● The Old Testament was written around the time of the Babylonian Exile; Bible contains 73 Books: 46 in the

he Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament

● Four areas scholars study to understand the scriptural text: History, Archeology, Literary forms, and Culture
● Creation Story: God created light on the first day; God created the dome/atmosphere called sky on the second day; God created dry land, seas, and plants on the third day;
God created the Sun, Moon, and Stars on the fourth day; God created beasts/animals for the sky and sea on the fifth day; God created land animals and humans on the sixth
day; God rested on the seventh day after his work was completed
● Adam and Eve - Both are put in the Garden of eden, but betrayed God by eating from the Tree of Knowledge in order to become equal to God; Known as the Original Sin
and the Fall
● Cain and Abel were two brothers who offered sacrifices to God. Cain was a farmer and offered a fruit of his labor, while Abel was a shepard and offered the fattest sheep
from his flock. God favors Abel’s sacrifice more than he does with Cain’s, causing Cain to become jealous and kill his brother. God punishes Cain afterwards and leaves his
presence.
● God becomes disappointed by humanity and causes the Flood. However, Noah follows God’s words and instructions by building an ark for him, his family and friends, and
two animals of each breed to dwell in. Noah knows when the flood ends when the dove he sends comes back with an olive branch, signifying dry land. The story ends with
God’s covenant with Noah that he will not flood the earth again, signified by a rainbow.
● Tower of Babel explains the Babylonians trying to build a tower to be equal to God and make a name for themselves. As punishment, God changes their languages to
confuse them and scatters the people.
● Abram and Sarai, with Lot, travel to Canaan after hearing God’s call in Haran, as well as God’s Promise.
● Abram becomes worried about if God’s Promise will come true, so the Lord tells to count the amount of stars in the sky, in which his descendants will outnumber them.
● Ishmael: Born from Abram and Hagar
● God repeats the covenant, changing the names of Abram and Sarai to Abraham and Sarah.
● Isaac: Born from Abraham and Sarah; Fulfilled God’s promise; Later marries Rebekah once she leaves her family to join him.
● Jacob and Esau: Children of Jacob and Rebekah; Rebekah favors Jacob and helps him receive the blessing from Isaac. Esau becomes angry and tries to kill Jacob, who flees
to Haran.
● Jacob marries both of his uncle Laban’s daughters: Rachel and Leah; Later is named Israel by God after wrestling someone, which means “one who has contended with
divine and human beings”;
● Joseph: Rachel’s eldest son; Is the favorite to Jacob; Sold into slavery by his brothers, suggested by Judah.
● Joseph lands in prison, but gains the Pharaoh’s favor because of the visions he received from God; Becomes governor
● Joseph’s brothers come back for supplies; Puts them in prison but lets them go, however he demands to see Benjamin and keeps Simeon as an incentive; Brothers come back
and Judah convinces Joseph to not keep Benjamin.
● Yawheh: “I am who I am” → “I am the one who is always present”
● Miriam: Sister of Moses, who helped him stay close to his Jewish heritage.
● Flees from Egypt after killing a slave driver; Received a revelation of God in the land of the Midians from the burning bush about saving his people.
● Ten Plagues: Water turns to Blood→Amphibians→Gnats→Flies→Disease of Livestock→Unhealable Boils→Hail and Fire→Locusts→Darkness→Death of First-Born
● Ten Commandments: 1-You shall have no gods before; 2-You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vein; 3-Keep the Sabbath Day Holy; 4-Honor thy Father
and Mother; 5-Thou shall not murder; 6-Thou shall not commit adultery; 7-Thou shall not steal; 8-Thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor; 9-Thou shall not
covet thy neighbor’s house; 10-Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s wife
● Covenant of Sinai: Moses meets with God at Mount Sinai; Delivers the Lord’s message to the Israelites of keeping God’s covenant(result in them being His holy nation);
The Lord delivers the Ten Commandments to Moses as he and his people go up to the holy mountain to await for God’s message.
● Ark of Covenant: the container for the stone tablets of the Law
● Crossing the Red Sea: God parts the Sea of Reeds to give the Israelites the opportunity to escape. The water returns, and the Egyptians drown.
● After being liberated from their slavery, Israelites find themselves wandering in the desert, in search of their home; Complain about their circumstances; God provides bread
from heaven: manna God provides yet again: God tells Moses to strike a rock, and water gushes out
● Saul: Saul and David slaughtered the Ammonites to save the city of Jabesh-gilead; Anointed king by Samuel; Disobeys God’s Law twice and fails to carry out the ban
against the defeated enemy; Rejected as king and kills himself out of ego and pride
● Solomon: Built a temple in Jerusalem because he wanted to carry on God’s legacy and hold the Ten Commandments; A new hold for the Lord; Has a dream from God
asking for wisdom. Two mothers show up and fight about a baby, one is lying and the other is telling the truth. Solomon then declares to cut the baby in half to see who the
baby belongs to, later finding out the rightful mother by the reactions of both women.
● Elijah and Elisha were non-writing prophets who first appear in the Book of Kings; Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to a contest to see whose God can produce rain
after being blamed for the drought by King Ahab. While the prophets call out to Baal in vain, Elijah builds an altar for the lord and receives rain coming down, and a start of
fire for his sacrifices; Kills prophets and king to stop the false worship; Elisha carries on the mission of Elijah by performing miracles, such as purifying Jericho’s water
supply, which has been causing deaths and miscarriages; Elijah leaves on a chariot of fire, tearing his own cloak in half and strikes the Jordan river, returning to heaven
across the riverbed. When Elijah goes to heaven (on the chariot of fire), Elisha gets a double portion of his spirit.
● Amos and Hosea: Both are minor prophets in the 8th century during the rule of King Jeribo. Amos wrote a sermon about the faults and problems in Israel. Killed by one of
the priests; Hosea receives revelations from God that he will punish the Israelites for committing sin; Syrians are attacking Israel; A tree symbolizes God’s promise. Hosea
explains Israel’s sins through his poems. God tells Amos to have faith and love Gomer.
● Isaiah: Known for his predictions on who the upcoming messiah will be, known as the messianic king, who is Jesus; Goes to King Ahaz to warn him, who has lost all his
faith in God and praised false idols; God rubs coal on Isaiah’s head to purify him after feeling sinful when seeing God in an image.
● David: David and Goliath; Saul trying to get David killed; David being worthy to Saul; David becomes king of Israel; Creates Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel; David
brings tabernacle; God’s covenant with David(Davidic Covenant/Ark of the Covenant - David was trying to build a temple and make Jerusalem the capital, but also
promised that he will make a house later on); David commits adultery by having intercourse with Bathsheba, the wife to Uriah; David kills Uriah while he is on the front and
covers up the death; Nathan talks to David about his sinful actions through a parable; Betrayal in the family(Amnon, Absalom, Mephibosheth); Dies from his wounds and
the injuries he received in battle
● The Pentateuch - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy (First five books of the Bible are referred to as Torah)
● God plans to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of the horrific rumors of the inhabitants, but Abraham convinces God to spare his nephew Lot and his family.
● Sabbath: Jews today celebrate Sabbath from sunset to sunset on Friday and Saturday; Christians today celebrate Sunday as their sabbath, as a reminder of the resurrection of
Jesus
● Bible Verses: Book. Chapter: Verse/s; Book. Chapters; Book. Chapter: Verse– Chapter: Verse