Hebrew Literature The Bible

The Jewish Bible/ Old Testament The word Bible came from the Greek word biblia meaning books or a collection of writings. The Hebrew Bible contains many books - The Torah – from the Hebrew word tora meaning “law” – consists of the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy).

The Old Testament Often referred to by Jews as Miqra – meaning “that which is read.” Another term Tanakh is also used for the Old Testament. This term is an acronym that refers to the three basic divisions of the Hebrew text. Ta refers to the Torah, the first five books or the Pentateuch, a term meaning “the five scroll jars.” Na refers to the Neviium, the books of the Former and Latter Prophets. Kh refers to the Ketuvim, literally the miscellaneous writings that comprise the Old Testament

Storytelling and Oral Tradition Shared by all peoples of the ancient Near East Tales traveled throughout cities, villages, and desert camps from the Euphrates to the Nile. The key to preserving the tale was the storyteller.

Storyteller For a while, parents shared events with children Also gifted individuals – shepherds, celebrated artists, etc. The storyteller’s job was more than simply entertaining; his stories preserved the identity and collective memory of his people.

Storytelling Skills Until writing became common, memory was invaluable; without it, ideas were lost forever. A great storyteller might memorize an epic of some 30,000 lines of poetry as part of his repertoire. Learning by repetition was almost as important to the people who listened to the stories as it was to the performer.

Storytelling Skills People expected stories to be told the same way each time they heard them. The basic form and meaning of a tale could not be touched. The fixed story line helped people maintain links with the past and keep history rooted in the things they knew to be true.

Forms of Tradition The oral tradition lent itself to a great diversity of forms. Genealogies served as historical records, Proverbs provided memorable nuggets of instruction or codified acceptable behavior. Prophecies forecast the possibilities and dangers of the future. Poetry was common in all cultures with an oral tradition.

Stories of Faith For the Hebrews, two powerful forces gave authority to the voice of the storyteller. -- He spoke for their history -- He told the story of God’s dealings with Israel. Present day Jews continue the tradition of storytelling at the Passover Seder.

Genesis Chapter I Opens with the words “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” It proceeds to describe the acts of creation, the culmination of which was the creation of man.

Genesis Chapter 2 Verse 4 is the transition point from one version of the creation story to another, quite different one. Unlike the first version, the second reveals an anthropomorphized God A God who creates man out of dust the way a potter creates a pot out of clay. A God who plants gardens the way a farmer would.

Genesis Chapter 2 Chapter 2 describes the acts of creation, but in an order opposite that in Chapter 1. The culmination of Chapter 2 is the creation of woman.

Genesis Chapter 3 Chapter 3 recounts the fall of Adam and Eve. After eating the forbidden fruit, the first man and woman are punished by God, who expels them from Eden.