1. The Pentateuch and the Torah Take notes on underlined passages.

2. 5 The Pentateuch

3. The Pentateuch, which comprises the first five books of the Bible, tells the story of creation and the formation of Israel as a nation. It centers around the story of Moses and the giving of the law. (2 Chron. 15:3-4)

6. The Pentateuch The books’ Hebrew names are… Genesis = Bereshith (“In the beginning…”) Exodus = Shemot (“Names”- Exodus 1:1) Leviticus = Vayyiqra (“And he called…”) Numbers = Bemidbar (“In the desert”) Deuteronomy = Debarim (“Second Law” or “Repetition of the law”)

7. The Pentateuch There is a major debate as to who wrote the Pentateuch. Tradition ascribes it to.

8. The Pentateuch There is a major debate as to who wrote the Pentateuch. Tradition ascribes it to Moses. But there’s a problem with that… - Deuteronomy 34 - “Dan” in Genesis 14 - Numbers 12:3- not very humble of him

9. The Pentateuch More recently, scholars have recognized four distinct styles of writing and reference to God. They are… 1. The “J” manuscript (Yahweh in German is “Jahwe”) – speaks of God directly and simply. Includes most of Genesis.

10. The Pentateuch More recently, scholars have recognized four distinct styles of writing and reference to God. They are… 2. The “E” manuscript -- refers to God as “Elohim” up until Exodus 6:3. Emphasizes God’s love and mercy

11. The Pentateuch More recently, scholars have recognized four distinct styles of writing and reference to God. They are… 3. The “D” manuscript – the book of Deuteronomy- mainly concerned with the law

12. The Pentateuch More recently, scholars have recognized four distinct styles of writing and reference to God. They are… 3. The “P” manuscript – the “Priestly” source. This is the source that many scholars believe wrote down and edited the oral traditions to make Torah flow.

13. The Pentateuch Most recently, many Biblical historians reject the four-pronged synthesis theory and subscribe, instead, to the composition of a single author, who pooled the vast amount of Jewish tradition and teachings. This supports the idea of Divine revelation. Ultimately, we will never know for sure…

14. In the beginning, there was … TORAH

15. The different Torahs … Torah is a sacred word and idea to Judaism and has several different translations, all of which are connected.

16. The different Torahs … The first translation of Torah is the wisdom or knowledge of God. According to Judaism, this wisdom is to be handed down from father to child, as God handed it down to us.

17. The different Torahs … Ultimately though, Torah came to have two distinct meanings… 1.The law and wisdom found in the Pentateuch. 2.Any rabbinic commentary on the Pentateuch, starting with the explanation of the law that Moses received on Sinai.

18. Pulling it together So, the Torah, found in the Pentateuch, contains much Torah, meant to teach Jews the Torah that they are to pass down to their children, and other Torah, which comes from the combined Torah of the priests. It mainly represents the law.

19. He looks like a delicious snack! Genesis

20. The book of genesis hits the ceiling …

21. The following painting portrays the thesis of genesis perfectly. What do you think it means? Write this in your notes.

22. “The Creation of Adam”

23. Genesis…

24. The four divisions of Genesis… 1.The primeval history: Genesis 1-11 – The quest for knowledge and power leads humanity into direct conflict with God and with each other.

25. The four divisions of Genesis… 2. The Abrahamic cycle: Stories about Abraham and his son, Isaac. The original founding fathers.

26. The four divisions of Genesis… 3. The Jacobean cycle: The story of the life of Jacob (aka Israel).

27. The four divisions of Genesis… 4. The Josephic cycle: GOSH!(en), Jacob’s kids didn’t waste any time multiplying!

28. The four divisions of Genesis… Collectively, these founding fathers of Judaism are known as the Patriarchs.

29. Or, to divide it another way… Genesis 1-11 Genesis 12-25 Genesis 26-36 Genesis 37-50

30. Now, let’s read!