1. Old Testament: History and Structure

2. The Holy Bible
The word “Bible” comes from the Greek word biblia, which means “books”. The Bible is really a collection or library of many books.
These books are divided into two main parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament.
“Testament” means “covenant or agreement”.
The Old Covenant is an agreement that God made with the nation of Israel.

3. The Holy Bible
It contains73 books, 46 (39 main books plus 7 Second Canonical books removed by Protestants) in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament
More than forty writers over more than 1,500 years.
It is one book as God inspires it.
A variety of writings, stories, tales, biographies, poems, and proverbs, but one focus the message of salvation, carried out by our Lord Jesus Christ.
We find the crimson line clear in all its books and we notice clearly how the wonderful Divine plan in the Old Testament prepared humanity for salvation and how the events and topics were symbols of the Lord and His work of expiation.

4. The Old Testament
The Old Testament tells the history of the people of Israel.
This history is based on their faith in the God of Israel and on their religious life as the people of God.
The authors of these books wrote about what God had done for them as a people and how they were to worship and obey God in return.

5. Languages of the Old Testament
The Old Testament language was Hebrew. Some of the chapters were written in Aramaic.
Scripture was translated into Aramaic which was spoken by Jews people after the exile.
Hebrew was known as the sacred language. The books of the Old Testament were written in Hebrew and gradually after the exile the Scripture was written in Hebrew using the Aramaic alphabet.
The Hebrew language is written from right to left. They used to write without leaving space between the words, so it depends on the reader who knows how to read. Even if there is not enough space to finish the word on the line, the rest of it will be written in the next line.

6. Why do I love the Old Testament?
It is a shadow of the New Testament. The New Testament was hidden in the Old Testament.
It shows me how to live with God. What does God want from me.
The characters are awesome!

7. Why do I struggle with the Old Testament?
Understanding the:
Structure
History
of the Old Testament are Key to understanding and spiritual benefit.

8. Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth
I Samuel
II Samuel
I Kings
II Kings
I Chronicles
II Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Songs
The Pentateuch (Judaism: Torah)
Old Testament History
Wisdom and Poetry
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Acts of the Apostles
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
The Major and Minor Prophets
The Gospels and Acts
Romans
I Corinthians
II Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
I Thessalonians
II Thessalonians
I Timothy
II Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
I Peter
II Peter
I John
II John
III John
Jude
Revelation
Writings of the Apostles

9. The Old Testament
The following chart shows the different groups of books that make up the Old Testament.
Books are not placed in chronological order. Many of prophetical and wisdom books take place during periods of historical books

10. Over a period of more than 1,500 years Written by more than 40 men
THE BIBLE IS NOT ONE BOOK
But a library of 66 books
Over a period of more than 1,500 years
Written by more than 40 men

11. These 39 are called the Old TESTAMENT
Moses
B.C.
30 A.D.
2000 A.D.
Of the 66 books, 39 were written before the birth of Jesus
These 39 are called the Old TESTAMENT

12. Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible:
B.C.
30 A.D.
2000 A.D.
Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible:
Pentateuch (5 books)
Torah (law)
Books of Moses
GENESIS EXODUS LEVITICUS NUMBERS DEUTERONOMY

13. The Pentateuch
The first five books -- look back from the death of Moses -- all the way to the beginning of the world.
GENESIS – Chapters 1-11
Creation of the world
First human family
Spread of evil
World wide flood
Division of mankind into nations and languages
GENESIS – chapters 12-50
God chooses the FATHERS of the future nation of Israel
Four Generations – grow from 1 couple to 70 people

14. The Pentateuch Books 2-5: EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, DEUTERONOMY
Exodus: deliverance from Egypt and receiving the Covenant
Leviticus: obligations of the Covenant
Numbers: increases laws and time in desert
Deuteronomy: Moses gives meaning of Covenant

15. ARE BOOKS OF HISTORY WRITTEN BY VARIOUS AUTHORS
Moses
Creation of world
2500 B.C.
1400 B.C.
400 B.C.
30 A.D.
2000 A.D.
Books 6-17
ARE BOOKS OF HISTORY WRITTEN BY VARIOUS AUTHORS
1400 – 400 B.C.
Possession of their land, the establishment of the kingdom, the captivity and return to their land

16. Joshua: conquest of the Promised land
Moses
Creation of world
2500 B.C.
1400 B.C.
400 B.C.
30 A.D.
2000 A.D.
Historical Books (6:17)
Joshua: conquest of the Promised land
Judges: settlement and survival in the land
1st & 2nd Samuel: Israelite’s need for King and coming of Saul and David
1st & 2nd Kings: history and fidelity of Kings who followed David down to the end of Jewish Monarchy in 586 BC.

17. 1st & 2nd Chronicles: period from Saul to return from Exile
Moses
Creation of world
2500 B.C.
1400 B.C.
400 B.C.
30 A.D.
2000 A.D.
Historical Books (6:17)
1st & 2nd Chronicles: period from Saul to return from Exile
Ezra: Emphasizes Jewish piety and the Torah in the face of Hellenism-closes Israel’s openness to mixed marriages-race
Nehemiah: Rebuilding, Practicality, census, feast of Booths (tents)

18. Ecclesiastes tells how to live life in a world where all is vanity
Moses
Creation of world
2500 B.C.
1400 B.C.
400 B.C.
30 A.D.
2000 A.D.
Books 18-22
ARE BOOKS OF POETRY AND WISDOM
Job is about man’s question about suffering
Psalms is a collection of poems put to music
Proverbs is a collection of short wise sayings
Ecclesiastes tells how to live life in a world where all is vanity
Song of Solomon is a poem about true romantic love

19. MAJOR AND MINOR PROHETS
Moses
Creation of world
2500 B.C.
1400 B.C.
400 B.C.
30 A.D.
2000 A.D.
Books 23-39
MAJOR AND MINOR PROHETS
Throughout the history of Israel, various prophets predicted that SOMEONE from Israel will one day be a SAVIOR & KING of the world

20. Timeline of the Old Testament
(I) Primeval Period (Genesis 1-11):
Creation, Adam ~ 5500 B.C.
Fall
Enoch
Methuselah, 969 years
Flood, Noah ~ 2500 B.C.
The Tower of Babel, many languages
400 years of scattering

21. Timeline of the Old Testament
(II) Patriarchal Period (Genesis 12-50):
Abraham ~ 2000 B.C.
Isaac
Jacob
The 12 tribes
Joseph
Exile (bondage) in Egypt (400 years)

22. Timeline of the Old Testament
(III) Exodus (Exodus:Deuteromony):
Moses ~ 1500 B.C.
Exodus from Egypt, Passover ~ 1446 B.C.
The Law, the
Tabernacle ~ 1445 B.C.
Lost in the wilderness
of Sinai (40 years)

23. Timeline of the Old Testament
(IV) Conquest of Canaan (Joshua):
Joshua becomes the leader of Israel
Crossing the Jordan
Jericho
Entering and dwelling in Canaan ~ 1406 B.C.

24. Timeline of the Old Testament
(V) Judges Period (Judges):
Judges rule over Israel ~ 1375 B.C. for 400 years
Dark era
Debora, Gideon, Samson, Samuel
Theocratic system

25. Timeline of the Old Testament
(VI) Early Monarchy, United Kingdom (1,2Samuel, 1Kings, 1,2Chronicles):
Samuel
Start: King Saul ~ 1029
Establishment: King David ~ 1000
Start of decline: King Solomon ~
Building the temple ~ 959

26. Timeline of the Old Testament
(VII) Divided Kingdom (1,2Kings, 2Chronicles):
~ B.C.
Southern Kingdom, Judah, Jerusalem, House of David
Some Kings were righteous, some were evil
Isaiah (750 B.C.), Jeremiah (627 B.C.), Daniel, Ezekiel
Northern Kingdom, Samaria, Different Kings
Evil Kings, worshiped idols
Elijah (875 B.C.), Elisha (848 B.C.), Jonah (793 B.C.), Hosea (753 B.C.)

27. Timeline of the Old Testament
(VIII) Assyrian Captivity (2Kings, 2Chronicles):
~ 722 B.C.
God’s judgement
The kingdom of Assyria conquers and defeats the northern kingdom
Samaria falls
The Southern Kingdom is still surviving (Babylonian Captivity ~ 586 B.C.)
Prophets of this era include:
Jeremiah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah

28. Timeline of the Old Testament
(IX) Babylonian Captivity (2Kings, 2Chronicles):
God’s judgement
~ 605 B.C., King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquers Judah
~ 586 B.C., Jerusalem and the temple are destroyed
Israelites stay in Babylon until ~ 538 B.C.
Prophets of this era include:
Ester, Ezekiel, Daniel

29. Timeline of the Old Testament
(X) Restoration (Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zachariah, Malachi):
~ 539 B.C., King Cyrus of Persia conquers Babylon
~ 538 B.C., King Cyrus allows the Jews to return to Jerusalem
~ B.C., the temple is rebuilt
~ 458 Ezra returns and assembles the Old Testament books, Nehemiah builds Jerusalem walls.
~430 B.C., Malachi, the last prophecy

30. Timeline of the Old Testament
(XI) The years of Silence -- ~400 years
No more prophecies
Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
~ 250 B.C., the Septuagint: first Greek translation of the Old Testament in Alexandria
Now the scene is set, Now Messiah can come

31. Timeline of the Old Testament