Do the Deities Drink??

Ps. 50:12-14

Amichai Lau-Lavie (he/him)

Jun 17, 2024

What is the purpose of religious ritual? Do our prayers and offerings mean something to some higher realms - or is it all about our human needs for gestures and symbols? This debate continues strong and has been with us from the start, including today’s psalm, written by a poet named Asaph, of whom we don’t know much.

But it’s assumed that he is writing this while the Jerusalem temple business is booming, sacrificial offerings bleed on. But what is it about? Does the divine really care about this technology when so much abuse in the name of the divine still goes on at the same time?

As salient now as it must have been then, this question echoes with poetic irony:

אִם־אֶ֭רְעַב לֹא־אֹ֣מַר לָ֑ךְ כִּי־לִ֥י תֵ֝בֵ֗ל וּמְלֹאָֽהּ׃ הַ֭אוֹכַל בְּשַׂ֣ר אַבִּירִ֑ים וְדַ֖ם עַתּוּדִ֣ים אֶשְׁתֶּֽה׃ זְבַ֣ח לֵאלֹהִ֣ים תּוֹדָ֑ה וְשַׁלֵּ֖ם לְעֶלְי֣וֹן נְדָרֶֽיךָ׃

“Were I hungry, I would not tell you,

for Mine is the world and all it holds.

Do I eat the flesh of bulls,

or drink the blood of he-goats?

Sacrifice a gratitude offering to God,

and pay your vows to the Most High.”

Asaph joins the ranks of prophets who decry the sacrifices and demands that people focus on gratitude and respect, not on feeding their god with empty gestures while fighting for status, and fighting each other.

But it is not quite clear what the popular mindset was in regard to the efficacy of the sacrificial system. It seems ridiculous to us today that the divine actually consumes offering but for many ancient cultures, from the Mayans to the Hebrews, satisfying divine hunger is what ritual life is largely about. In contrast to today’s rebuke of the system, another ancient text, a psalm that didn’t make it into the collection sings another kind of song.

Ira Tokayer brings this relic to the light of day:

“Why chastise Israel for such anthropomorphic beliefs? In 1890, a collection of texts was discovered in Luxor in Egypt. The texts belonged to the ancient Jewish community there. The texts use Demotic characters but the language is Aramaic. Known as Papyrus Amherst 63, the texts are from the 3rd century BCE, but their contents have been dated to the 8th century BCE. Recently translated, they appear to be three extra-biblical psalms. One describes a New Year festival in which a meal of plenty is prepared so God can satiate Himself with sacrifices and quench his thirst with wine:

‘Hear me, our God! Fine lambs (and) sheep We will sacrifice for you among the Gods.

Our banquet is for you Among the Mighty Ones of the people, Adonay, for you, Among the Mighty Ones of the people. Adonay, the people will bless you.

Your annual offerings we will perform. From the pitcher, saturate yourself my God! Let it be announced forever: The Merciful One exalts the great, Yaho humiliates the lowly one.

They have mixed the wine in our jar, In our jar, at our New Moon festival! Drink, Yaho, From the bounty of a thousand bowls! Be satiated, Adonay, From the bounty of the people!’

Psalm 50 has been attributed to the same 8th century BCE time period as this extra-biblical psalm. While the Bible has largely been purged of such anthropomorphism, this ancient find provides background for Psalm 50's need to identify for Israel the proper conception of its God and the appropriate way for Him to be worshiped.”

Perhaps what we are witnessing is the evolution of our people’s paths of faith, the ways we keep exploring what it means to be alive, how to be in contact with the mystery, and how to shed some old beliefs so we can be better equipped to live this life with honesty and kindness?

The offering that Asaph does insist on is the one of gratitude. Regardless of what happens with the higher realms - this one makes sense for daily practice. How can we begin each day, each meal, with a sincere gesture of gratitude for every crumb and every privileged breath, thankyouverymuch??

How can you help another human on this planet be less hungry today?

There are so many ways to feed the deities inside us all.

Image: Papyrus Amherst 63. Aramaic written in Demotic script. Fourth or third century BCE.

Who Wrote These Psalms??

Our Monthly Zoom Session on 6/20 (rescheduled)

If it wasn’t King David who wrote the Psalms, despite popular religious lore, and according to most reliable scholarship - then who are the authors of these poets of piety and protest? Did they leave us some important information to decode as we struggle with our personal and public problems?

Clues are everywhere.

Join me on June 20th for our monthly Zoom conversation Below the Bible Belt - and find out more about the authors and how these ancient hymns may be helpful to us during this difficult time in the world, and as we each face challenges and celebrate life’s blessings.

Whether you are new to this journey or have been on it for a while - please join us on June 20th 2024, 5pm ET and please bring your questions, comments, responses and reflections on the PSLAMS so far.

Here’s the link to the next Below the Bible Belt Zoom Live Conversation:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88915392821

These monthly zoom conversations now welcome all subscribers of Below the Bible Belt, with gratitude to Paid Subscribers for the generous enabling of his blog to be free daily for all.

Please consider becoming a paid subscriber today at the level that works best for you.

Your support means a lot.

We’ll share the recording with all subscribers.

Thank you.

Let there be healing, and may peace prevail.

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Below the Bible Belt

Do the Deities Drink??

Ps. 50:12-14

But it’s assumed that he is writing this while the Jerusalem temple business is booming, sacrificial offerings bleed on. But what is it about? Does the divine really care about this technology when so much abuse in the name of the divine still goes on at the same time?

As salient now as it must have been then, this question echoes with poetic irony:

“Were I hungry, I would not tell you,

for Mine is the world and all it holds.

Do I eat the flesh of bulls,

or drink the blood of he-goats?

Sacrifice a gratitude offering to God,

and pay your vows to the Most High.”

Ps. 50:12-14

Asaph joins the ranks of prophets who decry the sacrifices and demands that people focus on gratitude and respect, not on feeding their god with empty gestures while fighting for status, and fighting each other.

Ira Tokayer brings this relic to the light of day:

‘Hear me, our God! Fine lambs (and) sheep We will sacrifice for you among the Gods.

Our banquet is for you Among the Mighty Ones of the people, Adonay, for you, Among the Mighty Ones of the people. Adonay, the people will bless you.

Your annual offerings we will perform. From the pitcher, saturate yourself my God! Let it be announced forever: The Merciful One exalts the great, Yaho humiliates the lowly one.

They have mixed the wine in our jar, In our jar, at our New Moon festival! Drink, Yaho, From the bounty of a thousand bowls! Be satiated, Adonay, From the bounty of the people!’

Perhaps what we are witnessing is the evolution of our people’s paths of faith, the ways we keep exploring what it means to be alive, how to be in contact with the mystery, and how to shed some old beliefs so we can be better equipped to live this life with honesty and kindness?

The offering that Asaph does insist on is the one of gratitude. Regardless of what happens with the higher realms - this one makes sense for daily practice. How can we begin each day, each meal, with a sincere gesture of gratitude for every crumb and every privileged breath, thankyouverymuch??

How can you help another human on this planet be less hungry today?

There are so many ways to feed the deities inside us all.

Image: Papyrus Amherst 63. Aramaic written in Demotic script. Fourth or third century BCE.

Who Wrote These Psalms??

Our Monthly Zoom Session on 6/20 (rescheduled)

If it wasn’t King David who wrote the Psalms, despite popular religious lore, and according to most reliable scholarship - then who are the authors of these poets of piety and protest? Did they leave us some important information to decode as we struggle with our personal and public problems?

Clues are everywhere.

Join me on June 20th for our monthly Zoom conversation Below the Bible Belt - and find out more about the authors and how these ancient hymns may be helpful to us during this difficult time in the world, and as we each face challenges and celebrate life’s blessings.

Whether you are new to this journey or have been on it for a while - please join us on June 20th 2024, 5pm ET and please bring your questions, comments, responses and reflections on the PSLAMS so far.

Here’s the link to the next Below the Bible Belt Zoom Live Conversation:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88915392821

These monthly zoom conversations now welcome all subscribers of Below the Bible Belt, with gratitude to Paid Subscribers for the generous enabling of his blog to be free daily for all.

Please consider becoming a paid subscriber today at the level that works best for you.

details here. Sign up: Here

Your support means a lot.

We’ll share the recording with all subscribers.

Thank you.

Let there be healing, and may peace prevail.

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