The Old Testament: A Very Brief Overview

What ’ s in the Book? The Old Testament (OT) The Old Testament (OT) The Hebrew Bible (HB) The Hebrew Bible (HB) Torah ( “ Law ” ) Torah ( “ Law ” ) Nebi ’ im ( “ Prophets ” ) Nebi ’ im ( “ Prophets ” ) Kethubim ( “ Writings ” ) Kethubim ( “ Writings ” ) Best Options: “ First Testament ” or “ Hebrew Bible ” Best Options: “ First Testament ” or “ Hebrew Bible ”

“ If Christians continue to use ‘ Old Testament ’ (and in my judgment that is preferable), they must make clear that the term is not pejorative, but descriptive, serving the purpose of distinguishing the books so designated from the New Testament. In traditional Christian thought the Old Testament is Scripture, just as sacred and enduringly valid as the New Testament. ” Raymond E. Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament, p. xxxiv. Raymond E. Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament, p. xxxiv.

Hebrew Bible

English Bible The Structure of the English Old Testament (English 39 = Books) Pentateuch (5) Pentateuch (5) Historical Books (12) Historical Books (12) Poetry and Wisdom (5) Poetry and Wisdom (5) Major Prophets (5) Major Prophets (5) Minor Prophets (12) Minor Prophets (12)

English Bible

Historical Context The Biblical Times

A Brief but Must-Know Timeline 1250 B.C.Moses and Exodus 1250 B.C.Moses and Exodus B.C. Joshua: Conquest, Settlement Judges B.C. Joshua: Conquest, Settlement Judges 1000 B.C. David/United Monarchy 1000 B.C. David/United Monarchy 922 B.C. Division of the Kingdom 922 B.C. Division of the Kingdom 722 B.C. Fall of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) 722 B.C. Fall of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) 586 B.C. Fall of the Southern Kingdom (Judah) 586 B.C. Fall of the Southern Kingdom (Judah) 538 B.C. Edict of Persian King Cyrus; Return from Exile 538 B.C. Edict of Persian King Cyrus; Return from Exile

EdenNoahAbraham/Isaac/JacobDown into Egypt with Joseph & the Tribes BCE BCE Hyksos Period in EXODUSCONQUEST & SETTLEMENTTHE UNITED MONARCHY 1446 BCE Desert Wanderings 40 yrs Joshua & the Era of the JudgesSamuelSaul/David/Solomon THE DIVIDED MONARCHY Jeroboam I 932 BCE The Omrides Ahab 869 Elijah Dynasty of Jehu Jereboam II 786 Hosea & Amos Syro-Ephraimite Wars Series of assassinations BCE Assyrian Destruction (Shalmaneser V) Moabite Stone BCE Rehoboam I 932 BCE Jehosaphat 873 Uzziah 783 Ahaz 735 Hezekiah 715 Manasseh 695 Dan Stele Josiah Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin 1st Deportation yrs Edict of Cyrus 538 BCE Temple Rebuilt BCE Haggai & Zechariah Ezra & Nehemiah BCE Malachi PATRIARCHAL PERIOD Jeremiah Merneptah Stele BCE 587/6 BCE THE EXILETHE RETURN2ND TEMPLE JUDAISM Babylon falls to Medo-Persian Empire- 539 BCE Zedekiah Ezekiel Daniel Assyria falls to Babylon-612 BCE Egypt defeated at Carchemish-605 BCE Sennacherib’s Campaign- 701 BCE Nahum Jeremiah Babylonian Destruction (Nebuchadrezzar) Alexander Hasmoneans 336 BCE BCE Micah Jeremiah

Historical Context The Biblical Places

Where Did These Events Take Place? Fertile Crescent Mesopotamia Euphrates and Tigris Rivers Fertile yet politically unstable Assyria Babylon Persia Greece Rome

Where Did These Events Take Place? Egypt Nile River Fertile and stable

Where Did These Events Take Place? Palestine Palestine ’ s geographic features made isolation the norm

The Zones of Israel

Canaan in the Days of Abraham

Cultural Context The Biblical Culture

Thinking Like an Ancient The ancient world of which Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Paul were a part was in various ways very unlike modern western culture. The ancient world of which Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Paul were a part was in various ways very unlike modern western culture.

1. HONOR and SHAME A primary value is honor, life is a secondary value in such a culture. Better to die than to be dishonored or shamed.  Honor was a public and male value in this culture, shame a private, and often female value. Society was structured such that one got ahead by means of Honor challenges-- in which there were always winners and losers.

2. Group vs. Individual Identity Ancient Mediterranean persons got their primary sense of identity not from their uniqueness but from the groups and locale of which they were a part-- in particular, their family group (OT tribe or father, Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah) ethnic group (Ruth the Moabite) homeland (e.g. Elijah the Tishbite 1 Kings 17:1)

3. LIMITED GOOD In antiquity, goods, services, honor, and the like were all in limited supply. If one person had them another did not. Thus one spent much of one's time trying to protect what one had. There was not a free market economy. Bartering, trading, stealing, or winning were the chief means of obtaining what one did not have. One could seldom earn improvement in life, it had to be bestowed and one had to know the right people.

4. PATRON-CLIENT Relationships The chief means of succeeding in antiquity was through patronage.  Favors and payback were the order of the day.  Once one entered a patron-client relationship, it was difficult if not impossible to get out.  In such a culture, “ grace ” was a foreign concept.

5. A PATRIARCHAL WORLD The ancient world was highly patriarchal and male-centered. Not only was it a male dominated world, but the major values of the world were set up to keep it that way.  Ancient literature was almost all written from a male point of view.  Higher Education was basically the provenance of males, and so most ancient literature was written by and for men. In this world, we should see God ’ s attempt to modify patriarchy as much more revolutionary than they appear today.

Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) World View Concept of Continuity Natue HumanityNature Deity

The Biblical World View Concept of Transcendence God Natue HumanityNature God God

CONTRASTING WORLDVIEWS ANCIENT NEAR SCRIPTURAL EASTERN 1. Polytheism1. Monotheism 2. Continuity2. Discontinuity 3. Role of history= 3. History = insignificant significant

A Theology of Biblical History History is not just facts. It ’ s interpretation History is not all the facts. It ’ s selective

A Theology of Biblical History History is linear Beginning, middle, end (Exception: Judges 2:6-3:6) History is purposeful Something (someone) stands behind history, pushing it to a climax

A Theology of Biblical History History is Relational God acts not by determinism but in response to our relationship to Him History is Crisis-Oriented Leads to a decision for something or someone