1. “Five Scrolls” Summary of ch. 3 Encountering the Old Testament
The Pentateuch
“Five Scrolls”
Summary of ch. 3
Encountering the Old Testament

2. The Pentateuch First 5 books of OT
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
Also called
Torah – law, instruction
Book of the Law
Books of Moses

3. The story of how Israel’s ancestors became the people chosen by God
Chosen to represent God to the world
Chosen to be a blessing to the world
Genesis 1-11
Story of beginnings
Creation – life
Struggles of life
Good vs Evil
Effects of sin, evil
Estrangement between people, people & God

4. Gen 12-50
Story of Abraham and his family and their journey of faith
Covenant between Abraham and God
Exodus
Story of Moses and his leadership of Israel out of Egypt
Covenant between Israel and God

5. Deuteronomy – “second law”
Leviticus
Guidance from sons of Levi - priests
Instructions for moral and ritual purity
God’s people should be holy because he is holy
Numbers
Story of Israel’s travels after leaving Egypt
Struggles of faithfulness to the covenant
Deuteronomy – “second law”
Moses prepares Israel for the promised land

6. Themes of the Pentateuch
Sovereignty of god
Creator, protection of Abraham, defeats Egyptian gods
God in History
God is involved in history, not simply above or beyond it
Struggle with evil, sin

7. Salvation Holiness Deliverance from control of evil Character of God
Expects his people to share holiness
People become like what they revere, worship

8. Who wrote the Pentateuch?
Traditional theory
Moses wrote it
Modern theory
Several wrote various parts over a long period of time
Different themes, different name of God, different perspectives reflect different authors

9. Many debates over these ideas
Main documents
J E D P
J – “Jehovah” – Yahweh
E – “Elohim”
D – mainly Deuteronomy
P – mainly priestly material
Eventually all these documents were put together to form the Pentateuch
Many debates over these ideas

10. Much of the material was transmitted orally for generations
Much of the material was shaped at the time of Moses
Several later shaped the traditions handed down from Moses

11. Sitz im leben – “situation in life”
Redaction criticism
Tries to detect how different sources are edited together
Form criticism
Analyzes different literary types, styles (genre) - (narrative, poetry, wisdom, etc)
Sitz im leben – “situation in life”
The settings in which the different literary types were used
Tradition criticism
Tries to trace the oral traditions