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
Where Did These Events Take Where Did These Events Take Place?Place?
Egypt
•Nile River
Fertile and stable
Where Did These Events Take Where Did These Events Take Place?Place?
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
A Theology of Biblical HistoryA Theology of Biblical History
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
A Theology of Biblical HistoryA Theology of Biblical History
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