ILLUSTRATED BIBLE STORY BY STORY
SOME QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
What was most interesting to you about the Old Testament section of Illustrated Bible Story By Story? What were its strengths and weaknesses? How effective was this book as a general introduction to the Old Testament?
What is the story told in the Old Testament? How would you reduce the arc of the story line to a very few sentences?
How does learning about the history of the Ancient Near East help one to better understand the Old Testament? What is most important to understand about the history of the writing of the Bible and what is most distinctive about the differences between the way the Old Testament and the New Testament were written? How is history folded into the narrative in the Old Testament? How is history explained?
What is the role of the Exodus in the Biblical narrative? How would you compare and contrast the Israelites' Exodus from Egypt with Abraham's exodus from Mesopotamia?
What are the themes at the heart of the Book of Judges?
To what extent does the establishment of the Kingdom of Israel represent not just a moment of triumph but also a crisis of sorts in the Biblical narrative?
What books comprise the "wisdom literature" and what place do they assume in the Old Testament?
How would you assess the role of the Prophets in the Biblical narrative?
What importance does the Babylonian exile assume in the Old Testament and how is it explained within the sacred narrative?
Listed below are some individuals who appear in the Old Testament. How does Illustrated Bible Story By Story add to our understanding of each:
Major Figures
(All Figures and terms are listed in the order they appear in Illustrated Bible Story By Story)Moses
Joshua
David
Solomon
Elijah
Isaiah
Other Figures
Aaron
Miriam
Deborah
Gideo
Jephthah
Samson
Ruth
Samuel
Saul
Nathan
Bathsheba
Queen of Sheba
Job
King Ahab and Queen Jezebel
Elisha
Jonah
Jeremiah
King Hezekiah
King Josiah
Ezekiel
Daniel
Nebuchadnezzar
Cyrus the Great
Esther
Ezra
Nehemiah
Offer short definitions of several of the following terms as explained by Illustrated Bible Story By Story:
Major Terms
Ten Commandments
Ark of the Covenant
Canaan
Judges
Solomon's Temple
Divided Kingdom: Israel and Judah
Babylonian Exile
Other Terms
Dead Sea Scrolls
Ten Plagues
Manna
Scapegoat
Tabernacle
Menorah
Mount Nebo
Jordan River
Jericho
Gilgal
Book of Kings
Book of Chronicles
Goliath
Psalms
Contest on Mount Carmel
Chariot of Fire
Samaria
Assyrians
Twelve Minor Prophets
Maccabean Revolt