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Matthew's infancy narrative has been likened to Jewish midrash because it made a fanciful use of Old Testament material to create a plausible, or at least useful, account of the nativity. The author decided to draw a parallel between Jesus and his father Joseph, and Moses and his forefather Joseph.
First, Matthew had to create a genealogy that showed an uncanny parallel. Just as the father of Joseph in the Old Testament was called Jacob, so the father of Matthew's Joseph was to be called Jacob (in Luke's Gospel, Joseph's father was called Heli). Matthew went further, not only was Jesus descended from Zorobabel and King David, but he could prove by numerology that Jesus was destined to be the Messiah. He demonstrated that there were 14 generations: from Abraham to David; from David to Josiah; from Josiah to Jesus. To do this, he had to ignore 3 kings in the Old Testament and have David in the preceding (as 14) and following (as 1) groups, but not so Josiah. Raymond E. Brown (An Introduction to the New Testament) says that there is little likelihood that Matthew's genealogy is strictly historical.
The infancy account of the flight to Egypt has parallels in the Old Testament account of Joseph, and the accounts of Herod's Slaughter of the Innocents has close parallels in the Old Testament account of the slaughter of the Hebrew infants by the pharaoh. The Star of Bethlehem was never mentioned by any of the numerous scholars and astrologers in the Near East and elsewhere during the reign of King Herod. But there was a strange star that raised a great deal of speculation about kings and Messiahs, and it occurred only about two decades before Matthew was actually written.
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Were the writers of the Infancy Narratives inspired by God?
If the authors of the Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke were not inspired by God, it is hard to know how they had such detailed knowledge that they disclose in their narratives nearly a century after the birth of Jesus.On the other hand, if they really were inspired by God, we could expect that both Infancy Narratives would be in substantial agreement as to the facts. Yet it would be hard to imagine two accounts that could differ so dramatically in describing the same event. Either:Nazareth was the home of Joseph and Mary, or Bethlehem was;Either the young family fled from Bethlehem to Egypt after the birth of Jesus, or they travelled peacefully to Jerusalem only a few weeks after the birth, then returned home to Nazareth;Either Joseph and Mary were returning home from Egypt to Bethlehem after the death of Herod but, being warned in a dream , turned aside and travelled to Nazareth instead, or they went immediately to Nazareth just a few weeks after the birth of Jesus;Either the angel told Joseph that the virgin Mary was to have a baby, or he told Mary - the two accounts can not both have been true;Either the father of Joseph was called Heli, or he was called Jacob.This analysis tells us that the evangelists were writing midrash and were not inspired by God.
Why did Abraham destroy the idols?
A:The well-known story of Abraham discovering monotheism as a young boy is not to be found in the Bible and has no scriptural support. In this midrash Abram (later Abraham), while still a young boy, realised that his father's idols had no power and that there is but one God. To prove his point, Abram smashed all the idols but one, then told his father that the surviving idol had destroyed all the others. Abram's father said the idol had no power to do this because it was only a statue, thereby (according to the midrash) proving Abram's point. Bruce Feiler (Abraham) says that probably less than one per cent of the stories told about Abraham appear in the Bible, with an explosion of detail beginning to appear in Jewish tradition from the third century BCE onwards. In contrast to the midrash, the Bible itself never credits Abraham with monotheistic beliefs.
Are there 33 steps in Jacob's ladder?
According to an ancient midrash (Tanchuma), as well as Jewish mysticism, Jacob's ladder (Genesis ch.28) had four steps. Bear in mind that it was a spiritual ladder and the steps were not close to each other.
Where was the story of Noah found?
The Bible is silent on where Noah might have been born. Also, I am not aware of any midrash (non-binding Jewish tradition) that seeks to answer this question. If we look back to the very early pagan traditions on which the story of Noah is sometimes considered to have been based, then those traditions usually place his counterpart somewhere in Mesopotamia.
How long did Cain live?
Interestingly enough, neither the Bible nor the Torah have anything to say about the life of Cain apart from his descendants. In most cases, the account will give the children the individual had and follow it with "and his years were" followed by how long they lived. The Midrash, however, suggests that Cain lived to see the seventh generation of his own offspring- Roughly 500 years.Answer:Piecing together two midrashim yields Cain's lifespan as 130 years.
How did the rabbis view the midrash?
The Rabbi's made the Midrash
What is the purpose of the midrash?
The purpose of Midrash is to teach about the Scripture and how to use the Scripture
When was Midrash Shmuel Yeshiva created?
Midrash Shmuel Yeshiva was created in 1993.
How did Matthew use midrash?
A midrash is a form of commentary that attempts to interpret the Bible. Matthew used midrash aggada, a form of story-telling ("Aggada" means "story" or "telling" in Hebrew). Jewish midrashim are often fanciful, but it is not required of the faithful that the literally believe any one midrash. If a better midrash is found, then Jews were permitted to switch allegiances and accept the newer midrash as a true explanation of a biblical text.How many passages unique to Matthew should be termed Christian midrash depends on how broadly we define the term. Certainly, John Shelby Spong calls Matthew's story of the magi, or wise men, Christian midrash. The flight to Egypt, Herod's Slaughter of the Innocents and the journey from Egypt to Nazareth are equally clearly midrash.
What has the author Addison G Wright written?
Addison G. Wright has written: 'The literary genre midrash' -- subject(s): History and criticism, Midrash
What has the author Hillel Copperman written?
Hillel Copperman has written: 'Bi-netivot ha-Midrash' -- subject(s): Bible, Commentaries, Indexes, Midrash rabbah
What is midrash in the sacred text of judaism?
The Midrashim are books that expound upon the narratives of the Torah, providing traditional information to add to the brevity of the narratives.
Where can you find a midrash on pesach?
I've posted two Related Links to Pesach midrashim.Link: Pesach midrashLink 2: Pesach midrash
What type of work can be done in a beit midrash?
leg waxing
When were the midrashim written?
The midrashim (plural) were put in writing over a period of about six hundred years, depending upon which Midrash one is asking about. The content of the midrashim, however, dates back many centuries before they were put into writing. For example, one midrash whose core material dates all the way back (part of the Oral Torah), is the Torat Kohanim, a halakhic midrash on Leviticus. It was put in writing shortly after the Talmud (early 6th century CE); as were the Midrash Rabbah, Sifrei, Mechilta, and others (Pirkei Rabbi Eliezer, Alphabet of Rabbi Akiva, etc).Midrashim which were put in writing later include the Yalkut Shimoni and Yalkut Reuveini (c.11th century CE).
What is a Jewish house of learning?
It's called the house of study, and is known in Hebrew as a beth midrash. Batei midrash (that's the plural) exist in many styles and sizes and sometimes function as a synagogue or yeshiva as well. Jews go there and study/learn from Torah-texts etc. Batei midrash have existed since ancient times.
What has the author Jo Milgrom written?
Jo Milgrom has written: 'Handmade Midrash' -- subject(s): Activity programs, Bible, Illustrations, Jewish religious education, Midrash, Sacrifice, Study, Study and teaching
