of yet been conceived. In order to facilitate the latter, this study brackets the question as to what the relations between אלהים and natural phenomena in any given biblical context actually were. Yet its contribution lies in the way it aims to offer an introductory overview of some of the potentially relevant core concepts in mereology (parthood theory in metaphysics) that may be of aid in any future attempt at modelling such relations, however they were conceived.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article challenges the tradition of non-philosophical discourse in Old Testament theology, particularly with reference to the relational properties of Yhwh vis-a-vis natural phenomena. Its meta-theoretical application of concepts in formal descriptive mereological analysis represents an interdisciplinary supplementation of current ways of modelling God/World in the text.Keywords: Hebrew Bible; natural phenomena; philosophy; mereology; parthood; relations
Highlights
In Hebrew Bible (HB) studies, there are generally three views of the relation between אלהיםproper and natural phenomena: a) Minimal identification, for example: אלהיםdid not live in the processes of nature but instead controlled them.b) Medium identification, for example: אלהיםwas only at an early stage partly identified with certain natural phenomena.c) Maximal identification, for example: the term אלהיםwas, in a sense, the ancient Israelite concept for what we call ‘Nature’.With regard to (a), one may say that it represents an absolute dichotomy between a natural and a supernatural order of things
The reader not familiar with Varzi’s (2015:n.p.) introduction to philosophical mereology might wonder what on earth this seemingly strange conceptual framework could possibly help the biblical exegete with
As meta-theoretical reflection, this study can be seen as a prolegomenon to a philosophical approach adapted for the modelling of parthood relations between אלהיםentities and natural phenomena in the worlds of the text
Summary
In Hebrew Bible (HB) studies, there are generally three views of the relation between אלהיםproper and natural phenomena: a) Minimal identification, for example: אלהיםdid not live in the processes of nature but instead controlled them (cf. Kaufmann 1972:70).b) Medium identification, for example: אלהיםwas only at an early stage partly identified with certain natural phenomena (cf. Eichrodt 1967:262).c) Maximal identification, for example: the term אלהיםwas, in a sense, the ancient Israelite concept for what we call ‘Nature’ (cf. Robinson 1946:1).With regard to (a), one may say that it represents an absolute dichotomy between a natural and a supernatural order of things. In Hebrew Bible (HB) studies, there are generally three views of the relation between אלהיםproper and natural phenomena: a) Minimal identification, for example: אלהיםdid not live in the processes of nature but instead controlled them (cf Kaufmann 1972:70). B) Medium identification, for example: אלהיםwas only at an early stage partly identified with certain natural phenomena (cf Eichrodt 1967:262). With regard to (a), one may say that it represents an absolute dichotomy between a natural and a supernatural order of things. This is despite the fact that the HB has no reference to a realm of אלהיםwholly outside of the cosmos (‘heaven’ is not another dimension). In (c) the natural/supernatural distinction in relation to אלהיםcollapses, with what it meant being reduced to the natural word
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