Outline: 1). What is the Bible? 2). Who wrote the Bible? 3). Genealogy 4). Camping/Story telling

What is the Bible? A collection of ancient writings about God. Bible is Greek ('biblia') meaning 'Books'.

What is the Bible? Old & New Testaments or Hebrew &Christian Scriptures. Testament = agreement Scriptures = sacred writings.

What is the Bible? Hebrew: stories are about the agreement (covenant) with God and the Hebrew people.

What is the Bible? Christian: stories & teachings of covenant with Jesus & all people who believe & accept forgiveness of sins.

The Bible is: Hebrew belief in a loving, caring God different from the chaotic, warring, immoral gods of other religions (Marduk).

Marduk: When on high the heavens had not been named, Firm ground below had not been called by name,

Naught by primordial Apsu, their begetter, (And) Mummu-Tiamat, she who bore them all,

Their waters commingling as a single body. From this union of primeval waters all other gods spring.

They fought against each other. They killed their parents. Marduk makes heaven & earth out of each half his mother's body.

Blood I will mass and cause bones to be. I will establish a savage, 'man' shall be his name. Verily, savage-man I will create.

He shall be charged with the service of the gods That they might be at ease! (ANET 68)

God: “Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves,

And let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild beasts and all the reptiles upon the earth.

God created man in the image of himself, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.

And so it was. God saw all he had made and indeed it was very good.” (Genesis 1:26-31)

Who wrote the Bible? People of God about their experiences with God. Written to the People of God (Farmers, Shepherds & Nomads).

Who wrote the Bible? Written by many authors over 1400 years. Final Hebrew collection, writing done during Babylonian exile by the religious scholars/scribes.

Who wrote the Bible? Final Hebrew Canon accepted 1st Century AD. Final Christian Cannon accepted 3rd Century AD.

Genealogy: Story of where we came from. Who we are. Why we are the way we are (culture, nationality, religion).

Genealogy: Stories have special meaning for us. Our Special History. Bible is the special History for the Hebrews as well as all Humanity.

Genealogy: Our Special History of Salvation. It tells about our special relationship with God. Who we are, Why we are, What is our purpose

Camping: At night, around the campfire, we share our stories. Stories are about an event that happened in the past.

Camping: Stories are shared with family & friends (Oral). Stories are reflected upon and embellished in order teach, edify, help. Stories are always accurate.

Camping: Important stories are eventually written down. Stories are the reflection by the community of its special experience of God in their lives.