AKC 2 General – Autumn Term 2008 – The Good Book: the Bible and its Impact 6/10/08

2. THE HEBREW BIBLE AND CHRISTIANITY’S OLD TESTAMENT

DR DEBORAH ROOKE, KING’S COLLEGE LONDON

NOTICES

1.  Lectures: you must attend one of the lectures each week – see timetable in booklet. Please contact the AKC Course Administrator ( or 020 7848 2333) ASAP if your timetable does not allow you to attend any of the AKC lectures.

2.  Registration: all students need to register via the online registration form. 2nd and 3rd year students should have passed the AKC last year (either the exam or AAP) to continue.

3.  Exam: 27 March 2009 - please make a note of the exam date, prizes are awarded to the best 1st & final year student in each School.

4.  Website: www.kcl.ac.uk/akc for full details, handouts & Discussion Board.

1. A question of perspective:

Terminology: Old Testament, Hebrew Bible, Hebrew Scriptures.

Dating: BC/AD; BCE/CE

§  in other words, inclusive terminology which takes in Jewish and Christian perspectives, instead of exclusively Christian terminology which ignores the original and the continuing Hebrew/Jewish perspectives.

2. Contents:

Two major versions in ancient languages:

§  Hebrew (Massoretic text [MT]) – Palestinian canon.

§  Greek (Septuagint [LXX]) – Alexandrian canon.

i.  Hebrew divisions: Law (Torah), Prophets (Nebi’im), Writings (Kethubim) hence Hebrew term Tanak.

ii.  Law at the centre; Prophets as comment and elaboration on the Law; Writings more diverse, including 5 books (Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Esther, Ecclesiastes) associated with particular festivals.

iii.  Greek divisions: historical books; poetic books; prophetic books.

iv.  Each division has some books not found in Hebrew.

v.  English (Christian) divisions: History books; devotional books; prophetic books

vi.  Prophets at the end because they are seen as pointing towards the coming of Christ in the New Testament.

vii.  Some Christian traditions include so-called apocryphal works found only in Greek original.

3. Choice of material to include as Scripture:

§  Pentateuch common to all traditions, including Samaritans who split from mainstream Jewish community sometime in the last centuries BCE.

§  Prophetic works probably decided on by C2 BCE – no extra prophets in LXX!

§  Writings probably not finalized till end C1 BCE.

4. Nature of writings:

§  devotional: preserved and used in a devotional context as a record of faith.

§  partial: written from particular viewpoints, which differ from book to book.

§  products of their own time and contexts, aspects which need to be understood in order to interpret the books properly.

Further reading:

Richard Coggins, Introducing the Old Testament, second edn. (OUP, 2001)

John Barton and Julia Bowden, The Original Story (DLT, 2004)

Ancient and modern versions of the Old Testament

HEBREW (MT) / GREEK (Septuagint; LXX) / ENGLISH
Torah:
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Nebi’im:
Joshua
Judges
(1 & 2) Samuel
(1 & 2) Kings
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Ezekiel
Hosea-Malachi
Kethubim:
Psalms
Proverbs
Job
Song of Songs
Ruth
Lamentations
Ecclesiastes
Esther
Daniel
Ezra Nehemiah
(1 & 2) Chronicles / History books:
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 & 2 Samuel (1 & 2 Kingdoms)
1& 2 Kings (3 & 4 Kingdoms)
1 & 2 Chronicles
1 Esdras
2 Esdras
Esther
Judith
Tobit
1-4 Maccabees
Poetic books:
Psalms 1-151 plus odes
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Songs
Job
Wisdom of Solomon
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)
Psalms of Solomon
Prophetic books:
Hosea-Malachi
Isaiah
Jeremiah-Baruch-Lamentations-
Letter of Jeremiah
Ezekiel
Susanna-Daniel-Bel & Dragon / Past:
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 & 2 Samuel
1 & 2 Kings
1 & 2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Present:
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Songs
Future:
Isaiah
Jeremiah-Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea-Malachi

Full details about the AKC course, including copies of the handouts, can be found on the AKC website at: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/akc. Please join in the Discussion Board and leave your comments. If you have any queries please contact the AKC Course Administrator on ext 2333 or via email at .

The AKC Examination will take place on Friday 27 March 2009 between 14.30 and 16.30.

YOU MUST REGISTER FOR THE COURSE using the online form on the website. You will need to register for the exam separately, information will be provided next semester.