Bible Timeline Study
8-Week Session: January 8th – February 26th
Day Sessions:
9:30 am – 11:00 am
Evening Sessions:
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Facilitator:
Ed Koszykowski,
Coordinator of Parish Ministries
Session 1
Eight Week Breakout
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Introduction
The Early World (Creation Story)
The Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac & Jacob)
Egypt & Exodus Desert Wanderings
Conquest & Judges (The Royal Kingdom)
The Divided Kingdom & Exile
The Return & The Maccabean Revolution
The Messianic Fulfillment & The Early Church
Session 1
Session Overview
Opening Prayer and Review
15 minutes
View DVD
30 minutes
Session Break
10 minutes
Facilitator’s Insights
10 minutes
Questions & Answers
20 minutes
Wrap-up and Closing Prayer
5 minutes
Session 1
11 Commandments
of a Small Group
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
Come on time
Be prepared
If you did not prepare, allow others to speak before you
Listen to others
Stick to the topic and questions at hand
Never ridicule or cut down another’s answer
When you disagree, do so with respect and charity
Don’t fear silence
Don’t share confidences outside the group
Enjoy yourself!
Welcome newcomers to your table
Session 1
Alphabetical
“Rules of the Road”
• Be Audible
• Be Brief
• Be Christ-Centered, and
• Don’t Double-Dip (give your point, then allow
others to speak)
Session 1
How to Read the Bible
Catholics are called to approach the Bible as being the inspired (breathed) word
of God – that God is the author We also believe the Bible is inerrant - as being
without error.
In choosing a suitable Bible, one of the first things Catholics should look for is
good footnotes at the bottom of the page that are indexed to other similar texts
in the Bible.
Three guidelines to consider in reading the Bible:
1. This helps the reader to understand the particular verse in context, rather
than in isolation. The Bible is meant to be read in its entirety, and never to
be taken out of context.
2. You need to read the bible with a sense of Tradition, what the original
author meant to say, not what you think it means.
3. No interpretation of the bible can contradict Church teaching, since the
Bible is a product of the Church.
There are 4 basic levels of scripture to understand: The literal sense, the
allegorical sense, the moral sense, and the anagogical sense.
The average bible reader will be very enriched if s/he concentrates on the moral
sense – How the bible verse applies to you personally.
And last, we should never put our own personal interpretation on scripture,
unless it agrees with the Tradition of the Catholic Church.
Session 1
Catholic vs. Protestant Bibles
• The Protestant Bible, of which the NIV is one version, is seven books shorter than the Bible used by
Roman Catholics.
• But Protestants didn't just take out books; they used a different standard of what should be in the Bible.
• The Hebrew Bible has 24 books. This list, or "canon," was affirmed at the Councils of Jamnia in A.D. 90
and 118.
• The Protestant Old Testament includes exactly the same information, but organized into 39 books. For
example, the Hebrew Bible has one book of Samuel, while the Protestant Bible has I and II Samuel—
same book, but divided into two parts.
• In addition to these 39 books, the Catholic Old Testament includes seven additional books: Tobit, Judith,
Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus (Sirach), Baruch (includes the Letters of Jeremiah), I and II
Maccabees, and additions to Daniel and Esther.
• These books were included in the Septuagint, a Greek translation of a different Hebrew canon. Early
church fathers, who relied on the Septuagint (they could read Greek, but not Hebrew), sometimes
quoted these books as Scripture. The status of the books continued to be debated throughout the
Middle Ages.
• At the time of the Reformation, Protestants decided that, because the additional books weren't in the
Hebrew Bible, they shouldn't be in the Christian Bible, either (though they were included in early
editions of the King James Bible).
• Catholics, at the Council of Trent (1546), decided to keep the "deutero-canonical" books.
• Protestants and Catholics use the same New Testament comprised of 27 books, the content of which
was defined by Athanasius in 367 AD.
Session 1
The Creation Story
The Book of Genesis (meaning origin) covers the time from creation to
the Israelite sojourn in Egypt and it is comprised of 50 chapters .
Chapters 1-11 tell the story of creation and how the blessing of God
enabled humanity to multiply, diversify, and disperse on the face of the
earth. Today’s DVD will cover this period from chaos to God’s creation
of the world and to the Tower of Babel (more chaos).
Chapters 12- 50 address God’s covenant with the biblical patriarchs
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the limited family history of Israel’s
ancestors (Abraham and Sarah (chs 12-25)); Isaac and Rebekah and
their twin sons Esau and Jacob (chs 26-46) ; and Jacob’s family, the chief
member of which was Joseph (chs 37-50)
The Book of Genesis concludes with the death of Joseph.
Session 2
The Book of Genesis
The primary purpose of this book is not to present straightforward history but to tell the
dramatic story of God’s dealings with the world and, in particular, to interpret Israel’s
special role in God’s purpose.
Scholars believe that there are four major traditions or sources of the Pentateuch books
also known as the Books of Moses:
Yahwists lived in Jerusalem around 960 BCE (period of King Solomon) whose name for
God was Yahweh (the Lord) or Yahweh Elohim (the Lord God)
Elohists lived in Samaria 9th to 8th BCE whose name for God was Elohim (God)
Deuteronomists who lived in/near Jerusalem around 721 BCE and whose name for God
was Yahweh (the Lord)
Priestly who lived during the exile (587-538 BCE) and post-exile Jerusalem and whose
name for God was Elohim (God)
Scholars believe Moses is the patron of these five books of the Pentateuch and is the
ancestor to whom ancient Israel dedicated these traditions.
Note:
Two creation stories – Gen. 1:1 – 2:3; and Gen. 2:4 – the end of chapter 3.
First creation story – God is called Elohim (God)
Second creation story God is called Yahweh Elohim (the Lord God)
Session 2
Abraham’s Journey
The Patriarchs
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
Gen. 17:1-27 describes the “everlasting covenant” between God and
Abraham. Covenant is a relationship between a superior and inferior party
– the former making or establishing the bond. It is an everlasting covenant
because it is grounded in the sovereign will of God and not in human
behavior. It also guarantees the Promised Land in the land of Canaan as a
perpetual holding.
Gen. 17:5 - God bestows upon Abram a new name Abraham (Hebrew for
ancestor of a multitude) signifying a new relationship or status.
Gen. 21: 1-12 tells of the story of Isaac and Ishmael. Although Isaac was
designated to continue Abraham’s line, Ishmael (meaning God hears) too
was promised a great future. He and his mother, Hagar, become the line
through which Islam traces its origin to Abraham.
Note: Gen. 16:10 – The angel of the Lord promises Hagar that the Lord “will
greatly multiply her offspring that they cannot be counted for multitude”.
Session 3
Abraham’s Sacrifice of Isaac
Gen. 22: 1-19 narrates the testing of Abraham in offering his only son,
Isaac. Why this story and what kind of a God would ask such an offering?
Place the story in the context of the time and culture.
People believed in the existence of multiple Gods and sought to appease
their anger by offering their “most prized possession – their first born
son”. For Abraham, this was his only son by Sarah.
Abraham’s God had earlier promised numerous ancestors through Isaac.
Abraham’s ancestors to this day would see this God, Yahweh, as a different
God who no longer desired human sacrifice, but, remains faithful to the
covenant made with Abraham. For Christians, this God would eventually
sacrifice His only begotten Son in Jesus Christ for all of us.
Note in Gen. 25:1-18 the death of Abraham that both Isaac and Ishmael are
reunited to bury their father, Abraham.(Gen. 25:9)
Session 3
The Book of Exodus
The two “crucial experiences” of Israel’s religious traditions are
the exodus from Egypt and the revelation of Mount Sinai.
The Book of Exodus bears witness to the meaning of these two
experiences: God’s action to liberate a band of slaves from
bondage and to make them a community bound in covenant with
their liberating God.
Various lines of evidence point to the period of 1350-1200 BC as
the most probable historic setting for the Exodus.
At the center of these experiences stands Moses (Egyptian
meaning to beget a child and Masheh meaning to draw out in
Hebrew).
Moses is called by YAHWEH (meaning I am who I am) to
be the prophetic interpreter of God’s liberating action and the
priestly mediator of the covenant between God and the people.
Session 4
Moses returns to Egypt
Moses originally flees Egypt to the wilderness after killing an Egyptian and is wanted
dead or alive by pharaoh.
Yahweh calls him by name, telling Moses that “I have heard the cry of my people…and I
have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians to a land flowing with milk and
honey..” (Ex. 3:7-8).
Moses returns to Egypt with his brother Aaron and meets with the elders of the
Israelites to convey YAHWEH’s message and “the people believed. (Ex. 4:31)
Moses and Aaron meet with pharaoh who dismisses their God and orders even harsher
conditions for the enslaved Israelites and they no longer listen to Moses’ promises of
YAHWEH’s freeing them for they have become broken in spirit.
God responds saying to Moses: “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your
brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you and your
brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of the land. I will harden
Pharaoh’s heart…” (Ex. 7:1-3)
Egypt experiences the ten plagues beginning with the water of the Nile river turning to
blood to the tenth plague in which the Egyptian people, to include pharaoh, will
experience the death of their firstborn child. Pharaoh will finally relent and allow the
Israelites to leave. (Ex. 12:29-51)
The plagues demonstrate the power of God over all creation and the supremacy
of YAHWEH over all the false Gods worshipped by the Egyptian people.
They also affirm YAHWEH’s fidelity to His covenant with His People!
Session 4
The Desert Wanderings
In the Hebrew Bible, the book is appropriately called “In the Wilderness”
Much of the forty years are situated in the oasis known as Kadesh-barnea
where they arrived after the march from Mt. Sinai.
The lessons of the wilderness experience:
The Israelites experience in the wilderness would illustrate the personal
struggles of a people who wrestled with the relative security of slavery in
Egypt and the precarious insecurity of freedom in the wilderness. Such
struggles would include:
Power struggles amongst the leaders as to who speaks for God
Crises of faith and trust in this God YAHWEH
Yet, these narratives from the Book of Numbers are also infused with the
Israelite’s conviction and remembrance that, despite their blindness and
rebelliousness, YAHWEH was faithful to promises made to their ancestors.
The wilderness experience would also discipline them so as to render them
totally dependent upon their God who both liberated them from bondage and
strengthened them for the challenges of a life in the Promised Land.
Session 4
The Books of the Pentateuch
(The Five Books of Moses)
The Pentateuch or Torah conveys a history, inspired by the Spirit of God, of a people with their God
spanning from the creation of the universe to the eve of Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land.
Genesis narrates the creation of the world from chaos, to the first couple, and the earliest ancestors
of the Israelites (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph).
Exodus is the heart of the Pentateuch for Jewish people dealing with the exodus out of Egypt and
the sojourn at Mt. Sinai. All Jewish tradition reaches back to these “root experiences” which
constitute a basic understanding for the Jewish people in our times of their identity and the identity
and character of their GOD YAHWEH.
Leviticus is pre-eminently a book of worship and refers to the Levitical priests (of the Levi tribe)
providing the laws dealing with sacrifice, the consecration of priests to office, purity laws,
atonement ceremonies, laws governing daily life, and an appendix for religious vows.
Numbers chronicles the wanderings of the first Exodus generation and the subsequent generation
that would be led into the Promised Land.
Deuteronomy (the Second Law) reaffirms the covenant between YAHWEH And the people of Israel.
It is purported to be Moses’ farewell address to the people in which he recounts the mighty acts of
the Lord, solemnly warns of the temptation of the news ways of Canaan, and pleads for loyalty to
and love of God as the condition for life in the Promised Land. A distinctive teaching of
Deuteronomy is that the worship of the Lord was to be centralized in one place and when this book
was written the Jerusalem temple was regarded as the central sanctuary. Deuteronomy concludes
with the death of Moses.
The Torah comprises 3 covenants : the first made with Noah in Gen. 9:1-17 concerning all humanity,
the non-human creatures and the earth itself; the second with Abraham and Sarah guaranteeing
Israel the promise of land, posterity, and relationship with God Gen. 17: 1-21; and the third
mediated with Moses at Mount Sinai (Ex. 19-24) which is regarded as a ratification and extension of
the covenant with the ancestors.
Session 4
Conquest &Judges
The Book of Joshua
• The Book of Joshua simplifies the long and complex process by which the tribes of
Israel settle in Canaan. It intends to describe Israel, past and future, its relationship
with God, and the kind of society it wished to be.
• Canaan was in a state of great social and political turmoil with power concentrated in
the upper classes at the detriment of the peasants. The socio-economic system
eventually disintegrates under the pressure of the new Israelite immigrants
• The Book of Joshua is the story of how an obedient Israel under God’s chosen leader
can bring into existence a society based on justice and freedom. The book is
comprised of three parts:
1. Chs. 1-12 describe the settlement of the tribes in Canaan as a result of the
successful military campaigns led by Joshua against the Canaanites.
2. Chs. 13-21 will describe the distribution of the lands amongst the 12 tribes.
3. Chs. 22-24 focuses on the loyalty that the Israelite tribes owe to their God who has
given them the land to occupy and fulfills one aspect of the covenant made
previously with Abraham and reaffirmed with Moses.
The stories in this book are very harsh and the Israelites do acquire the land through
violent means. Yet, the aim of the Book of Joshua is not meant to edify but to move its
readers to obedience in their God . For ancient Israel, this obedience was seen as an act
of faith in the God who ultimately brings good out of evil.
Session 5
Conquest &Judges
The Book of Judges
• Tells the story of transition for the 12 tribes of Israel during which time the great leaders such as
Moses and Joshua are dead and the age of greatness under King David is yet to be realized.
• These judges are seen as divinely-inspired leaders whose direct knowledge of Yahweh allows
them to act as champions for the Israelites from oppression by foreign rulers and are models of
wise and faithful behavior required of them by their God, Yahweh. But, they also had fears and
attitudes towards the God of Israel that were not always commendable.
• The period of the Judges (1380-1050 BC) details the effects of Israel’s failures and how the Lord
dealt with those failures.
• The stories follow a consistent pattern: the people are unfaithful to Yahweh and he therefore
delivers them into the hands of their enemies; the people repent and entreat Yahweh for mercy,
which he sends in the form of a leader or champion (a "judge"); the judge delivers the Israelites
from oppression and they prosper, but soon they fall again into unfaithfulness and the cycle is
repeated.
• Yet, a new community emerges from the disparate groups who rejects the Canaanite city-state
with its oppressive political and social systems and seeks to create a new pattern of life for their
people.
• This new people in the highlands of central Canaan would serve only one Lord. And it was
their belief that they were ruled by a Lord who took the side of the lowly against their
oppressors.
• Scholars believe that the final form of the Book of Judges written about 6th century BC and
perhaps by the community in the Babylonian captivity.
Session 5
Royal Kingdom
The Book of I Samuel
• Content of this book falls into two main parts:
1. The story of Samuel is viewed as a transition to the monarchy.
• Opens with his birth to the elderly and barren Hannah and his consecration by
the priest Eli.
• The contrast between the evil sons of Eli and the growing spirituality of
Samuel who ministered under Eli’s direction.
• God’s first revelation to Samuel (3.1-4.1) “as Samuel grew up, the Lord was
with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan
to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord”. (I
Sam. 3:19-20)
• Still, the people request a king (8:1-22) and the Lord responds: “Listen to the
voice of the people in all that they say to you: for they have not rejected you
but they have rejected me from being king over them”. (I Sam. 8:7)
2. The story of Saul, Israel’s first king, who will reign from 1040-1000 BC and the
emergence of young David.
• In 1 Sam 16:1-13, the Lord rejects Saul for his transgressions and you have the anointing
by Samuel of David, who is the youngest son of Jesse.
The Book of I Samuel concludes with the death of Saul by his own sword and that
of his older sons at the battle of Gilboa.
Session 5
Royal Kingdom
The Book of II Samuel
• The second book of Samuel relates the rule of David, first as he gradually assumes
control in Judah when Saul’s claimants fell away (chs. 1-4) and then as king over both
Judah and the northern tribes that comprise Israel (chs. 5-24).
• King David (1,000-961 BC) captures Jerusalem, makes it the capital, and brings the
ark back to this city. (6:1-15).
• David wishes to build a temple, but the prophet Nathan tells him that one of David's
sons will be the one to build the temple.
• Instead, in 7:1-29, Nathan tells David that it is God’s will that he will establish in the
House of David an everlasting dynasty in which God will raise up an offspring from
David, establish his kingdom, and where God will be a father to him and he shall be a
son to me.
• David commits adultery with Bathsheba and plots the death of her husband, Uriah
the Hittite; for this God punishes him, saying that the sword shall never depart from
his house.
• For the remainder of King David’s reign there would be problems: one of his sons
rapes one of his daughters, another son kills the first, his favorite son rebels and is
killed, until finally only two contenders for the succession remain, one of them
Bathsheba's son, Solomon, who would become king in 961 BC.
Session 5
Royal Kingdom
The Book of I Kings
• First Kings begins with the enthronement of Solomon and the death of David
(chs. 1-2).
• Chapters 3-11 recounts the reign of King Solomon
• In chapter 3, Solomon in a dream prays for wisdom, receives it and exercises it in
judgment evidenced by the famous story of 2 women both claiming to be the
mother of the surviving infant in which he calls for his sword to divide the child in
half thus revealing the true mother. (3:16-28)
• The building of the first temple in Jerusalem in 961 BC. (6:1-38).
• Solomon’s vision (9:1-9) in which God warns that if he and his people turn away
from God and his commandments and serve other gods, he will cut off Israel from
the land, that the temple will become a heap of ruins, and Israel will become a
proverb and a taunt among all peoples – a foreshadowing of the exile!
• Finally, chapter 11 concludes with the dark side of Solomon who has 700 wives
and 300 concubines. His heart would not remain true to God, he would build
temples for his wives to worship their Gods, the Lord would be angered with
Solomon, and would raise up adversaries against him.
• Solomon reigned in Jerusalem for 40 years from 961-922 BC , was buried with his
father, David, in Jerusalem and was succeeded by his son, Rehoboam.
Session 5
The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah
The Divided Kingdom
The Northern Kingdom
In 930 BC, the Northern Kingdom, comprised of 10 tribes of Israel, splits
from the Royal Kingdom with Jeroboam as its new king.
• Samaria becomes the new capital with no temple.
• Jeroboam erects two calves for the people to worship – one at Dan and
the other at Bethel (the calf is also symbolic of the Canaanite God Baal)
• Major prophets of the Northern Kingdom include: Elijah, Elisha, Amos,
and Hosea.
• In 722 BC, the Northern Kingdom is attacked by the Assyrian king
Shalmaneser who laid siege to the Kingdom of Israel for three years
before Samaria, its capital, finally falls and all go into exile. (2 Kings 17:141)
• Members of the ten tribes would inter-marry during the exilic period with
populace of other nations forced to relocate to the overrun Kingdom of
Israel and the resulting peoples would be called Samaritans.
Session 6
The Divided Kingdom
The Southern Kingdom
• In 930 BC, the Southern Kingdom, comprised of the tribes of Judah and
Benjamin, splits from the Royal Kingdom with Rehoboam, son of King
Solomon, as its new king.
• Jerusalem remains its capital with the temple intact.
• Major prophets of the Southern Kingdom include: Joel, Isaiah, Micah,
Zephaniah, Jeremiah, and Habakkuk.
• The Southern Kingdom of Judah would fall to the Babylonian King
Nebuchadnezzar in three stages:
• In 605 BC, you have the first fall of Jerusalem and subsequent
deportation under the reigns of the Judean kings Jehoiakim and
Jehoiachin.
• In 597 BC, you have the second fall of Jerusalem and its total
destruction to include the temple under the reign of the Judean King
Zedekiah who witnesses the slaughter of his sons before he is blinded
and sent into captivity in Babylon.
• In 587 BC, the final remnants of the tribe of Judah kill Gedaliah,
appointed governor of Judah by King Nebuchadnezzar, and then flee
into Egypt. (2 Kings 22-26)
Session 6
The Exile (597-538BC)
• The Chaldeans, following standard Mesopotamian practice, deported the Jews after they
had conquered Jerusalem in 597 BC. The deportations were large, but certainly didn't
involve the entire nation. Somewhere around 10,000 people were forced to relocate to the
city of Babylon, the capital of the Chaldean empire. In 586 BC, Judah itself ceased to be an
independent kingdom, and the earlier deportees found themselves without a homeland,
without a state, and without a nation. This period, which actually begins in 597 but is
traditionally dated at 586, is called the Exile in Jewish history; it ends with an accident in 538
when the Persians overthrow the Chaldeans.
• Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the Chaldeans, only deported the most prominent citizens of
Judah: professionals, priests, craftsmen, and the wealthy. The "people of the land" (amhares ) were allowed to stay. So Jewish history, then, has two poles during the exile: the
Jews in Babylon and the Jews who remain in Judah.
• We know almost nothing of the Jews who remained in Judah after 586. Judah seems to have
been wracked by famine, according to the biblical book, Lamentations, which was written in
Jerusalem during the exile. The entire situation seemed to be one of infinite despair
• The salient feature of the exile, however, was that the Jews were settled in a single place by
Nebuchadnezzar. While the Assyrian deportation of Israelites in 722 BC resulted in the
complete disappearance of the Israelites, the deported Jews formed their own community
in Babylon and retained their religion, practices, and philosophies. Some, it would seem,
adopted the Chaldean religion (for they name their offspring after Chaldean gods), but for
the most part, the community remained united in its common faith in Yahweh.
Source: The Hebrews: A Learning Module from Washington State University
Session 6
The Exile (597-538BC)
• From texts such as Lamentations , which was probably written in Jerusalem, and Job, written
after the exile, as well as many of the Psalms, Hebrew literature takes on a despairing quality.
The subject of Job is human suffering itself. Undeserving of suffering, Job, an upright man, is
made to suffer the worst series of calamities possible because of an arbitrary test. When he
finally despairs that there is no cosmic justice, the only answer he receives is that humans
shouldn't question God's will. Many of the psalms written in this period portray an equal
hopelessness.
• But the Jews in Babylon also creatively remade themselves and their world view. In particular,
they blamed the disaster of the Exile on their own impurity. They had betrayed Yahweh and
allowed the Mosaic laws and cultic practices to become corrupt; the Babylonian Exile was proof
of Yahweh's displeasure. During this period, Jewish leaders no longer spoke about a theology of
judgment, but a theology of salvation. In texts such as Ezekiel and Isaiah, there is talk that the
Israelites would be gathered together once more, their society and religion purified, and the
unified Davidic kingdom be re-established.
• So this period is marked by a resurgence in Jewish tradition, as the exiles looked back to their
Mosaic origins in an effort to revive their original religion. It is most likely that the Torah took its
final shape during this period or shortly afterward, and that it became the central text of the
Jewish faith at this time as well. This fervent revival of religious tradition was aided by another
accident in history: when Cyrus the Persian conquered Mesopotamia, he allowed the Jews to
return home. This was no ordinary event, though.
• Cyrus sent them home specifically to worship Yahweh—what was once only a kingdom would
become a nation of Yahweh.
Source: The Hebrews: A Learning Module from Washington State University
Session 6
The Return (538 – 444 BC)
• The Book of Ezra records how the Israelites returned from captivity and labored at restoring
at the temple in a fortified Jerusalem. The Book of Ezra opens with Cyrus’ decree that “The
Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me
to build him a house at Jerusalem in Judah”. (Ez. 1:2)
• In exile, religious interest centered particularly on the Mosaic laws and thus many scholars
believe the Torah was written in its final form during this period.
• Returning exiles were concerned not only with reconstruction of the altar, temple and city,
but with addressing social and religious problems, freeing the community from foreign
elements, and establishing religious practices that were in stricter conformity with their
understanding of Mosaic law.
• Some scholars conclude there were four returns from exile:
• A return under Cyrus (538 BC) led by Sheshbazzar who commanded the rebuilding of the
temple but was briefly halted by Samaritans who convinced King Artaxerxes to halt
work. (Ez. 3, 4).
• A return under Darius I (521-485 BC) led by Zurabbabel and Jeshua and encouraged by
the prophets Haggai and Zechariah who completed the temple despite the opposition of
the Samaritans. (Ez. 6).
• A group under Artaxerxes I (464-423 BC) and led by Ezra who brought codification of
the Mosaic law. (Ez. 7:11-28).
• A final group under Artaxerxes II (404 – 358 BC) and led by Nehemiah who rebuilt the
walls of Jerusalem and instituted social and religious reforms. (Neh. 6).
• To the author of the Book of Ezra, the returning exiles were a godly remnant with a
religious mission. The Book of Ezra concludes with the divorcing of all Gentile wives. (Ez.
10:1-44)
Session 7
Modern Day Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria
The Maccabean Revolt (167-160 BC)
1 Maccabees
• First Maccabees recounts the origin of the Hasmonean dynasty which begins with
Mattathias and his five sons who lead a resistance against Seleucid oppression.
• The book opens with Alexander the Great’s death and the rise of his brutal son the
Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes who attacks Jerusalem and desecrates the
temple.
• Judas Maccabeus rallies the Jews and recovers/purifies the temple and today this
event is commemorated as the Feast of Dedication or Hannukah.
• Judas’ brother, Jonathan, succeeds him and is appointed high priest by the Seleucid king
Demetrius.
• Jonathan’s brother, Simon, succeeds him as leader and high priest and Judea is granted
independence by Demetrius II and with the later succession of Simon’s son, John
Hyrcanus, the Hasmonean dynasty (140-116 BC) is established.
• Complex problems of cultural assimilation pervades First Maccabees as the paganizing
Greek culture has thoroughly mingled with the Semitic culture.
• Before the time of the Maccabees, Jews had cooperated peacefully with their foreign
ruler believing since the time of Jeremiah that such rulers were part of God’s plan to
chastise and redeem Israel.
• Not all Jews supported the Maccabean revolt – many tried to adapt to Seleucid
demands while remaining faithful to the Torah while others preferred martyrdom.
• The author of I Maccabees believed that the Hasmonean rebellion and subsequent
rule were in accord with the divine will of God!
Session 7
Seleucid and Ptolemaic Empires
The Maccabean Revolt (167-160 BC)
2 Maccabees
• Narrates the events of Jewish history during the persecutions of three Seleucid kings:
Seleucis IV, Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) and Antiochus Eupator (180 – 161 BC).
• Although 2 Maccabees parallels 1 Maccabees 1-8, it is distinguished by its literary
style and theological point of view.
• The author addresses the reader directly, in the manner of Greek historians, and
the unforgettable stories are told with dramatic artistry and vivid detail.
• The stories are unified by the idea that history reflects the divine plan. The
author believed in the sanctity of the temple and that abuses would bring divine
judgment as the desecrations of Antiochus had proved. The author further
believed that the suffering of the martyrs (2 Macc. 7) and the prayers of the
courageous Judas Maccabeus moved God to intervene and end the time of divine
wrath.
• Several important theological ideas not found in Hebrew Scriptures but important to
Judaism and Christianity appear in this book:
• Resurrection of the dead (2 Macc. 7-8); the doctrine that the world was created
from nothing (2 Macc. 7.28); and the efficacy of praying for the dead (2 Macc. 12:
39-45).
• The stories of the aging scribe Eleazar (2 Macc. 6: 18-31) going to his death rather
eat food forbidden by the Torah and the mother encouraging her seven sons to
die (2 Macc. 7:1-42) for their faith in certain hope of resurrection became models
for later Jewish and Christian martyrologies.
• Second Maccabees was written in Greek, later translated into Latin and was written
between 104 – 63 BC.
Session 7
Messianic Fulfillment
The Jewish Perspective:
• In Jewish eschatology, the term mashiach, or "Messiah," came to refer
to a future Jewish King from the Davidic line, who is expected to be
anointed with holy anointing oil and rule the Jewish people during the
Messianic Age. The Messiah is often referred to as "King Messiah“.
Some Jews saw King Cyrus as “the anointed one” (Is. 45: 1).
• Orthodox views have generally held that the Messiah will be descended
from his father through the line of King David and will gather the Jews
back into the Land of Israel, usher in an era of peace, build the Third
Temple, father a male heir and re-institute the Sanhedrin, among other
things.
• Jewish tradition alludes to two redeemers, both of whom are called
mashiach and are involved in ushering in the Messianic age: Mashiach
ben David and Mashiach ben Yosef. In general, the term Messiah
unqualified refers to Mashiach ben David (Messiah, son of David).
Session 8
The Gospel of Luke
Luke portrays Jesus as the divine-human Savior whose compassion and
tenderness extended to all who were needy. His gospel is written for a
Gentile community and has very few quotations from Hebrew Scriptures.
Rather than use the term rabbi, Luke employs the Greek term meaning
master. (Lk. 5:5; 8:24; 9:33).
Jesus’ universal mission is emphasized by:
• Tracing his genealogy back to Adam (Lk. 3:38)
• including references that commend members of the despised race – the
Samaritans (Lk. 10: 30-37)
• Indicating that women have a special place of importance amongst the
followers of Jesus (Lk. 7:36-50 and 10:38-40)
• Promising that Gentiles would have an opportunity to accept the gospel
(Lk. 2:32; 3:6; and 24:27)
Luke focuses much on Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem that is filled with
many beloved parables – the Good Samaritan; the Prodigal Son; the
Unjust Judge and the Pharisee and Tax Collector.
Possibly written at Antioch during the last third of the 1st century, the
author remains unknown although many scholars believe the evangelist to
have been a physician, a Gentile convert and a friend of Paul.
Session 8
Messianic Fulfillment
General Prophecies Concerning the Coming of Jesus
Gen. 49:10; Mic. 5:2 - a kingdom and ruler of Israel shall come from Judah – Mat. 1:1-2, Luke 3:23-33 - Jesus is from
the line of Judah.
Psalm 2:7 - you are my Son, today I have begotten you - Matt. 3:17; Acts 13:33 - God the Father said this about Jesus
the Son.
Psalm 69:4; Isaiah 49:7 - He will be hated without a cause - John 15:25 - Jesus was hated without a cause.
Psalm 78:2 - He will speak in parables - Matt. 13:34-35 - Jesus spoke in parables.
Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 8:14; 28:16 - He will be the stone rejected by the builders - Acts 4:10-11; Rom. 9:32-33; 1 Peter
2:7-8 - Jesus is the stone rejected by the builders.
Psalm 132:11; Jer. 23:5 - He, the king, shall come from the House of David - Matt. 1:1; Luke 3:23,31 - Jesus is the son
of David.
Isaiah 7:14 - He will be born of a young virgin woman - Matt. 1:18, 24-25; Luke 1:26-35 - Jesus was born of the young
virgin Mary.
Isaiah 9:6 - a woman shall bear a son called Emmanuel ("God is with us") - Luke 1:35 - Jesus is this one, the Son of
God.
Isaiah 11:2 - the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him - Matt. 3:16-17 - the Spirit of God descended upon Jesus like a
dove.
Isaiah 32:3-4; 35:5-6- His ministry will include miracles curing the blind, deaf, lame and dumb - Matt. 9:32-35 - Jesus
so cured the blind, deaf, lame and dumb.
Isaiah 40:3; Mal. 3:1 - He will be preceded by a messenger - Mat. 3:1-3; 11:10; Luke 1:17; John 1:23 - Jesus was so
preceded (by Saint John the Baptist).
Isaiah 53:3 - He will be rejected by His people - John 1:11; 7:5 - Jesus was rejected by His own people.
Isaiah 61:1-2 - the Spirit of the Lord is upon Him - Luke 4:21 - Jesus says that He has fulfilled this prophecy.
Zech. 9:9 - He will triumphantly enter Jerusalem on an ass - Matt. 21:5; Luke 19:35-38; John 12:14-17 - Jesus so
entered Jerusalem.
Mic. 5:2 - Israel's ruler shall come from Bethlehem - Matt. 2:1,4-8; Luke 2:4-7 - Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
Messianic Fulfillment
Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus in His Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension
Psalm 22:1 - My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me? - Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34 - Jesus utters this rabbinical formula from the
cross declaring that He is the Messiah.
Psalm 22:7 - He will be mocked - Matt. 27:31; Mark 15:20; Luke 22:63; 23:36 - Jesus was mocked.
Psalm 22:16; Isa. 53:12 - He will be numbered with the transgressors - Matt. 27:38; Mark 15:27; Luke 23:32; John 19:18 - Jesus
was numbered with the transgressors by being crucified between two thieves.
Psalm 22:16; Zech 12:10 - His hands and feet will be pierced and they will weep for the first-born - John 19:23,34,37 - Jesus' hands
and feet were pierced and his followers wept for Him, the true first-born Son of Israel.
Psalm 22:17 - they will stare and gloat over Him - Matt. 27:36; Luke 23:35 - the people stood by and stared at Jesus on the cross.
Psalm 22:18 - they will cast lots for His garments - Matt. 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:24 - they cast lots for Jesus'
garments.
Psalm 30:3; 41:10, 118:17; Hos 6:2 - He will be raised to life on the third day - Acts 13:33, Matt. 28:6; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:34,46 Jesus was raised to life on the third day.
Psalm 41:9; 55:12-14 - He will be betrayed by a friend - Matt. 10:4; 26:20-25; Mark 14:18-21; John 13:18 - Jesus was betrayed by a
friend.
Psalm 68:18 - He will ascend into heaven - Mark 16:19; Luke 24:51; John 20:17; Acts 1:9 - Jesus ascended into heaven.
Isaiah 50:6 - He will be spat upon - Matt. 26:67; Mark 15:19 - Jesus was spat upon.
Isaiah 53:5; Zech. 13:6 - He was wounded, bruised and scourged for us - Matt. 27:26; Mark 15:15; John 19:1 - Jesus was wounded,
bruised and scourged for us.
Isaiah 53:7 - He will remain silent before His accusers - Matt. 27:12,14; Mark 14:61;15:5; Luke 23:9; John 19:9 - Jesus remained
silent before His accusers.
Isaiah 53:9 - He will be buried in a rich man's tomb - Matt. 27:57-60; Mark 15:42-46; Luke 23:50-53; John 19:38-42 - Jesus was
buried in a rich man's tomb (the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea).
Amos 8:9 - God will darken the earth at noon - Matt. 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44-45 - there was darkness at noon at Jesus'
crucifixion and death.
Jonah 1:17 - three nights and days in the belly of the whale foreshadows Jesus' death and rising on the third day.
Zech. 11:12-13 - He will be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver - Matt. 26:15 - Jesus was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver.
Zech. 13:7 - He will be forsaken by His disciples who will scatter - Matt. 26:31, Mark. 14:50 - Jesus' disciples forsook Him and
scattered.
Session 8
The Early Church
• The Acts of the Apostles continues the narrative of Luke’s gospel and traces the story of the early church
from the resurrection of Jesus Christ to the time when Paul was in Rome proclaiming the gospel “with all
boldness and without hindrance”. (Acts 28:31).
• The first half of Acts focuses on the Jerusalem church, its leaders and relationship.
• The second half of Acts is dominated by Paul and his three journeys climaxed by his arrest and voyage to
Rome.
• While Peter spread the Good News amongst the Jews, Paul would be known as “the Apostle of the
Gentiles”.
• Geographically, Paul spreads the Word of God from Jerusalem to Samaria (8:5), the seacoast (8:40),
Damascus (9:10), Antioch (where the disciples were first called “Christians”; (11:26), Asia Minor (13:13),
Europe (16.11), and finally Rome itself.
• Early churches were located at Jerusalem, Ephesus, Antioch, Corinth, Philippi, Thessalonica, Colossae,
Rome, Cyprus and Alexandria.
• The date of Acts remains disputed since there is no mention of Paul’s martyrdom under emperor Nero (6567 AD).
• Many scholars believe that St. Luke’s purposes in writing Acts were to:
• awaken people’s faith by showing the triumphant progress of the Good News.
• defend Christians against charges of destroying Jewish institutions and being a troublesome element
to the empire.
• to show the activity of the Holy Spirit in the founding and the development of the church.
• to make us aware of the power of the Holy Spirit manifested in and through the members of the early
church. It is an awareness that remains true even to this day!
In closing, it is important to note that none of the judges or authorities who would hear Paul and the
other Christians ever found them guilty of anything wrong.
Session 8
The Early Churches
Why Study the Bible?
• The Bible affirms law, authority, and tradition, as most writings in most of
history have done, but then it also does something much more: it strongly
affirms reform, change, and the voiceless, starting with the Exodus event
itself.
• This is what makes the Bible a truly revolutionary and inspired book.
• It affirms the necessity of authority and continuity in a culture (tradition), but,
• it also affirms the currents of change, reform, the poor, the outsider, and justice
for the marginalized groups—starting with the enslaved Jewish people themselves.
• The Biblical bias towards the bottom has been called by some “the
preferential option for the poor.” But it is an option, an invitation: it is a
grace, and it emerges from inner freedom—or else it would not be from
God.
• In the last analysis, the Bible is biased; it takes the side of the rejected ones,
the abandoned ones, the barren women, the child and the ones who have
been excluded, tortured, and kept outside.
• This is all summed up in Jesus’ own ministry: He clearly prefers, heals, and
includes the foreigner, the non-Jew, the handicapped, and the sinner—
without rejecting the people of power, but very clearly critiquing them.
Source: A Lever and a Place to Stand: The Contemplative Stance, the Active Prayer – Fr. Richard Rohr OFM
Session 8