What’s a thoughtful person, believer or non-believer, to make of the Old Testament?
It is the Christian scriptures, almost the same as the Jewish scriptures, and is respected by Muslims. It contains stories and phrases most of us are familiar with. It has inspired music, art and writings.
And yet it also contains tales, and even commands, of murder and mayhem. People behave badly – not that they are alone in that, but they are supposed to be people of faith, and exemplars.
Can we make sense of these contrasting facts?
Important questions
Some of the most read pages on this website relate to the Bible, and especially the Old Testament. Many people seem to be wanting to find better ways to understand what they read there.
There’s a lot of questions we could ask about the Old Testament:
- Are some of the stories legendary, mythical or folk tales? How can we know?
- Could a loving God order mass murder as is portrayed? Could a just God do that? If not, how can we understand what was happening there?
- Does archaeology show Old Testament history is true?
- Is Old Testament prophecy genuine? Does it really point to Jesus?
- If we can’t believe some parts of the Old Testament, can we believe any of it?
- What is the point of the Old Testament? Why should anyone read it? Can writings that are 2 to 3 millennia old have any value for us today?
Interested? Let’s talk!
The next few posts I’m going to discuss some of these questions. Not just my ideas, but what historians and archaeologists have discovered that throws light on the Old Testament.
I’ve been troubled by these questions for decades. So I’ve read what historians and archaeologists have to say, to try to inform myslef and find answers to puzzling questions.
I’d like to share what I’ve found and what that has led me to conclude. I’d be pleased if some readers on the same path joined in with your ideas and questions.
See you again soon.
Photo: Ben Leto on Flickr.
