Adult Christian Education Archives
Winter, 2005-2006
|
St.
Mark’s Adult Education Meeting Summary The Book of the Twelve --- Adult Forum Notes Micah Micah: same name as Micayahu or Micaiah; a common name at the time “in the days of Kings Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah of Judah” (1:1): 742-687; a younger contemporary of Isaiah; Unlike Isaiah, he was not of noble birth nor was he from Jerusalem (from Moresheth or Moresheth-Gath, a town in the lowlands, not far from Amos’ hometown of Tekoa). The difference may account for his prophecy of the fall of Jerusalem (3:9-12), one for which he was later remembered (Jer. 26:18). Like Amos, Micah was a prophet of social justice The book deals with the themes of justice, peace and Messiah. There are three sections (1-2, 3-5, 6-7) each alternates between doom and hope, just like Hosea. Each section begins with the command “Hear” or “Listen.” ----------------------------------- Section 1, chapters 1 & 2 1:1 title 2:1-5 to announce “alas” or “woe” on someone was equivalent to announcing that person’s funeral (cf. Amos 6:1-7); these pronouncements were against those who controlled the land and had the power and the money and the intent to control more of it (1: “because it is in their power”); 2:6-11 Micah’s controversy with the people 2:12-13 a message of hope; a later addition ----------------------------------- Section 2, chapters 3-5 Chapter 3 consists of three sayings, 1-4, 5-8, and 9-12, with a shared theme: justice. What is “good” and “justice”? Micah’s contemporary, Isaiah (1:16-17), describes it: “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.” 3:1-4 Those responsible for justice have perverted justice; they have not cared for the powerless. 3:5-8 5-7, false prophets, telling their contributors what they want to hear 8, Micah 3:9-12 a direct attack on the leaders of the people, “because of you” all these things will happen; the leaders claim reliance on the Lord, but the Lord is silent: his name is not mentioned by the prophet Chapter 4 4:1-3 is almost exactly the same as Is 2:2-4 4:1-4 presents the vision of universal disarmament. 4:5 issues an invitation to walk toward the fulfillment of that vision. 4:6-8 a vision of restoration 4:9 – 5:1 three poetic visions Chapter 5 5:2-6 Messiah verse 2 is cited in Mt 2:6 (see also John 7:40-43) verse 3 is probably a later addition, inserted to explain the delay between 2 & 4 verse 4: “shepherd” is a biblical image both for God and for the king (especially David) verses 5-6: a later addition with the theme, “If they come into our land, the people will drive them out”, resulting in the peace spoken of in 5b, “the one of peace” The hope for another David became an important image for Israel (cf. Psalm 72). “It was a magnificent purple robe which the psalms laid on the shoulders of each young successor to the Davidic throne“ (Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology, Vol. 1, pp. 323-4). As the people were repeatedly disillusioned, that image became the “seedbed from which sprang Israel’s expectation of a messiah” (John Bright, History of Israel, p. 227). 5:7-9 a renewed Israel 5:10-15 God’s purification of Israel and punishment of the nations ----------------------------------- Section 3, chapters 6-7 Chapter 6 begins with a succession of oracles that are similar to those in chapters 1 & 2. They may or may not be from Micah, but they express the same line of thought. 6:1-2 God’s controversy (lawsuit) against Israel 6:3-5 historical reminders of God’s actions and faithfulness 6:6-7 response of repentance; the individual, asking what God wants; similar to entrance liturgies (e.g. Ps 15:1 “O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent, who shall dwell on your holy hill?”;
Ps 24:3 “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? Who shall stand in his hold
place?”) 6:8 words that set out what God desires: not a “what” but a “who”: what kind of person “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; (“to do justice”: reminiscent of Amos; “to love kindness” reminiscent of Hosea; 6:9-16 Judah has become as corrupt as Israel and shall suffer the same fate. Chapter 7 7:1-6 The corruption extends to all levels of the population. 6: cf. Mt 10:35-36: “For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household” 7: looking to God for healing 7:8-20 may be a liturgy, probably from the time of the Exile or shortly thereafter; parts alternating between the priest and the people 7:8-10 God’s judgment will come and must be accepted, but Israel will be restored, and her enemies will be destroyed. 7:11-13 a vision of a restored Jerusalem 7:14-17 a prayer to God for restoration, and a hope for the destruction of Israel’s enemies 7:18-20 praise of the God of compassion; draws upon Ex 34:6-7: the section is introduced with a pun on the name “Micah”, “Who is a God like you?” Uses of Micah in the Sunday readings of The Revised Common Lectionary: 3:5-12 Year A, Proper 26 Uses of Amos in the Sunday readings of The Revised Common Lectionary 5:6-7, 10-15 Year B, Proper 23 Uses of Hosea in the Sunday readings of The Revised Common Lectionary 1:2-10 Year C, Proper 12 --------------------------------- St.
Mark’s Adult Education Meeting Summary The Book of the Twelve --- Adult Forum Notes Hosea “in the days of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah, and in the days of King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel” (1:1); perhaps the others kings of Israel were not even worth mentioning; ministry shortly after that of Amos; a native of the northern kingdom which, at that time, was suffering both from war with Assyria and from virtual anarchy (four kings of Israel had been assassinated in 14 years) James Limburg, Hosea – Micah, page 8: “During the days of Jeroboam II, from 786 to 746 B.C., Amos addressed a nation which was still enjoying smooth sailing on calm seas even though, as the prophet warned, the ship of state was headed toward the rocks. By the time of Hosea, the damage had been done. His words were addressed to people on a ship that was already beginning to sink.” “At the heart of Hosea’s preaching is a gospel of redeeming love.” (NRSV, OAE, p. 1148) 2 principal metaphors used for the relationship between God and Israel: Hosea uses many different images: * for God: a moth (5:12), dry rot (5:12), a lion (5:14, 11:0, 13:7-8), showers in the springtime (6:3) a bird (7:11); a hiker (9:10), a farmer (10:11), a leopard or bear robbed of her cubs (13:7-8), a physician (14:4), the dew (14:5) one who provides shade and protection (14:7) , a cypress tree (14:8) * for Israel: a stubborn heifer (4:16), a lamb (4:16), a sick person (5:13, 14:4), a heated oven (7:4-7), , a half-baked cake (7:8), an old man who does not act his age (7:9), a silly dove (7:11-12), a defective bow (7:16), a wild ass (8:9), a man who has hired a prostitute (8:9), grapes (9:10), a vine (10:1), a flock of birds (11:11); the morning mist, dew, chaff or smoke (13:3), an unborn child who doesn’t have the sense to be born (13:13), a garden (14:7) 3 sections: 1-3; 4:1 – 11:11; and 11:12 – 14:9 ------------------------------- Chapters 1-3 have to do with Hosea’s family; in them, the words alternate between doom and hope in three groups. 1:1 Opening identification is the same format used for Joel, Micah and Zephaniah; all are followed immediately by a word from the Lord. 1:1-9 doom; Limburg, pp. 9-10, “For no other prophet were personal calling and professional life so closely linked as for Hosea. He understood the heartache caused by the actions of his young wife as a parallel to the hurting in the heart of God. The three children who grew up in the village and played in its streets also shared in the prophet’s task, as walking audio-visual aids in the service of the prophet’s message of doom. For Hosea there was no separation between home and office, vocation and family life. No doubt that is why he spoke with such passion. The pain in the heart of the prophet became a parable of the anguish in the heart of God.” 1:10-11 & 2:1 future hope 2:2-13 doom; the fact that life was apparently “normal” (vss. 5, 8 and 9) and Israel’s worship life was continuing (vss. 11 and 13) seem to indicate a setting early in Hosea’s ministry 2:14-23 hope; together, vss. 2-23 present a series of charges against Israel, but they are not intended to lead toward a divorce, rather toward a saving of the marriage; the three “Therefores” (6,9 and 14) are the outcomes of the charges; the first two result in judgment, but the third reveals the ultimate intent of the punishments 2:23 cf. 1 Pt 2:10 -- “Once you were not a people, 3:1-4 doom; narrative in the first person (as contrasted with the third person of chapter 1); buying back; probationary time before full reconciliation 3:5 hope ---------------------- Chapters 4:1 - 11:11 Divine pronouncements, again with some alternation between doom and hope, although doom dominates in chapters 4-10, followed by the hopeful message in chapter 11 4:1 God bringing a charge against his people: a familiar theme in the prophets (and psalms) -- three charges: no faithfulness, no love, no knowledge of the Lord in the land; stable time of Jeroboam II; “knowledge” = the third and most important point, “acknowledgement” of God as the only God 2, crimes; 3, punishment; while the crimes are those of the people of Israel, the punishment is ecological, affecting the whole earth [Limburg, page 18: “The text contains an important insight. The roots of this ecological crisis are to be found in the same attitudes of arrogance, irreverence, selfishness, and greed which expressed themselves in the failure to acknowledge God or to care for the neighbor.”] 4:4-10 complaints against the priests and teachers of the Law 4:11-19 worship of Baal 5:1-7 condemnation of priests and king and of all the people of Israel 5:8 – 9:9 seem to refer to the time of the Syro-Ephraimitic war (735) and the chaos which followed; no stable government; shifting allegiances 5:8-15 alliance with Assyria 6:1-3 a call to repentance; an invitation to turn to the Lord for healing 4-6 the Lord’s response 6:6 a central message of Hosea; quoted by Jesus in Mt 9:13 and 12:7; apparently, this was a serious problem in the 8th century because all four of its prophets address it (Amos, Hosea, Micah and Isaiah) 9:1-9 the role of the prophet at watchman (“sentinel” NRSV, vs. 8) (cf. also Ezek. 33:1-7), and the reaction of Israel to his message 7-9 attacks on the prophet; why such a vehement attack? “because of your great iniquity, your hostility is great” 9:10-17 looks to Israel’s past and asserts that it has never been faithful The sayings of chapter 10 seem to reflect the last years of the nation’s life. Chapter 11:1-11 reflects on God’s parental love as active in the past and as the basis of hope for the future; just as Hosea began with the image of loving husband and wife, so does he begin the concluding chapters of the book with the image of loving parent and child The central portion of the book began in 4:1 with the words “Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel”; it ends with 11:11, “…says the Lord” (The Hebrew Bible ends chapter 11 here.) This passage allows the central portion of the book to end on a positive note, as does chapter 3 for chapters 1-3, and 14:4-9 for chapters 12-14. Probably comes from the middle years of King Hoshea (732-724), when the people are already in Assyria (vs. 11), but before the cities of Israel have been destroyed ----------------------------- Chapters 11:12 – 14:9 follows a general doom / hope pattern. Chapter 12 charges Israel with deceit. 2-4, 12 --- uses the image of the patriarch Jacob as a comparison; Like Jacob, Israel was about to leave the Promised Land as a result of its sins, and they, too, were called to repent. Chapter 13 announces the doom of the nation. 14 --- calls upon Death and Sheol for destruction; used in a totally opposite way in 1 Cr. 15:55 Chapter 14 proclaims future healing by the Lord as physician. 1-3 a call to repentance with the words of a confession; God’s word about Israel 4-8 God’s healing response; God’s word to Israel three images used: God as the dew (5), the shade (7), and the evergreen cypress (8) 9 an editor’s comment, recommending the words of Hosea as applicable to everyone’s life --------------------------------- St.
Mark’s Adult Education Meeting Summary The Book of the Twelve --- Adult Forum Notes Amos “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like and ever-flowing stream.” (5:24) from Tekoa in Judah; “career” probably between 760-750, certainly during the reign of Jeroboam II; he was expelled from the sanctuary at Bethel and told never to preach there again; probably returned to Judah to write down his experiences He describes the Lord’s message to him as the roaring of a lion. (1:2, “The lion roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem”); his encounter with God is like meeting a lion (3:4,8); Israel’s encounter with God is like meeting a lion (3:12 and 5:19). Chapters 1 & 2: series of seven condemnations, with the seventh (and strongest) reserved for Judah and Israel because of their mistreatment of the poor and powerless in their midst. Chapters 3-6: Warnings to Israel. They are content with their apparent security and affluence and outward show of religion, but negligent toward the poor. Amos’ call is to “let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (5:24). “First the people are reminded who they are, and the prophet sets forth his own credentials (3:1-6). Next are sayings directed against a people who feel secure with their strategic defense systems (3:9-11), who revel in the perks which accompany affluence (3:15; 6:1-6), who busy themselves with religion (4:4-5; 5:21-23), but who are not heartbroken at what is happening to their nation (6:6). In Israel there is affluence and power, but there is also indifference to the poor. This is why the Lord has roared, and this is why the prophet calls for justice and for righteousness (5:24).” (James Limberg, Hosea-Micah, page 80) 3:1-2 Israel has been chosen but, like Abraham (Gn 18:19), chosen, not for iniquity, but for justice and righteousness (Gn 18:19, “I have chosen him [Abraham], that he may charge his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice.”) Chapters 7-9: Visions of Israel’s coming doom editing of the book: cf. Limberg, page 81, first two paragraphs Chapters 1 & 2: series of seven condemnations, building up to the seventh Chapter 3:1-8: “Who do you think you are?” seven rhetorical questions, followed (vs. 8) with the answer 3:1 “Here this”; also in 4:1, 5:1 and 8:4, as an introduction to a series of sayings Chapter 4 vs. 1 three charges vs. 3 “Hermon”: the direction of Bashan, on toward Assyria vss. 1-3 same charges (and introduction) made against men in 8:4-8 vss. 4-5 compare with Psalm 95:6-7 vss. 6-11 six things that God has done to Israel (yet they did not repent) 12 the seventh is yet to come Chapter 5 vss. 18-20 “the day of the Lord” vss. 21-24 the central part of the prophet’s teaching, and the central verses of the book; 21-23, “I hate, I despise” followed by seven worship elements 24, what God does want; not just worship for worship’s sake, but symbolizing the rest of life; addresses the other six days of the week Chapter 6 vss 1 & 4: “Alas” to… vs 7: what will happen to them (1-7: “the first”) entire chapter: a denouncement of arrogance and of personal affluence coupled with social indifference Chapter 7 vss. 1-9 possibly Amos’ inaugural vision; twice he intercedes successfully for Israel; the third time, the Lord measures them, and Amos has to remain silent (cf. 8:1-3) vss. 10-17 Amos’ rejection and expulsion from Israel Chapter 8 vs. 2 play on words vss 4-8 same charges as made against the women of Israel in 4:1-3; business abuses like those described here also appear in Hosea 12:7 and Micah 6:9-11; the businessmen have compartmentalized their lives, separated religion and business, faith and life (Limberg, p. 122) Chapter 9 vss. 1-4 Amos’ final vision; seven acts of judgment and destruction vss. 5-6 a hymn of praise to God; within 8:11 – 9:15, this hymn serves as a centerpiece, joining together the images of the God of creation and the God of history vs. 7 rejection of Israel’s claim to a special status; God has also delivered these other nations vss. 9-10 parallel 1-4 with the same message: none of them will escape vss 11-15 Amos ends with a message of hope; God will raise up his people Israel to a new beginning; the God of creation and the God of history bring new life --------------------------------- St.
Mark’s Adult Education Meeting Summary The Book of the Twelve --- Adult Forum Notes The Hebrew Bible: most editions include 24 books, > Torah -- The Law (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) > Nebiim -- The Prophets - The Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings) - The Latter Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the Twelve (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi)) > Ketubim --- The Writings (Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, Chronicles) “Prophet”: in the ancient Near East (ANE), one called by a god to speak the word of that god There are multiple examples of prophets in other ANE cultures “The prophet’s task is to convey a divine view, yet as a person he is a point of view. He speaks from the perspective of God as perceived from the perspective of his own situation… “It is not a world devoid of meaning that evokes the prophet’s consternation, but a world deaf to meaning… “Prophecy is not simply the application of timeless standards to particular human situations, but rather an interpretation of a particular moment in history, a divine understanding of a human situation. Prophecy then may be described as exegesis of existence from a divine perspective… “The prophet was an individual who said No to his society, condemning its habits and assumptions, its complacency, waywardness, and syncretism. He was often compelled to proclaim the very opposite of what his heart expected. His fundamental objective was to reconcile man and God. Why do the two need reconciliation? Perhaps it is due top man’s false sense of sovereignty, to his abuse of freedom, to his aggressive, sprawling pride, resenting God’s involvement in history.” (Abraham Heschel, The Prophets, page x-xv) Pre-monarchic prophets: Abraham (Gn 20:7: “Now then, return the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live...”) Moses (Nm 12:6-8: “6And he said, ‘Hear my words: When there are prophets among you, I the LORD make myself known to them in visions; I speak to them in dreams. 7 Not so with my servant Moses; he is entrusted with all my house. 8 With him I speak face to face—clearly, not in riddles; and he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?’”; Dt 18:15-19: “15The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet…”; Dt 34:10: “Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.”) Aaron (Ex 7:1, the “nabi” of Moses: “The LORD said to Moses, ‘See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.’”) Miriam (Ex 15:20: “Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing.”) Deborah (Jg 4:4: “4At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel.”) “court prophets” e.g. 1 Sm 22:5, 2 Sm 7:2 (Nathan), 2 Sm 24:11, 1 Kg 1:8f, 1 Kg 11:29, 1 Kg 18:19, 1 Kg 22:6, 2 Kg 3:11 some of the early prophets addressed the king, and some were supported by the royal house; none of the “writing prophets” (“classical prophets”) were court prophets “priest” and “prophet” are mentioned together 30 times in the OT; e.g. Samuel joins with the prophets, and Elijah offers sacrifices (2 Kg 18:32) “sons of the prophets”: a prophetic guild of sorts “lying prophets” = term used in OT for false prophets; told the people what they wanted to hear Marks of a true prophet in OT: (1) fulfillment of the prophecy (Dt 18:22, Jr 28:9) (2) rejection of the prophet (3) prophecy in the name of Yahweh and in accordance with the traditional faith in Paul: (1) message is in accord with the traditional faith (1 Cr 12:3) (2) all gifts are given for the common good of the Church (1 Cr 12:7) (3) all gifts are to be guided by love (1 Cr 13) (4) all gifts are to be judged by the Church (1 Cr 14:37-29) “The Prophetical Books” (The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha) by Walter Brueggemann, page 862: “The prophetic canon stands in a tense relation to the Torah, sometimes complementing its teaching, and sometimes protesting against it. Whereas the Torah provides the foundation for biblical faith, the prophetic materials mark the move into the tensions of present-tense faith, and into an anticipation of a future outworking of God’s powerful purpose. Thus the prophetic materials tilt the horizon of biblical faith toward a yet-unfulfilled future.” The Book of the Twelve “May the bones of the Twelve Prophets Flavius Josephus considers the Book of the Twelve to be one of the 22 books of the Bible. Together with Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, the Book of the Twelve was edited into its “final” form after the Exile --- “the Latter Prophets” in MT The Talmud (Baba Batra 13b) instructed that the Twelve should all be copied onto a single scroll so that none of the smaller books would be lost. Size: Isaiah, 94 pages; Jeremiah, 108 pages; Ezekiel, 84 pages; the Twelve, 82 pages in Biblia Hebraica Order of the 12 books: differs between MT and LXX; MT order appears to be determined by several things (David L. Petersen, “A Book of the Twelve?” in Reading and Hearing the Book of the Twelve > chronology > catchwords > length The order that the 12 appear in the Hebrew Bible are: Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum CLICK HERE FOR CHRONOLOGY OF THE MINOR PROPHETS Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Zephaniah, Nahum and Obadiah are not used on any Sundays of the Revised Common Lectionary. --------------------------------- St.
Mark’s Adult Education Meeting Summary "Christ Plays in Community" #2 (pp. 267-338) Grounding Text (2): Luke/Acts >> The Holy Spirit - The Conception of Jesus - The Conception of the Community >> The Prayers - A Pentad of Prayers * The Fiat mihi (Luke 1:38) * The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) * The Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79) * The Gloria in excelsis (Luke 2:14) * The Nunc dimittis (Luke 2:29-32) - Prayer Stories - The Praying Community >> The Unwanted >> The Trials - Jesus on Trial - Paul on Trial >> Akolutos Cultivating Fear of the Lord in Community: Baptism and Love >> Baptism - Trinity: The Name * The personal * The participation * The mystery - Trinity: The Naming >> Love - Establishing a Love Identity - The Deconstruction of Love >> Antichrist - The Community of Love As Kingfishers Catch Fire. . . --------------------------------- St.
Mark’s Adult Education Meeting Summary "Christ Plays in Community" #1 (pp. 223-267) Exploring the Neighborhood of the Community Kerygma: Jesus' Resurrection Threat: Sectarianism Grounding Text: Deuteronomy >> The Story >> The Plains of Moab >> "Ten Words": The Conditions - First Word >>>>>>>> Tenth Word >> Moses --------------------------------- St.
Mark’s Adult Education Meeting Summary "Christ Plays in History" #2 (pp. 181-222) Grounding Text (II): St. Mark >> Colobodactylus >> The Death of Jesus - Denial <> Mockery - Trial <> Trial - The Cross - The Cup / Prayer - The Eucharist - The Burial >> Our Salvation - The Ascetic - The Aesthetic Cultivating Fear of the Lord in History: Eucharist and Hospitality >> The Eucharist - Sacrifice - Ritual - Shape (Bless >> Break) >> Hospitality - Meals - The Deconstruction of Hospitality - A Sacrificial Life --------------------------------- St.
Mark’s Adult Education Meeting Summary "Christ Plays in History" #1 (pp. 131-181) Exploring the Neighborhood of History Kerygma: Jesus' Death Threat: Moralism Grounding Text (I): Exodus >> God - The Absence of God - The Presence of God >> Exorcism >> Salvation - The Story - The Meal - The Song --------------------------------- St.
Mark’s Adult Education Meeting Summary "Christ Plays in Creation" #2 (pp. 85-129) Grounding Text (2): St. John >> Ego Eimi >> The Signs >> The Glory Cultivating Fear of the Lord in Creation: Sabbath and Wonder >> Sabbath - The Commands - Worship - Work >> Wonder - Resurrection Wonder - The Destruction of Wonder - Wonder in the Workplace --------------------------------- St.
Mark’s Adult Education Meeting Summary "Christ Plays in Creation" #1 (pp. 48-85) Exploring the Neighborhood of Creation Kerygma: Jesus' Birth Threat: Gnosticism Grounding Text (1): Genesis 1-2 >> Creation Now >> The Creation Gift of Time - Rhythm - Recovering the Rhythm >> The Creation Gift of Place - The Place - The Human - Freedom and Necessity - Intimacy --------------------------------- St.
Mark’s Adult Education Meeting Summary "Clearing the Playing Field" (pp. 1-47) Introduction Clearing the Playing Field >> Two Stories (Nicodemus / Samaritan Woman) >> Three Texts - Genesis 1:1-3 - Mark 1:9-11 - Acts 2:1-4 Four Terms >> Spirituality >> Jesus >> Soul >> Fear of the Lord --------------------------------- |
