An Introduction to the Bible - Revised Edition

381 Pages·2001·3.67 MB·English

by  Clyde E. Fant

Introduction to the Bible
Revised Edition
Clyde E. Fant
Donald W. Musser
Mitchell G. Reddish
Abingdon Press
Nashville
Copyright Information
In memory of Dr. O. LaFayette Walker Professor of Religion at Stetson University
from 1945 to 1981 and Dr. E. Earl Joiner Professor of Religion at Stetson
University from 1955 to 1992
Figure A. This photograph of the Sinai Peninsula was taken by the crew of
Discovery while on orbit during Space Shuttle Mission STS-26. Note the Dead
Sea and the Sea of Galilee to the north. (Photograph by NASA)

Figure A. This photograph of the Sinai Peninsula was taken by the crew of Discovery whle on
orbit during Space Shuttle Mission STS-26. Note the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee to the
north. (Photograph by NASA)
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Figure Description
A Sinai Peninsula
1.1 Socrates
1.2 The Dome of the Rock Mosque
1.3 The Crucifixion by Salvador Dali
1.4 Chart: The Books of the Bible
1.5 The Western Wall
2.1 St. Catherine's Monastery
2.2 The Rosetta Stone
2.3 Tutankhamen
2.4 Anatolian Mother Goddess
3.1 Thanksgiving Scroll
3.2 Chart: Dates for Writings in the Hebrew Bible
3.3 Codex Sinaiticus
3.4 Chart: Dates for Writings in the New Testament
3.5 Jerome
3.6 Title page from King James Version of the Bible
4.1 Map: The ancient Near East
4.2 Prince Rahotep and his wife Nofret
4.3 Map: Palestine
4.4 Sea of Galilee
4.5 Olive press
4.6 Amarna letter
4.7 Caves at Qumran
5.1 Bedouin camp
5.2 Chart: Major Periods in Israel's History
5.3 Mudbrick gate at Dan
5.4 Jabbok River
5.5 The Great Temple at Hattusa
5.6 Sharruma, one of the ancient Hittite gods
5.7 Ramesses II
5.8 Map: Route of the Exodus
5.9 Jebel Musa (Mount Moses)
6.1 Stone watchtower at Jericho
6.2 Hazor
6.3 Canaanite altar at Megiddo
6.4 Anthropoid clay coffin
6.5 The Gezer calendar
7.1 Beth-shan
7.2 Stepped structure in Jerusalem
7.3 Drawing: Solomon's Temple
7.4 The step pyramid at Sakkara
8.1 Water tunnel at Megiddo
8.2 Grain silo at Megiddo
8.3 Chart: The Hebrew Kings
8.4 Assyrian man praying
8.5 Assyrian royal chariot
8.6 A cultic stand
9.1 Chart: The Hebrew Prophets
9.2 Elijah
9.3 Megiddo
9.4 The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser
10.1 The Old City of Jerusalem
10.2 Lachish
10.3 The Jezreel Valley
11.1 The Babylonian Chronicle
11.2 Ivory carving: “The woman at the window”
11.3 The Babylonian god Marduk
11.4 Adam by Auguste Rodin
12.1 The Cyrus Cylinder
12.2 Ruth and Boaz with the Reapers
12.3 Jonah
13.1 A Palestinian woman caring for her sheep
13.2 An Egyptian scribe
13.3 A coney or badger
14.1 Alexander the Great
14.2 Chart: Major Historical Events in Palestine 332 B.C.E.-135 C.E.
14.3 Burnt house in Jerusalem
14.4 Drawing: The Jerusalem Temple
14.5 The Western Wall
14.6 The Qumran settlement
14.7 The Arch of Titus
15.1 Antiochus IV
15.2 Daniel in the lion's den
15.3 Judith and Her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes
15.4 Palestinian tombstone ornament
15.5 Masada
16.1 “The Treasury” at Petra
16.2 The Return of the Prodigal Son
16.3 Mosaic of Jesus
16.4 Map: Palestine during the time of the New Testament
16.5 Machaerus
16.6 The Jordan River
16.7 Model of Herod's Temple
16.8 Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
17.1 Fishermen on the Sea of Galilee
17.2 Drawing: The Two-Source Theory
17.3 Drawing: The Synoptics and John
17.4 The synagogue at Capernaum
17.5 The Garden of Gethsemane
17.6 The Via Dolorosa
17.7 The crucifixion of Jesus
18.1 The Church of the Beatitudes
18.2 The evangelist Matthew
18.3 The Garden of Gethsemane
18.4 The Pool of Bethzatha
18.5 Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead
19.1 Fair Havens, Crete
19.2 Areopagus (Mars’ Hill) in Athens
19.3 The goddess Artemis
19.4 Paul preaching in Beroea
19.5 The Roman theater at Caesarea
19.6 The Fortress of Antonia
20.1 The Apostle Paul by Rembrandt
20.2 The Dionysian cult
20.3 Epicurus
20.4 The Khazneh, or Treasury, at Petra
20.5 Map: The journeys of Paul according to Acts
20.6 Chart: A Chronology of Paul's Life
20.7 The Parthenon in Athens
21.1 Zeus, chief of the Greek gods
21.2 Chart: Writings Attributed to Paul
21.3 The Roman Forum in Thessalonica, Greece
21.4 The Fountain of Peirene in Corinth
21.5 The Library of Celsus in Ephesus
21.6 The Via Egnatia in Philippi
21.7 The Roman aqueduct at Caesarea
22.1 Theater in Jerash
22.2 Colossae
22.3 Titus, a coworker with Paul
22.4 Theater in Ephesus
22.5 Dionysus, the Greek god of wine
22.6 Cappadocia
23.1 Vespasian and Titus
23.2 Chart: Roman Emperors During New Testament Times
23.3 Domitian
23.4 Trajan
23.5 The island of Patmos
23.6 Map: Locations of the island of Patmos and the seven churches
addressed in Revelation
23.7 Bath-gymnasium complex at Sardis
23.8 Megiddo
PREFACE
This revised edition of An Introduction to the Bible has been developed after a
decade of its use in teaching nearly five hundred students a year in a first course
in biblical study. The authors have attempted to incorporate both their
experiences and those of other professors in varied settings who have offered
valuable suggestions for this revision. As in the first edition, this volume is
intended as the basic text for a survey course in the life, literature, and faith of
the early Jewish and Christian traditions. It is arranged to be used either for a
single course surveying both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament or
for two separate courses dealing individually with each body of literature. The
advantages of this text for those teaching two introductory courses are the
coherence of using the same volume from one course to another and the
economy of a single text for the students.
As in the first edition, our approach has been guided by four basic convictions.
First is the belief that students should be encouraged to read extensively from
the Bible as their primary text. Accordingly, at the beginning of each chapter this
edition lists suggested biblical texts to be read by the students prior to the
lectures by the instructor. Our experience has shown that students who have
read this biblical material in advance are much better prepared to understand
lectures and engage in class discussion. We recommend The New Oxford
Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha for this purpose.
Second, our experience in using various approaches in past years of teaching
has convinced us that the historical/chronological framework is the best
arrangement for a text intended for an introductory-level course in biblical studies
for undergraduate students.
Third, we believe that an introduction to the Bible should acquaint students with
the history and culture of the biblical world and also give them a sense of the
profound religious conviction that was responsible for the biblical story. The faiths
of early Judaism and early Christianity were based on the belief that God had
entered into a direct relationship with humanity. The recurring theme of this text
is the development of this idea and its particular expression in the Jewish and
Christian traditions.
Fourth, an introductory text should reflect the consensus of scholarship in the
field of biblical studies. Consequently, we have adhered to the most widely
accepted results of critical scholarship. This revised edition has sought to
incorporate recent advances in the critical understanding of the Bible.
In addition to updated information throughout the book based on recent scholarly
discussions, this edition of the text contains additional historical charts, maps,
and photographs. An index has been added for the convenience of students.
Finally, we have attempted to further improve the organization and clarity of this
work.
We are grateful to many colleagues who read portions of the manuscript and
contributed helpful observations to our work: Walter Brueggemann, Moody
Smith, Adela Yarbro Collins, James Charlesworth, James Sanders, Clarice
Martin, Kandy Queen-Sutherland, Dixon Sutherland, Justo and Catherine
Gonzales, David Gregory Sapp, Alice Hudiburg, Russell Gregory, Reginald H.
Fuller, Rabbi Barry Altman, Roger Woods, Teresa Hornsby, G. Todd Wilson, and
Marilyn Metcalf-Whittaker. Others who contributed invaluable assistance in the
production of this volume include Lisa Guenther, Kati Bentley, and Elizabeth
Clark. Further appreciation must be expressed to our editors who encouraged us
in the development of this revised edition. We also acknowledge our
indebtedness and gratitude to Stetson University for its support; to James
Ridgway, Jr. and Educational Opportunities for their help in our travels to Israel,
Jordan, Egypt, Greece, and Turkey; to Ünver Gazez of Azim Tours, Turkey, for
his gracious assistance; and to Necdet (Net) Özeren, our good friend and expert
guide in Turkey.
CEF
DWM
MGR
ABBREVIATIONS OF THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE
WITH THE APOCRYPHA
Hebrew Bible
Gen. Genesis Eccl. Ecclesiastes
Ex. Exodus Song Song of Solomon
Lev. Leviticus Isa. Isaiah
Num. Numbers Jer. Jeremiah
Deut. Deuteronomy Lam. Lamentations
Josh. Joshua Ezek. Ezekiel
Judg. Judges Dan. Daniel
Ruth Ruth Hos. Hosea
1 Sam. 1 Samuel Joel Joel
2 Sam. 2 Samuel Amos Amos
1 Kings 1 Kings Ob. Obadiah
2 Kings 2 Kings Jon. Jonah
1 Chr. 1 Chronicles Mic. Micah
2 Chr. 2 Chronicles Nah. Nahum
Ezra Ezra Hab. Habakkuk
Neh. Nehemiah Zeph. Zephaniah
Esth. Esther Hag. Haggai
Job Job Zech. Zechariah
Ps. Psalms Mal. Malachi

Prov. Proverbs

Apocrypha
Tob. Tobit Pr. Azar. Prayer of Azariah
Jdt. Judith the Song of the
Add. Esth. Additions to Esther Three Jews
Wis. Wisdom Sus. Susanna
Sir. Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) Bel. Bel and the Dragon
Bar. Baruch 1 Macc. 1 Maccabees
1 Esd. 1 Esdras 2 Macc. 2 Maccabees
2 Esd. 2 Esdras 3 Macc. 3 Maccabees
Let. Jer. Letter of Jeremiah 4 Macc. 4 Maccabees
Pr. Man. Prayer of Manasseh
New Testament
Matt. Matthew 1 Tim. 1 Timothy
Mark Mark 2 Tim. 2 Timothy
Luke Luke Titus Titus
John John Philem. Philemon
Acts Acts of the Apostles Heb. Hebrews
Rom. Romans Jas. James
1 Cor. 1 Corinthians 1 Pet. 1 Peter
2 Cor. 2 Corinthians 2 Pet. 2 Peter
Gal. Galatians 1 John 1 John
Eph. Ephesians 2 John 2 John
Phil. Philippians 3 John 3 John
Col. Colossians Jude Jude
1 Thess. 1 Thessalonians Rev. Revelation

2 Thess. 2 Thessalonians