Old Testament
There are four main sections of the Old Testament. They are the Pentateuch, the historical books, poetical books and the prophets. The Pentateuch or "Torah" (meaning The Law) consists of the first five books of the bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). Moses, the hero of the Pentateuch, was traditionally assumed to be the work's author because he received the Ten Commandments and the laws from God. However, modern scholars describe the Pentateuch as the time-worn product of four ancient writers and editors, who each revised and expanded existing work. Scholars label the unknown contributors "J," "E," "P," and "D," and identify "J" as the oldest writer and as a scribe in King David's court. Different parts of the narrative and laws in the Pentateuch are ascribed to each contributor based on differences in the style and theology of the text. The Pentateuch covers the history from the beginning of time and includes Israel's conquest of the promise land. Genesis covers Pre-History and the Patriarchs. Genesis comes from a Greek word meaning origins. The first eleven chapters of Genesis describe the beginning of the universe, humanity, sin, and punishment. Genesis contains the story of Adam and Eve and how
Exodus is about the deliverance of the Israelites. The book also deals with Gods covenant with his people. Clearly, the biblical writers tailor God's appearances to imply that true faith in God consists not in fantastic or persuasive experiences but in seeing God in one's immediate surroundings. The Former Prophets are sometimes called the "Historical Books" because they continue the story of the Israelites from the death of Moses to the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B. As such, the Old Testament describes Israel's religious story as a physical journey to and away from this geographical center. These understated appearances sharply contrast God's stark appearances in the Book of Exodus. God appears as a pillar of fire, provides the Israelites with manna from heaven, and descends on Mount Sinai in a great cloud of thunder. The third book of the Pentateuch is Leviticus. When God finally appears to Elijah, Elijah hears God's voice, not in thunder or earthquakes, but in the sound of silence-the same silence that has characterized God's absence in Israel. Scholars sometimes surmise that, together, these books represent the work of a single, unknown editor labeled the "Deuteronomist," who combined separate stories and added work of his own to form a coherent history of the Israelites. However, the Old Testament also suggests that wandering on the geographical margins is essential to religious development. Moses meets God in the form of a burning bush only after fleeing his homeland, and both Samson and David live amongst the Philistines before emerging as saviors of Israel.
Common topics in this essay:
Mount Sinai,
Moses Deuteronomy,
Israel Wandering,
Written Israelites',
King David's,
Ten Commandments,
Ark Covenant,
Elijah Elijah,
Book Leviticus,
Laws Leviticus,
god appears,
israel's religious,
promised land,
1 2,
contains laws,
latter prophets,
religious development,
former prophets,
god's appearances,
five books,
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Acceptance Essays
