M R S . K E N N Y- N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 2 - R E L I G I O N 9

THE BIBLE

WHAT IS THE BIBLE?

WHY ARE THERE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE BIBLE?

• Diff. translations, interpretations, versions for diff. audiences (i.e. children, teenagers, etc.), authors

• Organized in different ways based on who uses it:• in chronological order (Christians)• by genre (Jews: Torah, Prophets, Writings)• by when it was written (Torah, Prophets, Writings)• Star Wars analogy….

• Can be different but called the same thing

THE BIBLE

• Comes from the Greek word for “book.”• Not just 1 book, but a collection of books =

ANTHOLOGY!

• Many different groups and religions claim the Bible as their own.• “Bible” is a vague term because of the different,

disparate groups that use it.• In some groups, the Bible is a scroll or collection of

writings that is spiritually significant.• What do you mean by “The Bible?”

THE BIBLE BELONGS TO THE WORLD.

WHO DOES THE BIBLE BELONG TO???

THE BIBLE: OLD TESTAMENT GEOGRAPHY

• Current Day:• Syria• Lebanon• Iraq

• Rivers of Babylon mentioned in the Old Testament are:• Tigris• Euphrates

• Old Testament: Written from 1200 BC/BCE – about 100 AD/CE

THE BIBLE: NEW TESTAMENT

• Christian writings• Written in 50-150 CE/AD• CE = Common Era• AD = Anno Domini = “In the Year of Our Lord”

• 2nd century preached from letters• At the time it was written, it wasn’t considered a

sacred or religious text.

TESTAMENT = “COVENANT”T H E B I B L E T H AT C AT H O L I C S ( A N D A L L C H R I S T I A N S ) U S E I S

D I V I D E D I N T O 2 “ T E S TA M E N T S ” – O L D A N D N E W

What is a “covenant?” = promise, contract, agreement

THE BIBLE

Old Testament

• An anthology of ancient Israel and Judea

• Covenant is between God and the Israelites

New Testament

• An anthology of literature of the Early Christians

• Covenant is between God and Jesus/His followers

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

•God makes a covenant with:1. Noah2. Abraham3. Isaac4. Jacob

THE BIBLE IN 7 KEY POINTS (TEXT P.9)

Old Testament

• God created the world and humankind.

• God offered hope even when humans rejected the love offered.

• God formed a covenant with the people.

• God molded the Israelites during their ups and downs in history.

New Testament

• God sent the divine son Jesus as a human expression of the love and fulfillment of promises made to Israel.

• Jesus lived, died, and was resurrected for the salvation of the world.

• The Holy Spirit was sent by God to renew followers of Christ and to stay with Christians until Christ returns to reign in justice and peace.

THE BIBLE

• What is the Word of God?• The Bible

• What is meant by “biblical inspiration?”• Holy Spirit helped the Bible’s writers

• Why is it necessary to study the Bible?• All intellectual people have a minimal understanding of

the Bible and its contents

• What is meant by “salvation history?”• Events that reveal God’s presence and saving actions

THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

•The 46 Books of the Old Testament are divided into 4 main groupings:•Pentateuch (Torah)•Historical Books•Prophetic Books•Poetical/Wisdom Books

PENTATEUCH (A.K.A. TORAH)(PENTATEUCH – PUT TOGETHER BECAUSE OF MOSES)

•Genesis•Exodus•Leviticus•Numbers•Deuteronomy

HISTORICAL BOOKS

• Joshua• Judges•Ruth•1 & 2 Samuel•1& 2 Kings•1&2 Chronicles•Ezra

•Nehemiah•Tobit**• Judith**•Esther**•1 Maccabees**•2 Maccabees**

POETIC/WISDOM BOOKS

• Job•Psalms•Proverbs•Ecclesiastes•Song of Solomon•Wisdom of Solomon**•Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)**

PROPHET(IC) BOOKS

• Isaiah• Jeremiah• Lamentations• Baruch**• Ezekiel• Daniel• Additions to Daniel**• Hosea• Joel

• Amos• Obadiah• Jonah• Micah• Nahum Habakkuk• Zephaniah• Haggai• Zechariah• Malachi

PROPHETS

• The Jewish Bible breaks up the prophets according to the following criteria:• Former Prophets – Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings• These books continue the narrative chronology

of the Pentateuch/Torah• Latter Prophets – books named after the

prophets themselves• Major Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel• Think “A-List celebrities”

• Minor Prophets: 12 shorter books (in the Jewish Bible, these are Hosea through Malachi)• Think “B-List celebrities”

WHEN A SECTION OF THE BIBLE IS REFERENCED, IT IS LISTED WITH THE CHAPTER # FIRST, THEN THE VERSE

#

FOR EXAMPLE:GEN 4: 1-16

(GENESIS, CHAPTER 4, VERSES 1 THROUGH 16)

LOOK THIS UP RIGHT NOW.

WHAT STORY IS THIS???

Looking up References in the Bible

DIFFERENT AUTHORS/EDITORS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

• See your separate handout for this!

WHAT IS A CANON?

•Sacred writings! •A list of books considered scripture by a religious group

• (HINT: not Pachelbel’s Canon in D , a camera brand, Nick Cannon, or something you shoot out of in the circus!)

SEPTUAGINTWHAT IS IT?

• Septuagint (sometimes abbreviated LXX) is the name given to the Greek translation of the Jewish Scriptures. The Septuagint has its origin in Alexandria, Egypt and was translated between 300-200 BC.

• Widely used among Hellenistic Jews, this Greek translation was produced because many Jews spread throughout the empire were beginning to lose their Hebrew language. The process of translating the Hebrew to Greek also gave many non-Jews a glimpse into Judaism.

• According to an ancient document called the Letter of Aristeas, it is believed that 70 to 72 Jewish scholars were commissioned during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus to carry out the task of translation. The term “Septuagint” means seventy in Latin, and the text is so named to the credit of these 70 scholars.

SEPTUAGINT INFLUENCE ON CHRISTIANITY

• The Septuagint was also a source of the Old Testament for early Christians during the first few centuries AD. Many early Christians spoke and read Greek, thus they relied on the Septuagint translation for most of their understanding of the Old Testament.

• The New Testament writers also relied heavily on the Septuagint, as a majority of Old Testament quotes cited in the New Testament are quoted directly from the Septuagint (others are quoted from the Hebrew texts).

• Greek church fathers are also known to have quoted from the Septuagint. Even today, the Eastern Orthodox Church relies on the Septuagint for its Old Testament teachings. Some modern Bible translations also use the Septuagint along side Hebrew manuscripts as their source text.

SEPTUAGINTWHAT DOES IT CONTAIN?

• The Septuagint contains the standard 39 books of the Old Testament canon, as well as certain apocryphal books.

• The term "Apocrypha" was coined by the fifth-century biblical scholar, Jerome, and generally refers to the set of ancient Jewish writings written during the period between the last book in the Jewish scriptures, Malachi, and the arrival of Jesus Christ.

• The apocryphal books include Judith, Tobit, Baruch, Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus), the Wisdom of Solomon, First and Second Maccabees, the two Books of Esdras, additions to the Book of Esther, additions to the Book of Daniel, and the Prayer of Manasseh.

• The Apocryphal books were included in the Septuagint for historical and religious purposes, but are not recognized by Protestant Christians or Orthodox Jews as canonical (inspired by God).

• Most reformed teachers will point out that the New Testament writers never quoted from the Apocryphal books, and that the Apocrypha was never considered part of the canonical Jewish scripture. However, the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox churches include the Apocrypha in their Bible (except for the books of Esdras and the Prayer of Manasseh).

APOCRYPHA

• a: books included in the Septuagint and Vulgate but excluded from the Jewish and Protestant canons of the Old Testament

• b: early Christian writings not included in the New Testament

• Deutero-canonical book• : of, relating to, or constituting the books of

Scripture contained in the Septuagint but not in the Hebrew canon

THE BIBLE THE CATHOLICS USE

• At the Council of Trent in 1546, the Roman Catholic Church decreed that all 46 books of the Old Testament, including the Apocrypha, were canonical and equally authoritative.

• All the books of the Jewish canon are accepted as canonical by all Christian communities, although in different order from their order in the Tanak(h).

• The Tanakh is the Jewish Bible.

• Protestants consider only the books of the Jewish canon to be canonical, whereas Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians also consider the Apocrypha** to be canonical.