Lent started this week. This is the first year I haven't given up something (because my health and fitness goals are actually being accomplished); instead, I'm taking on increased study of the Bible and Christianity in general. So I'm reading the Bible straight through. Or, rather, picking up where I left off in the Bible last year.
As I was searching for my page, I came across an interesting law in Deuteronomy. The passage caught my eye because it raises a very relevant question when reading Deuteronomy: "WHO DECIDED THERE NEEDED TO BE A RULE FOR THIS?" Obviously, it was a problem, or nobody would bother writing it down, right?
The rule is from Deuteronomy 25:11-12:
"(11) If men get into a fight with one another, and the wife of one intervenes to rescue her husband from the grip of his opponent by reaching out and seizing his genitals, (12) you shall cut off her hand; show no pity."
This passage is interesting because it demonstrates the highly gendered society that existed in the Biblical era. Instead of addressing the reason the men are fighting, the law concerns cutting off the hand of the woman who tried to distract her husband's opponent. What problem are the Deuteronomy writers trying to solve with this? Who will be helped by this woman losing her hand? Instead of having two people with black eyes and one person with sore genitals, there is an ADDITIONAL injury in the woman who now has only one hand.
Obviously, there was something about this situation that people of the Biblical era had a problem with - most directly, the fact that a woman is touching anyone's crotch, and especially that she has to touch the crotch of a man who is not her husband. Is this some sort of rendition of coveting someone else's spouse?
It can't be - the text specifically says that the woman is reaching out "to rescue her husband from the grip of his opponent." To me, her tactic seems to be a clever idea. From what I understand, mens' genitals are very sensitive, so it would seem like a good idea to distract him by grabbing at his most sensitive area. The wife is not grabbing this man's crotch in any way EXCEPT to distract him from hurting her husband. And yet the woman is the one whose hand will be cut off. Why is this?
Does anyone know?
Friday, February 20, 2015
Monday, February 16, 2015
On Snow Days
Tomorrow is a snow day at my school. While I love snow days, sometimes they irk me.
I have come to subscribe to the notion that doing all your homework the day before a snow day will increase the chances of getting the day off, or at least a delay. While this frees up time the next day to do productive things (laundry, more homework, go to the gym, editing intern applications), it also allows time for less productive things (frolic, sleep in, don't go to the gym, spend all day playing iPhone games instead of doing homework).
If it were later in the semester - if, perhaps, the snow day were next week - I would be more in a rhythm of doing smart things. I would have already translated today, and some archaeology reading would be done. I would reserve most of tomorrow for the intern applications and a few hours of Greek; instead, tomorrow is ALL OF THE HOMEWORK! (Okay, not ALL the homework. But maybe more than I should).
All of this is to say that I need to do some Greek before I regret not doing it in the morning.
I have come to subscribe to the notion that doing all your homework the day before a snow day will increase the chances of getting the day off, or at least a delay. While this frees up time the next day to do productive things (laundry, more homework, go to the gym, editing intern applications), it also allows time for less productive things (frolic, sleep in, don't go to the gym, spend all day playing iPhone games instead of doing homework).
If it were later in the semester - if, perhaps, the snow day were next week - I would be more in a rhythm of doing smart things. I would have already translated today, and some archaeology reading would be done. I would reserve most of tomorrow for the intern applications and a few hours of Greek; instead, tomorrow is ALL OF THE HOMEWORK! (Okay, not ALL the homework. But maybe more than I should).
All of this is to say that I need to do some Greek before I regret not doing it in the morning.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Second-Day Update!
This is the Second Day of Classes, and I'm already excited for the semester. I'm only doing one major-relevant class, so this semester is for my minors (and also Archaeology as a lab science, but that's sort of relevant to Classics).
First, I'm doing British Literature II, which covers the late 18th century to the beginning of the 20th. I'm mostly excited for this because the professor seems really cool. I'm mostly taking this because it's one of the required classes for an English major - this is not necessarily my area of interest. (Part I of British Literature covers approximately from Beowulf to Milton, and that was more my area of interest). Nonetheless, it'll be interesting to do a survey course again after taking several 300-level and honors English classes - I haven't done a proper survey course since freshman year.
I'm also taking Greek New Testament, which is exactly what it sounds like. I am EXTREMELY excited for this class; this is the reason I kept up with Greek for so long. (Well, I did also keep up with it so I could do the Classics minor, but I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR GREEK NEW TESTAMENT.) We're mostly doing Luke's writings - the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles. One of the major assignments in this class is to do an exegesis - a focused study on one passage from the Greek New Testament of our choosing. This includes translating the passage, comparing the major Bible editions (King James, Living Bible, etc) to find out which is the most literal translator and which best gets at the idea of the passage. We also have to pick one "very interesting word" to analyze - this could be "hamartia," for "sin" or "mistake" for example - and figure out how it is used and how other people used it. It's really exciting.
I'm also taking Archaeological Methods, which is essentially The Indiana Jones Correction Class. (not really.) We're studying the actual processes of archaeology: yes, killing scorpions is part of the job, but most of it involves digging and carefully cleaning and documenting everything and also trying to avoid bee stings and skin cancer. I'm really excited for this course.
I haven't actually had a class for Advanced News Writing yet, because it meets on Wednesdays, but I'm really excited for it as well. Hopefully, this semester we'll actually do some writing.
First, I'm doing British Literature II, which covers the late 18th century to the beginning of the 20th. I'm mostly excited for this because the professor seems really cool. I'm mostly taking this because it's one of the required classes for an English major - this is not necessarily my area of interest. (Part I of British Literature covers approximately from Beowulf to Milton, and that was more my area of interest). Nonetheless, it'll be interesting to do a survey course again after taking several 300-level and honors English classes - I haven't done a proper survey course since freshman year.
I'm also taking Greek New Testament, which is exactly what it sounds like. I am EXTREMELY excited for this class; this is the reason I kept up with Greek for so long. (Well, I did also keep up with it so I could do the Classics minor, but I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR GREEK NEW TESTAMENT.) We're mostly doing Luke's writings - the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles. One of the major assignments in this class is to do an exegesis - a focused study on one passage from the Greek New Testament of our choosing. This includes translating the passage, comparing the major Bible editions (King James, Living Bible, etc) to find out which is the most literal translator and which best gets at the idea of the passage. We also have to pick one "very interesting word" to analyze - this could be "hamartia," for "sin" or "mistake" for example - and figure out how it is used and how other people used it. It's really exciting.
I'm also taking Archaeological Methods, which is essentially The Indiana Jones Correction Class. (not really.) We're studying the actual processes of archaeology: yes, killing scorpions is part of the job, but most of it involves digging and carefully cleaning and documenting everything and also trying to avoid bee stings and skin cancer. I'm really excited for this course.
I haven't actually had a class for Advanced News Writing yet, because it meets on Wednesdays, but I'm really excited for it as well. Hopefully, this semester we'll actually do some writing.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Game of Thrones Post 3: 4 and 5 (Eddard and Jon)
CHAPTER 4 SUMMARY
Robert Baratheon, King of Westeros, and Ned Stark, Lord of Winterfell, were once really good friends. The closest description that George R. R. Martin has gotten to actual ages is that Rob and Ned are no longer super-attractive 20-something-year-olds at the peak of their physical prowess. (Robert's physical decline is especially noticeable, apparently; he seems to have swung from "20-something with washboard abs" to "40/50 something with several chins"). In private, as Robert visits the grave of Ned's sister, the two discuss Ned becoming the Hand of the King. This sounds like basically the worst job ever - the king just gets to do whatever he chooses, and the Hand of the King is the one who actually gets it done. You could say that the King is the brain and the Hand is the brawn, but it seems a bit more complicated than that.
At the end of the chapter, Robert mentions that Joffrey and Sansa should get married, so the Baratheon and stark houses can properly be united. (It would seem that Rob marrying Ned's sister, Lyanna, would have done that, but then she died.) Anyway, he says their children don't have to get married yet, since Sansa is 11 and Joffrey is 12, but they should at least be engaged. Somehow this doesn't seem like a good idea.
QUESTIONS FOR THIS CHAPTER:
1. Did the relationship between Rob and Ned deteriorate because they landed in two different environments, or did something else happen?
2. If Rob and Ned have barely spoken since they helped Rob take the Iron Throne, why does Rob trust Ned so much?
3. What is the point of the Hand of the King position? Is this some kind of advisor, or was the role created by someone who wanted to run the throne without ACTUALLY having the responsibility of the throne?
4. When was the Hand of the King created? Is it something that Aerys Targaryen had when he was king? Is it something Rob brought up?
OTHER CHARACTERS MENTIONED HERE:
Tyrion Lannister - called "The Imp," because he is super clever and he is a Little Person (not some High Fantasy Archetype of someone three inches tall - Tyrion is a human whose endocrine gland didn't release enough growth hormones).
Cersei Lannister - Rob's wife. Jamie's twin. Apparently she turns out to be one of the strongest women in the series.
Jamie Lannister - Cersei's twin brother. Is he the Kingkiller?
Sandor Clegane
Tywin Lannister
Lysa Arrys
Rickard Stark - Ned's father, deceased
Brandon Stark - Ned's brother, deceased
Lyanna Stark - Ned's sister, formerly engaged to Robert Barantheon; she asked to be buried in the Stark crypt and not among the Barantheons
Aerys Targaryen - the Mad King whom Rob overthrew. Interesting other side to how Viserys sees the overthrowing.
CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY
At the welcoming feast for the royal family, Jon Snow is excluded from the Table of Important People because Robert might take offense to the bastard. (Seeing as Rob appears as the sort of man who has fathered a lot of bastards, I don't think he'd mind, but that's just me). Jon is not part of the Main Table, and that is that.
This gives him the chance to talk to Benjen Stark, Ned's brother and a member of the Night's Watch. Jon wants to join the Watch, but Ben essentially tells Jon that Jon is too young, too drunk, and still a virgin, so Jon has no idea what he's missing. Ben also tells Jon to get older and get laid, and then to consider joining.
This upsets Jon, who goes outside, followed by his direwolf, Ghost. Tyrion Lannister follows, and it becomes LIFE ADVICE CORNER WITH TYRION LANNISTER: that Jon should make being a bastard his armor, not his weakness, so it could never hurt him. Tyrion also says that "not all bastards need to be dwarfs," which is kind of important.
QUESTIONS:
1. is there an age limit on joining the Night's Watch?
2. What does Tyrion do in his spare time?
Robert Baratheon, King of Westeros, and Ned Stark, Lord of Winterfell, were once really good friends. The closest description that George R. R. Martin has gotten to actual ages is that Rob and Ned are no longer super-attractive 20-something-year-olds at the peak of their physical prowess. (Robert's physical decline is especially noticeable, apparently; he seems to have swung from "20-something with washboard abs" to "40/50 something with several chins"). In private, as Robert visits the grave of Ned's sister, the two discuss Ned becoming the Hand of the King. This sounds like basically the worst job ever - the king just gets to do whatever he chooses, and the Hand of the King is the one who actually gets it done. You could say that the King is the brain and the Hand is the brawn, but it seems a bit more complicated than that.
At the end of the chapter, Robert mentions that Joffrey and Sansa should get married, so the Baratheon and stark houses can properly be united. (It would seem that Rob marrying Ned's sister, Lyanna, would have done that, but then she died.) Anyway, he says their children don't have to get married yet, since Sansa is 11 and Joffrey is 12, but they should at least be engaged. Somehow this doesn't seem like a good idea.
QUESTIONS FOR THIS CHAPTER:
1. Did the relationship between Rob and Ned deteriorate because they landed in two different environments, or did something else happen?
2. If Rob and Ned have barely spoken since they helped Rob take the Iron Throne, why does Rob trust Ned so much?
3. What is the point of the Hand of the King position? Is this some kind of advisor, or was the role created by someone who wanted to run the throne without ACTUALLY having the responsibility of the throne?
4. When was the Hand of the King created? Is it something that Aerys Targaryen had when he was king? Is it something Rob brought up?
OTHER CHARACTERS MENTIONED HERE:
Tyrion Lannister - called "The Imp," because he is super clever and he is a Little Person (not some High Fantasy Archetype of someone three inches tall - Tyrion is a human whose endocrine gland didn't release enough growth hormones).
Cersei Lannister - Rob's wife. Jamie's twin. Apparently she turns out to be one of the strongest women in the series.
Jamie Lannister - Cersei's twin brother. Is he the Kingkiller?
Sandor Clegane
Tywin Lannister
Lysa Arrys
Rickard Stark - Ned's father, deceased
Brandon Stark - Ned's brother, deceased
Lyanna Stark - Ned's sister, formerly engaged to Robert Barantheon; she asked to be buried in the Stark crypt and not among the Barantheons
Aerys Targaryen - the Mad King whom Rob overthrew. Interesting other side to how Viserys sees the overthrowing.
CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY
At the welcoming feast for the royal family, Jon Snow is excluded from the Table of Important People because Robert might take offense to the bastard. (Seeing as Rob appears as the sort of man who has fathered a lot of bastards, I don't think he'd mind, but that's just me). Jon is not part of the Main Table, and that is that.
This gives him the chance to talk to Benjen Stark, Ned's brother and a member of the Night's Watch. Jon wants to join the Watch, but Ben essentially tells Jon that Jon is too young, too drunk, and still a virgin, so Jon has no idea what he's missing. Ben also tells Jon to get older and get laid, and then to consider joining.
This upsets Jon, who goes outside, followed by his direwolf, Ghost. Tyrion Lannister follows, and it becomes LIFE ADVICE CORNER WITH TYRION LANNISTER: that Jon should make being a bastard his armor, not his weakness, so it could never hurt him. Tyrion also says that "not all bastards need to be dwarfs," which is kind of important.
QUESTIONS:
1. is there an age limit on joining the Night's Watch?
2. What does Tyrion do in his spare time?
Monday, February 2, 2015
Being Home
It's always interesting to come home for Jterm break. Everyone's already left for spring semester, so there is nobody to provide distraction as I write way too much and knit ALL THE THINGS.
To be perfectly honest, the lack of people my age is the least of my worries when I'm home for Jterm break. The bigger worries involve internships. It's nice to have a lot of time to look through internship websites and not have to worry about getting any homework done on top of it. At the same time, looking for somewhere to work is the last thing I want to be doing right now. It's tedious, but it will (hopefully) pay off in the long run.
Admittedly, it's difficult to see the point in looking for internships this early, but it's important. This is when people are hiring. In fact, I've had to click away from several good-looking opportunities because the deadline was halfway through January. Is anyone looking for internships that early? (I suppose that is the point; the companies only want people who take the initiative to look for internships the day after Christmas).
Well, that's all I have for now. I know this is short, but I'm off to work on important things. Farewell.
To be perfectly honest, the lack of people my age is the least of my worries when I'm home for Jterm break. The bigger worries involve internships. It's nice to have a lot of time to look through internship websites and not have to worry about getting any homework done on top of it. At the same time, looking for somewhere to work is the last thing I want to be doing right now. It's tedious, but it will (hopefully) pay off in the long run.
Admittedly, it's difficult to see the point in looking for internships this early, but it's important. This is when people are hiring. In fact, I've had to click away from several good-looking opportunities because the deadline was halfway through January. Is anyone looking for internships that early? (I suppose that is the point; the companies only want people who take the initiative to look for internships the day after Christmas).
Well, that's all I have for now. I know this is short, but I'm off to work on important things. Farewell.
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