Ask an Israelite Revivalist

[Orecha]

Like all of the other "ask" threads, except this one is about Israelite religious culture!

So that it is clear, "Israelite" here refers to the distinct traditions of the religious culture of the Israelite Confederation that evolved from the Late Bronze Age (1400s BCE) through the Middle Iron Age (700/600s BCE). Classical culture, from around 539 BCE, would be more properly "Judahite." Around 200 BCE would begin "Early Judaism," with Judaism proper, "Rabbinic Judaism" starting around 200 CE with the codification of the Mishnah. Therefore "Israelite religion" does not equal "Judaism."

While I'm an orecha, a practitioner of Orach Qad'moni, and that is the tradition that I can answer the most about, I'm an anthropologist of religion from Emory University with a focus on Late Bronze Age through Early Iron Age Middle Eastern religious culture. That means that I know a great deal about the varied religions of the time in that area and how they related to one another. I'm not a "pop" scientist. I operate only with the most cutting edge, peer reviewed science. That means you won't see answers relating to the works of Raphael Patai or other theories dismissed by the scholarly community. When I answer a question, I'll be clear whether I'm answering as an orecha or as a scientist.

So have at it! Ask me anything that pertains to Israelite revivalism or traditional Israelite religious cultures.

[Gleb]

Re: Ask an Israelite Revivalist

How does your religion differ from Judaism? (Except the time factor)

[Malflick]

Re: Ask an Israelite Revivalist

What is Israelite Reconstruction-ism? Is it Monothiestic? Polythiestic? Henothiestic? Something else?

[Orecha]

Re: Ask an Israelite Revivalist

What is Israelite Reconstruction-ism? Is it Monothiestic? Polythiestic? Henothiestic? Something else?

Well, Israelite revivalism is by no means the property of a single group. Orach Qad'moni is monolatrous panentheism. Ancient Israelites were primarily monolatrous. Monolatrism is the belief that many gods exist, yet only one is deserving of worship. It differs from henothesim, which is the belief in a single deity without denying that other gods may exist and can be worshiped. Panentheism is the belief that the universe is a component of god while god is also beyond the universe. As such, Orach Qad'moni believes in many gods that are all part of the Deity, Y'howeh, who is the Elohei Yis'ra'el (God of Israel) and the Ba'al B'rit (Lord of the Covenant). Therefore, since all gods, animals, plants, etc. are part of Y'howeh, we see the other gods as inferior, essentially on the same level as humans, despite having more power.

Historically speaking, monotheism proper did not come into being until after the Israelite period, so we tend to avoid strict monotheism. Additionally, Israelite religion evolved after true polytheism began to disappear in the Levant during the Bronze Age Collapse.

So I guess the answer to your question is "something else."

How does your religion differ from Judaism? (Except the time factor)

Hmmm... That's a complicated one!
Best way to answer is with a detailed timeline, I suppose.

Israelite religion evolved out of Canaanite polytheism. Starting with the reforms of kings Hezekiah and Josiah, traditional Israelite religion began to change. They centralized the religion around the Jerusalem Temple. During the Babylonian Captivity, the traditional Israelite calendar was replaced with a hybridized Babylonian version. Upon the reconstruction of the Jerusalem Temple, the Judahite period officially began. The Temple cult was strengthened and sacrifices became a more regular occurrence. During the Hellenic period, after Alexander the Great conquered the area, worship became increasingly European. Sacrifices became separated from consumption and became a massive industry. Then, in the Roman period, Judahite religion began to progress into Judaism. The first rabbis come on the scene. The Mishnah and Talmud, which form the core of Jewish religious belief are written. Fast forward to the Middle Ages and Kabbalah and the core of modern Jewish law evolve. Then in the 1800s, Reform, Orthodox, and Conservative movements are created, in that order, and modern Judaism is born.

So here are a few things Judaism has that Orach Qad'moni doesn't:

• head coverings (kippah/yarmulke)
• synagogues
• rabbis
• the Mishnah and Talmud
• the prayer services done in synagogues
• certain shabbat rules
• certain holidays (and the way they work)
• mandated fast days
• Modern Jewish culture (Ashkenazi, Sephardi, etc.)
• strict monotheism
• sectarianism

Here are a few things that we have that Judaism doesn't:

• a true lunar calendar with Hebrew/Canaanite month names
• a lot more holidays
• libations
• different prayers
• monolatrous panentheism
• religious vegetarianism
• ritual sex
• nude ritual
• egalitarianism
• priests and priestesses
• regular feasts and bonfire holidays
• earth centered religious traditions
• strong belief in the supernatural worlds
• ritual tattooing and piercing
• more life cycle phases and rites of passage
• tribal organization and cultural standards
• acceptance of "nontraditional" families, including LGBT individuals and poly families

I hope that answers your question, or a least is heading in the right direction. If you have more specific questions on that, let me know.

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It is as they say - the more, the better.
To be more specific, I am more interested in the commandments and laws of your faith.

We're actually working on editing/translating an Iron Age bible. Basically, it's Genesis, most of Exodus, and part of Numbers. While some of the Deuteronomic Core is from an earlier phase, most of Leviticus and Deuteronomy was written after 620 BCE, which is nearing the Classical period and outside of Orach Qad'moni's time frame. As I said above, we do not follow the Mishnah or Talmud, which form the core of Jewish belief.

More specifically:

• We don't have sacrifices. The primary reason is that, despite what people assume, sacrifice was not a big part of Israelite religion. It became central during the later Judahite period. Another reason is that what sacrifices did occur among some tribes happened in relation to eating meat. In order to eat meat, it had to be sacrificed. So, since we follow the traditions of certain Israelite groups that practiced religious vegetarianism, we don't do sacrifices.
• We promote earth-centered spirituality. We believe that our purpose as spirited and conscious beings is to care for the earth.
• We have a fairly complicated system of holidays that are quite numerous.
• We have a weekly Shabat. Though the ancient Israelites followed a lunar week instead of our perpetual one, we know that it would be hard to force a day of rest that moves through the work week. We therefore settled on Saturday, like modern Judaism. There are rules as to what cannot be done on this day, like lighting a fire, but there are far less than in Rabbinic Judaism.

[yummypie]

Re: Ask an Israelite Revivalist

Does Israelite revivalism involve keping kosher?

[Orecha]

Re: Ask an Israelite Revivalist

Does Israelite revivalism involve keping kosher?

It can. Again, it depends entirely on the particular revivalist movement.
In Orach Qad'moni, since we advocate religious vegetarianism, we're "kosher" by default, as all biblical kashrut halakhot (the kosher laws) relate to consumption of animal matter. We would not be considered kosher to the highest standards of Orthodox Judaism, however, since we do not follow the rules laid down in the Mishnah and Talmud.

Most Israelite revivalists would maintain some form of food taboos, however, since anthropologically speaking, it would be impossible to resurrect Israelite society without them. As for which food taboos would be included, it would depend on what era the group is trying to revive, as well as the particular tribal interpretations. I can't really speak for other Israelite revivalist movements on this, though, as to my knowledge, Orach Qad'moni is currently the only extant one. The somewhat related, though quite different, Jewish Pagan movements would also have to speak for themselves on this subject.


Some related science:
Using archaeology, we can get a good picture of what ancient peoples ate. We get this information primarily from digging through trash dumps and sewage disposal areas. We know from the archaeological record that Israelites avoided the consumption of pigs, camels, rodents, predators, and most birds even before the core of the bible was written and that their western neighbors, the Philistines, had no such reservations. We also know that in the early (pre-Hezekiah) kingdom and earlier, meat consumption among Israelites was low, especially among the more rural locales where meat consumption was almost completely lacking.

When you consider Israelite culture, limited meat consumption makes sense. Contrary to popular belief, ancient Israel was predominantly agricultural, not pastoral. The image of the wandering shepherds come from a misunderstanding/mistranslation about Abraham (a topic for another discussion). In this agricultural society, the average rural farmer had a small plot of land. That land was necessary to feed their families, especially in the period prior to the invention of monetary systems (650 BCE). If you raised animals, part of the food you grew had to feed those animals. Therefore, the more animals you had, the less food you had for yourself and your family. Most Israelite families owned a single cow, or maybe two, to assist with plowing. This was because a cow requires a minimum of 4000 lbs of food per year (around 2 acres of grass/grain), a cost too great to afford more than 2. If you killed your cow for beef, sure, you could eat for a few months on the cured meat, but you would have lost your plow and pack animal. Sheep and goats were rarely killed due to their value on the farm as well. Sheep produce wool for the length of their lives, and both sheep and goats produce dairy products (the majority of dairy from the region was sheep or goat). Even still, you could not own too many due to land resource restrictions. On top of this, there was an early religious drive to be vegetarian among Israelites (though this could be a reaction of the culture to the shift toward agriculturalism). All of this contributed to a largely vegetarian diet.

When monetary systems were introduced to the area in around 650 BCE, the religion shifted with the specialization of society. As people could now specialize in certain fields and sell their services, the land restrictions on animal raising became a thing of the past. Now some people could convert their farms to livestock raising. As a result, meat consumption increased, and, therefore, so did sacrifices. As sacrifices increase, the push to centralize the sacrificial cult to the Jerusalem Temple also increased, and King Josiah instituted his famous reforms that became the Book of Deuteronomy. By centralizing sacrifices, he centralized the meat industry, and allowed for more accurate taxation on said industry. Fast forward into the Second Temple, and now Leviticus is in full use. All of the really sloppy rules for meat consumption and sacrifice come from this period, as does the majority of the rules on what is and isn't kosher.


Thanks for all of the questions and interest thus far.
Keep 'em coming guys!

[thalassa]

Re: Ask an Israelite Revivalist

What does the role of scripture play in your religion?

Specifically, the mythology of Genesis and the ideas of sin?

[Aeran]

Re: Ask an Israelite Revivalist

Which sources is the reconstructionist movement drawn from? it sounds like there's a lot of archaeological influence, are there any surviving texts from the period, or historical accounts of practices?

Do you practice in a group, or by yourself? Is there a wider movement for this belief system?

How did you come to adopt this religion? Is it something you felt drawn to during your study, or did you start studying religion/anthropology after adopting it? Were you raised Jewish/do you have cultural or genetic ties to Israel?

To what extent does your faith tie into the land and geography of Israel, and the Middle East in general?

What does your routine within the religion look like? Do you perform rituals/prayers? Attend any kind of group setting?

[Rowanwood]

Re: Ask an Israelite Revivalist

First, let me say this sounds very neat -- oddly reminiscent of Asatru, though primarily just due to the level of detail and obvious study involved.

Do you consider this a reconstructionist faith or a unbroken lineage type religion?

[Orecha]

Re: Ask an Israelite Revivalist

What does the role of scripture play in your religion?

Specifically, the mythology of Genesis and the ideas of sin?

do have chet', which can be translated as "sin," but doesn't come with the connotations and cultural baggage that "sin" has in the western mind. It's more like "missing the mark." It comes from a root meaning "to miss the mark; to stumble." Chet' is seen as a sort of spiritual baggage picked up through one's life that blocks a person from connecting, to man, to god, to the universe, and to themselves. Chet' can be alleviated by making amends to whatever/whomever against which you have committed offense. As for how that is done, it depends on the offense.

Which sources is the reconstructionist movement drawn from? it sounds like there's a lot of archaeological influence, are there any surviving texts from the period, or historical accounts of practices?

Do you practice in a group, or by yourself? Is there a wider movement for this belief system?

How did you come to adopt this religion? Is it something you felt drawn to during your study, or did you start studying religion/anthropology after adopting it? Were you raised Jewish/do you have cultural or genetic ties to Israel?

To what extent does your faith tie into the land and geography of Israel, and the Middle East in general?

What does your routine within the religion look like? Do you perform rituals/prayers? Attend any kind of group setting?

Lots of questions!
We rely on a great deal of research for the core -- mostly cutting edge archaeology and textual analysis. There are some surviving texts and quite a few historical accounts, but most of the archaeological side comes from reconstructing the culture from the junk (a technical term) that they left behind. It's easier than reconstructing Celtic religion due to the textual evidence left behind, but harder than reconstructing, say, Hellenic religion. That's one of the reasons we settled on "revivalism" instead of "reconstructionism," since we understand that for this and other reasons, we cannot truly "reconstruct" Israelite religion exactly as it was. But we do try to get close!

It is definitely a group religion. While there are some elements that are very individual, the ancient Israelite was nothing without the tribe. The modern orecha is the same way. At the moment, we're a small tribe centered in Atlanta, GA. I'm not sure that it would be practical to grow beyond that at this juncture since it is a group-based tradition.

I came to this religion in a rather organic way. It is definitely a byproduct of my education, though it is something that really sings true to my childhood sense of spirituality. I wasn't raised with any religious or cultural identification beyond "American," though I am halakhically Jewish (Sephardi). Growing up, my parents were rather anti-religious, and my mom had so little ethnic identity, she didn't even know she was Jewish until my grandmother finally spoke up. So I don't really have a great deal of cultural ties to either Judaism or the modern country of Israel, though I was an Orthodox Jew for 7 years or so. Genetically, my mom's patrilineal line (which would be used for determining tribal allegiance) ultimately traces their origins to the town of Geter which was part of the Tribe of Dan's territory, so I'd be a Danite, but since modern Judaism doesn't recognize tribal identity anymore (which is what really happened to the "lost" tribes), it's a moot point. Within Orach Qad'moni, I identify as a Danite.

We have no ties to Israel as a modern nation and very few to the land itself. We feel that we are tied to the earth as a whole, not to Canaan specifically. This is a thought process that would have rang true with the Israelites who lived outside of Canaan, of which there were many. In the northern hemisphere, we are tied to the same seasons as Canaan. If we spread to the southern hemisphere, we'll probably shift the calendar for them accordingly, so that the seasons match up.

I'll get to the ritual later tonight! :=):

First, let me say this sounds very neat -- oddly reminiscent of Asatru, though primarily just due to the level of detail and obvious study involved.

Do you consider this a reconstructionist faith or a unbroken lineage type religion?

Thank you. We do put in our research!

It is (unfortunately) not an unbroken lineage. As stated above in this post, we're reconstructed or "revived." Many traditions were lost over time, though the various "reforms" that created Judaism. I wish it were unbroken, but alas...

[Orecha]

Re: Ask an Israelite Revivalist

What does your routine within the religion look like? Do you perform rituals/prayers? Attend any kind of group setting?

Daily routine is actually similar in many ways to Rabbinic Judaism. We have prayers and blessings recited through the day, most over food, but these blessings differ significantly in language and theme from Rabbinic Judaism, while still being rather formulaic (I could give examples if you're interested). We also have many festivals and specific rituals that occur throughout the year (most of which don't exist in Rabbinic Judaism) based around the Israelite lunar calendar, which differs from the Jewish calendar.

Originally the Israelites had what is called a "lunar week," meaning essentially that the first day of every month was Sunday, and the lunar month had 4 weeks of seven days with 1-2 extra days at the end. These extra days didn't belong to a week. Because the western calendar is based on the "perpetual" 7-day Christian calendar (which replaced the Roman 8-day calendar in 321 CE) and our weekends are set, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to have a day of rest where you have to refrain from work that cycled through the work week. For that reason, we set Shabat on Friday night/Saturday, like modern Judaism. Our holidays still move with the moon, however.

Weekly, there is a large ritual meal on Shabat. We also have rituals during different parts of the lunar cycle. Chodesh (the first sliver of the new moon), chatzi-sahar (the half full waxing moon), kese' (the full moon), and molad (the 1-2 days of the astronomical new moon, the original non-week days of the lunar month) all have special meals and celebrations. There are also a great deal of minor and major festivals throughout the year, most of which have to do with the seasons and the flow and cycle of nature.

Most holidays, as well as chodesh, chatzi-sahar, and kese', are celebrated with bonfire events. Some holidays have elements of ritual nudity. Generally, events are outside (weather permitting) and involve fires, altars, incense, libations, and food sacrifice/sanctifying.

Hmmm... not sure what else to say about this without writing a very detailed book. Anything specific that you would like to know?

[shebani]

Re: Ask an Israelite Revivalist

This is very interesting and I am definitely interested in hearing more. I have spent the last few years studying, reading all the ancient religious texts and ideas that I have the time to. It really seems to me that what the original Judaism was, is not what we saw later and now. I don't know if I am correct, but what I find seems to show Abraham as practicing astrology, astronomy, and possibly teaching others- still a real Canaanite priest. Magic seemed to be an integral part. Also what I can find relates it to the Sumerian priests/kings. I actually think this is where the idea of the line of Judaic kings originates. Also interesting that much like you, I did not find out my mother was part Jewish (Levite) until a few years ago, we were never told, it was never talked about. Now I understand better the reason she never once ever attended church and while frowning apon my asking to go as a kid, she did take me.
Is there anywhere to go online to learn more about this? And about the holidays? I wish for some type of fellowship and I just literally don't fit in anywhere.

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Oh, another question, do you believe the Torah we have now, is what it originally looked like, as in specific requirements or even certain sections of 'history' stated in there?

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Another one, lol, do you believe the Temple is the correct place, or rather, would you think more like Mt. Gerizim? I probably have alot of questions.

[Orecha]

Re: Ask an Israelite Revivalist

This is very interesting and I am definitely interested in hearing more. I have spent the last few years studying, reading all the ancient religious texts and ideas that I have the time to. It really seems to me that what the original Judaism was, is not what we saw later and now. I don't know if I am correct, but what I find seems to show Abraham as practicing astrology, astronomy, and possibly teaching others- still a real Canaanite priest. Magic seemed to be an integral part. Also what I can find relates it to the Sumerian priests/kings. I actually think this is where the idea of the line of Judaic kings originates. Also interesting that much like you, I did not find out my mother was part Jewish (Levite) until a few years ago, we were never told, it was never talked about. Now I understand better the reason she never once ever attended church and while frowning apon my asking to go as a kid, she did take me.
Is there anywhere to go online to learn more about this? And about the holidays? I wish for some type of fellowship and I just literally don't fit in anywhere.

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Oh, another question, do you believe the Torah we have now, is what it originally looked like, as in specific requirements or even certain sections of 'history' stated in there?

- - - Updated - - -

Another one, lol, do you believe the Temple is the correct place, or rather, would you think more like Mt. Gerizim? I probably have alot of questions.

Questions are great! That's what I'm here for, after all!

I'll try to go through them one at a time:
At the moment, Orach Qad'moni has a reserved domain and webspace but no website at the moment. We're trying to rectify that by the end of January. Once it's up, it will have holiday and ritual info as well as (eventually) a translation of the Iron Age Bible. Until then, you can keep asking questions here or message me directly via PM. I'm always up for talking one on one as well.

We do not believe that the text now known as the Torah in Rabbinic Judaism (or the Pentateuch to many Christians) is its original form. We use a linguistically-based source criticism to dissect the bible into its original components and subsequent additions, applying a variation of the supplementary hypothesis (which is more accepted among serious bible scholars than the out-dated documentary hypothesis). Our relationship to text is... complicated. We rely far more heavily on cultural reconstruction and revival from the archaeological record. The Israelites were not a literate people, so reliance on the written word would not have been found in the popular religion. It was an oral culture with cultural laws, as opposed to written ones.

As far as the Jerusalem Temple versus the Gerizim Temple goes, well... We don't believe either of these temples to have been the "correct" place of worship. Nor do we believe that the temples at Elephantine, Dan, Gilgal, Ebal, Shechem, Shiloh, Kirjath-jearim, Gibeon, Arad, Lachish, Meggido, Beersheba, Bethel, Leontopolis, or the myriad of other Israelite temples were the "correct" temple. They're all "correct" and "incorrect" in many ways, but we don't bog ourselves down in formal (statist) temple worship or the attached politics, instead preferring the bamot, the "high places" of Bronze Age Israelite religion.

Hope that helps.
And like I said, I'm always down for conversation!

[shebani]

Re: Ask an Israelite Revivalist

Wonderful Orecha, thank you. Sounds very much like what I believe. I look forward to reading those listed and talking more about this. Is Passover a holy day that is observed, and if so, alike or in different manner than Judaism? Do you believe the Exodus as a literal event, or symbolic, or both? Is there any difference in the definition or understanding of HaShem from Judaism? Is HaShem thought to have a consort? And if so, would this be said to be 'Asherah'?

[Orecha]

Re: Ask an Israelite Revivalist

Is Passover a holy day that is observed, and if so, alike or in different manner than Judaism?

Passover in Rabbinic Judaism is the combination of two older holidays: Pesach and Chag haMatzot. In Orach Qad'moni, we still celebrate these as distinct, but connected, holidays.

Pesach is the fourteenth day of Yerach Aviv, the first month of the lunar year. It is celebrated with feasting that night and bonfires. It is one of the few holidays in the calendar that doesn't allow nude ritual, and in fact has a rather specific ritual dress code. The next day, the fifteenth, , begins at dusk and starts Chag haMatzot. That night, there is a symbolic meal (preferably around a bonfire) which accompanies a play. While the idea is essentially the same, the material and progression differs greatly from the Jewish Seder, a ritual rooted in 1st century CE Roman dinner parties. We do not use the hagadah, as in Rabbinic Judaism, instead using oral tradition and acting out a play. On the 21st, , we have another meal much like the one on the 15th. Then, on the 22nd, , there is a day of ritual sanctification involving barley, ending the holiday.

Without getting overly detailed and doing a walk-through of the rituals, I hope that answers your question. If not, by all means, have me clarify any points you want.

Do you believe the Exodus as a literal event, or symbolic, or both?

We believe that the Exodus was a literal event, though not of the magnitude thought by later minds. Of the Israelite Tribes, we believe that only Ephraim and Manasseh went to Egypt as whole tribes. Small components of other tribes were there as well. We believe that this occurred under the reign of King Thutmose III on April 13, 1476 BCE (Gregorian), which was a full moon. Our dating system relies primarily on texts that predate the Masorete version of the Bible (10th century CE) which is used by modern Jews, combined with archaeology, so our dates differ significantly from those of Modern Judaism.

Is there any difference in the definition or understanding of HaShem from Judaism? Is HaShem thought to have a consort? And if so, would this be said to be 'Asherah'?

We tend to not use the term "haShem," as this is a later Rabbinic development. We use the original divine names Y'howeh, Elohim, El Shadai, Ba'al B'rit, etc. or just "Deity" in English. We see Deity in a panentheistic way, that all that exists is part of Deity, and Deity is more than all that exists. While some more mystical sects of Judaism have explored this idea, most of Modern Judaism is rooted in the Hellenistic monotheist idea of an enthroned godly king of the universe -- the bearded old man in the sky surrounded by winged humanoid angels imagery. We don't follow that sort of theology. We believe in gods, both manifest and nebulous, who are, like ourselves, only a part of Y'howeh. As such, we do not worship them any more than we would worship another human. We do, however, honor the divine in all of creation, including each other. Many rituals are designed to honor the divine within ourselves and in each other.

We follow the most up-to-date archaeology on the concept of the asherah, which supports that the asherah was a thing not a god, consort, etc. The asherah is a cultic object, often a sacred tree, which is planted upon a bamah, a worship area. It does, however, have female aspects and fertility implications. The asherah was only one part of the bamah, which consisted of standing stones, a raised area and platform for bonfires, an incense altar, and several other cultic objects. Our modern bamot attempt to replicated those we have discovered though archaeology.

Theologically speaking, because we believe that Y'howeh is all things, creator of all things, and neither male nor female, Y'howeh has no need for a consort anyway. We believe that to Y'howeh there is no equal, and that as such, we cannot even truly call Y'howeh a "god." This is why we often say El Elim ("god of gods," that is, the god to whom even the gods believe is their creator) or Elohei haElohim ("Elohim of the Elohim," that is, the creator of even Elohim, the force behind all of nature).

So to answer your question: Yes, we differ in our belief from Judaism, from both Modern Judaism as well as from "pop" understandings of archaic "Judaism," i.e. Israelite religious culture (like with asherah, Lillith, Adam as the first man, and mass temple sacrifices, just to name a few).