This was it, the final story of our epic! The Battle of Jericho isn't actually a part of Exodus, but it's a really good final story for us, because it gets the Children of Israel settled into their promised land, a great way to wrap the whole thing up. Above is J's story drawing of the elders of the Hebrew people marching around the walls of Jericho. Below is Zoo Boy's drawing of the two spies that Joshua sent into Jericho, about to take refuge in Rahab's house. (Finally, at the end of it all, a strong, important woman!)
Above is J's story summary, below is Zoo Boy's.
Just a couple more days to bring the story back into the present and wrap up our semester! It's been a great ride, we really enjoyed this culture and the epic. But now I'm ready to coast our way into the holidays and get ready for this baby!
6 comments:
How did the boys like this story? When I read it recently (granted, as an adult), i was very worried about the people of Jericho. I mean, what did they ever do to anyone? Did the boys take it as a historical happening or did they wonder about the injustice of it, or did it seem just because the land was promised to the Israelites? J's picture is FANTASTIC :)
Alyss, they seemed to take it as historically inevitable, given that the land was promised to them. I don't think they thought about it from the perspective of the residents of Jericho. I mean, there was just SO much violence up to this point, they sort of became immune to it I think. (There was so much massacre of the faithless people by Yahweh just previous to this story, I think that seemed much harsher to the boys than an actual battle where people could at least defend themselves.)
Good questions, tho! It would make for an interesting perspectives conversastion, but I think it would be too intense for them to approach in that light.
Yeah, and in Enki and Waldorf the stories are not brought to 8/9/10 year olds to be discussed in that light.. these are stories about people making their lives here on earth, for better or for worse of it all. I wouldn't want to start that conversation with them, but it is always interesting to hear what comes out of their mouths and minds when they hear the stories. What do we get to learn about in the Spring?? :)
:) This coming spring we'll be exploring the Haudenosaunee (Iriquois) culture.
The people of Jericho - and the other cities of Canaan - were not innocent victims. Far from it. They were a very evil and corrupt nation, and had been for over 400 years: as God prophesized to Abraham, "their sin had run its course." They practiced male and female temple prostitution, rampant incest and bestiality, and offered their own children as burnt sacrifices to their idols. They had ample time to change their ways - they'd heard about the plagues of Egypt and knew for 40 years that the Hebrews were coming their way. As the example of Rahab shows, there was a possibility of mercy, even up to the final days, but they would not turn from evil, so in the end, they had to be brought to justice so that they would not corrupt the all-too-easily-corruptable Israelites. As harsh as it seems to us sheltered moderns, there was no other way.
Rahab IS a very strong and important woman, worthy of the highest respect, but she is not the only such woman in the Old Testament. Many of the women have showed their strength in their own ways - which are not modern ways but those of their own time and place - but my favorites are Shiphrah and Puah, the brave Hebrew midwives who defied Pharoah's orders and let the baby boys live. And don't forget Miriam, who even in childhood had the courage and quick thinking to help preserve her baby brother's life, and who grew up to be the first recorded prophetess in Israel's history!
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