The Old Testament
The Old Testament is a foundational text for both Judaism and Christianity.
For Christians, it is the first major part of the Bible, and it sets the stage for the New Testament.
In Judaism, the Tanakh is the Hebrew Bible, and contains the core scriptures of their faith.
It’s not a single book that was written at one time, but a library – a diverse collection of books of history, law, prophecy, poetry, and wisdom literature compiled over many centuries. The Old Testament was primarily written in Hebrew.
When was the Old Testament written?
The Old Testament wasn’t written down all at one time by a single authors. It was a written over a span of well over a thousand years. Precise dating is often debated, but most of the books were written, edited, and compiled between 1200 BCE and 165 BCE.
The Time Periods the Bible was written in:
- Oral Traditions: The earliest stories were most likely existing as oral traditions passed down through generations long before they were penned.
- Monarchy Period (c. 1000–586 BCE): the historical narratives (like some parts of Samuel and Kings), the early psalms, and the initial works of some prophets, were probably written and collected during the time of the Israelite and Judean kings.
- The Babylonian Exile (586–538 BCE): During this time many believe there was a large amount of compiling of the existing texts as well as some additional books written during the time in exile.
- The Post-Exilic Period (After 538 BCE): Books like Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah, later prophets (like Malachi), and much of the Wisdom literature (like Ecclesiastes) are believed to have been fully compiled during this era.
The Old Testament tells the story of God’s covenant with the people of Israel.
It emphasizes
God’s sovereignty and faithfulness
The importance of obedience to God’s law
The consequences of sin and disobedience
God’s promises of redemption and restoration
The messianic prophecies, that are fulfilled by Jesus Christ.
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