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The Old Testament_A Very Short Introduction

Page 13

by Michael D. Coogan


  The relationship between an authoritative scripture and the community that considers it such is complex. The text shapes the community—its beliefs, its values, and its practices. At the same time, the community in a very real way shapes the text as well. The text is not, except perhaps in the abstract, intrinsically authoritative: it derives its authority from the community. And that community—or rather, in the case of the Bible, those interrelated communities—has a continuous history which cumulatively provides authority both to the text and to the processes of expansion, modification, interpretation, reinterpretation, adaptation, and even selective rejection of biblical traditions. The processes are ongoing, as ancient texts are continually accommodated to suit new circumstances, and what these texts meant becomes intertwined with what they mean. The many voices heard in the pages of the Bible, themselves coming from different times and contexts, begin these multiple processes, and so the processes are first authorized by the Bible itself.

  Reading the Bible, then, is difficult, but it is also rewarding. Its many voices unite in celebrating Yahweh, the god of Israel, a god passionately if mysteriously engaged with the world and the humans who inhabit it.

  Chronology

  Appendix

  The Canons of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament

  References

  Translations from the Bible are usually from the New Revised Standard Version; in some cases I have modified the translation to reflect the meaning of the original more closely. Chapter and verse numbers follow the New Revised Standard Version. Unless credited, translations of other texts are my own.

  Chapter 4

  1. Stephanie Dalley, Myths from Mesopotamia (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989), 253.

  2. Ibid., 114.

  Chapter 6

  1. Code of Hammurapi 195, translation adapted from Martha Roth, Law Collections from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor, 2nd ed. (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1997), 120.

  Chapter 8

  1. Martti Nissinen, Prophets and Prophecy in the Ancient Near East (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2003), 19–20.

  Chapter 9

  1. Mordechai Cogan and Hayim Tadmor, II Kings: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, Anchor Bible 11 (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1988), 338–39.

  Chapter 10

  1. Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, vol. 2, The New Kingdom (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006 [1976]), 153, 151, 162.

  2. Stephen Mitchell, The Book of Job (San Francisco: North Point Press, 1987), 88.

  3. Jack Miles, God: A Biography (New York: Knopf, 1995), 325.

  Chapter 11

  1. The subtitle of Baruch Halpern, David’s Secret Demons (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001).

  Further Reading

  Annotated Bibles

  Attridge, Harold W., ed. The HarperCollins Study Bible. Rev. ed. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2006.

  Berlin, Adele, and Marc Zvi Brettler, eds. The Jewish Study Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.

  Coogan, Michael D., ed. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha. 3rd augmented ed., New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.

  Harrelson, Walter J., ed. The New Interpreter’s Study Bible. Nashville: Abingdon, 2003.

  O’Day, Gail R., and David Petersen, eds. The Access Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.

  Senior, Donald, and John J. Collins, eds. The Catholic Study Bible. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.

  Introductions

  Brettler, Marc Zvi. How to Read the Jewish Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.

  Kugel, James L. How to Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture Then and Now. New York: Free Press, 2007.

  McKenzie, Steven L. How to Read the Bible: History, Prophecy, Literature—Why Modern Readers Need to Know the Difference, and What It Means for Faith Today. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.

  Reference

  Achtemeier, Paul J., ed. The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1996.

  Barton, John, and John Muddiman, eds. The Oxford Bible Commentary. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.

  Freedman, David Noel, ed. The Anchor Bible Dictionary. New York: Doubleday, 1992.

  Hayes, John H., ed. Dictionary of Biblical Interpretation. Nashville: Abingdon, 1999.

  Keck, Leander E. et al., eds. The New Interpreter’s Bible. Nashville: Abingdon, 1994–2004.

  Mays, James L., ed. The HarperCollins Bible Commentary. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2000.

  Metzger, Bruce M., and Michael D. Coogan, eds. The Oxford Companion to the Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.

  Meyers, Carol, ed. Women in Scripture: A Dictionary of Named and Unnamed Women in the Hebrew Bible, the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books, and the New Testament. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000.

  Rogerson, J. W., and Judith M. Lieu, eds. The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.

  Sakenfeld, Katharine Doob, ed. The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible. Nashville: Abingdon, 2006-.

  van der Toorn, Karel et al., eds. Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible. 2nd ed. Leiden: Brill, 1999.

  Ancient Near Eastern Texts

  Chavalas, Mark W., ed. The Ancient Near East: Historical Sources in Translation. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2006.

  Hallo, William W., ed. The Context of Scripture. Leiden: Brill, 1997–2002.

  Society of Biblical Literature. Writings from the Ancient World. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 1990-.

  Canon

  Trebolle, Julio. “Canon of the Old Testament.” In The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, edited by Katharine Doob Sakenfeld, 1:548–63. Nashville: Abingdon, 2006.

  History and Archaeology

  Coogan, Michael D., ed. The Oxford History of the Biblical World. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.

  King, Philip J., and Lawrence E. Stager. Life in Biblical Israel. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2001.

  Laughlin, John C. H. Archaeology and the Bible. London: Routledge, 2000.

  Miller, J. Maxwell, and John H. Hayes. A History of Ancient Israel and Judah. 2nd ed. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2006.

  Biblical Religion

  Miller, Patrick D. The Religion of Ancient Israel. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2000.

  Smith, Mark S. The Early History of God: Yahweh and the Other Deities in Ancient Israel. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002.

  Prophets

  Petersen, David L. The Prophetic Literature: An Introduction. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2002.

  Sweeney, Marvin A. The Prophetic Literature. Nashville: Abingdon, 2005.

  Job

  Newsom, Carol A. The Book of Job: A Contest of Moral Imaginations. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.

  Terrien, Samuel L. The Iconography of Job through the Centuries: Artists as Biblical Interpreters. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1996.

  Index

  A

  Aaron, 44, 46, 47, 50, 65, 66, 74, 111

  Abraham, 5, 13, 21, 23, 32, 59, 109, 111–14, 118

  Absalom, 119

  Afterlife, 105

  Ahab, 28,30

  Ahijah, 80

  Alexander the Great, 23

  Amenemope, Instruction of, 103

  Amos, 81, 84–86

  book of 81, 84–86, 89

  angels, 41

  apocalyptic literature, 90

  Apocrypha, 8, 10

  Aramaic language, 6, 7

  archaeology, 21, 28–31 ark of the covenant, 61, 118, 119

  Asherah, 40, 78

  Astarte, 40

  Assyria, Assyrians, 21, 22, 25, 78, 83, 84–85, 91–99

  Athaliah, 114

  authority of Bible, 12, 122–24

  authorship of Torah, 12–16, 19–21

  Azazel, 40

  B

  Baal, 35, 37, 40, 78, 101

  Babyl
on, Babylonians, 3, 5, 6, 21, 22, 25, 34, 38, 51, 69, 83

  Balaam, 31, 78, 81

  Barak, 115

  Baruch, book of, 8

  Bathsheba, 114, 119

  Ben Sira, Wisdom of, 6–7, 8, 10, 98, 111, 114, 119–20

  Bilhah, 5, 114

  books of the Bible, 2

  order of, 4, 8, 10

  booths, festival of, 67, 69, 71

  C

  calendar, 66–67, 69

  canon, 7–11, 127–29

  case law, 55–56

  Chemosh, 28, 38, 40

  cherubim, 41

  Christianity, 4, 8, 10, 73, 74, 90, 102, 107, 113, 118, 122

  Chronicles, books of, 3, 6, 94, 95, 118, 119

  chronology, 3, 23–25, 125–26

  circumcision, 45, 46, 47, 65, 71, 112

  clean. See purity, ritual

  Copernicus, Nicolaus, 21

  council, divine, 40–41, 82–83, 106–7

  covenant, 2, 58–63, 86–88, 97

  Covenant Code, 53, 54–59

  creation, 14, 22, 23, 33–37

  Cyrus the Great, 39

  D

  D, 16

  Dab‘a, Tell ed-, 48, 49

  Damascus, 85, 91

  Daniel, book of, 6, 7, 8, 10, 90

  David, 20, 22, 24, 31, 38, 59, 73, 79, 84, 88–89, 98, 109, 111, 116–19

  day of atonement, 67

  Dead Sea Scrolls, 9

  Deborah, 29, 114–16

  Song of, 115

  Decalogue. See Ten Commandments

  Deir Alla text, 31

  Delilah, 115

  Deuterocanonical books. See Apocrypha

  Deuteronomic Code, 53, 56–57

  Deuteronomy, book of, 4–5, 6, 16, 19–20, 22, 53, 56, 57, 59, 61, 64, 70, 123

  divination, 75, 78

  Documentary Hypothesis, 15–16, 18–21

  E

  E, 16, 44

  Ecclesiastes, book of, 7, 10, 104–6

  Ecclesiasticus, book of. See Ben Sira

  Egypt, Egyptians, 21, 103, 105

  gods of, 50

  history of, 29, 32, 47–48, 93, 117

  See also Exodus, the

  Elijah, 80, 111

  Elisha, 75, 80, 111

  elohim, 16, 44

  Enoch, 111

  Enuma Elish, 34

  Esther, book of, 6, 7, 8, 10, 69

  etiology, 45, 46

  Euphrates River, 97

  exile, 85–86, 88, 113

  in Babylon, 3, 6, 51, 88

  Exodus, book of, 5, 13, 19, 22, 32, 42, 43–52, 53, 55, 56, 57, 58, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 67, 69, 70, 71, 74, 109, 122–23

  Exodus, the,5,22,32,43–52,70–71,98

  date of, 48

  geography of, 48–49

  Ezekiel, 80, 111

  book of, 5, 8, 40, 75, 83, 84, 89, 90, 123

  Ezra, 7

  book of, 6, 20

  F

  Flood, the, 14, 18, 21, 37–38

  form criticism, 19, 45–46

  Former Prophets, 5, 8, 83, 102

  G

  Gad (prophet), 80

  Genesis, book of, 2, 4–5, 10, 13, 22, 31, 32, 35, 39, 40, 43, 45, 47, 48, 50, 64, 71, 111, 112, 113, 114

  genres, 2, 5, 45–46, 73, 102

  Gilgamesh, epic of, 37–38

  God, names of, 13–16, 44

  golden calf, 61

  Greek language, 6, 7, 8, 15, 33, 41, 67, 75

  Greeks, 25

  H

  Hagar, 111, 114

  Haggai, book of, 83

  Hammurapi, 38, 54, 58

  Hanukkah, 69

  Hebrew Bible, 6, 8, 10, 116, 122

  Hebrew language, 6, 7, 14, 16, 17, 26, 27, 46, 48, 57, 59, 66, 90

  Hebrews, letter to the, 119–20

  Hebrews, the, 47, 48

  Hebron, 118

  Hezekiah, 69, 91–99, 103, 111

  history, biblical, 5, 21, 22–32, 47–48, 52, 91–99, 112, 116

  Hobbes, Thomas, 13

  Holiness Code, 53, 58

  holy days, 66–67, 69–70

  Horeb, Mount, 14, 44

  Hosea, 85, 87

  book of, 5, 10, 45, 83, 87

  Huldah, 114

  Hyksos, 48

  I

  impurity. See purity, ritual

  incense, 67

  inscriptions, 17, 26–28, 31, 40, 96

  Isaac, 5, 21, 111, 112, 113, 114, 118

  Isaiah, 80, 82, 85, 86, 98–99

  book of 5, 8, 9, 36, 39, 40, 51, 82, 83, 89, 91–99, 102

  Ishmael, 111, 113

  Islam, 66, 74, 105, 113, 118

  Israel, Northern Kingdom of, 22, 24, 28, 39, 84, 85, 88, 91

  kings of, 24–25

  J

  J, 16, 44, 45

  Jacob, 5, 21, 111, 112, 113

  sons of, 5, 21, 43

  Jael, 115, 116

  James, letter of, 106

  Jeremiah, 10, 80, 83, 85, 86, 87, 111, 112

  book of, 5, 8, 40, 83, 87–88, 89, 102

  Jerome, 8

  Jerusalem, 28, 39, 69, 75, 84, 85, 88, 89, 91–99, 109, 118

  Jesus, 10, 20, 74, 90, 113, 118

  Jezebel, 114

  Joan of Arc, 115

  Job, 106–10, 111, 112

  book of, 10, 37, 106–10, 112, 121

  wife of, 114

  Joel, book of, 84

  Jonathan, 117

  Jordan River, 15, 51, 80

  Joseph, 2, 32

  Josephus, 98

  Joshua, 5, 13, 19, 22, 24, 111, 114

  bookof,2,3,5,19,22,29,40,48,51

  Josiah, 29, 69, 79, 111

  Judah, Southern Kingdom of, 22, 28, 39, 84, 85, 88, 91–99, 117

  kings of, 24–25

  Judah, tribe of, 117

  Judaism, 2, 4–11, 51, 67, 69, 71, 73, 74, 102, 105, 107, 122

  judges, 114–15

  Judges, book of, 2, 5, 8, 22, 29, 40, 49, 114–15

  Judith, 115

  book of, 8

  K

  Kant, Immanuel, 21

  Kepler, Johannes, 21

  Ketuvim. See Writings

  Kierkegaard, Søren, 112

  Kings, books of, 3, 5, 19, 22, 27–28, 29, 30, 39, 40, 75, 78, 80, 81, 83, 91–99, 116, 119

  Kingship, 38–39

  L

  Lachish, 94

  Lamentations, book of, 5, 10

  Latter Prophets, 5, 8, 53, 83, 102

  law, 5, 53–63

  Leah, 5, 114

  Levi, tribe of, 65

  Leviathan, 35–37, 108

  Leviticus, book of, 22, 40, 53, 58, 64, 66, 69, 70, 71, 72

  Lilith, 40

  Lot, 111

  Luther, Martin, 8

  M

  Maccabees, 31, 69

  books of, 8, 10

  Major Prophets, 5, 83

  Malachi, book of, 5, 10, 83, 87

  Manasseh, tribe of, 29

  Marduk, 34–36, 38, 40

  Mari, 78, 79

  Megiddo, 28, 29–31

  men, status, of 57, 58

  Mesha, 26–28, 38

  Messiah, 90

  Methuselah, 23

  Micah, 85

  Micaiah, 83

  Michal, 117

  Milcom, 40

  Minor Prophets, 5, 10, 83, 102

  Miriam, 46, 73, 114

  Moab, Moabites, 26–28

  monotheism, 40–42, 50, 62, 104

  Moses, 5, 12–16, 19–20, 22, 23, 32, 43–47, 50, 74, 109, 111, 112, 114, 116

  Muhammad, 73, 113, 118

  myth, 21, 33–42, 98, 112

  and Exodus narrative, 49–51, 52

  and history, 38–40

  N

  Nahum, book of, 73

  Naphtali, tribe of, 115

  Nathan, 79, 80, 119

  Nebuchadrezzar

  (Nebuchadnezzar), 38, 75

  Neco, 29

  Nehemiah, book of, 6

  neighbor, 58, 62

  New Testament, 4, 10, 59, 90, 113

 
Neviim. See Prophets Nile, river, 49

  Nile Delta, 48, 49

  Nineveh, 94

  Noadiah, 114

  Noah, 4, 18, 21, 37–38, 47, 59, 111

  wife of, 114

  Northern Kingdom. See Israel, Northern Kingdom of

  Numbers, book of, 3, 17, 22, 31, 46, 64, 67, 71, 72, 78, 81

  O

  Old Testament, meaning of term, 4, 6

 

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