Introduction
How old is the earth? What is the Bible’s historical timeline? Does the Bible contain only historical facts? Does the Bible contain any historical facts? Is there a reason Jews spoke Hebrew in the Old Testament era, yet some Jews spoke Greek in the New Testament era? These are the types of questions a reader may think through when reading John H. Sailhamer’s book Old Testament History. Graduating with a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary, as well as an M.A. and Ph.D. from University of California at Los Angeles; John Sailhamer is currently professor of Old Testament Studies at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also the author of titles such as: NIV Compact Bible Commentary, The Meaning of the Pentateuch, and An
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This book is part of a series called Zondervan Quick Reference Library (Sailhamer is also the author of many of the books in this series), and that is exactly what Sailhamer aims for––a quick reference guide.
In eleven short sections, adding up to ninety-six pages total, Sailhamer gets right to the point regarding the history of the Old Testament. He separates the book into eleven brief sections for the reader to quickly find, such as: Introduction, Primeval History, Patriarchal History, Israel in Egypt and the Exodus, Israel in the Desert, The Conquest and the Judges, The United Monarchy, The Divided Kingdoms: Israel and Judah, The Babylonian Exile, The Return from Babylonian Captivity, and The Intertestamental Period.
The book’s format helps the reader to dip into any section for a brief overview of biblical history, i.e., one does not need to read this book straight through, from cover-to-cover, since this is a short reference guide. With that in mind, a short overview of Sailhamer’s book is
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One of the strengths of this book is that it can be read by almost anyone, i.e., Sailhamer writes with simplicity and does not spend much time on academic words that will trip up the reader. Being a short book, it can also be read in one session (or quickly sifted through)––whereas some reference guides take up more time when one has to scan through hundreds of pages. In other words, the book is easy-to-read and will be useful for any reader. This book will help someone with no knowledge of biblical history (or even someone who has read the bible all their life) to be able to connect historical dates to the books of the Bible. If someone is wondering about when the exile occurred (75-86), or what happened right before the time of Jesus (87-96)––this concise reference guide will be quite
The Bible: The Old Testament. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed. Sarah Lawall et al. Vol 1. 7th ed. New York: Norton, 1999. 47-97.
^ a b c d e f g h i John Arthur Thomas Robinson (1919-1983). "Redating the New Testament". Westminster Press, 1976. 369 halaman. ISBN 10: 1-57910-527-0; ISBN 13: 978-1-57910-527-3
Hindson, E. E., & Yates, G. E. (2012). The Essence of the Old Testament: A survey. Nashville, Tenn: B & H Academic.
Chamberlain Charles. “Mesopotamian Background of The Hebrew Bible--Creation”. Making of The Modern World Program. University of California, San Diego, La Jolla. January 7, 2011. Lecture.
The Hebrew Bible, better known as the Old Testament, is a collection of tomes that form part of the Biblical canon. Many scholars around the world do not think that a single author wrote the books contained in the Hebrew Bible, but rather that it represents centuries of stories frequently compiled after the events they describe . The stories were created with visions for the future, in order to allow audiences insight into communities and beliefs that were common thought during their era. The stories responded to the issues and problems of their time, but also addressed contemporary climates. While the stories themselves may not be true, they convey truth without needing literal readings. For example, the creation stories in Genesis, portray God as creating the universe, and while this is considered as not ‘literally true’; the stories communicate theological truths about mankind’s relationship with God through the eyes of Hebrew writers .
Metzger, B. (1997). The Canon of the New Testament: Its Origin, Development, and Significance. New York.
Harris, Stephen. Understanding The Bible. 6 ed. New York City: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages, 2002. Print.
Contained in the many intricate and poetic Surahs of the Qur’an are retellings of a number of famous stories of the Hebrew Bible, known to Jews as the Torah, Prophets, and Writings. However, the Qur’an’s account of the lives of certain biblical characters often differs in significant ways from the Jewish version. While a believer in the divine nature of the Qur’an may claim that differences in facts stem from distortions of G-d’s message as recorded in Jewish holy books, both Muslims and non-Muslims might agree that the differences in emphasis are intentional. A more cynical observer might claim that the Qur’an changed the known Bible stories to suit its purposes. By choosing to include certain parts of a famous story and leaving out others, the story itself takes on a very different significance. Occasionally, the Qur’an will also discuss parts of the story which are entirely left out of the Torah, in which case a Muslim may claim the Torah did not deem those facts important for its own reasons. A cynical observer would claim the Qur’an made these additions to make its own message clearer.
Writings of historical scholars, Josephus, Aristotle, and Plato, to name a few, are taken as truth and fact, yet the writings of the Scripture are constantly disputed. Why? Perhaps because of the ethical imperatives imposed to which people do not want to adhere. Perhaps because of man’s ego and pride that disallows them to submit to a Higher Authority. Nonetheless, The Bible has been, and still remains, the most widely read and revered book of all
LaSor, W., Hubbard, D., Bush, F., & Allen, L. (1996). Old Testament survey: The message, form, and background of the Old Testament (2nd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans
Stuart has authored commentaries and articles in journals and magazines. The authors acknowledge that many books have been written on this topic. Their goal is to be unique by focusing on different types of literature (genres) so their readers will understand how to properly interpret them in the context they were written. This review will examine the principles the authors use to interpret the Bible. The review will summarize the book, followed by a critique, and a conclusion.
The Old Testament is divided into six major sections. During each of these sections, elements of Old Testament history foreshadow various New Testament themes and events. Some of these various accounts recorded in the Old Testament are prophetical in nature and foretell specific details about various events that will be fulfilled in New Testament times. Each of the six major sections carries its own unique overarching theme that will in some way tie into New Testament history and theology. The six major sections of Old Testament are: creation (Genesis 1-11), covenant (Genesis 12-50), congr...
The Book of Joel; The Book of Amos; The Book of Obadiah; The Book of Jonah. John Knox Press: Richmond, Virginia, 1959. The New Oxford Annotated Bible: (NRSV) Oxford University Press, 1991. Seiden, Chaim.
Collins, John J. A Short Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2007.
The New Interpreter's Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha. Nashville: Abingdon Press, ©2003.