Question 1-
View the supplemental materials on origins of Ancient Israel. The first is a video trailer for the animated movie The Prince of Egypt. It follows the Biblical story of the Exodus and the Israelites being led out of Egypt by Moses. The second supplemental piece is an article that describes a different origin of the Ancient Israelites. The two pieces are meant to be viewed/read in contrast to one another. How do the two presentations of Israel’s origin compare to one another? What are the main differences? Per the lecture notes on the role of the academic study of religion, which piece (the video or the article) seems to represent the academic approach? Why is the religious/faith approach different than the academic approach? That is, why is the biblical story an essential aspect of Jewish faith?
Second part
Question 2-
After reading the section in the book and in the lecture on the Holocaust, and after watching the videos from Elie Wiesel, please explain the positions different Jewish groups take on God in reaction to the Holocaust. Given the history of the ancient Hebrews and Israelites explained in the reading, why did/do some Jews believe that the Holocaust was a punishment from God? That is, what is it about the events of their past, and their religious understanding of their covenant with God that would make this a plausible explanation?