Old Testament Why do we use it? It’s Old and has all of the most controversial beliefs

Old TestamentWhy do we use it?

It’s Old and has all of the most controversial beliefs

Testament?

• Testament is the Latin translation for Covenant-God’s actions with humanity

• Torah is the acronym for The Law, the Prophets and the Writings in Hebrew

• Protestant and Jewish Canons are 39 books

• Catholic Old Testament Canon is 46 Books

Judith-Tobit-Baruch-1st,2nd Maccabees-Ecclesiastics-Wisdom of Solomon

• Septuagint was the Greek Torah translation for the Jews of the Diaspora

• Septuagint refers to the 72 Greek Rabbis who translated the Hebrew Torah before the time of Christ for Greek Jews

• More Jews remained outside of Palestine than were in Palestine after the Diaspora

Pentateuch

• Genesis-5 Books- pre-history of God’s call in creation and the time of the patriarch's

• Exodus-Deliverance from Egypt & receiving the Covenant

• Leviticus-obligations of the Covenant• Numbers-increases laws and time in

desert• Deuteronomy-Moses gives meaning of

Covenant

Historical Books

• Joshua-conquest of the Promised land

• Judges-settlement and survival in the land

• 1st & 2nd Samuel-Chosen peoples need for King and coming of Saul and David

• 1st & 2nd Kings-History and fidelity of Kings who followed David down to the end of Jewish Monarchy in 586 BC

Historical Books

• 1st & 2nd Chronicles-Priestly view of period from Saul to return from Exile & David

• Ezra-Emphasizes Jewish piety and the Torah in the face of Hellenism-closes Israel’s openness to mixed marriages-race

• Nehemiah-Rebuilding, Practicality, census, feast of Booths (tents)

Historical Books

• Tobit-Jewish piety & Oriental folklore-life at Nineveh-1st cure by fish-Angel Raphael

• Judith-God saves Israel through a woman!• Esther-Feast of Purim-another woman

saves Israel-teaches the people• 1st Maccabees-Alexander the Great-Jews

& Gentiles revolt against Greek Syria• 2nd Maccabees-Theological viewpoint,

homily and history joined together

Wisdom-Writings

• Less attention to divine salvation, Torah

• Less interest in Israel’s history, nationhood

• Seeks answers to human problems: death-suffering-inequality-prosperity of wicked

• Search for living a good life before God

• Lessons for all people and not just believers

Wisdom-Writings

• Wisdom writings are similar too ancient texts of time, some as late as 2000BC

• Sumeria-Assyria-Egypt all had Wisdom sayings

• Sources used to educate within families and even in formal educational context

• Everyday life, relationships, money and aspects other than survival and piety taught

Wisdom-Writings

• Maxims for life and living

• Problems that are the precursors to the solution given by Christ in the New Testament

• Wisdom knowledge was a longer period in Israel’s history than the time of prophets

• Lessons of order, cause and effect, time as God is revealed in creation

Wisdom-WritingsJob

• Written between 7th-5th Century BC

• When bad things happen to a good guy

• Setting is a folktale used still today to convey interesting stories

• A search for meaning in suffering

• Who needs friends like Job’s

• Asking the hard questions of God

Wisdom-WritingsPsalms

• The Hebrew Psalter (150)- at least half attributed to Davidic authorship

• Written specifically for liturgical worship

• Songs have distinct patterns, uses

• Praise of God, exaltation, thanksgiving, lament are the most prolific both communal and individual

• Don’t know how to pray, seek a Psalm

Wisdom-WritingsProverbs

• Order in God’s creation governing man too• Cause & Effect-acts have consequences• Time- Israel was to move forward in time

mistakes of the past don’t end hope• God is revealed in nature’s beauty• God’s transcendent mystery is in the world• Suffering has meaning• Life is positive-there is always hope

Wisdom-WritingsProverbs

• Responsibility is the human condition

• God’s plan is a gift beyond human understanding

• Fear of the Lord is Wisdom

• Wisdom knows its limit

• God is beyond all human wisdom

• The virtue of the wise is TRUST in God

EcclesiastesPessimistic Preacher

• Qoheleth is Hebrew for Preacher-head of the assembly

• Implied to be from Solomon-good source

• Israelite thought after exile-Greek influence-doubts old answers

• Tries to understand, find meaning in life by human thought

• There is a time for everything

EcclesiastesPessimistic Preacher

• Futility and emptiness result of constant searching in humanity

• Divine mystery is always mystery

• Enjoy what life affords you as “all is gift”

• 1st step away from God as punisher

• Eat-drink and be merry for tomorrow we die

• Trust and hope in God in faith is the truth

Song of SongsCreation-Love-Sex

• Solomon gets around-many cultures* advance love and beauty of marriage feast

• God’s love seen through the allegory of human love

• Extols the power of undying love as God has for Israel and Christ has for his Church and our soul

• Source of much Middle Ages Mysticism

Book of Wisdom

• Written about a century before Christ• Book of Wisdom known only in the Greek

Septuagint* • Philosophy found in Philo of Alexandria

other Jewish writers of the 1st century BC• Probably last book written of Old

Testament• Solomon given credit where due• Keep the faith-don’t be wise of the world

Book of Wisdom

• Justice and Wisdom under the eye of God brings eternal reward for just

• Praise of Wisdom for its value to all

• Long history of Israel’s failures and God’s mercy-folly of ungodliness

• Salvation is starting to be seen as reward

• Sheds light on Israel’s struggle in secular Greek and Roman world-as we do today

SirachEcclesiasticus (Church Book)

• Not in Protestant or Hebrew Scripture

• Written in Hebrew about 175-200BC-translated to Greek

• Jesus son of Eleazar, son of Sirach translated by author’s grandson

• Ancient Hebrew text found at Masada predates Christ (by 1900 half proven ok)


• God is compassion, but…

• Ambiguity & uncertainty of life and human limitations; we can’t resolve God’s mystery

• Ethics for everyday life

• The rule of the Law and fear of the Lord are true wisdom

• Not doctrinal but a good map


• One living and Eternal God• He makes himself known through creation • Made man for God’s glory and goodness• Endowed man with free will and

accountability• Israel-the chosen people• Wisdom is the fear of God• Proven in Faith, Hope, Love and Trust in

God

Prophets

• Out of Order

• “Nabi”: one called, “pro-phates”: speaks on behalf of another-herald, announcer

• Often “stood in heaven-with God”

• Early and late-early prophets were specific and on payrolls-not hereditary, odd job

• Later Prophets concerned with morality, virtue, piety, vice and failures of people

Prophets

• Major Prophets-wrote a lot

• Minor Prophets-wrote less

• Prophetic Books are collections of thoughts and words of prophets and later translators and editors

• The written words are translated to every times needs

• God’s words don’t die but lives anew

Isaiah

• Longest prophetic book in Bible

• Written over 40 years around 700BC

• Original work believed to be only the 1st 39 of 66 chapters

• Isaiah had access to king and most likely a person of noble birth and education

• Lived through wars and rebellions

• Much of this history found in museums

Isaiah

• Focus on God’s plan for the whole world

• Visions of Immanuel and hope to show God’s love for the people

• God is the “Holy One of Israel” residing in the midst of the people

• Foresaw destruction of Israel, but with a remnant for hope and from which to rebuild

Isaiah

• God is not hateful, but exalted in justice and righteous in holiness

• Made use of Jerusalem’s Royal traditions

• A southern prophet in Jerusalem not of the northern kingdom

• The Temple was next to palace in place and mind and politics

• Trust in the Lord will lead the way

Isaiah

• Ethical insight, real warnings of disaster, and hope for the future mark Isaiah

• Isaiah becomes basis for reflections

• Gave hope in the time of Exile

• Stirred the messianic hopes in post exile prophets

• Isaiah is the most quoted book of early Christianity for explanation of Jesus Christ

Jeremiah

• Prophet chosen from the womb

• A book about and not just from Jeremiah

• Written over 45 years during a time of great change

• Egypt, Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh, all holding sway over Israel

• Israel had 3 kings in the 20 years• Exile to Babylon begins (2Kings24:10-16)

Jeremiah

• Taught against idolatry and injustice

• Had great sympathy for God’s and mans needs

• Message of obedience to God’s will

• Israel failed to take up pleas and Jeremiah despairs of being able to halt or intercede for the people

• Foretells first destruction of Temple

Jeremiah

• Temple priest, prophets and others were hotly opposed to Jeremiah

• Saved from execution more than once• Spoke against Temple prophets who only

spoke words of comfort and peace• Rails against the easy life of comfort they

live and their idolatry• Claims true prophets must have been with

God in someway taken to Him

Jeremiah

• Jeremiah sees a new Covenant for the people-written on the hearts by God

• Israel could not achieve obedience on their own, God will grant the grace to obey

• In Jeremiah’s view the exiles will have gained more than they lost while those who remained in Israel will have lost more

• It is in exile that Biblical tradition will grow

Lamentationsof Jeremiah

• Total destruction of Judah left very few scavengers living off the land-586BC

• Describes the death of Jerusalem in terms of a widow and not as just death as end

• Alone, lonely and friendless without comfort, but not without hope and faith

• The visions of Jeremiah are given flesh in Lamentations.

Lamentationsof Jeremiah

• A work of an eyewitness to the fall of Jerusalem• A confession of grief and humiliation in the world• Submission to the merited chastisement and a

strong faith in God’s love to restore the Israel• Reflects the weakness of man & God’s strength• Israel’s faith survives national ruin and despair• First letters of poems are actually the Hebrew

alphabet in order-gives order in emotion

BaruchSecretary to Jeremiah

• Not in Protestant or Jewish Scripture

• Written either in Jerusalem or Babylon

• Confessional and liturgical in view

• Lessons learned once again point to the importance of Wisdom and the fear of the Lord

• Last Chapter stands on its own

BaruchSecretary to Jeremiah

• Epistle of Jeremiah-conflict of authorship

• Patterned on work of Jeremiah

• Warnings against idolatry without poetry

• Seems to be a compilation of works

• Admittance to Canon was settled for Catholics at the Council of Trent

EzekielThe prophet from exile

• Contemporary of Jeremiah

• Seems to have psychic power, mystic seer

• Draws themes from more ancient prophets

• Recreates trust that God’s still at work

• First prophet to teach out of promised land

• Like Jeremiah not a person of popularity

• He must preach even of people don’t listen


• Book is highly ordered-symbolic, literary

• Great detail and unity proves single writer

• Judgment a major theme

• Tells of infiltration to priesthood of pagans

• Individual responsibility for actions

• Sin no longer seen as passed down

• Strong sense of community-nationhood


• Saw Babylon as God’s instrument

• Israel as constantly failing the Covenant

• God has to act for “His Name”

• Plan for return from exile and restoration

• Punishment even for lands of pagan gods

• Speaks to a people left to pick up the pieces


• New Covenant was to be on the hearts

• Religion was not to be external but in the peoples hearts

• Religion had now to be practiced outside the Temple and the Promise

• The Pentateuch written during this time

• Deuteronomic History to explain the disaster of exile

DanielApocalyptic

• 4th and last Major prophet-order varies from Talmud which places it last

• Daniel lives in Royal Court of Babylon-exile

• Chapters 3-14 only in Septuagint-includes

• Prayer of Azarias-3 in furnace-writings on the wall-and the lion’s den

• Story of faith-Not of history-confused details

DanielApocalyptic

• Dreams, interpretations and history mixed into a story of faith

• These collections are a collection of predictions after the face

• Long ago events that have already taken place coded to protect those in peril

• Written over 400 years to interpret history after the fact

DanielApocalyptic

• Integrity & courage, study the law and behave well give example of piety

• Gives first divine promise of life after death

• Kingdom of God-Son of Man are given

• Apocalyptic wording is new literary form used for the first time here

• Symbolic language, special agents not of human origin but as God as Master of all

The Minor ProphetsHosea

• Hosea-prophesied at same time as Isaiah did in Judah

• God chastises as a jealous lover• Israel’s infidelity like Gomers• Israel had been ruthless to poor and the

rich were extremely greedy• The first example of God and Israel as

marriage-used by Paul as Christ and Church

The Minor ProphetsJoel

• Post-exilic (516BC) Penitential in nature• Rend your hearts, not your garments• Plagues and punishments come, always• Apocalyptic visions and a new present to

the world• God’s fidelity and love are eternal• The closer the time of Christ comes the

more apocalyptic Jewish prophecy becomes

The Minor ProphetsAmos

• Contemporary to Hosea (750BC)

• Sheppard did not go to prophetic school

• Told to go Northern kingdom to preach

• Israel rebuked more than Judah

• Heartless luxury, self indulgence

• Book ends in hope of God’s restoration of Davidic kingdom and purified nation

The Minor ProphetsObadiah

• Shortest Book in Old Testament

• Written to Edomites as they seized areas of Israel with Babylon

• Edom was people by Esau’s children (Jacob (Israel) & Esau (Edom) ) brothers

• Stress on God’s justice against nations

• God cares for all who suffer and will prevail in justice sooner or later

The Minor ProphetsJonah

• Contains only one prophecy-Jonah’s words to Nineveh

• Johan disobeys is sent to sea to be saved by a fish and praises God

• Jonah considered humorous to Israel then

• Jonah is a story to enjoy with a smile

• Reverses and irony show a universal God

• We can’t figure out God with our ways

The Minor ProphetsMicah

• Not of Jerusalem-talks of villages & towns• Contemporary to Isaiah-but opposite type• Same evils as seen in Jerusalem• Condemnation of big city problem life• Punishment for all of Israel• Hope remains but in lawyerly language • Condemns: if everyone does it, its ok• Rather: do right and walk humbly with God

The Minor ProphetsNahum

• Name means Consoler but he foretells destruction of Nineveh, Assyrian capital

• Nineveh was hated by all

• Israel’s failures were seen to be less than Nineveh’s

• The same fate would await Israel

• Nineveh trusted in its walls and warriors

• Know what God had done and trust Him

The Minor ProphetsHabakkuk

• Lived after Nahum tells of God’s use of Babylon as His scourge

• God punishes the evil of all either Israelite or not

• For the first time man start to question God in the way all people rule their lands

• Tells of God’s appearance in glory

• Once again trust in God restored

The Minor ProphetsZephaniah

• Jews had fallen to worship of celestial gods and other false gods (640BC)

• “Day of the Lord” will fall upon whole world

• Greatest reckoning will be on educated ruling classes

• Universality of the “Kingdom of God” where one God, one faith and one redemption is prophesied

The Minor ProphetsHaggai

• 1st Post Exilic (520BC) delivered specifically to the Governor and High Priest

• People were concerned for themselves and forgot the house of God, Temple

• Promise of renewal of the lands upon completion of Temple

• The land was cursed through sin but now blessings are to be returned by God

The Minor ProphetsZechariah (1st,2nd)

• Contemporary to Haggai but added to later by other authors (520BC)

• Rebuild Temple, focus on priests, purify community- do good, not evil, compassion

• 2nd book has no visions-poetic God is deliverer- shepherd

• “Day of the Lord” starts to be seen as a future time

The Minor ProphetsMalachi

• Malachi-Messenger of the Lord-undated

• Lover of liturgy-marriage & divorce-failure to tithe-warns of God’s judgment

• Uses questions & answers much like a child’s catechism

• Remain faithful to the Covenant and the Law

• Book ends with…

Last Words of Old Testament

• Remember the Law of my servant Moses*…statutes and commandments…

That I gave…I will send Elijah* before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes…

He will direct the hearts of fathers to their children and hearts of children to their fathers…so that I will not come to smite the land with a curse.

*Both with Jesus at his transfiguration…

Documents

Old Testament Why do we use it? It’s Old and has all of the most controversial beliefs