A. The Founders and the Promise 1. The history and the religion of the Israelites begin with Abraham 2. In Genesis God made an agreement—promised Abraham’s ancestors they would be a blessing to the world and give them the land of Canaan (Palestine). 3. In return, Abraham’s descendents promised to declare God the one true God. 4. Patriarchs = Matriarchs =

B. The Exodus of the Israelites and the Covenant 1. Abraham’s descendents are enslaved in Egypt after fleeing to survive a famine 2. Moses leads Hebrews out of Egypt; encounters God at Mt. Sinai—Covenant: Hebrews will keep the 10 Commandments and Yahweh (I am the one who is always present)will make the Israelites the “Chosen People.”

C. Taking Over the Promised Land 1. Battles between Moses’ descendents and those people living in Canaan at the time of their arrival. Israelites led by military leaders known as judges. D. The Nation and the Temple 1. Israel recognized as a nation around 1000 B.C. 2. David is anointed King 3. Jerusalem is capital; Temple built by Davis’s son Solomon

E. The Kings and the Prophets 1. After Solomon’s death in 922 B.C. the nation became divided: Kingdom of Israel in North, Assyrians defeated them and took them into exile Kingdom of Judah in South, Babylonians destroyed and took them into exile 2. Heavy taxes in both Kingdoms created hardship for the people.

3. Kings practiced idolatry; Prophets 3. Kings practiced idolatry; Prophets spoke out against injustices—called people back to Covenant F. Babylonian Exile and Jewish Dispersion 1. Israelites released from captivity by Persians; allowed to return home— rebuild Temple, restore Jerusalem= both a religious and political capital 2. Jewish leaders reflect and collect ancestral writings—what will later become their Bible.

G. More Oppressors of Israelites 1. Greeks: 330 B.C. to 63 B.C. 2. Romans: 63 B.C. to 70 A.D. 3. Jesus born into this period. Descendent of David—looked to as the long-awaited Messiah—God’s fulfillment of all God’s Promises to the Israelites

H. JESUS (the Messiah)the Savior! ancestor of David Christmas = Incarnation I. Judaism After the Biblical Period 1. Most Jews of the 1st Century did not become Christian. 2. Catholic teaching is that Christians are forever linked with the Jewish people. 3. God’s covenant with Jewish people still stands—God’s gifts are irrevocable. 4. Judaism still looking for Messiah

5. Christians recognize Jesus as Messiah 6. 70 A.D. Jewish Revolt against Roman Empire led to destruction of Jerusalem 7. Surviving Jews fled; known as the Jewish Dispersion or Diaspora 8. Official set of Hebrew Scriptures was defined in 90 A.D.: 3 main parts—the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings.

IV. What Are the Scriptures of the Old Testament? A. For Jews: Letters from Home 1. Scriptures written by flesh and blood (wo)men for real audiences 2. Hebrew Scripture seemed like a letter from home. a. Told Jews how to best live a faithful life in unfamiliar surroundings

b. Told them God would always be with them. c. Took the form of many types of writing: stories, legends, histories, oracles, conversations, letters, prayers, etc. (see p. 21) B. The Catholic Canon of the O.T. 1. Hebrew Scripture sacred to early Christian communities—why? 2. Adopted sacred writings of Judaism as our own; always considered part of Christian Scriptures.

3. Bible of Judaism contains same 3. Bible of Judaism contains same Scriptures as what we Christians call the O.T. with the exception of a few more texts in the Catholic Canon. (A.K.A. the apocryphal books, not part of Protestant or Jewish Scriptures.) 4. The Catholic Canon of the O.T. consists of 46 books; 4 divisions.

a. The Pentateuch—the heart of Israel’s story. The first five books. --Jews refer to these as the Torah or instructions, or the Law --contain Creation stories, Adam and Eve, Noah, Tower of Babel, Patriarchs and Matriarchs.

b. The Historical Books—tell of. Israel’s conquest of the land of b. The Historical Books—tell of Israel’s conquest of the land of Canaan—the Promised Land. Include Joshua, Judges, and Israel’s first kings (Saul, David, and Solomon) c. The Wisdom Books—Job, Psalms, Proverbs, etc. (See pp. 22-24.)

d. The Prophetic Books—early. prophets are “non-writing” d. The Prophetic Books—early prophets are “non-writing” prophets—life stories are explored. (Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, Elisha) --”Writing prophets” divided into three groups: pre-exilic, exilic, and post-exilic prophets. Contain powerful writing warning the Chosen People to live morally and to stay faithful to God.