L2 Story of the Bible

TaNaK is an acronym identifying three components of the Hebrew scriptures: the Torah, Neviim (the prophets), and Ketuvim (the writings). Each composition is a product of a stage of the life of people living in the ancient world. Individually and collectively the material tells the story of people in relationship with God.

1. The Hebrew Bible (TaNaK) is the literature of an ancient people composed over long periods of time.

   1. Convictions about divine inspiration of the Bible are in Judaism and Christianity, consistent with human and historical origin of the actual compositions. Inspiration is understood in religious traditions as a statement of authority more than a theory of literary composition. Discovering the human origins is not easy and requires the use of several types of evidence – and a large element of faith.

   2. Some things are clearer than others. The contents of the Hebrew Bible are the product of a nomadic people inhabiting a strip of land between the ancient empires of Babylon to the east and Egypt to the west. The written versions were the product of extended time periods and reflect stages of Near Eastern culture. The original language of the Bible was Hebrew, a language using consonants with cognates in other Near Eastern languages (one exception is the second part of the book of Daniel written in Aramaic).

   3. The process by which these compositions came into being involved oral and written practices. Oral performance is obvious in the prophetic literature and in the psalms, but likely also a common feature in the prophetic works. The written narratives make have begun as oral recitations like folklore among other peoples.

   4. Creating the literature presupposes certain social settings and technical capabilities. Israel developed a scribal class who served court and temple. The most likely periods for such scribal activity was during periods of reasonable stability such as during the court and temple period under Solomon and the period after the exile when the temple and court were reestablished.

2. In Hebrew tradition, the most authoritative part of the TaNaK is the Torah or the five books of Moses (Pentateuch).

   1. Religious tradition ascribes these books to Moses who led the people out of Egypt, scholars unanimously agree that their composition was complex and extended hundreds of years. Four sources are generally recognized: the Yahwist (J source), the Elohist, the Deuteronomist, and the Priestly. J and E are placed about 10^th century BCE, the D about 6^th C with the reforms, and P as editor of the whole.

   2. The books of Moses offer a sweeping narrative of the formation of Israel, its people and the covenant with God. The creation and fall narratives as well as the saga of the patriarchs from Abraham to Genesis dominate Genesis. Exodus describes enslavement of Israel in Egypt, call of Moses, and the deliverance from bondage, the giving of the law, and the tent for worship in the wilderness. Leviticus continues with legislation concerning worship, especially sacrifice. Numbers recounts the events of the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness under Moses and the rebellion of the people and the faithfulness of God. Deuteronomy consists of long discourses delivered to the people by Moses before entering the land of Canaan, summoning them to obedience and describing the blessings that came with obedience to the covenant and the curses that came with disobedience.

3. The Prophets (Neviim) are 21 writings that make up the second major part of TaNaK.

   1. The first portion of the Prophets contains 6 narratives books covering the story of the people from the time of entry into the land. These books, Joshua, Judges, 1, 2 Samuel, 1,2 Kings are also called the former prophets.

   2. The Jewish Bible counts as the Latter Prophets those spokespersons for God to the people. The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel are called the Major Prophets because their writings covered an entire scroll apiece.

   3. The term Minor Prophets refer to the collection of 12 books all on one scroll: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

4. The 13 Writings (Ketuvim) make up the final and least internally organized portion of the Jewish Bible, making a total of 39 compositions.

   1. Five of these writings was called megillot (scrolls): The Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther.

   2. The wisdom literature is associated with the Psalms, Proverbs, and Job.

   3. Jewish history is found in 1, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel.

5. The most remarkable aspect of this variegated literature is that in each of its parts and as a whole, it imagines a world that is at once astonishing and coherent, a world that is in every respect created by and answerable to God.

Questions:

1. What factors would, could, might contribute to shaping such a consistent worldview in literature composed over hundreds of years?

2. Why is Torah considered the more authoritative part of the Jewish Bible?

Read Isaiah 1-11 and Psalm 78: is the message consistent? What is it?