[DOWNLOAD] "Masking Moses and Mosaic Authority in Torah." by Journal of Biblical Literature * eBook PDF Kindle ePub Free

eBook details

Title: Masking Moses and Mosaic Authority in Torah.
Author : Journal of Biblical Literature
Release Date : January 22, 2000
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines,Books,Professional & Technical,Education,
Pages : * pages
Size : 233 KB

Description

Exodus 34:29-35 tells how Moses acquired shining skin on the mountain of God and why he needed to veil his face after descending. The episode takes place after the final mountaintop encounter between Yahweh and Moses in Exodus 34. The basic message of the story is clear enough: Private theophany is so intense that Moses is transformed, which results in his facial skin radiating the afterglow of God even when he descends the mountain. But the literary structure and function of the story are more complex. The problem with literary structure is that the story is at once a past narrative (vv. 29-33) and a paradigm for continual ritual practice (vv. 34-35). (1) Exodus 34:29-33 begins with an account of Moses' descent from the mountain with shining skin ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII], v. 29). The leaders react with fear at the sight of Moses' face (v. 30), but return upon hearing his voice (v. 31). Moses then mediates divine law (v. 32) and upon completion covers his face with a veil ([TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII], v. 33). Past narrative gives way to an account of continual ritual practice in Exod 34:34-35. The closing verses state that whenever Moses would enter to speak with Yahweh he removed his veil to receive revelation and to communicate it to Israel. Once divine law was mediated, Moses would cover his face with the veil. The account of continual ritual practice raises a question concerning the function of this episode in the subsequent portrayal of Moses within the Pentateuch, since it suggests that Israel's perception of Moses continued to be restricted to his shining skin during cultic revelation and his veil at all other times.