Unit 1:
Old Testament
Worlds
St. James Presbyterian Church
Chicago, Illinois
New Member Class Materials

Home » Learning » New Members » Unit 1 History
The Geography of the Old Testament World
 |
|
There are two main differences between what we can see today from a satellite
hovering over the east end of the Mediter-ranean Sea and what would have been seen
thirty-five hundred years ago. First, Lake Huleh north of the sea of Galilee is
nearly gone. Also called the waters of Merom, Lake Huleh has been steadily silting
up for millennia.
The second thing we would notice
is that the Dead Sea has shrunk. It is literally drying up and is probably half the
size it was in Old Testament times. |
|
 |
The Tribes of Israel
Here are the approximate allotments of the tribes of Israel made by
Joshua at the time of the conquest. (Joshua
13-21) Notice that the tribe of Manasseh received a double portion, and the
tribe of Levi received no territory only cities.
You may note that the tribe of Dan is in two locations. They took
over the northern location when they lost the southern location (their original allotment)
in battle. (Joshua 19:40-48,
Judges
18)
|
|
 |
Israel from the Conquest Through Solomon
Note these other peoples
Phoenicia,
The Philistines,
Ammon,
Moab, and
Edom
Note Shiloh where the Tabernacle stood for many years.
Note Jerusalem which David will make his capital.
Note Bethlehem where David will be born.
|
|
 |
The Two Kingdoms
After the death of King Solomon the tribes in the north separated from
the tribes in the South. The southern kingdom took the name of it's largest tribe
Judah.
Israel would be conquered in 722 B.C. by the Assyrians and Judah would
continue as a kingdom until 586 B.C. when it would in turn be conquered by Babylon.
After seventy years in exile, many of the refugees from the southern kingdom
were allowed to
return and rebuild Jerusalem. |
|
The Cultures of the Old Testament World
The earliest stories in the Old Testament that lend themselves to dates
are the stories of Abraham and Sarah. We usually locate the events of
their lives in the Nineteenth Century before Christ. Among the last
events recorded in the Old Testament would be the rebuilding of Jerusalem
and the Temple after the Exile in about 500 B.C.
Things change a lot in thirteen centuries. Customs, traditions,
even languages change. Many biblical scholars archaeologists, and
linguists spend their lives sorting out the distinctions among the different
periods and accurately dating the stories in scripture. As you study
the Bible, try to be aware of the time period the story is set in and of the
date of the writing of the passage. Good study Bibles provide
information about the date of the event and of the writing in the
introductory articles at the beginning of the passage and in margin notes
and footnotes.
The events recorded in the Old Testament took place in several countries
and different cultures. Keep in mind the setting of each story as you
read scripture. Is this a time Abram was wandering in Egypt? Is
this set in a unified Israel or during the exile in Babylon? Good
study Bibles also provide information about the cultural context in the
introductory articles at the beginning of the chapter or book and in margin
notes and footnotes. Please use them as you pursue your own Old
Testament study.
For Further Study
The World Wide Study Bible
Material included from other sources remains the property
of the individual copyright holders.
Copyright © 2003-2007
St. James United Presbyterian Church
6554 North Rockwell Street
Chicago, Illinois 60645
info@stjameschicago.org