MK

Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures and Christian Old Testament

Names for God and Key Jewish Concepts

  • The text introduces God using multiple names/images in the Hebrew scriptures: Yahweh (the personal name), Elohim, Adonai, among others listed in the first chapter. The name Yahweh comes from the Hebrew Yud Hei Bav Hei. In Jewish practice, when reading sacred text aloud, the divine name is treated as holy and not spoken; readers write or say a substitute (e.g., “Yahweh” in English) rather than pronouncing the text itself.

  • Yahweh signals relationship with God; other names reflect different roles or attributes (e.g., teacher-like relationship). The material notes that there are many names and images of God that convey different facets of the divine-human relationship.

  • The recurring theme is faithfulness and return: people drift from their covenantal relationship with Yahweh, prophets call them back, and there is a recurrent pattern of turning back to God.

Prophets: Role and Function

  • A prophet is not a fortune-teller or a fortune-telling oracle. In biblical terms, a prophet is someone who speaks hard, sometimes harsh, truths about the present reality and future consequences.

  • Prophets often do not set out to deliver a message; rather, through experience and depth of character, they speak precisely what is needed for their time and place.

  • The prophetic message frequently serves as a warning: if people are off kilter, they must return to the covenantal relationship with Adonai or Elohim.

  • This is tied to ethical and communal accountability within the covenant framework.

The Hebrew Scriptures: Structure and Nomenclature

  • The Hebrew Bible is traditionally divided into three parts: the Torah (the Teachings), Nevi'im (the Prophets), and Ketuvim (the Writings).

  • A common shorthand for this tripartite division is the acronym TANAKH, representing Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim:

    • Torah =

    • Nevi'im =

    • Ketuvim =

  • The Christian Old Testament does not map exactly onto the Hebrew Bible; there are differences in content and ordering, which is why scholars often reference both the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament in academic or interfaith contexts.

  • The Tanakh’s structure emphasizes threefold division and closures around the same corpus of sacred writings, but with different editorial emphases across Jewish and Christian traditions.

The Five Books of the Torah (Pentateuch): Brief Overview

  • Genesis (Bereshit) presents the origin of human life in the beginning.

  • Exodus narrates the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.

  • Leviticus is described as the centerpiece of the Torah, focusing on laws governing community life to enable orderly living within a covenantal community.

  • Numbers records censuses and lists of the people.

  • Deuteronomy contains a final set of instructions before the Israelites enter the Promised Land.

  • The Torah establishes the foundation for law, community, and identity within the covenantal framework.

Israel, Land, and Diaspora

  • Israel can refer to both the land (the homeland) and the people who inhabit it; it also refers to the people who live in the diaspora—those living outside the land of Israel.

  • Historical exile (e.g., the destruction of the First Temple) and subsequent diasporas show that Jewish religious life has continued in exile and abroad, not only in the land of Israel.

  • The term Israel thus carries a dual sense of geography (land) and people (the community).

Messiah: The Anointed One

  • The expectation in the period leading up to and during the time of Jesus included the hope for an anointed one, a Messiah in Hebrew, or Christos in Greek.

  • Jesus the Christ is presented as this anointed one within the Christian narrative, understood as the Messiah who appears after centuries of expectation.

The Tanakh Acronym and Terminology

  • Tanakh stands for the threefold division: Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim.

  • This acronym is another way to refer to the structure of the Jewish scriptures (and is often contrasted with the Christian Old Testament).

The New Testament as a Continuation

  • The New Testament contains four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles (the longest book), and concludes with Revelation (often called the Apocalypse).

  • The four Gospels narrate the life and teachings of Jesus, the Acts details the early church, and Revelation presents apocalyptic literature.

The Bible and Its Formation: Chapter 2 Overview

  • The formation of the Bible is described as a four-stage process:

    • 4-stage process: Event, Oral Traditions, Written Traditions, Canonical Formation.

  • Stage 1: The Event – historical events take place and become the basis for religious memory.

  • Stage 2: Oral Traditions – the events are told and retold, with emphasis on meaning; there are as many oral tells as there are people, so details vary.

  • Stage 3: Written Traditions – selected materials from the oral material are gathered and written down.

  • Stage 4: Canonical Formation – authorities and powers in control decide which writings are authoritative for the community; canons are not fixed universally and vary between communities.

  • The Old Testament canon went through a long process of deliberation, with different conclusions and inclusions depending on tradition; this variability is part of the broader history of scriptural canons.

  • The narrator indicates an intention to discuss the New Testament canon but interrupts with a personal digression: “I don’t wanna go to this place, goddamn. Philosophy. Philosophy. The one where you just talk through there fucking time.”

Additional Context: Interfaith and Historical Relevance

  • The material emphasizes respect for both Judaism and Christianity: referencing both the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament clarifies how different traditions organize and interpret the same fundamental texts.

  • The covenantal relationship with Yahweh is a central thread, with prophets calling people back to obedience and true fidelity to the covenant.

  • Understanding the canonical process helps explain why some books appear in some traditions and not in others, and why different faith communities may read the same texts with different emphases.

Key Terms and Concepts to Remember

  • Yahweh (YHWH), Elohim, Adonai – names/attributes of God used in scriptural contexts.

  • Prophet – a speaker who delivers difficult truths about the present and future in service of the covenant.

  • Tanakh – acronym for Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim; the threefold Hebrew canon.

  • Torah – the first five books; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.

  • Nevi'im – the Prophets.

  • Ketuvim – the Writings.

  • Tanakh vs Old Testament – differences in ordering and contents across Jewish and Christian canons.

  • Messiah/Christ – the anointed one expected in Jewish and early Christian thought; Jesus identified as Christ in the Christian tradition.

  • Diaspora – the dispersion of Jews outside the land of Israel.

  • Canon – the authoritative collection of writings recognized by a religious community.

  • Apocalyptic literature – Revelation (in the Christian New Testament) as a type of prophetic, symbolic writing about the end times.

Connections to Foundational Principles and Real-World Relevance

  • The idea of a covenantal relationship with God underpins Jewish and Christian ethics: fidelity to Yahweh, remembrance of the covenant, and communal responsibility.

  • The prophetic voice demonstrates the social and ethical dimension of religion: warning against injustice, calling for ethical reform, and urging a return to core spiritual commitments.

  • The canonical process shows how religious communities manage sacred texts: inclusion/exclusion, authority, tradition, and interpretive communities.

  • Interfaith dialogue benefits from recognizing shared texts (the Tanakh/Hebrew Bible) while acknowledging different canons and interpretive frameworks in Judaism and Christianity.

Notes on Style and Practice

  • In academic study, it helps to compare the Hebrew Bible with the Christian Old Testament to understand divergent canons and ordering.

  • Recognize the threefold Tanakh structure as a foundational lens for understanding Jewish scripture and its interpretation.

  • When reading sacred texts, be aware of the historical context of exile, diaspora, and return, which shape theological themes (covenant, repentance, hope).

// Page references and numeric indicators used in the transcript (formatted in LaTeX for clarity):

  • The tripartite structure of the Hebrew Bible is often summarized as ext{Torah}, ext{Nevi'im}, ext{Ketuvim}.

  • The common stage-based description of biblical formation is a 4-stage process involving Event, Oral Traditions, Written Traditions, and Canonical Formation.

  • The core categories of the Hebrew Bible include 3 parts (Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim) and the 5 books of the Torah.

  • The number of Gospels in the New Testament is 4.

  • A reference in the material to a specific page is page 12.