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3 days ago · The ostraca, which date to 600 B.C.E., according to the researchers, were excavated from the Judahite fortress at Arad in southern Israel. When was the Hebrew Bible written? Ostraca with Hebrew inscriptions excavated from the Iron Age fortress at Arad in Israel may provide clues, say researchers from Tel Aviv University.
- Computer Program Learning to Read Paleo-Hebrew Letters
If literacy was more widespread than previously thought,...
- Ancient Military Correspondence: Send Wine
The letter, written with ink on an ostracon (broken pottery...
- Hebrew Bible
While the Aleppo Codex is the oldest Hebrew Bible, the...
- Bible Written
The oldest Hebrew Bible texts are the Dead Sea Scrolls (c....
- Paleo Hebrew Script
Paleo Hebrew Script - When Was the Hebrew Bible Written? -...
- Ancient Inscriptions
Ancient Inscriptions - When Was the Hebrew Bible Written? -...
- Ancient Aramaic Business Records
Generally written with ink, the texts on ostraca varied from...
- Christopher Rollston
Christopher Rollston - When Was the Hebrew Bible Written? -...
- Computer Program Learning to Read Paleo-Hebrew Letters
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh[a] (/ tɑːˈnɑːx /; [1] Hebrew: תַּנַ״ךְ Tanaḵ), also known in Hebrew as Miqra (/ miːˈkrɑː /; Hebrew: מִקְרָא Mīqrāʾ . ), is the canonical collection of Hebrew scriptures, comprising the Torah, the Nevi'im, and the Ketuvim. Different branches of Judaism and Samaritanism have ...
Jan 12, 2023 · The latest books of the Hebrew Bible, such as Esther and Ezra-Nehemiah, describe events from the fifth century B.C.E. and would have been written afterward—meaning that the very earliest the Hebrew Bible could have been compiled in its entirety is the fifth century B.C.E., with some scholars suggesting much later dates.
- Overview
- General outline and major themes
Hebrew Bible, collection of writings that was first compiled and preserved as the sacred books of the Jewish people. It also constitutes a large portion of the Christian Bible, known as the Old Testament. Except for a few passages in Aramaic, appearing mainly in the apocalyptic Book of Daniel, these scriptures were written originally in Hebrew during the period from 1200 to 100 bce. The Hebrew Bible probably reached its current form about the 2nd century ce.
A brief treatment of the Hebrew Bible follows. For full treatment, see biblical literature.
In its general framework, the Hebrew Bible is the account of God’s dealing with the Jews as his chosen people, who collectively called themselves Israel. After an account of the world’s creation by God and the emergence of human civilization, the first six books narrate not only the history but the genealogy of the people of Israel to the conquest and settlement of the Promised Land under the terms of God’s covenant with Abraham, whom God promised to make the progenitor of a great nation. This covenant was subsequently renewed by Abraham’s son Isaac and grandson Jacob (whose byname Israel became the collective name of his descendants and whose sons, according to legend, fathered the 13 Israelite tribes) and centuries later by Moses (from the Israelite tribe of Levi). The following seven books continue their story in the Promised Land, describing the people’s constant apostasy and breaking of the covenant, the establishment and development of the monarchy in order to counter this, and the warnings by the prophets both of impending divine punishment and exile and of Israel’s need to repent. The last 11 books contain poetry, theology, and some additional history.
The Hebrew Bible is the literature of faith, not of scientific observation or historical demonstration. God’s existence as a speculative problem has no interest for the biblical writers. What is problematical for them is the human condition and destiny before God. The great biblical themes are about God, his revealed works of creation, provision, judgment, deliverance, his covenant, and his promises. The Hebrew Bible sees what happens to humankind in the light of God’s nature, righteousness, faithfulness, mercy, and love. The major themes about humankind relate to humanity’s rebellion, estrangement, and perversion; humankind’s redemption, forgiveness, and reconciliation are all viewed as the gracious works of God.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Apr 8, 2024 · The books of the Bible’s New Testament were written from the 1st century C.E. to the 2nd century C.E. It’s believed they took a period of about 50 years total to complete — a far shorter timeframe than the Old Testament. The earliest portions of the New Testament — and some of the earliest Christian literature in existence — are the ...
- Morgan Dunn
Sep 8, 2023 · The initial texts of the Hebrew Bible were written during the 8th and 7th centuries B.C.E., while the most recent entry (the Book of Daniel) was composed in the 2nd century B.C.E. As to the Bible’s relation with the ancient Near Eastern culture, the essay by James Greenfield highlights the persuasive influence of the Canaanite culture.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Parts of the Hebrew Bible were written in perhaps the 10th century BCE. The final redaction and canonization of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) most likely took place during the Babylonian Exile (6th–5th century BCE). The entire Hebrew Bible was complete by about 100 CE.
