The Bible as/in Literature

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The Bible as/in Literature

• Background and History

By Ms. Coppens
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A few important things to note

• The Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) were
  adopted by early Christians, but they were
  written before Christ or Christianity existed.
• When the Christians adopted the Hebrew Scriptures
  as their Old Testament, they began interpreting
  the Hebrew myths in Christian terms. These later
  Christian interpretations are not acceptable to
  Jews.

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The Book Itself

• 1. Old Testament is made up of 24 books in the
  Hebrew tradition
• 2. Three main divisions
• a. The Torah attributed to Gods dictation to
  Moses on Mt. Sinai. These five books describe
  Gods covenant with the Hebrew people.

The Torah
Holding up the out- stretched Torah
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More on the Torah

• Scholars have discovered that there at least four
  different writers of these books (They all had a
  different style, viewpoint, and agenda), but the
  true author is not known.
• Believers think it is the word of God. However,
  the different writers lead to some confusion and
  contradictions with in the Old Testament. This
  section contains important narratives.
• The two other divisions are
• Neviim of the Prophets
• Kethuvim or Writings

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Background of the Hebrew People

• Originally an agricultural, polytheistic, and
  matriarchal culture

Middle Eastern Agriculture
Matriarchal Fertility Goddesses
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The Land of the Hebrew People
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Shifting Beliefs

• When they became nomadic, beliefs shifted to
  monotheism and a patriarchy. Why, do you think??
• Survival of the wandering tribe depended on
  tribal identity and the sacrifice of personal
  benefit for tribal welfare.
• The Old Testament helped to provide a set of
  laws, or a rule book that held the culture
  together.

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Other Interesting Information

• The word bible means little books in Greek.

One of the smallest Bibles from antiquity
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More Interesting Information

• The Bible has been translated into 2,287
  different languages and dialects. WOW!
• The stories well read in class have gone through
  many translations. The basics were from Hebrew
  to Latin to English. Each translation could have
  lead to shifts in wording and meaning.
• The Bible is the worlds best seller!

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Themes and Important Elements

• Power, goodness, and mercy of one god.
• The covenant agreement which God enters with
  the Hebrew people.

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Themes and Important Elements

• Tendency of humans to stray from the right path

Dont go the wrong way!
Sometimes its hard to be good!
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Themes and Important Elements

• Archetypes and connections to the myths we will
  read from Sumerian and Greek cultures.

Pierre Paul Rubens Adam and Eve The Temptress?
The Flood
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Where well beginGenesis - The Creation
The Creation by Michelangelo