Exploration of the Christian Faiths
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rel-150_pp3.pptxThe Old Testament
Christanity: An Introduction
The Old Testament
“Old Testament”: Christian term to refer to books still regarded as sacred by Judaism
“Scripture” or “Writing” graphe to describe these writings
Other ways of describing:
Hebrew Bible – stresses Hebrew people
First Testament – “Old” means “invalid” or “outdated” to some
Tanakh – Hebrew word used: T + N + K (Torah, Nevi’im, Kethuvim – Law, Prophets, Writings)
There is no one broadly accepted name
Shape of the Old Testament
Septuagint – LXX – Greek translation of Old Testament 275-100 BC in Alexandria Egypt
Masoretic text – Source for Greek-speaking Jews in Alexandria; different than others
Use by Christians led to Jews abandoning it
Circa year 90 – Jewish scholars determined official canon of Hebrew Bible in Jamnia, motivated by rise of Christianity
Jerome – creating the Vulgate – noticed the difference between the two sets, with “Apocrypha” derives”
“Deuterocanonical” – no Hebrew version
Shape of the Old Testament
Hebrew Canon – 24 books (See p. 59)
Torah, Nevi-im (prophets), Kethuvim (writings)
“The Twelve”: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
Christian Canon – 39 books
Five books of Law, Historical Books, Writings, Prophets
Shape of the Old Testament
Points of comparison:
Septuagint divided Samuel, Kings, Chronicles into two books
Hebrew canon includes some prophecy as historical
Book of Daniel: prophetic in Hebrew canon; “minor prophet” in Christian
Hebrew Canon treats 12 minor prophets as a single book
Christian canon places certain books alongside others where helpful (Ruth and Judges)
Both agree in first books of Old Testament; otherwise are different; Christian ends w/ Malachi foretelling the Messiah
Shape of the Old Testament
Four Different Configurations:
Judaism: canon and order of the Masoretic text, established at Jamnia
Greek Orthodoxy: canon and order of Septuagint
Roman Catholicism: canon and order of Septuagint, but with deuterocanonical works placed at the end
Protestantism: canon of Masoretic text, order of the Septuagint, minus deuterocanonical
The Contents of the Old Testament
The Old Testament consists of 39 books (or 46 with Apocrypha/ deuterocanonical books):
Five books of Law
Historical books
Prophets
Writings
The Five Books of Law
Five Books of Law/Books of Moses/Pentateuch/Torah/Five Scrolls
Describes origin of the people of Israel, and revelation of God who called those people into being
Sets forth the law that would give and safeguard distinctive identity and ethos of Israel as the people of God
Collection of documents brought together around the time of the fall of Babylon in sixth century BC.
The Five Books of Law: Genesis
Genesis: Greek for “origins”
First creation account 1:1 – God created heavens and earth in six days
Second creation account – creation of humanity as made in the image of God
Flood story
Tower of Babel
Call of Abraham
The Five Books of Law: Exodus
Exodus: Greek “way out”
How people of Israel fell into slavery in Egypt, and the way in which Moses emerged as their deliverer.
Passover
Passing through the Reed Sea
Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai
The Five Books of Law: Leviticus
Sets for the characteristic religious and cultural practices and beliefs that marked Israel off from other peoples/nations
Specific guidelines for sacrifices
Rituals for the Day of Atonement
Dietary restrictions
The Five Books of Law: Numbers
The people are still wandering in the desert
Details of the preparations being made to invade Canaan
Book ends with Israel poised on the eastern side of the River Jordan waiting to enter the promised land.
The Five Books of Law: Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy: “Second law”
Written later, but looks back on Moses from the perspective of the people about to enter the land
One last reminder of the law before he dies, as assimilation occurs.
Moses does not make it to the new land.
The Historical Books
The Historical books place a considerable emphasis on the importance of the acts of God in history
Major purpose: historical narrative and theological commentary
Book of Joshua begins historical commentary. Joshua is Moses’ successor as leader of Israel
Joshua leads the battle of Jericho
The Historical Books
Next leaders are the Judges – charismatic leaders raised by God to deliver Israel from danger
Threats from people living there
Ruth – concerns and issues of the period
Samuel – describes kingship being established
Saul, David, Solomon first Kings
Regions: Israel to the north, Judah to the south; David united the two
The Historical Books
1 Kings, 2 Kings: follow books of Samuel;
The four books provide continuous account of development and history of the kingdom of Israel from establishment of the monarchy to Babylonian Exile
After Solomon’s death: Split back to Israel North, Judah in the south
722 B.C.: Assyrian Invasion; Israel is capture
Seen as a sign of God’s disfavor; Canaanite fertility cults
587 B.C.: Babylonians take the south, people scatter (Diaspora)
The Historical Books
Chronicles 1 and 2: written with needs of restored community in mind.
Additional material to Samuel and Kings, though many of the same periods are covered
Solomon and David are portrayed more positively
David’s incident with Bathsheba
Solomon’s foreign wives/concubines omitted
Chronicles highlights the good to give hope final fulfillment may be achieved
Signs point to the messiah
The Historical Books
Ezra, Nehemiah – document events from overthrow of the Babylonian Empire by Persian monarch Cyrus in 538 B.C
Israel allowed to return and rebuild the temple
Theme: Israel’s religious life and the need for exiles to maintain their cultural and religious identities, through refusing to marry other local people
Esther – way in which a Jewish community in Persian empire was spared from destruction
Esther
The Writings
“Writings” tend to focus on Wisdom and the knowledge of God
Four major writings:
Job
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Psalms
Song of Solomon/Song of Songs also included
Wisdom: Profound understanding about the mysteries of life, ultimately due to God
Solomon: Israel’s wisest king
True wisdom is a gift from God, no other source
The Writings: Book of Job
Job: three major questions:
Why does God allow suffering?
Or, does suffering equal dis-favor with God?
Is it because of sin?
Story opens with Job’s understanding of the matter
Job has everything: health, family, wealth
Satan approaches God
Job maintains faith
Three friends: Eliphaz, Bildad, Sophar: Job must have sinned
God responds, clearing up confusion; Job maintains his faith
The Writings: Book of Psalms
“The Psalter”: series 150 psalms of that reached final form in third century BC.
Smaller collections: “Psalms of Asaph”, “Psalms of the Sons of Korah”, “Psalms of David”
Five books:
Book 1: Psalms 1-41
Book 2: Psalm 42-72
Book 3: Psalms 73-89
Book 4: Psalms 90-106
Book 5: Psalms 107-150
Sung, poetic prayers
The Writings: Proverbs
A collection of short proverbial sayings.
Hebrew “proverbs” includes a broader range that has the sense of “parable” or “oracle” to suggest God’s involvement in human wisdom
Solomon credited with speaking many
The Writings: Ecclesiastes
Wisdom literature that take sthe form of a collection of proverbs and observations.
Author Ekklesiastes – “The teacher” traditionally identified as Solomon as “Son of David”
Well-known song
from the book of
Ecclesiastes:
The Writings: Song of Solomon/ Song of Songs
Known by both Song of Solomon and Song of Songs
Understood to have been written by Solomon; generally regarded as an outstanding love poem
Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.
The Prophets: Isaiah
First of four “Major” prophets
Called to prophecy 740 BC; worked until 701 when Northern Israel fell.
Three sections:
First part (from Isaiah himself)
Chapters 36-20: Judah’s survival of threat of Assyria
Chapters 40-55: prophesy Judah’s later enslavement to Babylon and exile from the land; looks beyond immediate to a “new heavens and a new earth”
Contains many of the prophecies important to Christianity
The Prophets: Jeremiah
Longest book in the Bible; called to prophecy 626 B.C.
Turbulent years during his prophecy. The Assyrians had taken the north; Babylonians were gaining in strength; attacked Jerusalem multiple times.
Jeremiah warned people to make things right
Jeremiah's prophecies call people to remain faithful to God, not military alliances
The Prophets: Lamentations
Attributed to Jeremiah; laments the destruction of Jerusalem
Graphic portrayal of Jerusalem right after the fall of the city.
Probably was not written by Jeremiah.
The Prophets: Ezekiel
Ezekiel: focuses on apostasy, sin, and exile
Ezekiel prophesies about the state of affairs in Jerusalem from his exile near Babylon; no evidence that he himself left Babylon.
Exiles settled in Babylon along the “Kebar River”, an irrigation canal
Ezekiel was born into a priestly family, who would have served in the temple.
The Prophets: Daniel
More so apocalyptic than prophetic; sometimes grouped into the “writings” category.
Stresses need to remain faithful to God, despite difficult circumstances.
Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord Praise and exalt Him above all forever Angels of the Lord bless the Lord. You heavens, bless the Lord All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord All you hosts of the Lord, Bless the Lord Sun and Moon, Bless the Lord Stars of heaven, bless the Lord. Every shower and dew, bless the Lord. All you winds, bless the Lord Fire and Heat, bless the Lord
Cold and chill, bless the Lord Dew and rain, bless the Lord Frost and chill, bless the Lord Ice and Snow, bless the Lord Nights and days, bless the Lord Light and darkness, bless the Lord Lightings and clouds, bless the Lord
Let the earth bless the Lord Praise and exalt Him above all forever.
Canticle of Daniel:
The Prophets: Hosea
Hosea is 8th century BC; written in the northern kingdom of Israel and prophesied to it during its final days before the fall to Assyria
Hosea focuses on the unfaithfulness of Israel to God
May have been written after he fled to safety in Judah.
The Prophets: Joel
Joel – little is known about Joel
Difficult to date
“Day of the Lord”; a day of Darkness is at hand in which destruction will come to Zion
A vast cloud of locusts is coming, seen as a sign of God’s judgment”
Joel looks forward to a coming day when the “Spirit of the Lord” will be poured out on the people of God
Christians see this as the Holy Spirit on Pentecost
The Prophets: Amos
Amos focuses on the failures of the northern kingdom of Israel.
Amos was born in southern Judah, ministered primarily to the north.
Prophecy takes the form of judgment against both pagan nations and Israel for their sins; Israel bears greater responsibility, since they were God’s chosen people.
The prophecy sees the lack of social justice as major failure.
The Prophets: Obadiah, Jonah
Obadiah – one of the briefest and difficult to date..
Shows terrible conditions in Judah during exile
Jonah – describes the missionary journey of a prophet to the city of Nineveh at some point during 8th century B.C.
“Jonah and the Whale” story
The Prophets: Micah
Micah – prophesied in southern kingdom
Work is an attack on the corruption of life in the great cities of both kingdoms
Judah and Israel are guilty of a series of unacceptable offenses, particularly those against the weak.
Priests and prophets failed to speak out.
Looks forward to the coming of a king from Bethlehem in Judah
The Prophets: Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
Nahum, Habbakuk – little known about them, some of the shortest books of the Bible
Some prophecies included in Advent readings of the Church as prophecies for Jesus
Zephaniah – important period of religius reform in Judah. “rediscovery of the Book of Law” led to a major religious reformation.
Speaks of Baal worship
The Prophets: Haggai and Zechariah
Haggai and Zechariah – dated to the period where the deported population of Jerusalem returns to rebuild the city
Haggai focuses on the need to rebuild the Temple as honor to God
Zechariah wishes to encourage the people of Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple
Great messianic king, descendant of David, entering into the city of Jerusalem in triumph seated on a donkey.
The Prophets: Malachi
Malachi – “my messenger” generally thought of as final prophet of Old Testament period, at some time after the people returned to Jerusalem
Promise of forgiveness and restoration remains open
Malachi proclaims future coming of the “Day of the Lord”
Elijah will reappear to prepare his coming (John the Baptist?)
