Hebrew Literature

The Bible
The Jewish Bible/ Old Testament
• The word Bible came from the Greek word
biblia meaning books or a collection of
writings.
• The Hebrew Bible contains many books
- The Torah – from the Hebrew word tora
meaning “law” – consists of the first five
books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy).
The Old Testament
• Often referred to by Jews as Miqra – meaning
“that which is read.”
• Another term Tanakh is also used for the Old
Testament.
• This term is an acronym that refers to the three basic divisions
of the Hebrew text.
• Ta refers to the Torah, the first five books or the Pentateuch, a
term meaning “the five scroll jars.”
• Na refers to the Neviium, the books of the Former and Latter
Prophets.
• Kh refers to the Ketuvim, literally the miscellaneous writings
that comprise the Old Testament
Storytelling and Oral Tradition
• Shared by all peoples of the ancient Near
East
• Tales traveled throughout cities, villages,
and desert camps from the Euphrates to the
Nile.
• The key to preserving the tale was the
storyteller.
Storyteller
• For a while, parents shared events with
children
• Also gifted individuals – shepherds,
celebrated artists, etc.
• The storyteller’s job was more than simply
entertaining; his stories preserved the
identity and collective memory of his
people.
Storytelling Skills
• Until writing became common, memory was
invaluable; without it, ideas were lost forever.
• A great storyteller might memorize an epic of
some 30,000 lines of poetry as part of his
repertoire.
• Learning by repetition was almost as important to
the people who listened to the stories as it was to
the performer.
Storytelling Skills
• People expected stories to be told the same
way each time they heard them.
• The basic form and meaning of a tale could
not be touched.
• The fixed story line helped people maintain
links with the past and keep history rooted
in the things they knew to be true.
Forms of Tradition
• The oral tradition lent itself to a great diversity of
forms.
• Genealogies served as historical records,
• Proverbs provided memorable nuggets of
instruction or codified acceptable behavior.
• Prophecies forecast the possibilities and dangers
of the future.
• Poetry was common in all cultures with an oral
tradition.
Stories of Faith
• For the Hebrews, two powerful forces gave
authority to the voice of the storyteller.
-- He spoke for their history
-- He told the story of God’s dealings with
Israel.
Present day Jews continue the tradition of
storytelling at the Passover Seder.
Genesis
Chapter I
• Opens with the words “In the beginning
God created the heaven and the earth.”
• It proceeds to describe the acts of creation,
the culmination of which was the creation
of man.
Genesis
Chapter 2
• Verse 4 is the transition point from one
version of the creation story to another,
quite different one.
• Unlike the first version, the second reveals
an anthropomorphized God
• A God who creates man out of dust the way a potter
creates a pot out of clay.
• A God who plants gardens the way a farmer would.
Genesis
Chapter 2
• Chapter 2 describes the acts of creation, but
in an order opposite that in Chapter 1.
• The culmination of Chapter 2 is the creation
of woman.
Genesis
Chapter 3
• Chapter 3 recounts the fall of Adam and
Eve.
• After eating the forbidden fruit, the first
man and woman are punished by God, who
expels them from Eden.