Reading the Old Testament for today

In recent decades we have learnt an awful lot about the compilation of the bible, in particular the Old Testament. I would break it down into three perspectives. The narrative, the individual stories, and the prophecies of the coming Messiah. 931 BCE marks the date that scholars believe that an accurate history can begin to be compiled. The list of Kings can be confidently proclaimed from this time because there is some archaeological evidence making reference to some kings.

According to the reading of the biblical text, the Creation story takes us back to 4000 BCE. Regarding the dating of Abraham through to the arrival and settlement in the land of Canaan is from 2000 BCE. Oral tradition relies on the passing by word of mouth from one generation to another. This would include the Creation stories, Noah, the Patriarchs, Joseph, Moses, the giving of the law and finally the settling in the land of Palestine. The difficulty of separating out the myth, allegory, and legend, from history is a complex task. No archaeological evidence exists for this oral period save for mention of flood, which is recorded in Sumerian monuments.

It must also be noted that the mind was described by modern scholars as going through a major transitional period from 800 BCE until 200 BCE. It saw the transition from mythic thinking in the period from Creation to the arrival in Palestine which was the beginning of the mental rational era. People did not think rationally or historically during the early years of Biblical times. Historical thinking was only emerging in the later stages of the Old Testament period. It should be also noted that the compilation of the bible is described by a series of editors in a progressive way and books are often named after chosen figures to give extra weight to their significant.

Amos is the first complete Israelite book that remained subsequently to be included in the bible around the years 760-750 BCE. In terms of the Bible Josiah is probably the most important of all the ancient Israelite kings for it was during his reign that the initial versions of Deuteronomy; Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings were written. During the reign of King Josiah who ruled from 620 BCE to 609 BCE a call for religious reform that Yahweh was to be the main focus of all worship in the temple. It was during this time that the early part of the Deuteronomic history was being written. A different set of authors also started to compile a history of the Israelite people using older documents as well as the oral history of Israel and Judah. This results in the earliest versions of the books of Genesis Exodus and Numbers. Across this period are the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel written. Isaiah is described as written by at least three authors, over a hundred and fifty years or so; a pre-exilic section, an exilic section, and finally a post exilic section added. This is a clear example of an author added to writing the entire book when apart from the first period it was not possible. Jeremiah was also compiled by a series of editors with additions made. The book of Ezekiel as written several generations into the Babylonian exile, by a group of leading scribes and sages known as the Men of the Great Assembly. It is based on six visions of Ezekiel while he lived in Babylon during the exile.

In 539 BCE the Jews were freed under Cyrus and on their return were allowed to rebuild the temple. It is under the guidance of Zerubbabel and Joshua that the second Temple is completed in about 516 BCE. Whoever wrote Ezekiel seems to have been someone from the “Priestly school”. Ezra is often portrayed as being a second Moses due to his public reading of the Torah. He may have been responsible for the final editing of it. During the Second Temple period, the role of the scribes became increasingly important as a large body of religious literature is developed. The most important event to occur the time when the Persians were ruling Judea was the emergence of the Torah as a single unified document, a centuries long process that involved combining multiple layers of J(Y) E D P. It is thought that a Redactor later blended these layers even more profoundly. Most of these books were written or edited into the versions we know today.

Under the rule of the Persians and Greeks (Persian rule 539 to 330, and the Greeks 330 to 168) the Jews produced a wide variety of religious literature. It included the Torah and psalms, several shorter books including both prophetic and poetic books, Haggai, Zachariah, Malachi. It is likely that the Septuagint was compiled in the Greek period, some of the prophets a little later. Daniel being the last book of the bible as Apocalyptic literature was written sometime around 170 BCE to 150 BCE, but set back in the exilic period almost 400 years earlier to encourage the Jews facing new periods of persecution in the 2nd century BCE. The Wisdom literature probably did not achieve canonical status until the Roman Period (63 BCE to 70 AD).

The first thing to note when reading the Old Testament is that consideration must be given to the narrators of the scriptures for, they were compiled by a series of writers from the time of 620 BCE through until roughly 200 BC, rarely the one author and having projected their understanding to long before . The books may be attributed to the names of famous individuals who once lived at the supposed time of writing but this is not possible when considering the actual time of writing. For example, the psalms of David (1000 BCE) were probably written about the years 330 BCE to 170 BCE. When considering the scriptures as narrative it must be remembered that for the period from the creation to the arrival in the promised land, the people did not think historically, they thought mythologically. The narrators – writing years later - had begun to discover the historical thinking process and they would have presumed that Abraham for example, thought historically. Mention that Abraham and Sarah were in their old age conceived a son, or Methusalah was 1000 years old is not possible. The story of Moses has to be considered as having an alternative purpose for there is no archaeological evidence of the event. Therefore, considering all these points we need to ask why these authors wrote what they wrote.

Considering the narrative has been sculptured some one to two thousand years after the actual events they cannot be relied upon save for the oral tradition. As if a historically accurate portrayal of history, only vague credence should be offered to the text. Rather it is a story aimed at portraying a message. The theme is emerging as the good derived out of misfortune, death leads to new life, as with Joseph and his rising to the head of pharaoh’s court after being betrayed by his brothers, then rescuing of his destitute family in their time of need. The story of Moses carries the same theme with the transition from slavery in Egypt to their escape through the Red Sea. This is the same theme as the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. It is profound, but not to be overly dwelt upon as if history.

We turn to the particular stories that combine to make up the narrative. The stories are probably collection of mythological accounts to portray more detailed lessons of life. The story of Jacob and Esau is a good example. It begins with the great divide between the brothers and ends with their reconciliation after going on their separate journey’s only to eventually meet up again lovingly having resolved their differences. Other stories of David, Gideon, Elisha and Elijah as examples are all examples of mythological story perhaps mixed with a tinge of history. It must be remembered that mythology can be more profound than narrative and must be read that way. Mythology invites the reader to speculate on the meaning and could more naturally be orientated toward the spiritual.

The most profound contribution of the Old Testament are the prophecies of Jesus. They are all described as history, as to be expected at this time of writing and poetry, and point to his possible fulfilment as recorded in the New Testament. Let us take a look at them.

The coming of the Messiah will inaugurate an ideal Age of peace and piety. It is alluded to in the Old Testament words and developed more fully in time.

The wolf lives with the lamb, the panther lies down with the kid, calf and lion with the cub feed together with a little boy to lead them. The cow and the bear make friends, their young lie down together. The lion eats straw like and ox. The infant plays over the cobra’s whole; into the viper’s lair the young child puts his hand. They do no hurt, no harm, on all my holy mountain, for the county is filled with the knowledge of Yahweh as the waters swell the sea (Isaiah 11: 6-9)

According to Hosea,

When that day comes I will make a treaty with the wild animals, with the birds of the heaven and the creeping things of the earth: I will break bow, sword and battle in the country, and make her peace secure. … I will betroth you to myself with faithfulness and you will come to know Yahweh. (Hosea 2:18-20)

And Micah,

They will hammer their swords into ploughshares, their spears into sickles. Nation will not lift sword against nation, their will be no more training forward. Each man will sit under his vine and his fig tree, with no one to trouble him. (Micah 4: 3,4)

In the Messianic Age – presumed to be fulfilled in Jesus life - the opposites will be reconciled. According to legend there will be a great Messianic Banquet.

The final state of wholeness – and in the glorified life of Jesus the Christ - is expressed in the image of a new Jerusalem.

The I saw a new heaven and a new earth: the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now and there was no longer any sea. I saw the holy city, and the new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven as beautiful as a bride all dressed for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice call from the throne, You see this city? Here God lives among men. He will make his home among them they shall be his people, and he will be their god” ….. ff

In the spirit, he took me to the top of an enormous high mountain, and showed the Jerusalem, the holy City, coming down from God and out of heaven. It had all the radiant glory of God and glittered like some precious jewel of crystal-clear diamond …. ff ( Rev 21:1-23)

The Old Testament cannot be read with a similar understanding across the board. One must - as if, play with it knowing and reading it with different intent.