Outline Studies in the Old Testament for Bible Teachers

by Jesse Lyman Hurlbut

Blackboard Outline

I.	Name. "H. B." Biblia. 39. 27. 66.
II.	Orig. "Hi. Crit." 1. Ora. St. so. po. pro. trad.
	2. Writ. 1,600 y. 40 wri. "Works of authors."
	3. Work of scr. B.C. 400. Text not uniform.
III.	Lang. 1. Heb. 2. Aram.
IV.	Form. 1. Writ. parch. 2. Use in syn. 3. Use in sch.

Review Questions

What is the origin and meaning of the word "Bible"? What does this word suggest as to the books of the Bible? How many books does the Bible contain? What is meant by "the higher criticism"? How was much of the Bible given? How and when were the books written? How long was the writing in progress? Did the writers of the Bible change the documents as they wrote them? How long was there little need of a written revelation? When were the writings of the Old Testament brought together? Name the leader in this work. At what time was the Old Testament completed? Was the precise text of the Bible fixed at that time? What evidence is there of more than one accepted text? In what language was most of the Old Testament written? What other language was also used? What parts of the Old Testament were in this other language? In what form were the books of the Old Testament preserved? What was their principal use? What hindered the private ownership of the books? What use was made of the old rolls of the Scriptures? How were they finally disposed of?

Part Two

V. Early Versions. The captivity of the Jews in Bab-y-lo´ni-a led to a change in their spoken language, so that they could no longer understand the ancient Hebrew of the Bible, and translations, or "versions," became necessary. Note that in Ez´ra's Bible class (Neh. 8. 7) translators were employed, and their names are given.

1. The Targums. These translations from the Hebrew to the vernacular, or common speech, of the Jews were called Targums. Men were trained to give them, as the sacred text was read, sentence by sentence, in the synagogue. This translator was called a "meturgeman." For centuries these translations, or Targums, remained unwritten, were handed down orally, and were jealously guarded. Not until after A. D. 200 was the writing of the Targums authorized by Jewish custom.

2. The Septuagint. The conquests of Al-ex-an´der, B. C. 330, made the Greek language dominant in all the lands of the east, and the Jews dispersed among these countries needed their writings in the Greek tongue, which was used almost everywhere in the synagogues outside of Ju-de´a. To meet this need the Septuagint version arose in Al-ex-an´dri-a, beginning about B. C. 285. The name Septuagint, meaning "seventy," arose from a legend that the version was made by seventy men, each in a separate room, translating all the books; and the result showed the rendering alike, word for word! The Septuagint became the current Bible of the Jews in all lands except, perhaps, Pal´es-tine.

3. The Vulgate. After Rome became the world's capital, and the Latin language came into general use, especially west of Al-ex-an´dri-a, in the Christian churches came a demand for the Bible in Latin. Many versions of certain books were made, but the one that at last superseded all the earlier translations was that prepared by Jerome, about A. D. 400. This was called "the Vulgate," from the Latin vulgus, "the common people." This was the Bible in general use until the Reformation. But as the Latin language in its turn ceased to be spoken the Bible was lost to the common people throughout Europe, and was known only to scholars, mostly in the monasteries.