The Bible
1.“Deeper” meanings
Imagine that you are Christian allegorist intent on uncovering the “deeper” or “spiritual” meaning concealed in the story of Noah’s flood, or in that of the Israelites safely crossing the Red Sea as Moses miraculously parts the waters, or in that of the announcement of Sarah’s unlikely pregnancy. How about the idea that the tree in Eden, like Noah’s ark, is made of wood? As a Christian allegorist, you would assume (as one of the rules of your interpretive matrix) that according to an earlier event in the Hebrew scriptures will likely predict a later event in the New Testament. What future events in the New Testament can you argue are foreshadowed—according to a Christian interpretation—by such episodes in the “Old” Testament? Choose two or three significant moments in Genesis and/or Exodus which, looking below the literal surface of the story, a Christian interpreter would see a clear prototype of something in the New Testament. You should choose either two or three relevant examples to discuss in detail, but be sure not to pick one which has already been discussed in the lecture. (BTW, “prediction” means to “speak ahead,” and “prototype” means “a picture before.”)

1. Knowledge: Disclosure and Secrecy
   Choose a scene, or scenes, in Genesis or in Luke where some kind of knowledge is represented. For instance, when “his disciples asked him what [a] parable meant,” Jesus answers: “to you, it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others, I speak in parables so that ‘looking they may not perceive, and listening they may not understand’” (Luke 8: 9-12). And yet, at other moments, Jesus seems to be preaching publicly to large crowds. According to one scholar writing with the parable in mind, “the history of interpretation may be thought of as a history of exclusions. . .we must ask what it means to be an insider and what it is that keeps outsiders outside.” To take another example from Luke, Jesus says to his disciples, “‘Listen to what I have to tell you. The Son of Man is to be given up to the power of men.’ But they did not understand what he said; its meaning had been hidden from them so that they could not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it’” (Luke 9:43). What is the “hidden” meaning in this passage—that is, what does Jesus know, and they don’t? Why are the disciples “afraid to ask”? Why is it hidden? Is it just that the disciples don’t get it, or does Jesus intend to hide his meaning for some reason? Does Luke reveal it at the end? Is there an example of open or hidden knowledge in Genesis? Write a paper that explores the representation of this (and other) instances of the relationship between dissemination (of the Word) to all, and concealment—the sense that there are private or sacred matters than can only be known to an elect few. Hint: go to a Bible concordance online and search for the word “secret” in the four Gospels.
2. Women
   Although the Bible (particularly the Hebrew Scriptures) portrays a patriarchal society, where women are most marginalized and subordinate to men, there are occasions where women stand out. The most prominent among such women is Eve, the mother of mankind, Sarah, the mother of the “chosen people” in Genesis, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the New Testament. All three receive the word of God, but each reacts in her own way to the message. Eve, for example, challenges the divine order to eat from the tree of knowledge, for better or worse. Sarah seems to laugh at the idea that she will be able to conceive a child at such an old age (one may ask: does she not trust God?), while Mary shows a complete abandonment to “the call” and a faith in God, like no other. With that in mind, how can we interpret the different responses and actions of these women, and how can we compare them with each other? In other words, can you construct an argument that connects these three women as representing a kind of subplot in a world otherwise dominated by men?

The Odyssey

1. Women
   Although a casual reading of The Odyssey might suggest that it aims to celebrate the masculine prowess of heroic men such as Odysseus, female characters emerge as prominent figures throughout the story. Build an argument analyzing the representation of women in The Odyssey. Focus your analysis on 2-3 scenes in which the question of gender comes into play. For instance, you might turn your attention to characters such as Penelope, Arete, Calypso, Circe, Eurycleia, Helen, Clytemnestra, Athena, or others.
2. Bards
   The text of the Odyssey, as we know, is the transcription of an art form that was originally performed as a song or a sequence of songs— as the literal meaning of the Greek word “epos ” suggests. The trace of oral performance remains in the text in the figure of the bard, the singer whose calling is to provide the entertainment, so to speak. But his is actually a much more significant role in the poem. Your assignment is to analyze the importance of such performances and then, in the end, to offer a more general account of the bards’ function in the epic based on your analysis of the various occasions on which they perform. Your primary example for analysis should be the account of the bard’s performance at the court of Alcinous in Book VIII.

Sample Solution