The Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) Patriarchs and Matriarchs The Family Tree (c BC) Hagar + Abram(Abraham) + Sarai (Sarah) Ishmael Esau Isaac + Rebekah Leah (and Zilpah) + Jacob(Israel) + (Bilhah and) Rachel Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dinah Dan, Napthali Issachar, Zebulun, Gad, AsherJoseph, Benjamin

The Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) Tribal nomads Nomads vs. Farmers Life in the Fertile Crescent c BC ziggurats, calendar, astrology 1 st Babylonian Empire: Hammurabi For more info: chttp://

The Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) Names of God El – god, singular, family/tribal protector Elohim – god, plural (royal form) El Shaddai – god of the heights, God Most High YHWH – proper name of Israelite god, unpronounced Adonai – LORD, used to refer to YHWH At the time of the patriarchs/matriarchs the Israelites worshipped only YHWH but still accepted that there were other gods.

The Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) The Formation of the Pentateuch c lived experiences, tribal period c – 1200 lived experiences, Egyptian sojourn, early oral cycles c lived experiences, settlement period, continued oral traditions, earliest written texts c continuing oral tradition, J & E textual traditions develop (scribes) c. 600 Deuteronomist, continuing textual development (scribes) c Priestly tradition weaves together extant textual traditions c final redaction of textual traditon

The Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) The Covenant in Gen “Go... I will make you a great nation... and I will bless you” Name changes Extreme Age Where is Ur? Irony Blessings and Curses

The Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) Back to the Family Tree Gen. 16 Sarah and Hagar The curse of barrenness Surrogate motherhood, a revered tradition The significance of names Narrative as tribal memory

The Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) The Covenant of Circumcision Gen. 15 & 17 Hittite suzerainity pacts Blood rituals Why circumcision? Abraham's faith

The Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) The Birth of Isaac Gen , Hospitality Divine messengers Sarah's laughter Sarah's beauty Abraham's character

The Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) Sodom & Gomorrah / Hagar & Ishmael Gen Gen Lot's family The sins of Sodom Narratives of tribal memory Related but Other

The Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) The Testing of Abraham / The Binding of Isaac Gen Your son, your only son, the one whom you love Child sacrifice in the Ancient Levant Redemption The Role of Isaac The Death and Burial of Sarah

The Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) Isaac and Rebekah Gen. 24 Eliezar the servant of Abraham Rebekah Maiden at the Well Laban, the avaricious brother His mother's tent

The Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) Jacob and Esau Gen , Struggle in the Womb Birthright traded The stolen blessing Another narrative of tribal memory

The Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) Jacob becomes Israel Gen , Laban Leah Rachel Concubines Jacob's visions: Bethuel and Peniel

The Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) The Joseph Narrative Cycle Gen. 37, Jealous brothers: robe, dreams, slavery Joseph the Slave Joseph, Lord of Egypt Israel comes to Egypt The Hyksos