Download - 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)

The Old The Old Testament:Testament:

A Very Brief A Very Brief OverviewOverview

WhatWhat’’s in the Book?s in the Book?

The Old Testament (OT)The Old Testament (OT)

The Hebrew Bible (HB)The Hebrew Bible (HB) Torah (Torah (““LawLaw””)) NebiNebi’’im (im (““ProphetsProphets””)) Kethubim (Kethubim (““WritingsWritings””))

Best Options: Best Options: ““First TestamentFirst Testament”” or or ““Hebrew BibleHebrew Bible””

““If Christians continue to use If Christians continue to use ‘‘Old TestamentOld Testament’’ (and in my (and in my

judgment that is preferable), judgment that is preferable), they must make clear that the they must make clear that the term is not pejorative, term is not pejorative, but but descriptivedescriptive, serving the , serving the

purpose of distinguishing the purpose of distinguishing the books so designated from the books so designated from the

New Testament. In traditional New Testament. In traditional Christian thought the Old Christian thought the Old

Testament is Scripture, just as Testament is Scripture, just as sacred and enduringly valid as sacred and enduringly valid as

the New Testament.the New Testament.”” Raymond E. Brown, Raymond E. Brown, An Introduction to An Introduction to the New Testamentthe New Testament, , p. xxxiv.p. xxxiv.

Hebrew BibleHebrew Bible

English BibleEnglish Bible

The Structure of the English The Structure of the English Old TestamentOld Testament (English 39 = (English 39 = Books) 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 BibleEnglish Bible

Historical ContextThe Biblical Times

A Brief but A Brief but Must-KnowMust-Know Timeline Timeline

1250 B.C.1250 B.C. Moses and ExodusMoses and Exodus 1200-1000 B.C. 1200-1000 B.C. Joshua: Conquest, Joshua: Conquest, SettlementSettlement JudgesJudges

1000 B.C.1000 B.C. David/United David/United MonarchyMonarchy

922 B.C.922 B.C. Division of the KingdomDivision of the Kingdom 722 B.C.722 B.C. Fall of the Northern Fall of the Northern Kingdom Kingdom (Israel)(Israel)

586 B.C.586 B.C. Fall of the Southern Fall of the Southern Kingdom Kingdom (Judah)(Judah)

538538 B.C. B.C. Edict of Persian Edict of Persian King Cyrus; King Cyrus; Return from ExileReturn from Exile

Old Testament Timeline

Biblical Period

Patriarchal Egypt/Desert Promised

Land

Judges United Monarchy

Divided Kingdom

Exile Restoration

Biblical Events

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,

Joseph

Moses, Joshua Deborah, Gideon,

Samson, etc.

Saul, David, Solomon

Enemies Environment Egypt, Canaanites

Philistines All Quiet Assyria, Babylon

Persia Samaritans

Time Creation - 1500 B.C.

1250 B.C. 1200 B.C. 1050-930 B.C.

Northern Kingdom (Israel)

930-722 B.C.

Southern Kingdom (Judah):

930-586 B.C.

Northern Kingdom:

Lost 10 Tribes

Southern Kingdom: Exiled to

Persia

1. Zerubbabel 515 B.C. 2. Ezra 458 B.C.

3. Nehemiah 445 B.C.

Biblical Books

Genesis Exodus-Deut Joshua

Judges

Ruth

1 Sam - 1 Kings 11

1 Kings 12- 2 Kings Isaiah

Esther Daniel Ezekiel

Ezra, Nehemiah,

Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

Eden Noah Abraham/Isaac/Jacob

Down into Egypt with Joseph & the Tribes(??

)(??)

@2000 BCE (@1850) @1850 BCE (@1700)

Hyksos Period in Egypt- @1650-1550

EXODUS CONQUEST & SETTLEMENT THE UNITED MONARCHY

1446 BCE

(@1290)

Desert Wanderings40 yrs

Joshua & the Conquest@1400 (@1250)

Era of the Judges

Samuel Saul/David/Solomon@1020/@1000/@960

THE DIVIDED MONARCHY

Jeroboam I 932 BCE

The Omrides876-843Ahab

869Elijah

Dynasty of Jehu

843-745Jereboam II786

Hosea & AmosSyro-Ephraimite

Wars 734-732

Series of assassinations

745-722 722 BCE

AssyrianDestruction (Shalmaneser V)

Moabite Stone - @840 BCE

Rehoboam I

932 BCE

Jehosaphat873

Uzziah783

Ahaz735

Hezekiah715

Manasseh695

Dan Stele - @850

Isaiah

Isaiah

Josiah640-609

Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim,Jehoiachin

1st Deportation609-597

70 yrs

Edict of Cyrus538 BCE

Temple Rebuilt

520-515 BCEHaggai & Zechariah

Ezra & Nehemiah

458-398 BCEMalachi

PATRIARCHAL PERIOD

Jeremiah

Merneptah Stele - @1220 BCE

587/6BCE

THE EXILE THE RETURN 2ND TEMPLE JUDAISMBabylon falls to Medo-Persian Empire- 539 BCEZedekiah

597-586

EzekielDaniel

Assyria falls to Babylon-612 BCE

Egypt defeated at Carchemish-605 BCE

Sennacherib’s Campaign- 701 BCE

NahumJeremiah

BabylonianDestruction (Nebuchadrezzar)

Alexander Hasmoneans336 BCE 152-64 BCE

Micah

Jeremiah

Historical ContextThe Biblical Places

Where Did These Events Take Where Did These Events Take Place?Place?

Fertile Crescent

•Mesopotamia

Euphrates and Tigris Rivers

Fertile yet politically unstable

•Assyria Babylon Persia Greece Rome


Egypt

•Nile River

Fertile and stable


Palestine

Palestine’s geographic features made isolation the norm

The Zones of Israel

Canaan in the Days of Abraham

Cultural ContextThe Biblical Culture

Thinking Like an Ancient

The ancient world of which The ancient world of which Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Paul were Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Paul were a part was in various ways very unlike a part was in various ways very unlike modern western culture. 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) Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) World ViewWorld View

Concept of ContinuityConcept of Continuity

NatueNatue

Humanity Nature

Deity

The Biblical World ViewThe Biblical World ViewConcept of TranscendenceConcept of Transcendence

GodGod

NatueNatue

Humanity Nature GodGodGodGod

CONTRASTING CONTRASTING WORLDVIEWSWORLDVIEWS

ANCIENT NEAR ANCIENT NEAR SCRIPTURAL SCRIPTURAL EASTERNEASTERN

1. Polytheism1. Polytheism 1. Monotheism1. Monotheism

2. Continuity2. Continuity 2. 2.

DiscontinuityDiscontinuity

3. Role of history= 3. Role of history= 3. History = 3. History = insignificant insignificant significantsignificant

A Theology of Biblical HistoryA Theology of Biblical History

History is not just facts.

It’s interpretation

History is not all the facts.

It’s selective


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


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

Download - 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)

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