THE WORLD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

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THE WORLD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
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Two Initial Reactions To The OT

• It doesnt always make sense
• At Parbar westward, four at the causeway, and
  two at Parbar (1 Chron 2618 KJV)
• An Omer is one-tenth of an ephah (Exodus 1636)
• It often offends us
• O daughter of BabylonHappy shall he be, that
  taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the
  stones. (Psalm 1378-9 KJV)

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Offensive?

• Treatment of women
• Judges 11 (Jephthahs daughter)
• Genesis Tamar, Dinah
• Polygamy
• War

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Understanding the OT World

• 1. The OT is realistic
• Shooting terrorism
• Other countries land disputes, tribal feuds,
  water rights, arranged marriage
• 2. God starts where we are
• 3. But God will not leave us there
• Song of Solomon (affirms love and sex)
• Proverbs (treat all people with respect)
• Job (upsets current notions of God)
• Isaiah (the future will be different!)

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Ancient Writing

• 4,000-3,000 BC Invention of writing
  pictographic
• 1600 BC alphabetic script Semitic. 30 signs
• scrolls written on leather and papyrus
• Papyrus scroll (20 pages glued together) thus 15
  ft. long
• Oral transmission