Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 90 No. 2, 2020.
Review article
The Book of Tobias: A Jewish Family Living Abroad
Drago Župarić
orcid.org/0000-0002-6393-4658
; The Catholic Faculty of Theology University of Sarajevo, Bosna and Herzegovina
Abstract
The article discusses a Jewish family living abroad described in the Book of Tobias (Tob). It consists of two parts. After the introduction that presents Tob concisely (author, place and time of origin, topic, language, reviews), the first part analyses the historical context of Tobit’s exile and offers a short overview of the book. The second part discusses the family image, starting from Tobit’s advices to his son Tobias before the latter goes to Media. This part touches also upon other topics related to family such as: the golden rule, solidarity, mercy, the relation between man and woman, endogamous marriage, eschatology, family that worships God and that maintains outer and inner cult, family that practices family virtues and that is open to others, and life in diaspora that is not without its joys, protection, and hope. In a word, the situation in exile was not so desperate because it had its elements of joy, marriage, feast-days’ celebrations, etc. There was prayer, faith, hope, love, and suffering in the family, and there was openness to God and neighbour. In such a family, personality of an individual Jewish person, important for the survival of a minority nation in diaspora, could develop freely.
Keywords
temptation and suffering; golden rule; mercy; husband and wife; solidarity; endogamous marriage; family; diaspora.
Hrčak ID:
243120
URI
Publication date:
31.8.2020.
Visits: 1.443 *