TEACHING NOTES Introduction ‌Disclaimer: Many weeks could be spent on the writing and composition of the Old Testament. This session is NOT meant to be comprehensive, but is intended to introduce or overview the subject. ‌ The purpose of this session is to understand how the Old Testament was written and later organized into what we read today. The most important aspect to understand is that the Old Testament is the result of a long history of writing and composing by both the original authors and later scribes. God inspired this entire process and those involved. ‌ The Formation of the Hebrew Bible ‌ Oral Tradition: Spans the time from Adam up to Moses. Each generation handed down their stories to the next generation. This way of handing down stories preceded writing and was exceedingly common in the ancient world and continued after writing. ‌ Source Documents: The first mention of writing in the Bible is Ex. 17:14. Later in Josh. 8:30-35 Joshua is told to make a copy of the Torah. After Joshua’s generation dies, God selects prophets to carry on the work. Source documents include the writings of Moses, the prophets, and even lost historical writings that are mentioned in the Old Testament (see below). ‌ Composition: During this period, professional scribes and prophets begin to compose documents using previous writings under the leadership and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. ‌ Compilation: Likely was done during the period of Israel’s exile in Babylon. Professional scribes compiled writings into collections and editing where needed for greater understanding. ‌ Final Form (Canon): The canon refers to what is officially considered Scripture (inspired by God) by the priests and prophets. The final form of the Hebrew Bible is referred to as the TaNaK. Throughout the Old Testament there are clues that the final form was finished by scribes living centuries after the events. Phrases like “until this day” and “until the day of the captivity (exile) of the land” are sprinkled throughout the early sections, showing that the final composers lived centuries after the events. ‌ Canon = A collection of writings considered to be inspired by God and authoritative for faith and practice. We consider the 39 books of our Old Testament to be “canonical” meaning they are God’s Word. The writings of the intertestamental period we consider “non-canonical” but are still important and contain truth about what ancient Israelites believed. ‌ External Sources Mentioned in the OT: The scribes who provided the final form of the OT clearly indicate throughout that they are not making up their information. In many places they tell us about the external sources being used and even use these sources as evidence that they are telling the truth. Here are just several examples: ‌ Book of Jashar (Joshua 10:13) Book of the Wars of the LORD (Num. 21:14) Chronicles of Kings of Israel/Judah (1 Kgs. 14:19,29) Chronicles of King David (1 Chr. 27:24) Acts of Solomon (1 Kgs. 11:41) Chronicles of Gad the Seer (1 Chr. 29:29) History of Nathan, Prophesy of Ahijah, Visions of Iddo (2 Chr. 9:29; 13:22) Chronicles of the Seers (2 Chr. 33:19) ‌ Point: The final form of the Old Testament that we read today is the work of the original authors AND later scribes who were led by the Holy Spirit. These later scribes used original documents and historical records to compose a cohesive and condensed story that everyone can understand. In a sense, the scribes condensed a multitude of documents and information into a readable story. We believe that the texts that have survived history are the texts God wanted to preserve. ‌ The Old Testament Jesus Used ‌ Luke 24:44 ESV 44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” ‌ The Law of Moses = The 1st five books (Torah/Pentateuch). ‌ The Prophets = Joshua—Kings, 3 major & 12 minor prophets. ‌ The Psalms = The later writings of wisdom, poetry, prayers, and some later historical literature (Ezra-Nehemiah).‌ TaNaK: The Original Shape of the Hebrew Bible ‌ Modern Bibles organize the order of the Old Testament books according to literary genre (law, history, prophets, poetry, etc). The presents a challenge to the reader as it mixes up the storyline. However, the original shape of the Hebrew Bible organizes the books according to the storyline. ‌ Torah (instruction) The prominent source of these books is Moses, but the text shows that later scribes were involved in its final composition. This section begins with creation and ends as the Israelites are about to enter the Promised Land. ‌ Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy ‌ Nevi’im (prophets) The first four books in this section are often referred to as “historical” books. However, these books are actually the history of Israel written from the point of view of the latter prophets, hence the title “Nevi’im” (prophets). The section begins with Joshua leading the Israelites into the Promised Land and ends with the prophets after the return from exile. ‌ Joshua Judges Samuel Kings Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel The Twelve: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi ‌ Ketuvim (writings) The is a collection of poetry, prayers, apocalyptic, and historical writings of events in Israel’s later history (during and after exile to Babylon). The Old Testament ends with Chronicles, in which the author retells Israel’s history. ‌ Psalms Proverbs Job Song of Songs Ruth Lamentations Esther Ecclesiastes Daniel Ezra-Nehemiah Chronicles ‌ Literary Seams of the TaNaK: The passages below tie the sections of the TaNaK together so that the reader can follow the main storyline. Notice the parts in bold font to see how the passages are related and continue the story. ‌ Deut. 34:10-12 “10 And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 11 none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, 12 and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.” ‌ Josh. 1:7-8 “7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” ‌ Mal. 4:4-6 “4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”” ‌ Psalm 1:1-2 “1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 2 promises a coming Messiah who is God’s begotten Son. ‌ Hebrew Manuscript Families There are a multitude of manuscripts from different time periods. Time range: from 300 BC to 1008 AD We call these different groups of manuscripts textual families. ‌ Prior to 1947 ‌ Septuagint - LXX (250 BC): This is an ancient translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek. This was done by 70 scribes using Hebrew manuscripts more than a thousand years older than what we had before 1947. Over 75% of quotations from the Old Testament in the New Testament are from the Septuagint. ‌ Masoretic Text - MT (1008 AD): Done by the Masoretes, who were a group of Non-Christian Jews. While this became the most used Hebrew text, many Jewish leaders did not want to use it at the time. Prior to 1947 this was the oldest and most complete Hebrew text. This text is likely based on a multitude of manuscripts from as early as 300 BC and as late as 100 AD. ‌ Samaritan Pentateuch - SP (150-100 BC): The Samaritans only considered the Torah to be Scripture. They rejected the prophets and writings and had their own version of the Torah. The Samaritan Torah contains thousands of differences from the Masoretic Text, many of them very significant. ‌ 1947: Discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls ‌ Discovered in caves around the area of the Dead Sea. Includes a multitude of documents (1,000+)—some biblical and some not. Preserved inside caves by the Essenes—a group of priests who separated from the leaders of Jerusalem when they compromised with Rome. Many of the scrolls contained manuscripts of the Old Testament that were 1,000 years older than the Masoretic Text. Very few differences between Dead Sea Scrolls and the Masoretic Text. ‌ Here’s one example of a difference between the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Septuagint, and the Masoretic Text. Only one word is different, but it matters. ‌ Deuteronomy 32:8 ESV 8 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. ‌ When God divided mankind = Moses is describing what God did at the tower of Babel when He divided the nations. This occured before Abraham lived and therefore long before Israel ever existed. ‌ Dead Sea Scrolls read “the sons of God” (?-100 BC) Septuagint reads “the angels of God” (250 BC) Masoretic Text reads “the sons of Israel” (1008 AD) ‌ All the oldest manuscripts say that God divided mankind at Babel according to the number of the sons/angels of God. This means that God assigned the 70 nations mentioned in Gen. 10 to specific spiritual beings (sons of God). The reading of the Masoretic Text doesn’t make sense, because Israel did not exist at that time. Hebrew scholars believe “sons of God” is the original reading. ‌ Conclusion ‌ Given the mountain of manuscripts and archeological evidence, the Old Testament that we read today can be trusted as the same Scriptures that were read by ancient Israel. ‌ 2 Peter 1:20–21 ESV 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. ‌