The
Old Testament
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The Pentateuch THE
WORD
Pentateuch is Greek for â€œďŹ ve booksâ€? and refers to the ďŹ rst ďŹ ve books in the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These books are also referred to by the words the Law and the Torah. The Pentateuch is foundational to both the rest of the Old Testament and to the continuation of the same story in the New Testament. It is in the Pentateuch that we read of God’s entering into a relationship of covenant love with God’s chosen people. For the Family. The ďŹ rst ďŹ ve books of the Bible show how the Israelites learned about the meaning of their covenant relationship with God. The Pentateuch can also help family members learn how to live in covenant relationship with one another. God’s unconditional love is a model and guide for how family members are called to love one another.
Genesis:
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Exodus:
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Leviticus:
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Numbers:
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Deuteronomy:
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Pentateuch
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background s Covers the historical time period between 1850 B.C. to 1200 B.C. (although the story begins prior to creation. s Includes the account of Creation to the time preceding the Israelites’ entrance into the Promised Land s Written in many different literary forms and from different points of view over succeeding generations
The books in the Pentateuch do not represent the insights of one person at one time in history. Rather, the books include a collection of materials that developed over centuries. At the core of the historical stories (beginning in Gen. 12) are events that start with Abraham around 1850 B.C. and continue through the life of Moses until about 1200 B.C. These events include the lives of the Patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph—as well as the Israelites’ Exodus from slavery in Egypt, God’s self-revelation at Mount Sinai (also called Horeb), the forty years in the desert, and the preparation to enter the Promised Land. However, the stories about these events were told and retold in the light of subsequent events and in response to the needs of those who lived during the time of the storytellers. Within the Pentateuch we have material told from the point of view of those contemporary with King David (1000 B.C.), those in the northern kingdom a hundred years later, those living during a time of reform in the southern kingdom (early 600s B.C.) and after the northern kingdom had fallen, and those living in exile or returning from exile after the Babylonian exile (mid 500s B.C.). In addition to including writings from different centuries, the Pentateuch includes many different kinds of writing styles. The earliest stories, such as those about the creation of the world and man and woman in the garden, are not about events that fall within the bounds of history, but about universal mysteries rooted in experience: How did all that exists get here? Why do human beings suffer? Starting with chapter 12 in Genesis, the stories have historical events rather than universal experiences at their core, but the stories are not told to teach history. Rather, they are legends passed on for hundreds of years through oral tradition to teach important lessons to each succeeding generation. The lessons taught are about the Israelites’ self-identity as God’s chosen people, about the importance of living in ďŹ delity to their covenant relationship with God, and about God’s constant ďŹ delity to God’s promises.
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overview
s Pentateuch means â€œďŹ ve books.â€?
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