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The Whole Bible Course Part 1

Instructor:

Galen Goldsmith

Dear seminar attendee: These handouts provide additional details which will not be able to be talked about much during the class itself. They are meant to help give a fuller picture of archaeological and biblical history and a simple idea of what each book is about.

The Books of Moses

Genesis is not precise history in the modern sense, but a collection of folk traditions that

comprise the inception of Israel. The patriarchal period was approximately from the 18th to 14th

centuries. Genesis begins with two accounts of creation, neither of which has a historical basis. It

then assumes the character of story or narrative about prominent characters in the evolution of

monotheism. These stories cannot be verified from other historical sources, but the characters are

well-defined and believable people. We may think that this is the folk history of an originally

insignificant few whose consciousness of an invisible God was the reason for their eventual

prominence on the stage of human history. Genesis includes materials that cover hundreds of years of

folklore.

Exodus resumes the narratives of Genesis during the 13th century B.C. and relates the 80 years

of the life of Moses. Exodus consists of two distinct types of literature. The first is the narrative

relating the events leading up to and away from the liberation of the children of Israel from

enslavement to the Egyptian Pharaoh. Its key texts include three revelations of the name and nature

of the LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the Ten Commandments. It retells the

overwhelming power of the LORD, not only to break the power of Egypt and even the apostasy of

Israel, but also to convince all who would hear of it that He is the true God. The result of such a

convincing display of divine power was that all the children of Israel agreed to enter into a lawful

covenant with the LORD. The second type of literature consists of codes of instructions for civil and

criminal law, ritual practice and the construction of a place of worship. It is probable that the story of

Moses and Pharaoh is very old, and that it received polish and detail over the centuries. The codes of

law and instruction would have represented older and newer materials. The Song of Moses in Ex. 15

is one of the oldest examples of poetry in the Bible.

Leviticus is a continuation of the reception of the law in the wilderness. Not much studied by

Christians, this chapter takes its name from the priestly Levites. It falls into five parts, four of which

deal with rituals of sacrifice, consecration of priests, the distinction between clean and unclean, and

vows. Perhaps its most interesting content for Christians is found in chapters 17-26, which set forth a

social blueprint of divine laws governing Israel’s life as a holy people. Within this is to be found

what would later be thought of as one of the greatest commandments:, “You shall love your neighbor

as yourself.” (Lev. 19.18) Because Leviticus contains so much law, it is like a library. Its injunctions

about sacrifice and sacrificial consecration went out of practice with the destruction of the Temple in

Jerusalem in 70 A.D. However, many of its laws are still relevant to details of secular life such as

marriage, personal injury, civil and criminal law, and the Jewish kosher practices. Biblical law is not

comprehensive code, but case law, meaning that rules about how the law applies have to be

extrapolated and applied to current situations. So, for example, the lex taliones, “an eye for an eye”

must be interpreted as full and reasonable compensation for the loss of the eye rather than poking out

another eye. This process of oral interpretation of biblical directives is always very important so that

they apply reasonably to ever changing life situations.

Numbers continues with census lists and codes of law and ritual, and includes the 40 years in

the wilderness. The two types of literature that appear in Exodus mark Numbers. Census lists of

more or less precision, and law codes are matter-of-fact records of the nation. Then there are more

stories about how the people became a group prepared to settle in a land of their own. The Israelites

move from Sinai to Kadesh-Barnea where they prepare to enter the promised land. Of the spies sent

into Canaan, only Caleb and Jephuneh encourage the people to enter the land. Their fears resulted in

withdrawal of the LORD’s support, so that when in regret they did attack, they were badly defeated.

The generation lived out its days at Kadesh-Barnea’s oasis, and after 35 years a fresh effort was

made from the southern edge of the wilderness via the plains of Moab. This is the point at which

Balaam was called to curse Israel but could only bless them. The traditional viewpoint is that Moses

wrote Genesis-Deuteronomy while at Kadesh-Barnea. Modern accounts of the history of how the

text came into being insist that it grew over centuries into its present form.

Deuteronomy is the farewell speech of Moses, recounting the law and theology of Israel. It

takes place on the eve of their entry into Canaan from the plains of Moab. At its close, Joshua is

anointed to replace Moses, and Moses is allowed only to view the land from afar. The book ends by

reporting that Moses then died, but his grave has never been found. Deuteronomy closely parallels

laws found in Exodus and Leviticus, but gives a clear theology upholding the law: Obedience is

blessed; disobedience will bring all kinds of misfortune. This biblical theodicy, or divine justice, is

clearly and simply stated in Deuteronomy, but Job examines the fact that life is not always that

simple. Because Deuteronomy has this specific blessing/cursing theology and because it summarizes

the important laws of Moses, it is thought to be the book of the law found in the temple that inspired

the reforms of the Judean King Josiah (II Kings 22:8 and following relating events of 628 BC).

Approximate dates for Biblical characters1

Adam (3901 BC) – The Jewish calendar begins counting from its traditional date for the creation

story of 5770 years ago according to a calendar that once depended on actually observing the

new moon.

Archeological Evidence of ancient secular accounts of history begin in 3500.

3500—1800 Sumerian Civilization

The Israelite creation stories are ―origin‖ (aeteological) tales, comparable to other folk

explanations of how, why, who, what brought the world into being. Many of these

stories have a three part structure in which there is a cosmic creation of order out of

chaos; the specific creation of individuals in an ideal state; and a drama that explains life

as we know it.

Enoch (3275 BC) The man who ―walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.‖ (Gen.

5:24)

Noah and the Flood (2245 BC) ―I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh

be cut off any more‖ (Genesis 9:11)

2900 BC Upper and Lower Egypt united by Menes

2800 - 2250 BC The Old Kingdom of Egypt

Abraham (1955-1780 BC) ―I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed

after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed

after thee.‖ (Gen. 17:7) The ancient family group was defined by the god it worshipped.

1950 -- Job is supposed to have lived during the time of Abraham.

2000 - 1780 The Middle Kingdom of Egypt

2000 - 1200 The Hittites in Asia Minor

o 1792-1750 Hamurabi

2000 - 1531 The Babylonian Empire in Mesopotamia

Isaac (1855-1752 BC) “Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for

now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from

me.‖ (Genesis 22:12) The Biblical God militates against child sacrifice.

Jacob (1795-1647 BC) Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast

thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life

is preserved. (Gen. 32: 28, 30)

The twelve sons of Jacob become the names of the tribes of Israel.

1 Most of this information is taken from the computer program, BibleWorks

7, BibleWorks LLC, 2007, Timeline.

1730-1580 The Hyksos invade and rule Egypt until they are driven out

Joseph (1704-1595 BC) ―And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it

is this day, to save much people alive.‖ (Gen. 15:19, 20) The provision of God

Moses (1530-1410 BC or for “long” captivity subtract 215 years)

The giving of the name and attributes of God (Ex. 3:11-15; Ex. 33:19; 34:6,7)

The giving of the law: (Ex. 20:1-17, which is repeated with slight variations in Deut. 5:1-

21)

Exodus and Wilderness sojourn (1480-1446 BC or for “long” captivity subtract 215 years)

The ancient narrative of how the family of Israel became a nation whose sovereign and lawful

ruler is God.

Archeological evidence in the Sinai supports some of the Biblical stories:

1700-1500 Inscriptions on the cave wall of Egyptian turquoise mines near the Temple of

Hathor in the Southern Sinai desert show that Hebrew peoples who worshipped ―the God

of All‖ were working in the mines during the rainy seasons

Rainwater seeping through sandstone cliffs in the Sinai produce springs at the bottom of

the cliff which can be opened by knocking away accumulated sediment

1550-1085 The Egyptian Empire

The archeological date when a group of slaves might have migrated from Egypt into

Canaan is not agreed upon, but possibilities exist during the reigns of Thutmose III and

Ramses II.

1546-1526 Amenhotep I

1525 -1528 Thutmose I

1508-1504 Thutmose II

1504-1483 Hatshepsut

1483-1450 Thutmose III Exodus?

1450-1423 Amenhotep II

1422-1413 Thutmose IV

1413-1377 Amenhotep III, decline of the empire

1377-1358 Amenhotep IV, rise of the sun god

1358 Tuthankaton

1345-1318 Haremhab

1317-1290 Seti I

1290-1225 Ramses II Exodus?