4
might come together to tell stories of the man and each person might share an example or
anecdote about the person and how he touched their lives.
Scripture scholar Luke Timothy Johnson, in his work The Writings of the New Testament:
An Interpretation, provides a similar example with a family matriarch. He states that at special
occasions, memories would be prompted and stories about the person would be shared. For
Johnson, the older members of
the family or those that were
present at the event behind the
story being shared would correct
younger tellers of the story to
ensure the details were accurate.
The Tradition of Storytelling in the Middle East
He adds that these stories would
also be compartmentalized into the sayings and actions of the person. As time passes, in
Johnson’s view, the details that do not add anything to the crux of the story are changed or
deleted altogether, resulting in the stories becoming much more concise. The stories are also
molded in accordance with cultural types.8 The strong patriarch becomes more daring or bold,
and the funny uncle becomes funnier, the hardships of an elder’s childhood become harsher.
The story of a grandfather telling his grandchildren how his father used to walk to school
barefoot in the snow uphill comes to mind. The story becomes sharper as it is told over and
again.9 Only the important aspects of the tale are stated,10 the delivery is clean, and the punch
8
9
Ibid, 142-43.
Ibid, 143-44.