Old Testament: History and Structure. The Holy Bible The word “Bible” comes from the Greek word...

Old Testament: History and Structure

The Holy Bible

• The word “Bible” comes from the Greek word

biblia, which means “books”. The Bible is really a

collection or library of many books.

• These books are divided into two main parts, the

Old Testament and the New Testament.

• “Testament” means “covenant or agreement”.

• The Old Covenant is an agreement that God made

with the nation of Israel.

The Holy Bible

● It contains 73 books, 46 (39 main books plus 7 Second Canonical books removed by Protestants) in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament

• More than 40 writers over more than 1,500 years.

• It is one book as God inspires it.

• A variety of writings, stories, tales, biographies, poems, and proverbs, but one focus: the message of salvation, carried out by our Lord Jesus Christ.

• We find the crimson line clear in all its books and we notice clearly how the wonderful Divine plan in the Old Testament prepared humanity for salvation and how the events and topics were symbols of the Lord and His work of expiation.

The Old Testament

• The Old Testament tells the history of the people of

Israel.

• This history is based on their faith in the God of

Israel and on their religious life as the people of

God.

• The authors of these books wrote about what God

had done for them as a people and how they were

to worship and obey God in return.

Languages of the Old Testament

• The Old Testament language was Hebrew. Some of the chapters were

written in Aramaic.

• Scripture was translated into Aramaic which was spoken by Jews

people after the exile.

• Hebrew was known as the sacred language. The books of the Old

Testament were written in Hebrew and gradually after the exile the

Scripture was written in Hebrew using the Aramaic alphabet.

• The Hebrew language is written from right to left. They used to write

without leaving space between the words, so it depends on the reader

who knows how to read. Even if there is not enough space to finish

the word on the line, the rest of it will be written in the next line.

Why do I love the Old Testament?

• It is a shadow of the New Testament.

The New Testament was hidden in the

Old Testament.

• It shows me how to live with God.

What does God want from me.

• The characters are awesome!

Why do I struggle with the Old Testament?

Understanding the:– Structure– History

of the Old Testament is Key to understanding and spiritual benefit.

Genes is

Exodus

Levitic us

Num

bers

Deuteronom

y

The Pentateuch (Judaism: Torah)

Joshua

Judges

Ruth

I Sam

uel

II Sam

ue l

I Kings

Nehem

iah

II Kings

Esthe r

Ez ra

I Chronicle s

II Chronicle s

Old Testament History

Job

Psalm

s

Prove rb

s

Eccle siaste s

Son

g of Son

gs

Wisdom and Poetry

Is aiah

Jer emiah

Ezek

ie l

Dan

ie l

Hos ea

Joe l

Am

os

Ob

adiah

Jonah

Micah

Nah

um

Hab

akk

uk

Zep

han

iah

Haggai

Ze ch

ar iah

Malach

i

The Major and Minor Prophets

Matth

ew

Mark

Lu

ke

John

Ac ts of th

e A

pos tles

The Gospels and Acts

Rom

ans

I Cor in

thian

s

II Corin

thian

s

Galatian

s

Ep

hesian

s

Ph

ilipp

ians

Coloss ian

s

I Thes salonians

II The ssa lonians

I Tim

othy

II Tim

ot hy

Titu

s

Ph

ilemon

Heb

rews

James

I Pe te r

II Pete r

I John

II John

II I John

Jud

e

Revelation

Writings of the Apostles

Lam

ent ation

s

The Old Testament

The Law: Major Prophets:

History: Minor Prophets:

Poetry and Wisdom:

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Baruch, Ezekiel, and Daniel.

Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 King, 2 King, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Tobit, Judith, Esther, 1 Maccabees, and 2 Maccabees.

Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and Wisdom.

The following chart shows the different groups of books that make up the Old Testament.

Books are not placed in chronological order. Many of prophetical and wisdom books take place during periods of historical books

THE BIBLE IS NOT ONE BOOK

But a library of 66 books

Over a period of more than 1,500

years

Written by more than 40 men

30 A.D.

2000 A.D.

1500-1400 B.C.

Moses

Of the 66 books, 39 were written before the birth of Jesus

These 39 are called the

Old TESTAMENT

30 A.D.

2000 A.D.

1500-1400 B.C.

Moses

Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible:

Pentateuch (5 books)

Torah (law)

Books of Moses

GENESIS EXODUS LEVITICUS NUMBERS DEUTERONOMY

The first five books -- look back from the death of Moses -- all the way to the beginning of the world.

GENESIS – Chapters 1-11

• Creation of the world

• First human family

• Spread of evil

• World wide flood

• Division of mankind into nations and languages

GENESIS – chapters 12-50

• God chooses the FATHERS of the future nation of Israel

• Four Generations – grow from 1 couple to 70 people

The Pentateuch

Books 2-5:

EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, DEUTERONOMY

Exodus: deliverance from Egypt and receiving the Covenant

Leviticus: obligations of the Covenant

Numbers: increases laws and time in desert

Deuteronomy: Moses gives meaning of Covenant

The Pentateuch

30 A.D.

2000 A.D.

1400 B.C.

Moses

Creation of world 2500

B.C.

Books 6-17

ARE BOOKS OF HISTORY WRITTEN BY VARIOUS AUTHORS

1400 – 400 B.C.

Possession of their land, the establishment of the kingdom, the captivity and return to their land

400 B.C.

30 A.D.

2000 A.D.

1400 B.C.

Moses


B.C.400 B.C.

Historical Books (6:17)

• Joshua: conquest of the Promised land

• Judges: settlement and survival in the land

• 1st & 2nd Samuel: Israelite’s 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.

30 A.D.

2000 A.D.

1400 B.C.

Moses


B.C.400 B.C.

Historical Books (6:17)

• 1st & 2nd Chronicles: period from Saul to return from Exile

• 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)

30 A.D.

2000 A.D.

1400 B.C.

Moses


B.C.Books 18-22

ARE BOOKS OF POETRY AND WISDOM

Job is about man’s question about suffering

Psalms is a collection of poems put to music

Proverbs is a collection of short wise sayings

Ecclesiastes tells how to live life in a world where all is vanity

Song of Solomon is a poem about true romantic love

400 B.C.

30 A.D.

2000 A.D.

1400 B.C.

Moses


B.C.

Books 23-39

MAJOR AND MINOR PROHETS

Throughout the history of Israel, various prophets predicted that SOMEONE from Israel will one day be a SAVIOR & KING of the world

400 B.C.

Timeline of the Old Testament

• (I) Primeval Period (Genesis 1-11):

Creation, Adam ~ 5500 B.C.

Fall

Enoch

Methuselah, 969 years

Flood, Noah ~ 2500 B.C.

The Tower of Babel, many languages

400 years of scattering


• (II) Patriarchal Period (Genesis 12-50):

Abraham ~ 2000 B.C.

Isaac

Jacob

The 12 tribes

Joseph

Exile (bondage) in Egypt (400 years)


• (III) Exodus (Exodus to Deuteromony):

Moses ~ 1500 B.C.

Exodus from Egypt, Passover ~

1446 B.C.The Law, the

Tabernacle ~ 1445 B.C.Lost in the wilderness

of Sinai (40 years)


• (IV) Conquest of Canaan (Joshua):

Joshua becomes the leader of Israel

Crossing the Jordan

Jericho

Entering and dwelling in Canaan

~ 1406 B.C.


• (V) Judges Period (Judges):

Judges rule over Israel ~ 1375 B.C.

for 400 years

Dark era

Debora, Gideon, Samson, Samuel

Theocratic system


• (VI) Early Monarchy, United Kingdom

(1,2Samuel, 1Kings, 1,2Chronicles):

Samuel

Start: King Saul ~ 1029

Establishment: King David ~ 1000

Start of decline: King Solomon ~ 961-922

Building the temple ~ 959

Old Testament: History and Structure. The Holy Bible The word “Bible” comes from the Greek word...

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