Is a woman created in the image of God
Read from the book of Genesis ch. 1and 2.
1. How differently are the God, the creation of the World and humans portrayed there?
2. How do you understand that the humans are created “in the image and likeness of God”?
3. For what purpose did God create humans?
4. Is a woman created in the image of God? (See in the NT 1 Cor 11:7)
Read Gen. 2-3.
5. For what reason is a woman created?
6. Who is guilty and for what in Gen 3?
7. How does the behavior of Adam and Eve characterize them?
8. What is their punishment?
9. How does this story reflect the ancient Hebrews’ views about women?
Read Gen. 4-11.
10. Choose 3 stories from Gen. 4-11. The origin of what does each of them try to explain? What is the theological message or moral of each of them?
11. According to you, what is the overarching or central theme in Gen. 1-11?
12. Find in Gen. 4-11 at least 3 inconsistencies or contradictions, briefly indicate (give references) those “problematic” passages. (For ex. in Gen. 1 the humans are created last (on the 6th day) and both man and woman together, while in the Gen. 2 a man is created before animals and a woman)
Read about Jewish Sabbath from
http://www.jewfaq.org/shabbat.htm
13. Why do the Jews celebrate Sabbath? What do they celebrate? What do they do and what are they forbidden to do (give 3-4 examples) on Sabbath?
Part I
Learn how differently the Jews and Christians understand the creation and further destiny of the humans. (Gen. 1-3)
14. Read from the apocryphal/deuterocanonical book Ecclesiasticus, or The Wisdom of Jesus Son of Sirach (usually called simply Sirach- written in the 2nd cent. B.C. E) Sir.1:1-20; 15:11-20; 16:24-17:17;
from the apocryphal/deuterocanonical book Wisdom of Solomon (1st cen. B.C. E.) Wis. 6:17-20 and from the canonical book of Proverbs (4th cent. B.C.E.) 3:13-18; 8:22-36.
Briefly answer the following questions:
a) What does the author of Sirach omit when he retells us the story about the creation of man (Sir. 16:24-17:17)? What does he say about the humans’ ability to make right choices (Sir.15:11-20)?
b) What is the role of Wisdom and the divine instruction (=Torah) in creation and in the destiny of humans (Sir. 1:1-20; Wis. 6:17-20; Prov. 3:13-18; 8:22-36)?
15. What is the traditional Christian understanding of Adam’s and Eve’s sin and its consequences (see Romans 5:12-21; 7:15-25(NT sec.)) and how does it differ from the Jewish one?
Part II
The origin of what does the story about Noah and his sons (in Gen 9) try to explain? Who are the descendants of Ham, Shem and Japheth? Where do they live?
Read Gen. 12, 13, 15. 17.
Answer the following questions:
16. a) What is promised to Abraham by God in Gen. 12:1-9 and Gen. 13:14-18? How are these promises accomplished throughout the story (Gen. 12-21)?
b) How do these promises differ from those in Gen. 15:13-16?
c) What is the unique feature of the covenant made between God and Abraham in Gen. 17? How does this covenant differ from the covenant with Noah? What is the sign of the covenant in Gen. 17?
17.. Try to find out what your name means. Who gave you your name? Why?
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