Reading Notes: Folklore of the Holy Land, Part A

 Job and His family 

Story source: Folk-lore of the Holy Land: Moslem, Christian, and Jewish by J. E. Hanauer (1907).


Plot:
Job has large family and lots of money.

To prove sincerity, God deprived him of health and wealth. 

His wife served him for 7 years; supporting him and nursing him.

One day the devil came and asked her to praise him and he would restore their lost wealth. 

She went to ask Job if that was ok and he was so mad he swore if he ever got healthy by God again that he would give her 100 lashes. 

God then restored jobs health and children and made him even richer than before. 

Job felt bad about the oath he made so god found a way to release him from that oath and they all lived happily ever after. 

Authors note:
This is a pretty straight forward tale that I am well familiar with. In fact, I have preached on this story a number of times. It always strikes me as interesting how the majority of the book of Job is not centered on Job but on those trying to advise him and direct him. It seems a bit off focus. I like how this version kept its eyes on the prize. 
    I also thought it was interesting that the wife was such a character in this rendition. In the protestant bible its just about JOb being tested and then god restoring him. However, here we see his wife being tested. Perhaps this is to say that a wife or significant other is an extension of one's self? im not sure, though I think that might be an idea I can run within my own writing!

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