1. Old Testament In A Nutshell
Eric Hyche
Filling in for Chris Heard

2. Questions You Asked Summarize OT in an hour
Creation Days, Adam and Eve, Dinosaurs
Noah and the Flood
Tower of Babel
Baalam and the Talking Donkey
“Utter Destruction” of Canaanite Cities
Ark of the Covenant

3. Questions You Asked (cont’d)
Hosea marrying a prostitute
Should Esther be in the Canon?
Hebrew understanding of life after death
Origins of baptism in the OT
Do we have a “time to kill”? (Eccl. 3)
God and the still small voice (I Kings 19)
Plagues of Egypt

4. Outline Review of How We Got The OT Our OT Sources
The OT in a Narrative Nutshell
The OT in the Taxonomy Nutshell

5. “How We Got the Bible” Review
Stuff Happened
People sang and spoke about the stuff that happened
People wrote down what others sang and spoke about the stuff that happened
People worked earlier sources into longer documents
The books reached canonical form

6. Our OT Sources Original Manuscripts Copies of Original Manuscripts
Translations of Manuscripts
Writings of ancient Jews and Christians

7. Our Oldest OT Sources Cairo Codex (Prophets) – 895 A.D.
British Museum Codex (Pent.) – 10th cent.
Leningrad Codex (whole OT) – 1008 A.D.
More recent than NT documents (4th cent)
Why? Jewish scribes treated worn-out copies of Scripture with utmost respect

8. How was OT preserved? Dedicated schools of Jewish scholars Massoretes
Started around 500 A.D.
Added vowel system to preserve pronunciation
Intricate double-checking systems

9. Other OT sources Samaritan Pentateuch
Septuagint (Greek translation of OT)
Aramaic and Syrian translations
Old Latin and Latin Vulgate
Quotations in Talmud and other Jewish writings
Dead Sea Scrolls

10. The OT in a Narrative Nutshell
Promises Made (Abraham)
Promises Fulfilled (Joshua)
Promises Enjoyed (David)
Promises Lost (Daniel)
Promises Regained (Nehemiah)

11. OT In A Taxonomy Nutshell
“The Law, the Prophets, and the Writings”
Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy)
Prophets (Isaiah through Malachi)
Writings (everything else)
Deuteronomistic History (Joshua – 2 Kings)
Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah
Wisdom Literature
Apocalypses (Daniel)

12. An Outline of the Pentateuch
Creation of World and Human Way of Life (Genesis 1-11)
God’s Choice of the Patriarchs (Gen 12-50)
Liberation from Egypt (Exodus 1-18)
Formation of Israel through the Torah at Sinai (Exodus 19 – Leviticus 26)
Formation of Israel through Wanderings (Numbers 1-36)

13. An Outline of the Pentateuch
Formation of Israel on the Plains of Moab (Deuteronomy 1-30)
Concluding Blessings and Transitions (Deuteronomy 31-34)

14. “Law” vs. “Torah” What does “Law” bring to mind today?
“Torah” is translated “Law”, but had different connotation:
Psalm 147:19-20, 119:1, 119:97
What are themes of these verses?
Nobody else has Torah
We’re lucky to have Torah
Torah is the way to God

15. Themes of Prophets
Not just predictions of what will be, but also exhortations to avoid what might be
Three major themes of prophets
Abuse of power by leaders (2 Samuel 12)
Treatment of the poor (Amos 2:6-7)
Idolatry

16. Themes of Deuteronomistic History
God has chosen Israel to be a special people
This choice leads to giving of a covenant in the Torah
The Torah leads to life
Sacrifice to God must occur in Jerusalem
Ethics and Worship go hand-in-hand
Sinful behavior of the people leads to divine punishment

17. Themes of Deuteronomistic History
Repentance of the people leads to divine forgiveness
God does not abandon Israel – even when they sin
God raises up leaders (judges then kings) to bring about restoration
Prophets call both rulers and subjects to be faithful to the covenant

18. Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah
Duplicate some of Deuteronomistic History
Glass is half-full (Deut Hist is half-empty)
Focus on establishing ties between repatriated Jews and earlier times

19. Wisdom Literature Psalms (Laments, Praise, Histories)
Proverbs (collection of pithy sayings)
Song of Solomon (love poems)
Job
Ecclesiastes