Introduction for the Instructor
Why Another Old Testament Textbook?
- Cracking Open a Dusty Old Book
Why Study the Old Testament?
Where Was Ancient Israel Located?
The History of the Bible
Didn't God Write the Bible?
How Should We Interpret Scripture?
How Is the Textbook Arranged
- The Patriarchs and Matriarchs
Genesis at a Glance
The Story behind the Story
The World of Genesis 12–50
Abraham and Sarah
Summary: Who Are Abraham and Sarah?
The Patriarchs, the Sequel: Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph
Summary: God and the Founders
- The Exodus
What's the Book of Exodus?
Reading Exodus
Summary: God, the Liberator
- The Sinai Covenant
Reading the Law through a Contemporary Lens
Reading the Law
Summary: Holiness, Loyalty, and Love
Overview: A Veil of Tears
- Conquest and Confusion: Joshua and Judges
A Doomed History
Stories of Victory and Failure
Summary: The Rhetorical Force of the Deuteronomistic History
- The Rise of the Monarchy: 1 and 2 Samuel
To Have a King or Not to Have a King: That Is the Question
Stories of the United Monarchy
Summary: The King as the Father of the Nation
- The Politics of the Monarchy
The Nation of Israel
The Politics of the Monarchy: Reading the Book of Kings
Summary: A Failed History Revisited
- Israelite Poetry: Psalms and Song of Songs
Israelite Poetry
The Psalms
Song of Songs
Summary: God is Present in Joy and Suffering
- The Prophets of the Divided Monarchy
Defining the Prophets
Reading about the Prophets: The Elijah Stories
Reading Prophetic Books
Summary: Prophets Then and Now
- Judah Stands Alone
Isaiah: Fitting Assyria into God's Plan
Micah: The Prophet from Moresheth
Summary: Chastisement as a Confession of Faith
- Why, Oh Lord?
The Literature of the Exile
Jeremiah: Siege and Destruction
Lamentations
Ezekiel: Watching the Whirlwind
Summary: Great Loss, Great God
Overview: The Second Temple Period
- Restoring a Nation
A Chance to Set Things Right
Texts from the Restoration
Histories of the Restoration: Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah
Rewriting History, Envisioning a Future
- The Wise Shall Behold All of Creation
Where Is Wisdom Found?
The Wisdom of Creation
Summary: The Wisdom of God's Creation
- A Nice Little Story
The Art of the Storyteller
Telling Stories
Ruth: A Righteous Woman
Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet
Esther: Queen of Persia
Tobit: The Afflicted
Judith: The Warrior
- An Orchestra of Voices
Unity and Diversity in Scripture
Introducing Counter Melodies
Elements of Apocalyptic
Summary: Theodicy, Despair, and Hope
Epilogue: Cracking Open a Familiar Book
What Have I Learned?
Reading with the Christian Community
Glossary
Appendix: Maps
Discussions of Biblical Texts in Canonical Order