the composition of the hebrew bible: the old testament
TRANSCRIPT
The Composition of the
Hebrew Bible:The Old Testament
TaNaKhThe TaNaKh is the Hebrew acronym which
refers to the Jewish Bible. The Jewish Bible consists of three parts:
Torah (sometimes called the Five Books of Moses)
Nevi’im (the books of the Prophets) Ketuvim (or "Writings")
Evolution of the Torah12th-5th c. bce
Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, DeuteronomyLay SourceJ Source (Jahwist)E Source (Elohist)JE SourceP Source (Priestly)
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
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
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.
Collation of JE: oldest material in
Genesis, Exodus and Numbers
The Prehistoric Myths of Genesis:
Etiological Stories
stories of origins and causes
existence and knowledge and ethics
The Creation and Fall from Paradise
The Primacy of the Word:Creation by Command
Cain and AbelProhibition against murder
The Flood:cleansing of evil
The Rainbow:symbol of the covenant
between God and mankind
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.
Historical Legends:The Patriarchs and
Matriarchs
Terah of Ur
Abram/Abraham
Keturah
Arabs
NahorMilcah Haran
Lot
Sarai/Sarah
Hagar
Ishmael
BedouinsIsaac Rebekah Laban
Esau/Edom
Jacob/Israel
Leah Rachel
Edomites Israelites
Covenant against human sacrifice
Ishmael and Isaac
Abraham and Isaac
Esau and JacobJacob receives the birthright
blessing
Ishmael is sent into exile
Jacob’s Ladder:Jacob
sees the vision of a ladder into
heaven and wrestles with the angel.
Jacob becomes Israel
Dore, Jacob Wrestlling with the Angel
The Twelve Tribes of Israel
Jacob/IsraelLeah RachelZilpah Bilbah
1) Reuben 2) Simeon 3) Levi 4) Judah
9) Issachar 10)Zebulon 11)Dinah
5) Dan 6) Naphtali
7) Gad 8) Asher
12) Joseph 13) Benjamin
Stories of Brothers in Genesis
Cain and Abel
Isaac and Ishmael
Jacob and Esau
Joseph and his Brothers
Abraham:Ur of the Chaldeans Egypt
Canaan
Canaan Egypt Canaan/Israel:The Israelites
EXODUS from Egypt
LEVITICUS: the law
The PentateuchThe Torah
GenesisExodus
LeviticusNumbers
Deuteronomy
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
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 God’s word and operated as voices of conscience to the kings
Lamentations: poetic laments
about the destruction of Jerusalem in 587
bce
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
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
Psalmsdevotional poetry and hymns composed 10th-5th c. bce,
collated in 4th c. bce
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
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.
Apocrypha Disputed books that remain part of the traditional literature, but not the
canonical sacred text.
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 Source
922-587/586 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, Daniel
167-63 B.C.E. Maccabean (Hasmonean) Period 63 B.C.E. - 135 C.E. Roman Period Canon established
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.