Primer: The Hebrew Bible
The Bible is by, about, and for the people of Israel from
its origins as a single family in Canaan through its partial return as a nation
from exile in Babylonia. The Hebrew
Bible is traditionally divided into three sections: תורה/ Torah (Teaching), נביאים / Nevi’im (Prophets), and כתובים/ Ketuvim (Writings) from which is
derived the name Tanakh, an acronym denoting the three sections. The Bible,
which contains a diversity of voices and messages and yet remains a single
book, reflects the ideal of a people that speaks with a diversity of voices and
yet is seen as one people engaging in an eternal conversation.
About the Bible: The
Bible is a complex book comprised of 24 books written by different authors over
a period of around 850 years. It includes narratives, law codes, short stories,
etiological tales, prophecies, exhortations, poetry, and wisdom writing. Although scholars have different perspectives
on how the Bible came to be, the centrality of the Bible in Jewish culture, in
Torah study, and in Jewish worship, is undisputed.
Bible in History: While the rabbis of the Talmudic era assert
that the Torah existed before history, the events described in the Bible create
a narrative that can be seen against the backdrop of world history. Different historians and archaeologists have
various approaches to using the biblical text as a source for history.
Contemporary Issues in Reading the Bible: While the Bible bears
the stamp of history in its language and cultural assumptions, its readers in
every generation bring their own assumptions and concerns to their reading of
the Bible. Various contemporary issues,
such as feminist readings of Biblical narratives or computer-assisted analysis
of biblical texts, have drawn many people to the study of biblical texts.
The Torah: The Torah, or Five Books of Moses, retells the story
of how the family of Abraham and Sarah became the people of Israel, and how
they came back from exile in Egypt, under the leadership of Moses, to the
border of the land of Israel, on the way stopping at Mt. Sinai for the
revelation of what are known as the Ten Commandments. The Torah includes both
the narrative of the formation of the people of Israel and the laws which define
the covenant that binds the people to God.
The Prophets: The second of the three sections is itself
divided into two parts. The former prophets--including the books of Joshua,
Judges, 1-2 Samuel, and 1-2 Kings--are narratives that explain the history of
Israel from the perspective of Israel’s fulfillment of God’s covenant. The
latter prophets--including Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, along with 12 minor
prophets--report the exhortations of these fiery leaders to return to God and Torah.
The Writings: Something of a miscellany, the Writings include
poetry (Psalms and Lamentations) and wisdom literature (Proverbs and
Ecclesiastes), short stories (Esther), and histories (Ezra-Nehemiah and 1-2
Chronicles).
Bible Commentaries: Through the tradition of ongoing
commentary, the laws, narratives, prophecies, and proverbs of the Bible find
contemporary and eternal meaning. Classical commentaries like those of Rashi,
Radak, and Ibn Ezra show nearly as great a diversity in style and approach as
more contemporary commentaries.
