Intro_OT 1

The Christian Bible, Part I,

RP 2250

The Bible as Literature

Craig Ho

Intro_OT 2

The Old Testament

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Why is the Bible studied in the universities?

A. Academic reasons:1. The Bible is great and interesting literature in its own

right.2. The literature of the West has been and is being

influenced by the Bible, both in world-view and language.

B. Historical reasons:1. Universities were originated from monasteries ( 修道

院 ) in the Middle-Age. Monks and nuns studied the Bible.

2. It is one of the first subjects in the most ancient universities in the western (Christian) world.

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Different canons of the Old Testament (OT)

• A canon is a standard list of books which are

regarded as authoritative.

• The Hebrew Bible of the Jews.

• The OT of the Roman Catholic and Eastern

Orthodox Churches (=texts of the Hebrew Bible + 15 / 18

apocryphal texts.)

• The OT of the Protestant Churches (=texts of the

Hebrew Bible)

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The Hebrew canon

• The Prophets (4+4)Joshua 約書亞記Judges 士師記1&2 Samuel 撒母耳記1&2 Kings 列王紀上下

Isaiah 以賽亞書Jeremiah 耶利米書Ezekiel 以西結書 the twelve ＋二先知書( Hosea, Joel, Amos 阿摩司 , Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi)

• The Writings (11)Psalms 詩篇Job 約伯記Proverbs 箴言

Ruth 路得記Song of Solomon 雅歌Ecclesiastes 傳道書Lamentations 耶利米哀歌Esther 以斯帖記

Daniel 但以理書Ezra-Nehemiah 以斯拉記 , 尼希米記1&2 Chronicles 歷代志上下

NB. Ezra and Nehemiah are one book in the Hebrew canon.

}Former

Prophets

}Latter Prophets

}Five scrolls

The five scrolls are read at five main Jewish feasts:

1. Songs for Passover,2. Ruth for the Feast of

Weeks or Harvest,3. Lamentations for the

fast in remembrance of the destruction of Jerusalem,

4. Ecclesiastes for Booths

5. Esther for Purim

• The Law (5)Genesis 創世記Exodus 出埃及記 Leviticus 利未記Numbers 民數記Deuteronomy 申命記

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The Christian OT Canons

The Historical Books (12)JoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEasther

The Prophets (5+12)IsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachi

39 Canonical books common to all Christian Churches (Note 1)

15 Apocryphal books common to Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches

1 Esdras2 EsdrasTobitJudithAdditions to EstherWisdom of SolomonEcclesiastcus, or the

Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirah

BaruchLetter of JeremiahPrayer of Azariah and

the Song of the Three Young Men

SusannaBel and the DragonPrayer of Manasseh1 Maccabees2 Maccabees

3 extra apocryphal books in the OT canon of the Eastern Orthodox Churchers3 Maccabees4 MaccabeesPsalm 151

Note 1: Protestant Churches accept only these 39 books as their OT canon

The Law (5)GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomy

The Poetic and Wisdom Books (5)JobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of Solomon

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The Divisions of the Three Canons of the Old Testament

Jewish• The Law (5)

• The Prophets•Former Prophets (4)

•Latter Prophets (4)

• The Writings (11)

Protestant

• Pentateuch (5)

• History Books (12)

• Poetry and

Wisdom Books (5)

• Prophetic

Books (17)

Catholic / Orthodox

• Pentateuch• History Books• Poetry and

Wisdom Books

• Prophetic Books

• Apocrypha

24 3939 + 15/18

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What is the Old Testament all about?

The Law (5) - consists of the books of

- Genesis

- Exodus

- Leviticus

- Numbers

- Deuteronomy

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The Historical Books consists of

• the Book of Joshua, (Joshua was Moses' successor)

• the Book of Judges, (Judges were civil and military leaders)

• the Book of Ruth, (Ruth was a Moabite widow)

• 1 and 2 Samuel, (Samuel was the last judge and first prophet)

• 1 and 2 Kings, (Story of the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of

Judah)

• 1 and 2 Chronicles, (Story of the kingdom of Judah)

• the Book of Ezra, (Ezra was an expert of the Law)

• the Book of Nehemiah, (Nehemiah was a high official at the court of

the Persian emperor)

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Major Historical Events:

• the Exodus, political liberation from Egyptian oppression,

about 1290 BC

• the beginning of Monarchy, 1050 BC

• Solomon built the Jerusalem Temple, 966-959 BC

• the division of the united kingdom, 933 BC

• the fall of Israel, the northern kingdom, 721/2 BC

• Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem, 701 BC

• Josiah's religious reformation, 621 BC

• the fall of Judah, the southern kingdom, 586/7 BC

• the exile of people of Judah, 605, 597, 586 BC

• the return of the Jewish exile, 538 BC

• building of the Second Temple, founded 536,

520-515 BC

}Assyrian period

}Babylonian period

}Persian period

}Egyptian period

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The Historical Atlas of the Ancient Near East

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The Prophetic Books consists of

• Amos (760), Hosea (760-722), Micah (742-687)• Isaiah (ch. 1-39) of Jerusalem (740-700)• Zephaniah (640 -586), Jeremiah (627-587)

• Nahum (612), Habakkauk (605, see Jer. 25.1-11)• Ezekiel (597-530)• Obadiah (after 586), Lamentation

•Haggai (520), Zechariah (520), Malachi (440)

• Other prophets:• Daniel (story of the Jews in exile)• Isaiah of Babylon (message to encourage the Jews exile)• Joel (call for repentance)• Jonah (call Nineveh to repent)

} Assyrian period

}Babylonian period

} Persian period

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The Poetic and Wisdom Books consists of

• Job, (a philosophical and religious

dialogue on God’s justice)

• Psalms, (hymn books for worship in

the temple)

• Proverbs, (wise sayings of the Jewish

people)

• Ecclesiastes, (a wise old man's

inquiry into the meaning of life)

• Song of Solomon, (erotic love

poetries)

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The meaning of the Old Testament

1. Salvation History: (i.e. history as understood by God’s

people, unified meaning) As a whole it tells the story of

Yahweh’s dealing with his people Israel: election,

blessing (land/nation and people), saving them when

they were in trouble (exodus, return to the promised

land from exile).

2. National literature (diversified meaning)Its different

parts tell us about the Hebrew people’s life experience –

religion (divine love), human relationship (love poems,

love stories), philosophical dialogue (Job), stories of

national heroes (Moses, David, Esther etc.)

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The Basic Concerns of the OT

• The Torah (Law and early history)

-Concerned with the SACRED: origin of the world, divine

calling of the patriarchs, suffering in Egypt, miraculous

delivery from Egypt, receiving of the Law

• The Prophets (History and social concern)

-Concerned with the ETHICAL: history as stories of human

failure, criticizing society from an ethical point of view

• The Writings (Miscellaneous)

-Concerned with the HUMAN: human response to God

(Psalms), human love (Ruth, Song), human suffering (Job),

meaning of life (Ecclesiastes), human wisdom (Proverbs)

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Overview of today’s lecture

• The Structures of the Three Canons of the Old Testament

• What is the Old Testament all about?

• The Historical Books

• Major Historical Events

• The Prophetic Books

• The Poetic and Wisdom Books

• Three basic concerns of the OT