THE OLD TESTAMENT
Learning Intentions Provide a broad overview of the Old Testament Include historical Time line of the bible Include the books of the Bible Develop an understanding of Covenant and its significance for the Jewish people and the Old Testament. Connect how the RE curriculum uses Old Testament Text to explore themes in the RE curriculum.
What do you know about The Old Testament?
The Old Testament structure of Content The Pentateuch Historical Books Wisdom and Poetry The Prophets
The Pentateuch Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy
Historical Books Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Tobit Judith Esther 1 Maccabees 2 Maccabees
Wisdom and Poetry Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon Wisdom of Solomon Sirach
The Prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Baruch Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi
Whose Scriptures? Hebrew Scriptures The Tanakh (TNK) : (1) Torah (Law); (2) Nevi'im (Prophets); and, (3) Ketuvim (Writings). Canon of: The Tanakh: 24 books. The Protestant Old Testament: 39 books Catholic Old Testament: 46 books (add 1 & 2 Maccabees; Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus; Baruch (Deutero-canonicals)
Religious Stories, Religious History; Religious Truth Each Biblical text type: serves it own purpose/s; uses text features to serve its own purpose/s; has its own intended audience/s who are unique in nature and time; held a specific meaning for its intended audience which subsequent audiences will probably never fully grasp; uses its source material/s differently, for its own purpose/s; is rendered more powerful by being more than a literal account.
Scriptural Texts are not Originals Each Biblical text type is the product of significant and multiple processes of: Recording Editing Transmission Reproduction Enculturation Authorship Translation
Original text Common vortage Vortage is a word referring to a previous or original version of a text- sometimes lost to us that a new text has been based on. LXX Vortage MT Vortage LXX Masoretic Text Greek OT Hebrew Bible/ OT
Many Text Types, Many Authors Authorship of the Bible texts is a complex thing. Oral traditions/written texts Drawn from encounters with many different cultures: Mesopotamian; Egyptian; Babylonian; Greek; Persian; Ammonites; Philistines Worked and re-worked in retrospect of historical events- especially the Exile: (JEDP); Septuagint (LXX 250-150 BCE); Pentateuch (400CE);. Across time: J: 950 BCE; E: 750BCE; D: 8 th BCE; P: 587-538 BCE; put together after the Exile. Translated across time and cultures. Meaning is affected by all of these.
Covenant A covenant is a mutual agreement whereby each party to the covenant agrees to do something for the other party. Hebrew Scriptures record several covenants: Covenants of peace between nations, marriage covenants, covenants of friendship. Also recorded are several religious covenants entered into by God and various individuals representing the people: for example, with Noah (Gen 6:18) and with Abraham (Gen 17:9-10). The biblical covenant while having many elements of a contract, is not a strict contact. In a contract if a party reneges on the deal then the other party is freed of all obligations. God, however, initiates the biblical covenant as a free gift of love. God is always faithful to the covenant and will not renege on the covenant promise even when we are unfaithful to our part of the bargain. In other words God's fidelity is not dependent on our fidelity
The Great Story Old Testament: God created the world and mankind out of infinite love; offered hope and a promise of salvation when human beings rejected that love; chose a people and formed a covenant with them; modelled and fashioned this people, the Israelites, during the ups and downs of their history; offered them liberation, challenged them to live justly and faithfully, took them back when they strayed, consoled them in sorrow, saved them when they got into trouble. The people of Israel eventually called the Jews- looked to a future when God s reign of justice and peace would fill the world.
Lets look at the Old Testament texts in the RE Curriculum
A process for reading OT Texts Three Worlds of the Text Ask not Did it happen? but What does it mean? How does it lead to an encounter? How does it nurture the soul? p.20
Learning 1 for the Classroom The concept of The Holy Bible needs constant unpacking for students. Students need to be reminded every time they open a Bible that it is not one, uniform, sequential and cohesive book they are opening: they are opening a particular text type, among a collection of text types transmitted over a period of about 1100 years and written and arranged for specific religious, social and political purposes. (See Yr 4, 6, 7) However, the text is still part of a sacred story; it is to be treated with reverence and awe because it reveals religious truths about God and God s desire that humans would enter into a relationship that would challenge and transform the way they lived.
Learning 2 for the Classroom: Scripture needs interpretation in order to determine historical truths; factual truths and religious truths (Yrs 4, 7) The Bible, like all classical texts, must be interpreted through study of author, text and message. (Yr 10, Yr 7) No longer is it accepted that Bible provides an unchanging and unmediated revelation from God. (Recontextualisation) Selecting a text merely for what it says is no longer acceptable for mainstream Christians
Learning 3 for the Classroom: The rules for writing were not the same then as they are today. Plagiarism/copying/re-writing Storyteller s licence Writing back into the story Adding to the story, particularly with hindsight
Learning 4 for the Classroom: Be circumspect about what you attribute as fact to the Bible or characters in the Bible! Change the language you use when speaking about the Bible or characters in the Bible.
Two Key Words Finally, for those of us hoping to say something about the times and places in which Biblical characters lived and acted, two words in particular come in very handy... Imagine... and Perhaps... Scott Korb 2010