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The name "Old Testament" reflects Christianity's understanding of itself as the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy of a New Covenant (which is similar to "testament" and often conflated) to replace the existing covenant between God and Israel (Jeremiah 31:31).
- Genesis. Genesis speaks of beginnings and is foundational to the understanding of the rest of the Bible. It is supremely a book that speaks about relationships, highlighting those between God and his creation, between God and humankind, and between human beings.
- Exodus. Exodus describes the history of the Israelites leaving Egypt after slavery. The book lays a foundational theology in which God reveals his name, his attributes, his redemption, his law and how he is to be worshiped.
- Leviticus. Leviticus receives its name from the Septuagint (the pre-Christian Greek translation of the Old Testament) and means "concerning the Levites" (the priests of Israel).
- Numbers. Numbers relates the story of Israel's journey from Mount Sinai to the plains of Moab on the border of Canaan. The book tells of the murmuring and rebellion of God's people and of their subsequent judgment.
The Christian Church regards the OT as authoritative Holy Scripture because its Founder and Savior so regarded it. Jesus taught His disciples that Moses, the OT prophets, and the Psalms all testified to Himself ( Luke 24:44) as the promised Redeemer of God’s people.
Jun 11, 2024 · Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible as interpreted among the various branches of Christianity. In Judaism the Hebrew Bible is not only the primary text of instruction for a moral life but also the historical record of God’s promise, first articulated in his covenant with Abraham, to consider the Jews his chosen people.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Before The Formation of The Monarchic State
- The Cycle of The Patriarchs
- The Work of Moses
- The Settlement in Canaan
- Birth and Consolidation of The Monarchy
- Political Decline
- The Period of The Prophets
- The Stages in The Redaction of The Books
- The Exile
- The Restoration
Within the historical evolution of the Near East, the events and actions of Israel begin to emerge as the history of a particular human group at the time of Abraham (ca. 1850 B.C.). Its unique character will be revealed with ever increasing clarity until it is established as a political entity under King David (ca. 1010–970 B.C.).
We find no clear witness outside the Bible to the history of these distant ancestors. The tradition concerning this history gives a picture of a nomadic life that mirrors to a great extent what we know from other sources; they are therefore credible, at least in this respect, in the eyes of the critical historian. Legend certainly plays a part, but...
The first five books of the Bible, that is, the Pentateuch or Law, are attributed to Moses. Today, however, critics are able to show that the final redaction of these texts occurred at a much later date. Moses nonetheless remains the most prestigious of the prophets and at the same time the humblest of believers. He was also the founder of the peop...
This important period in Israel’s history is still rather obscure. The Bible has preserved the memory of a great conquest but also accounts of endless guerilla warfare. As a result, the Book of Judges does not fully back up the grandiose pictures of the Book of Joshua. This period was close to the heart of Israel, because it was the period in which...
The twelve tribes were divided into two groups, a northern and a southern. Unity was achieved only episodically, and even then it was only partial. When dangers and wars arose, it was necessary to organize the people if they wanted to survive, but if they appointed a leader, were they not perhaps mocking God, the sole king of Israel, and usurping h...
For over eighty years David, and then Solomon, were able by their personal authority to overcome the forces of division that kept North and South in opposition. But immediately after these two kings, each section claimed autonomy and sought to establish its own unity. The life of the little kingdom of Judah was centered in the one temple of Jerusal...
This period of decline was also the period of the prophets. Prophetism was a multiform movement. Entire groups devoted themselves to the cultivation of ecstasy; these were the official prophets, who spoke as the king desired. There were also authentic prophets, exceptional men who rose up to speak in the name of God; in the midst of the turmoil in ...
The books that recount the history of Israel down to the fall of the monarchy, and especially the Pentateuch, are a mosaic of fragments in different genres and from different periods, all of them brought together in a degree of unity. Before the books took shape, shorter literary units had been formed in the course of the centuries; in these units ...
Allusions in the Prophets and many Psalms help us understand somewhat the lot of the exiles; they also help us understand their overflowing joy as they returned after 538 B.C. In addition, the general history of this period provides information on the lot of deported populations. We today have not grown up with a religion that is tied to a country,...
In 539 B.C., an unexpected and unforeseeable radical change occurred: the Persian empire replaced the Babylonian in control of the Middle East. Cyrus, the new master, who is presented in the second part of Isaiah as God’s chosen instrument, gave proof of an unexpected tolerance toward the religion and customs of each ethnic group. All dreams were n...
Jan 19, 2018 · Learn about the origins, development and structure of the Bible, the holy scripture of Christianity. Explore the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Septuagint, the Gospels, the Book of Revelation and more.
CHRONOLOGY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. The arrangement of OT events in time, including their dates and correlation with secular history. Outline. I. Principles of chronology. To date the events of the OT serves both to clarify their sequence in Biblical history and to emphasize their reality in time and space.
