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A course for those who need more background of the Old Testament. A comprehensive work The
old Testament overview a little taste.
The Old Testament consists of 39 books that were written over a period of about a thousand years. The material was drawn from every walk of life and was written by numerous individuals, from uneducated herdsmen to
highly skilled priests and kings. It consists of four sections:
THE PENTATEUCH
The first section of the Old Testament consists of five books (Genesis through Deuteronomy). These writings contain the story of the beginning of the world up to the entrance of Israel into the promised land of
Canaan. This collection of books is referred to as "the five books of Moses," "the Law," "the Torah," or "the Pentateuch." The Pentateuch was considered especially sacred by
the Jews, since it contained the Ten Commandments and the history of the founding of their nation.
HISTORY
The second major section of the Old Testament contains basic historical material concerning the nation of Israel. It consists of twelve books, from Joshua to Esther. The narration goes sequentially through the
capture of the land (Joshua); the history of the early nation (Judges, Ruth); the period of the united and divided monarchies (I Kings--Chronicles); and the exile and return (Ezra--Esther).
POETRY
The third major section of the Old Testament contains books written mainly in poetic style. There is an epic poem (Job), a collection of hymns (Psalms), a collection of traditional wisdom (Proverbs), an ornate
meditation on life and its vanity (Ecclesiastes), and a love poem (Song of Solomon). Hebrew poetry is different from English poetry in that it stresses a balance of ideas rather than sounds, rhythm, and images.
THE PROPHETS
The fourth major section of the Old Testament contains the writings of the prophets of Israel. It is divided into two groups, the major prophets (Isaiah--Daniel) and the minor prophets (Hosea--Malachi). The words
major and minor do not imply any value judgment, but refer to the length of the books. Major prophets are long, and minor prophets are short. This section of the Old Testament contains prophecies concerning the
coming of Jesus Christ.
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