Old Testament Facts

Includes the Pentateuch (or Torah) and he historical, wisdom, and prophetic books

Many of the biblical traditions were in story form because it was easier to remember stories

Nonliterate people depended greatly on their memories and became capable of remembering a lot

Records salvation history prior to the coming of Jesus Christ

Explains why some books have repetitions and others are collections from many people over years

After stories of creation and Israel's history, the scribes recorded the stories of the kings

Solomon's monarchy would have been wealthy enough to employ scribes who did the actual work

The Old Testament initially existed in the minds of the Chosen People

Began in the sixth century BC

Most people had no access to writing implements, and few could read

Contains forty-six books

Prophets' disciples/secretaries often collected and recorded prophecies, sayings and teachings

Began during the reign of King Solomon, perhaps around 950 BC

Scholars believe that the scribes first wrote oral traditions about the creation of the world

The first part of the Bible

Represents the Chosen People's faith experience over nine hundred years

Developed in three stages

Centers on the covenant God made with his chosen people

Before the actual physical writing took place

Some of the prophets wrote their own books

Consists of several sections with multiple books in each one

This is why many of the Old Testament books are compilations, the work of several people

Stories and traditions came from the experiences the people had with God and with others

The last of the Old Testament books dates to around 100 BC

Ancient tribes and cultures around the world preserved history in song, stories, laws, etc

The Chosen People told stories of their religious heritage in order to preserve them

Scribes first wrote about the early kings such as King Saul and King David

Describes the covenant that God made with Jewish people

The process of collecting, combining, and improving the texts

God inspired multiple authors to record salvation history