Osnova sekce

  • Old Testament books of history can be divided into two groups. The first tries to present events and interpret them; they have the character of textbooks of history, of chronicles or annalistic works. The second group contains stories whose main meaning lies in the point of the story, not in their historical credibility, although they usually take place against the background of specific historical events.

    This lesson is devoted to the first group of books. The books of the Former Prophets, i.e. the Deuteronomistic Historiography, were the subject of the first semester. Now it is the turn of the so-called Chronicler, i.e. the books of Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah, and the books of Maccabees. While studying these books, pay special attention to the article by A. R. Guenther, which describes the differences in the conception of history among the Deuteronomists and the Chronicler. 


    Literature: 
    - Rendtorff, Rolf, The Old Testament, p. 277-288 (Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah). 
    - ABD 4:439-450 (First and Second Maccabees) . 
    - Guenther, Allen R. „Kings and Chronicles. Interpreting Historical Interpretations“. In Direction, April 1982,  Vol. 11 No. 2, s. 4–15. (see the link below)  


    Biblical text for final exam: 

    The student is supposed to have read and to know all and entire Old Testament books; however, at the final exam (s)he will be confronted with one of these texts: 

    2Chr 11:5-17 (Levites in Judah)

    2Chr 33:1-20 (Menashe)

    Neh 8:1-18 (the reading of the Law)

    Neh 9:1-37 (confession of sins)

    2Macc 7:1-41 (martyrdom of seven brothers)


    Verifying comprehension: 

    1. What are the main differences between the ways how the Deuteronomistic historiography and Chronicler deal with the same events and figures? 
    2. The 2Mac contains some important theological assertions, like belief in bodily resurrection and prayer for the dead. What do the book say exactly regarding these topics? 
    3. Describe and explain the problem of dating the activity of Ezra and of Nehemiah.