The Bible and Its Influence

CHAPTER 1THE HEBREW SCRIPTURE

Tanakh

The Jewish title for the Hebrew Scriptures.Acronym formed from Torah, Nevi’im, and

Ketuvim.The books share one central theme: the

relationship between God and humans.Israel is God’s “chosen people,” set apart to

be an example to the world.

The Three Divisions of the Jewish Bible

Torah- “Teaching” Includes the first 5 books of the Bible.

Contains the following information and accounts: central teachings and laws of Judaism, humanity’s beginnings, religious history of Israel, instructions for conducting worship and celebrating

festivals, genealogies.

The Three Divisions of the Jewish Bible, continued

Nevi’im- “Prophets” This section includes both historical

narratives and prophetic messages. Religious history of Israel from the arrival in the

Promise Land to the fall of the kingdom of David Destructive conquests by the Assyrian empire Conquests by the Babylonians Poetic messages addressed to the people of Israel

The Three Divisions of the Jewish Bible, continued

Ketuvim- “Writings” The assortment of literary forms include

Prayers Poetry Wise sayings Short narratives The continuation of Israel’s religious history

How Jews Read the Bible

Jews may draw on one or any of these ways to understanding the Bible. Plain sense-surface meaning of the text Inquiring-interpretive reading Allegorical-looks for parallels between scripture and

more abstract concepts Mystical-a symbolic code

Michelangelo’s sculpture of Moses

Christians and the Hebrew Scriptures

Ordering of the books is different.Christians see Hebrew text as pointing

toward Jesus Christ and a new covenant established in the New Testament.

Christians call the Hebrew scriptures the Old Testament.

Characteristics of Hebrew Literature

The importance of word The entire universe comes into being at God’s spoken

command.Symbolic word choices

Personal and place names have symbolic meanings.Parallelism and repetition

Made it easier to commit to memory.Figures of Speech

Simile, metaphor, hyperbole, irony, and personification

Midrash

A Jewish tradition of free and creative commentary on the Scriptures.

Uses storytelling to illustrate point of teaching.Rabbis would suggest possible interpretations

of biblical texts by inventing their own narratives, describing what might have happened, often drawing on clues they perceived hidden in the biblical texts’ wording.

See handout for example.

Biblical Allusions

Macbeth, William ShakespeareAbsalom, Absalom, William FaulknerJohn Donne“Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” T. S. Eliot60% of allusions on Advanced Placement

Exams are biblical allusions.See list of most common biblical allusions.

Chapter 1 Vocabulary

1. Torah2. Nevi’im3. Ketuvim4. Tanakh5. Plain sense6. Inquiring7. Allegorical8. Mystical9. Midrash

Literary Analysis

The introduction to the Hebrew Bible indentified various genres contained in the Hebrew Scripture. How do these genres parallel those used in the selections from your literature textbook?

Use specific examples in your response.

CHAPTER 2GENESIS -ORIGINS

The Bible and Its Influence

Genesis- “origin”“When God began to create heaven and

earth-the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water-God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light”—Genesis 1:1

God creates by spoken command.

God the Creator

The abyss-the primal chaos that is “formless and void”

It is not an evil force that must be overcome. Rather, the abyss needs to be ordered to reach its full potential.

The God of Genesis, who needs nothing, chooses to create anyway.

Genesis gradually reveals a God who loves zealously, who chooses favorites, who inflicts terrible punishments, and shows mercy beyond measure, but who is never distant or detached.

7 Days

Complete the following chart:

Pairing of Days and WorksDay One Day Four

Day Two Day Five

Day Three Day Six

Stewardship of Creation

According to Genesis 1:26-28, what distinguishes humans from other created things?

What is the relationship of the human beings to nature?

Themes of the Creation Account

Creation has the responsibility to obey the limits set by the creator.

Humans are intended to be social, to find community with other humans.

The relationship between men and women was intended to be fundamentally good and holy.

A Note on Names

Adam- “humankind” or “earth”Woman- “closely related to man”Eve- “mother of all living”

“Never Again Would Birds’ Song Be the Same”—Robert Frost

Who is the “he” in the poem?Who is the “she”?What “belief” of Adam’s does the poem

describe?To what common human experience does this

poem allude?