HEREW LITERATURE
valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod
THE ANCIENT HEBREWS
- Hebrew people are mostly taken as
synonymous with the Semitic-speaking
Israelites. Biblical scholars use the term
Hebrews to designate the descendants of the
patriarchs of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)
—i.e., Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (also called
Israel [Genesis 33:28])—from that period until
their conquest of Canaan (Palestine) in the late
2nd millennium BCE.
ISRAEL
- a Middle Eastern country regarded by Jews,
Christians and Muslims as the biblical Holy
Land. Its most sacred sites are in Jerusalem.
(Ancient Kingdoms of Judea, Samaria, Galilee)
JUDAISM
- A monotheistic religion developed among the
ancient Hebrews. Judaism is characterized by a
belief in one transcendent God who revealed
himself to Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew
prophets and by a religious life in accordance
with Scriptures and rabbinic traditions.
HEBREW LITERATURE
- Literature written by Jews in Hebrew language.
- Some Hebrew writing was produced by the
Samaritans and in the 17th century by
Protestant enthusiasts. Jews also produced
important literatures in Greek, Aramaic, Arabic,
Judeo-Spanish, Yiddish, and a number of other
languages
TANAKH
- The Hebrew Bible composed of three divisions:
Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim
1. TORAH (LAWS) - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, and Deuteronomy (Pentateuch in the
Christian Bible
2. NEVI'IM (PROPHETS) – Joshua, Judges, Samuel,
Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel,
Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum,
Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and
Malachi
3. KETUVIM (WRITINGS) - Psalms, Proverbs, Song
of Songs, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes,
Chronicles, and the books of Ruth, Esther, Job,
Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah
MISHNA
- The primary rabbinic codification of laws as
derived from the Torah
TALMUD
- A collection of treatises which are chiefly
dedicated to the laws and legends of Jews;
regarded as an extensive commentary on the
Bible
Psalm 23:4 - Even though I walk through the darkest
and your staff, they comfort me.
BOTH “FICTION” AND NONFICTION
The Bible uses symbols to describe a reality beyond all
language adapted from Margaret Ralph, And God Said
What?
The BIBLE and SCIENCE
Job 26:7
- He hangs the earth on nothing
Isaiah 40:22
- It is He who sits above the circle of the earth
Leviticus 17:11
- For the life of the flesh is in the blood...
Leviticus 15:13
- And when he who has a discharge is cleansed of
his discharge, then he shall count for himself
seven days for his cleansing, wash his clothes,
and bathe his body in running water
Leviticus 13:46
- He shall be unclean. All days he has the sore he
shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside
the camp.
Job 14:15-19
15 “Look at Behemoth, which I made along with you
and which feeds on grass like an ox.
16 What strength it has in its loins, what power in the
muscles of its belly!
17 Its tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of its thighs are
close-knit.
18 Its bones are tubes of bronze, its limbs like rods of
iron.
19 It ranks first among the works of God, yet its Maker
can approach it with his sword.
The BIBLE
- is composed of many books written in different
times but tells ONE UNIFIED STORY from
beginning to end.
JOHN 3:16 (NIV)
- For God so loved the world that he gave his one
and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall
not perish but have eternal life.
The BIBLE
- a collection of religious texts or sacred
scriptures of Judaism and Christianity, and has
long been a dependable source and arbiter of
intellectual, moral, and spiritual ideals. Most of
it is embodied in the genres of narrative,
poetry, laws, correspondences, and prophecies.
LITERARY STYLES
 1. NARRATIVE (historical, parables, biographical)
2. POETRY (psalms, songs, reflections, wisdom)
3. PROSE DISCOURSE (speeches, letters,
prophecies, laws) IN THE BIBLE

JOSEPH

- THE KING OF DREAMS

- Genesis 37-50 (NIV)