The Making of the Old Testament is one of three books accompanying the volumes of commentary in the Old Testament and Apocrypha series of Cambridge Bible Commentaries on the New English Bible. This volume is concerned with the formation of the books of the Old Testament and Apocrypha in the context of the ancient Near Eastern World, and with the ways in which these books have come down to us through the Jewish and Christian communities. Individual chapters discuss other literary documents contemporary with events in the Old Testament; the style of and critical approaches to the Old Testament books; other Jewish writing (Apocrypha and pseudepigrapha); the development of the Old Testament canon; the development of the modern English text from the various earlier versions; and the place of the Old Testament in modern Judaism and Christianity. Each of the chapters is followed by suggestions for further reading.
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The Making of the Old Testament is one of three books accompanying the volumes of commentary in the Old Testament and Apocrypha series of Cambridge Bible Commentaries on the New English Bible.
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Prologue:
In an attempt to write a concise but clear review of this cornerstone book, and to help appreciate the long and complicated evolution of the Hebrew Bible, considered a pre-requisite to conceive the Good News of the New Testament, the great Biblical scholars of the Church of Alexandria, with Origen at the head of its Catechetical Didaskaleon included the OT writings as integral part of the Orthodox Christian readings. Origen is the greatest scholar of the Hebrew Bible, ever, and the first to discover few of the Dead Sea scrolls. In checking and correcting the Septuagint Koine translations, which began at Alexandrine in the third century B.C., and continued to its completion by learned Jewish Rabbis, he wrote his voluminous study, the Hexapla in 22 years. When I was ten years old I heard in Alexandria about the leaders of the Christian school, and was fascinated with Origen, and my interest in the O.T. never ceased since.
The Oral tradition:
In the last decade, after a confirmation visit to the Oriental Institute, university of Chicago, I got the confirmation on the roots of the Hebrew language, and its development. The oral transmission played a main role in the way the bible was formed and interpreted. I here quote, Julio Barrera, "In the initial stages, the living word of narrators and prophets became a written text. In the closing stages, the written word began to be interpreted, first orally, and then using material from the oral tradition." The Torah which may have started with Moses, writing Genesis, which echoes the Heliopolitan Cosmology, ex Chaos. there has been no Hebrew written language then, and new discoveries point to its creation out of Heratic Egyptian, as ProtoSinaitic, to ProtoCanaanite, the mother language of Aramaic, Canaanite, Hebrew, and Arabic.
By about 1100 BC, the North Semitic alphabet had settled down into a form known as Phoenician, because it was used by the Phoenicians, the great Semitic traders who lived in the land to the east of the Mediterranean, todays Lebanon. The Phoenician alphabet could have evolved from the more natural sytle of Proto-Sinaitic into a more linear form during about the 12th century BC. Most of the alphabets known today are descended from Phoenician. The immediate offspring of Phoenician were the old Hebrew alphabet, and Aramaic, as well as Archaic Greek. The Hebrew alphabet was also used by Moabites as well as Israelites. This alphabet, though, eventually disappeared from the mainstream, surviving as the Samaritan script, while Aramaic became extremely popular, and many Lavant people adopted it, at the time of Jesus.
Old Testament collection:
The Old Testament is a collection of certain sacred writings, composed and edited by the Hebrew/Jewish scribes, between the twelfth century B.C. and the fourth century B.C. Those includes such diverse materials as commandments, instructions for priests, prophetic oracles, teachings of wise men, and ancient records of the Judaic royal courts. Some material is historical, some is legalistic, some is folklore legendary; and some is didactic. For the most part the literature was written in Hebrew, but a few passages were written in Aramaic, a kindred language which came into common usage among the Jews during the post-Exilic era (after the sixth century B.C.). The Hebrew Bible, as we know it today, is the end product of a long process of writing, editing and selecting of literature primarily concerned with Jewish religious beliefs, and has a long literary history. The Bible reflects all historical situations, human events, and reactions to those, with a firm belief that God was primarily involved in such events.
The term "Old Testament," or biblically, "Old Covenant," is a Christian designation, reflecting the belief of the early Christian Church, spearheaded by Origen in Alexandrian Church, that the "new covenant" mentioned in Jer. 31:31-34 was fulfilled in Jesus and that the Christian scriptures set forth the "New Covenant," just as the Hebrew scriptures set forth the "Old covenant." Jewish scholars prefer the term "Tanakh," a word formed by fusing the initial letters of the three divisions of the Hebrew Bible: Torah (Law), Nebiim (Prophets), and Kethubim (Writings). Far less is known of the origins of the Old Testament books than of those of the New, because of their greater antiquity.
Literary History of the OT:
The literary history of the Old Testament can be said to have begun in the time of David/Solomon when a groups of scribes, produced what was to become the nucleus of the Old Testament. A writer or few writers delved into the oral and written traditions of the past to enrich the understanding of the present. Stories of patriarchal ancestors, songs and folk-tales of the tribes, explanations concerning the origin of the world, and accounts of the action of God in the affairs of men, were gathered and woven into a saga explaining how the nation Israel came to be, and how God, who had acted in the past on behalf of his chosen people, was acting in the present and could be counted upon to act in the future. Another author concentrated on the story of David, his rise to power, describing the weaknesses and strengths of the kpng and his family, and the way by which his son, Solomon inherited the throne.
While the books of the Prophets, go back to the lives of their respective authors, ranging from the eighth century B.C. in the case of Amos, Isaiah, Micah and Hosea, to the fifth century in the case of Malachi; though all seem to have been subject to editorial alterations and additions. The poetical books include compositions of very various dates, from the time of David to the second century. The historical books present greater difficulties, and the opinions of scholars vary considerably.
This Enlightening Book:
Enid Mellor, who wrote this book thirty five years ago for the benefit of his students, based on his lectures on the subject, in the University of London, made great service for the lay reader. He started his book, within its ancient milieu, comparing the prevailing literature of the ancient Near East. He proceeds to the second chapter on the poetry of the Old Testament, presented through a brief lucid analysis, bringing with him the tools of textual criticism and literary / historical analysis. The third chapter written by Margaret Barker, the eminent Old Testament expert, who wrote a compelling essay on apocalyptic writings, and gave the other views of the Law. She takes you in a wonderful trip from the treasures of the Cairo Geniza back in time to the Dead Sea scrolls writings.
Back to professor Mellor who explores, 'What books belong to the O. T.' ? A. Macintosh of St. John, Cambridge, tells the story of the hebrew Bible from Hebrew to Aramaic to masoretic pointing, and the great Greek translations all the way to the English versions of the Bible. In conclusion the Editor concludes with the crowning part of the book: The place of scripture in Judaism, and the place of the Old Testament in the Christian Community. Enjoy!
In an attempt to write a concise but clear review of this cornerstone book, and to help appreciate the long and complicated evolution of the Hebrew Bible, considered a pre-requisite to conceive the Good News of the New Testament, the great Biblical scholars of the Church of Alexandria, with Origen at the head of its Catechetical Didaskaleon included the OT writings as integral part of the Orthodox Christian readings. Origen is the greatest scholar of the Hebrew Bible, ever, and the first to discover few of the Dead Sea scrolls. In checking and correcting the Septuagint Koine translations, which began at Alexandrine in the third century B.C., and continued to its completion by learned Jewish Rabbis, he wrote his voluminous study, the Hexapla in 22 years. When I was ten years old I heard in Alexandria about the leaders of the Christian school, and was fascinated with Origen, and my interest in the O.T. never ceased since.
The Oral tradition:
In the last decade, after a confirmation visit to the Oriental Institute, university of Chicago, I got the confirmation on the roots of the Hebrew language, and its development. The oral transmission played a main role in the way the bible was formed and interpreted. I here quote, Julio Barrera, "In the initial stages, the living word of narrators and prophets became a written text. In the closing stages, the written word began to be interpreted, first orally, and then using material from the oral tradition." The Torah which may have started with Moses, writing Genesis, which echoes the Heliopolitan Cosmology, ex Chaos. there has been no Hebrew written language then, and new discoveries point to its creation out of Heratic Egyptian, as ProtoSinaitic, to ProtoCanaanite, the mother language of Aramaic, Canaanite, Hebrew, and Arabic.
By about 1100 BC, the North Semitic alphabet had settled down into a form known as Phoenician, because it was used by the Phoenicians, the great Semitic traders who lived in the land to the east of the Mediterranean, todays Lebanon. The Phoenician alphabet could have evolved from the more natural sytle of Proto-Sinaitic into a more linear form during about the 12th century BC. Most of the alphabets known today are descended from Phoenician. The immediate offspring of Phoenician were the old Hebrew alphabet, and Aramaic, as well as Archaic Greek. The Hebrew alphabet was also used by Moabites as well as Israelites. This alphabet, though, eventually disappeared from the mainstream, surviving as the Samaritan script, while Aramaic became extremely popular, and many Lavant people adopted it, at the time of Jesus.
Old Testament collection:
The Old Testament is a collection of certain sacred writings, composed and edited by the Hebrew/Jewish scribes, between the twelfth century B.C. and the fourth century B.C. Those includes such diverse materials as commandments, instructions for priests, prophetic oracles, teachings of wise men, and ancient records of the Judaic royal courts. Some material is historical, some is legalistic, some is folklore legendary; and some is didactic. For the most part the literature was written in Hebrew, but a few passages were written in Aramaic, a kindred language which came into common usage among the Jews during the post-Exilic era (after the sixth century B.C.). The Hebrew Bible, as we know it today, is the end product of a long process of writing, editing and selecting of literature primarily concerned with Jewish religious beliefs, and has a long literary history. The Bible reflects all historical situations, human events, and reactions to those, with a firm belief that God was primarily involved in such events.
The term "Old Testament," or biblically, "Old Covenant," is a Christian designation, reflecting the belief of the early Christian Church, spearheaded by Origen in Alexandrian Church, that the "new covenant" mentioned in Jer. 31:31-34 was fulfilled in Jesus and that the Christian scriptures set forth the "New Covenant," just as the Hebrew scriptures set forth the "Old covenant." Jewish scholars prefer the term "Tanakh," a word formed by fusing the initial letters of the three divisions of the Hebrew Bible: Torah (Law), Nebiim (Prophets), and Kethubim (Writings). Far less is known of the origins of the Old Testament books than of those of the New, because of their greater antiquity.
Literary History of the OT:
The literary history of the Old Testament can be said to have begun in the time of David/Solomon when a groups of scribes, produced what was to become the nucleus of the Old Testament. A writer or few writers delved into the oral and written traditions of the past to enrich the understanding of the present. Stories of patriarchal ancestors, songs and folk-tales of the tribes, explanations concerning the origin of the world, and accounts of the action of God in the affairs of men, were gathered and woven into a saga explaining how the nation Israel came to be, and how God, who had acted in the past on behalf of his chosen people, was acting in the present and could be counted upon to act in the future. Another author concentrated on the story of David, his rise to power, describing the weaknesses and strengths of the kpng and his family, and the way by which his son, Solomon inherited the throne.
While the books of the Prophets, go back to the lives of their respective authors, ranging from the eighth century B.C. in the case of Amos, Isaiah, Micah and Hosea, to the fifth century in the case of Malachi; though all seem to have been subject to editorial alterations and additions. The poetical books include compositions of very various dates, from the time of David to the second century. The historical books present greater difficulties, and the opinions of scholars vary considerably.
This Enlightening Book:
Enid Mellor, who wrote this book thirty five years ago for the benefit of his students, based on his lectures on the subject, in the University of London, made great service for the lay reader. He started his book, within its ancient milieu, comparing the prevailing literature of the ancient Near East. He proceeds to the second chapter on the poetry of the Old Testament, presented through a brief lucid analysis, bringing with him the tools of textual criticism and literary / historical analysis. The third chapter written by Margaret Barker, the eminent Old Testament expert, who wrote a compelling essay on apocalyptic writings, and gave the other views of the Law. She takes you in a wonderful trip from the treasures of the Cairo Geniza back in time to the Dead Sea scrolls writings.
Back to professor Mellor who explores, 'What books belong to the O. T.' ? A. Macintosh of St. John, Cambridge, tells the story of the hebrew Bible from Hebrew to Aramaic to masoretic pointing, and the great Greek translations all the way to the English versions of the Bible. In conclusion the Editor concludes with the crowning part of the book: The place of scripture in Judaism, and the place of the Old Testament in the Christian Community. Enjoy!
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Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs):
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Old Testament, New Testament, Massoretic Text, Ben Sirach, Dead Sea Scrolls, British Museum, Wisdom of Solomon, Old Hebrew, Assumption of Moses, Christian Church, Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, Midrashic Halakah, Jesus Christ, Ras Shamra, New York, Fourth Gospel, Gallican Psalter, Greek-speaking Jews, Book of the Covenant, Old Latin, North Africa, The Letter of Aristeas, Golden Age, Samaritan Pentateuch, Ten Commandments Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Old Testament, New Testament, Massoretic Text, Ben Sirach, Dead Sea Scrolls, British Museum, Wisdom of Solomon, Old Hebrew, Assumption of Moses, Christian Church, Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, Midrashic Halakah, Jesus Christ, Ras Shamra, New York, Fourth Gospel, Gallican Psalter, Greek-speaking Jews, Book of the Covenant, Old Latin, North Africa, The Letter of Aristeas, Golden Age, Samaritan Pentateuch, Ten Commandments Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
9
books
cite this book:
See all 9 books citing this book
- Reading the Old Testament, Revised and Expanded: Method in Biblical Study by John Barton on page 20, and page 77
- Troubling Biblical Waters: Race, Class, and Family (Bishop Henry McNeal Turner Studies in North American Black R) by Cain Hope Felder in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- From Genesis to Genetics: The Case of Evolution and Creationism by John A. Moore in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- The Qumran Community (Cambridge Commentaries on Writings of the Jewish and Christian World) by Michael A. Knibb on page 134
- An Introduction to Radical Theology: The Death and Resurrection of God by Trevor Greenfield in Back Matter
See all 9 books citing this book
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