PUTTING GOD ON TRIAL: The Biblical Book of Job A literary, legal and philosophical study- Robert Sutherland. TABLE OF CONTENTS
	PREFACE			007
	1. INTRODUCTION			010
A Theodicy				010
A Lawsuit Drama				012
A Moral not an Aesthetic Resolution				014
An Interpretative Challenge				018
		2. “A NEW LOOK AT GENESIS"		020
Scene 1: Earth				020
A New Garden of Eden				020
A New Adam				020
A New Fall				030
Scene 2: Heaven				031
High Court of Heaven				031
Satan				031
Trial by Ordeal				035
Scene 3: Earth				037
Hell on Earth				037
Job’s Response				038
Scene 4: Heaven				039
High Court of Heaven				039
God’s Confession				040
Satan				040
Hell on Earth				041
Scene 5: Earth				041
Hell on Earth				041
Job’s Response				042
			3. “THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD NO ONE WANTED TO HEAR”	044
A Wasteland				044
Job’s Three Friends				044
A Whirlwind of Righteous Indignation				044
Job’s Complaint				046
Job’s Road to the Oath of Innocence				048
1. A Mediator				049
2. “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him.”				051
3. A witness or judge				054
4. A redeemer or advocate				055
5. “I shall be acquitted forever by my judge.”				058
Job’s Oath of Innocence				059
1. Statement of Claim				060
2. Proof of Claim				065
3. Enforcement of Claim				073
Elihu				075
	4. “PUTTING GOD ON TRIAL”			082
God’s Appearance in a Golden Whirlwind				082
God’s First Speech				085
1. The physical world				085
2. The animal world				087
3. Purpose and providence				095
Job’s First Response				096
God’s Second Speech				097
1. The mythological world: Behemoth- Leviathan				099
2. Creating the dragon				102
3. Capturing the dragon				110
4. Eating the dragon at the Messianic Feast				114
5. Explaining the dragon at the Symposium to follow				123
6. Condemnation and justification				124
Job’s Second Response				126
1. I understand your purpose.				127
2. I despise premature judgment; I melt to my knees in worship.				128
3. I change course. I am comforted in my vindication and delay any condemnation.				130
4. In dust and ashes, I continue the lawsuit and adjourn the matter to the Day of the Final Judgment.				132
God’s Judgment on Job and his Friends				136
God’s Restoration of Job				139
	5. A PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS			141
1. Is morality dependant on special revelation?				143
2. Must God create the best?				144
3. Does God act for a reason?				146
4. Do human beings have a need to know the reason for evil?				147
5. Do human beings have a right to know?				148
6. Does God have a duty to give the answer?				148
7. Is selfless love a real good?				150
8. Is evil necessary to achieve that good?				150
9. Is the evil in the world sufficient to achieve that good?				151
10. Is there a Final Judgment?				154
	6. CONCLUSION			156
	7. APPENDICIES			158
Appendix A: Babylonian Myth of Creation				158
1. Watery Chaos				158
2. The emergence of the high God Marduk				158
3. Marduk’s play				159
4. Tiamat’s conspiracy				159
5. The emergence of dragons				159
6. The fear of the gods				160
7. Marduk’s claim to supremacy				161
8. Marduk’s battle with Tiamat				163
9. Marduk’s defeat of Tiamat and Qingu				164
10: The creation of the World				166
11. The creation of Man				167
12: The kingdom of Marduk				168
Appendix B: Canaanite Myth of Re-creation				168
1. Yam’s challenge to Baal’s kingship				169
2. Baal’s battle with Yam				169
3. Anat’s battle with Yam				169
4. Baal’s battle with Mot				172
5. Anat’s battle with Mot				174
6. Baal’s final battle with Mot				176
	8. SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY			178
	9. ENDNOTES			184