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The Composition of the Hebrew Bible: The Old Testament

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Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I & II Samuel, I & II Kings. History finished c. 600-550 bce ... Beltz, Walter. God and the Gods: Myths of the Bible. 1975. Trans. Peter ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: The Composition of the Hebrew Bible: The Old Testament


1
The Composition of the Hebrew BibleThe Old
Testament
2
Evolution of the Torah12th-5th c. bce
  • Torah Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
    Deuteronomy
  • Lay Source
  • J Source (Jahwist)
  • E Source (Elohist)
  • JE Source
  • P Source (Priestly)

3
Lay Source ca.12th-10th C. bce
  • Earliest datable material Song of Deborah
    (Judges 5), Blessing of Jacob (Genesis 49), Song
    of Miriam (Exodus 15), Prophecies of Balaam
    (Numbers 22-24)
  • Some Mosaic material refers to Moses in 3rd
    person, the Book of the Covenant including the
    Ten Commandments
  • Oral traditions -- "Some of these Old Testament
    texts preserve living conditions that may be
    traced back to the historical situation of the
    tenth century bc. confrontation of the nomadic
    patriarchal society with the agricultural
    matriarchal society

4
J Source ca. 950 bce
  • Core of Genesis, Exodus and Numbers. God is
    called Jahweh -- "full of joy, confidence and
    faith
  • First version of early Israelite history,
    probably written during the age of the United
    Monarchy
  • Reflects Jerusalem cult -- institutionalized
    priesthood

5
E Source ca. 9th C. bce
  • Collected oral or written version circulated in
    Northern Israel.
  • God is called Elohim.
  • Rejects central monarchy in Jerusalem and its
    special priestly caste.

6

Collation of JE oldest material in Genesis,
Exodus and Numbers
7
The Prehistoric Myths of GenesisEtiological
Stories
  • stories of origins and causes
  • existence and knowledge and ethics

8
The Creation and Fall from Paradise
The Primacy of the Word Creation by Command
Cain and Abel
Prohibition against murder
The Floodcleansing of evil
9
The Rainbowsymbol of the covenant between God
and mankind
10
P Source 6th C. bce
  • Final fixed form of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus
    and Numbers.
  • Probably written by group of priests during exile
    in Babylon, the P source adds
  • detailed description of wilderness tabernacle in
    Exodus
  • all of Leviticus worship and priesthood rules
  • fragments in Numbers.

11
Historical LegendsThe Patriarchs and Matriarchs
12
Terah of Ur
Nahor
Abram/Abraham
Keturah
Milcah
Haran
Sarai/Sarah
Hagar
Ishmael
Arabs
Bedouins
Lot
Isaac
Rebekah
Laban
Esau/Edom
Jacob/Israel
Leah
Rachel
Israelites
Edomites
13
Ishmael and Isaac
Ishmael is sent into exile
Abraham and Isaac
Covenant against human sacrifice
Esau and Jacob
Jacob receives the birthright blessing
14
Jacobs LadderJacobsees the vision of a ladder
into heaven and wrestles with the angel. Jacob
becomes Israel
Dore, Jacob Wrestlling with the Angel
15
The Twelve Tribes of Israel
16
Rachel
Bilbah
Jacob/Israel
Leah
Zilpah
1) Reuben 2) Simeon 3) Levi 4) Judah
5) Dan 6) Naphtali
7) Gad 8) Asher
9) Issachar 10)Zebulon 11)Dinah
12) Joseph 13) Benjamin
17
Stories of Brothers in Genesis
  • Cain and Abel
  • Isaac and Ishmael
  • Jacob and Esau
  • Joseph and his Brothers

18
AbrahamUr of the Chaldeans ? Egypt ? Canaan
Canaan ? Egypt ? Canaan/IsraelThe Israelites
19
Exodus from EgyptLeviticusTHE LAW
20
The PentateuchThe Torah
GenesisExodusLeviticus Numbers Deuteronomy
21
Deuteronomy old book found in temple in 622 bce
-- caused religious revival and inspired writing
of the history of Israel in Palestine Joshua,
Judges, Ruth, I II Samuel, I II Kings.
History finished c. 600-550 bce
D Source and Religious Revival7th-6th c. bce
22
Teleological Orientation
  • Teleology being directed toward a definite end
    or having an ultimate purpose
  • Importance of historical consciousness
    especially the history of the chosen people of
    God the Hebrews and their ongoing relationship
    with God
  • Israel evolved from nation ruled by Judges to
    one ruled by Kings Saul, David, Solomon
  • Prophets proclaimed Gods word and operated as
    voices of conscience to the kings

23
  • Lamentations poetic laments about the
    destruction of Jerusalem in 587 bce

24
Chronicler 4th c. bce
  • Worked from older sources about the history of
    Judah
  • I II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah
  • Completed for small Jewish community struggling
    to regroup after Babylonian exile

25

Song of Songs post-exilic collection of poems
dating from the 9th c. bce and earlier
Prophetic Books 4th C. bce
4 large scrolls Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and
the 12 lesser Prophets Collections of sermons
gathered by the prophets' disciples
Psalms devotional poetry and hymns composed
10th-5th c. bce, collated in 4th c. bce
26
Wisdom Literature4th c. bce
  • Proverbs
  • Collated 4th c. bce
  • Traditional wisdom sayings
  • Sharp, epigrammatic
  • Widespread throughout the region -- comparable to
    Egyptian "Wisdom of Amenemope"
  • Job
  • 4th C. bce text of older stories
  • Prose introduction and conclusion framing poetic
    dialogue
  • Prose and poetry by different authors
  • Ecclesiastes c. 300 bce

27
The Septuagint
The Septuagint Online
  • THE SEPTUAGINT, derived from the Latin word for
    "seventy," refers to the 3d c. BCE translation of
    the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek in Alexandria,
    Egypt.
  • The Letter of Aristeas, documents how the Ptolemy
    (Philadelphus II 285247 BCE) commissioned a
    translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek.
  • The Ptolemy wrote to the chief priest, Eleazar,
    in Jerusalem, and arranged for six translators
    from each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
  • The seventy-two translators arrived in Egypt and
    translated the Torah (or Pentateuch the first
    five books of the Hebrew Scriptures) in
    seventy-two days in 282 BCE.

28
THE CANON 1st c. ce
  • Many books written from the 4th-1st c. bce
    leading to much discussion about the "canon."
    Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs long debated.
  • Rabbinic Council of Jamnia 90 ad Set the
    canonical text of the Hebrew Bible -- accepted as
    the Old Testament by Christian Churches.

29

Apocrypha Disputed books that remain part of
the traditional literature, but not the canonical
sacred text.
30
Before ca. 2000 B.C.E. Beginnings ca.
2000-1550 B.C.E. Patriarchs ca. 1550-1300
B.C.E. Bondage in Egypt ca. 1300 B.C.E.
Exodus and Covenant Making ca.
1300-1250 B.C.E. Wanderings in the
Wilderness ca. 1250 B.C.E.
Conquest / Settlement of Canaan ca. 1250-1020
B.C.E. Time of the Judges ca. 1020-922
B.C.E. United Monarchy J/E
Source922-587/586 B.C.E. Divided
Monarchy D, history Israel fell in 722
B.C.E.Judah fell in 587/586 B.C.E.
Lamentations 587-539 B.C.E.
Exile in Babylon P Source
539-333 B.C.E. Persian Period
Chronicler, Prophets,

Wisdom, Psalms 333-167 B.C.E.
Hellenistic Period Esther,
Daniel167-63 B.C.E. Maccabean
(Hasmonean) Period 63 B.C.E. - 135 C.E.
Roman Period Canon established
31
Sources
  • Beltz, Walter. God and the Gods Myths of the
    Bible. 1975. Trans. Peter Heinegg.NY Penguin,
    1983.
  • Wright, G. Ernest and Reginald Fuller. The Book
    of the Acts of God Contemporary Scholarship
    Interprets the Bible. 1957. Rpt. NY Doubleday/
    Anchor, 1960.
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