The Bible is primarily a book of history, and without some knowledge of its historical contents no one can rightly understand its revelation of divine truth. But in order to know the history contained in the Old Testament we must obtain a view of the lands in which that history was wrought. We therefore study first of all the Old Testament World.
I. Location and Extent. The history of the Old Testament was enacted upon a field less than half the area of the United States. It extended from the river Nile to the lands east of the Per´sian Gulf and from the northern part of the Red Sea to the southern part of the Cas´pi-an. The world of Old Testament history was thus 1,400 miles long from east to west and 900 miles wide from north to south, and it aggregated 1,110,000 square miles, exclusive of large bodies of water.
II. Let us begin the construction of the map by drawing upon its borders Six Seas, four of which are named in the Old Testament.
1. The Cas´pi-an Sea, of which only the southern portion appears in the northeastern corner of our map.
2. The Per´sian Gulf, south of the Cas´pi-an, on the southeast.
3. The Red Sea, on the southwest (Exod. 15. 4; Num. 33. 10; 1 Kings 9. 26).
4. The Med-i-ter-ra´ne-an Sea, on the central west. Note its names in Josh. 1. 4 and Deut. 34. 2.
5. The Dead Sea, north of the eastern arm of the Red Sea (Gen. 14. 3; Deut. 4. 49; Joel 2. 20; Ezek. 47. 18).
6. Lake Chin´ne-reth (ch pronounced as k), the name in the Old Testament for the Sea of Gal´i-lee (Num. 34. 11; Josh. 13. 27).
III. Next we indicate the Mountain Ranges, most of which, though important as boundaries, are not named in the Bible.
1. We find the nucleus of the mountain system in Mount Ar´a-rat, a range in the central north (Gen. 8. 4). From this great range three great rivers rise and four mountain chains branch forth.
2. The Cas´pi-an Range extends from Ar´a-rat eastward around the southern shore of the Cas´pi-an Sea.
3. The Za´gros Range extends from Ar´a-rat southeasterly to the Per´sian Gulf, which it follows on the eastern border.
4. The Leb´a-non Range extends from Ar´a-rat in a southwesterly direction toward the Red Sea. Mount Her´mon, the mountain region of Pal´es-tine, Mount Se´ir, on the south of the Dead Sea, and even Mount Si´nai, all belong to this chain (Deut. 3. 25; Josh. 13. 5; 1 Kings 5. 6).
5. The Tau´rus Range, from Ar´a-rat westward, following the northern shore of the Med-i-ter-ra´ne-an.
IV. The Rivers, for the most part, follow the lines of the mountain ranges.
1. The A-rax´es, from Ar´a-rat eastward into the Cas´pi-an Sea, may be taken as the northern boundary of the Old Testament world.
2. The Ti´gris, called in the Bible Hid´de-kel, flows from Ar´a-rat, on the southwestern slope of the Za´gros mountains, in a southeasterly direction into the Per´sian Gulf (Gen. 2. 14; Dan. 10. 4).
3. The Eu-phra´tes, the great river of the Bible world, rises on the northern slope of Ar´a-rat, flows westward to the Tau´rus, then southward, following Leb´a-non, then southeasterly through the great plain, and finally unites with the Ti´gris (Gen. 2. 14; 15. 18; Josh. 1. 4; 24. 2).
4. The Jor´dan flows between two parallel chains of the Leb´a-non range southward into the Dead Sea (Gen. 13. 10; Num. 22. 1; Judg. 8. 4).
5. The Nile, in Af´ri-ca, flows northward into the Med-i-ter-ra´ne-an Sea (Gen. 41. 1; Exod. 2. 2).
V. The Old Testament world has three Natural Divisions, somewhat analogous to those of the United States.
1. The Eastern Slope, from the Za´gros mountains eastward to the great desert.
2. The Central Plain, between the Za´gros and Leb´a-non mountains, the larger portion a desert.
3. The Western Slope, between Leb´a-non and the Med-i-ter-ra´ne-an Sea.
VI. We arrange the Lands according to the natural divisions, giving locations, and not boundaries, as these changed in every age.
1. On the eastern slope lie:
1.) Ar-me´ni-a (Rev. Ver., "Ar´a-rat"), between Mount Ar´a-rat and the Cas´pi-an Sea (2 Kings 19. 37).
2.) Me´di-a, south of the Cas´pi-an Sea (2 Kings 17. 6; Isa. 21. 2).
3.) Per´sia, south of Me´di-a and north of the Per´sian Gulf (Ezra 1. 1; Dan. 5. 28).
2. In the central plain we find:
(a) Between Mount Za´gros and the river Ti´gris:
4.) As-syr´i-a, on the north (2 Kings 15. 19; 17. 3).
5.) E´lam, on the south (Gen. 10. 22; 14. 1).
(b) Between the rivers Ti´gris and Eu-phra´tes:
6.) Mes-o-po-ta´mi-a, on the north (Gen. 24. 10; Deut. 23. 4).
7.) Chal-de´a, on the south (Jer. 51. 24; Ezra 5. 12).
(c) Between the river Eu-phra´tes and the Leb´a-non range:
8.) The great desert of A-ra´bi-a (2 Chron. 17. 11; 26. 7).
3. On the western slope we find:
9.) Syr´i-a, extending from the Eu-phra´tes to Pal´es-tine (2 Sam. 8. 6; 1 Kings 22. 1).
10.) Phœ-ni´cia, a narrow strip between Mount Leb´a-non and the sea, north of Pal´es-tine.
11.) Pal´es-tine, "the Holy Land," south of Syr´i-a and north of the Si-na-it´ic wilderness. Note its ancient name in Gen. 12. 5.
12.) The Wilderness, a desert south of Pal´es-tine, between the two arms of the Red Sea (Exod. 13. 18; Deut. 1. 19).
13.) E´gypt, on the northeast corner of Af´ri-ca (Gen. 12. 10; 37. 28).
VII. In these lands out of many Places we name and locate only the most important.
1. E´den, the original home of the human race, probably at the junction of the Ti´gris and Eu-phra´tes (Gen. 2. 8).
2. Shu´shan, or Su´sa, the capital of the Per´sian empire, in the province of E´lam (Esth. 1. 2).
3. Bab´y-lon, the capital of Chal-de´a, on the Eu-phra´tes (Gen. 10. 10; 2 Kings 25. 1).
4. Nin´e-veh, the capital of As-syr´i-a, on the Ti´gris (Gen. 10. 11; Jonah 3. 3).
5. Ha´ran, a home of A´bra-ham, in Mes-o-po-ta´mi-a (Gen. 11. 31).
6. Da-mas´cus, the capital of Syr´i-a, in the southern part of that province (Gen. 15. 2).
7. Tyre, the commercial metropolis of Phœ-ni´cia (Ezek. 27. 3).
8. Je-ru´sa-lem, the capital of Pal´es-tine (Judg. 1. 8).
9. Mem´phis, the early capital of E´gypt, on the Nile (Hos. 9. 6).
Other names of places might be given indefinitely, but it is desirable not to require the student to burden his memory with lists of names, and therefore the most important only are given.
Have a good blackboard for the map drawing, and see that each scholar is supplied with a tablet or pad of paper.
1. Let the teacher first draw on the board in presence of the class the boundaries of the Seas, and require the class to draw them also on tablet or pad, holding the pad so that its longest side will be from right to left. Inspect each pupil's design, and see that it is fairly correct, but do not seek for finished drawing. A rough sketch is all that should be desired.
2. Next draw the lines representing Mountain Ranges, and require the class to do the same. Review the names of the Seas, and also of the Mountain Ranges.
3. Place on the board the lines representing the Rivers, and let the pupils do the same, and review Seas, Mountains, and Rivers.
4. Show the three Natural Divisions; indicate on the map the Lands in the order given, and let the pupils do the same. See that the pupils know the name and location of each Land, and review Seas, Mountains, Rivers, and Lands.
5. Indicate on the blackboard the Places named in the lesson, and have the pupils also locate and name them. Review Seas, Mountains, Rivers, Lands, and Places.
6. Let the pupils redraw the map at home from copy, and at the next session of the class call upon five pupils to go in turn to the board—the first to draw the Seas, and then receive criticism from the class, the second the Mountains, the third the Rivers, the fourth the Lands, and the fifth the Places.
7. If another review could be given it would be an excellent plan to call for the reading of the Bible references in the lesson, and require a student to name and locate on the blackboard the Sea or Mountain or River or Land or Place named in the reference. It will abundantly reward the teacher to occupy three or four sessions of the class on this map and its reviews.
8. Let the pupils read all the facts of the lesson from the hints given in the following Blackboard Outline and answer all the Review Questions.
How large was the Old Testament world? Between what bodies of water was it located? What were its dimensions? Name its six important bodies of water. Locate each of these bodies of water. Name and describe its mountain ranges. Name and locate its five important rivers. State and describe its three natural divisions. Name and locate the lands of the eastern slope. Name and locate the lands of the central plain. Name and locate the lands of the western slope. Name its nine important places. Locate each of the nine places.
The divine revelation which the Bible contains is given in the form of a history. God revealed his plan of saving men not in a system of doctrine, but in the record of his dealings with the world at large, and especially with one people. To understand this revelation it is necessary for us to view the great stream of history contained in the Bible. Our study on this subject will include the principal events from the creation of man, at a date unknown, to the birth of Christ.[1]
We begin by dividing the entire field of time to the opening of the New Testament into five periods. Each of these we write at the head of a column. (See the Blackboard Outline.)
| I. | The Period of the Human Race. |
| II. | The Period of the Chosen Family. |
| III. | The Period of the Is´ra-el-ite People. |
| IV. | The Period of the Is´ra-el-ite Kingdom. |
| V. | The Period of the Jew´ish Province. |
I. We find in the opening of the Bible that the Human Race is the subject of the history. This theme extends through the first eleven chapters of Genesis, which narrate the history of much more than half of the time included in the Bible. During this long period no one tribe or nation or family is selected; but the story of all mankind is related by the historian.
1. This period begins with the Creation of Man (not the creation of the world), at some unknown time which scholars have not been able to fix; and it ends with the Call of A´bra-ham, also at a date uncertain, though given with some doubt at about B. C. 2280. With this event Bible history properly begins.
2. Through this period it would appear that God dealt with each person directly, without mediation or organized institutions. We read of neither priest nor ruler, but we find God speaking individually with men. (See Gen. 3. 9; 4. 6; 5. 22; 6. 13; and let the class find other instances.) We call this, therefore, the period of Direct Administration.
3. All the events of this period may be connected with three epochs:
1.) The Fall (Gen. 3. 6), which brought sin into the world (Rom. 5. 12), and resulted in universal wickedness (Gen. 6. 5).
2.) The Deluge (Gen. 7. 11, 12). By this destruction the entire population of the world, probably confined to the Eu-phra´tes valley, was swept away (Gen. 7. 23), and opportunity was given for a new race under better conditions (Gen. 9. 18, 19).
3.) The Dispersion (Gen. 10. 25). Hitherto the race had massed itself in one region, and hence the righteous families were overwhelmed by their evil surroundings. But after the deluge an instinct of migration took possession of families, and soon the whole earth was overspread.
4. In this period we call attention to three of its most important Persons:
1.) Ad´am, the first man (Gen. 5. 1, 2). His creation, fall, and history are briefly narrated.
2.) E´noch, who walked with God (Gen. 5. 24), and was translated without dying.
3.) No´ah, the builder of the ark (Gen. 6. 9), and the father of a new race.
Let the teacher place the outline of the period on the blackboard, point by point, as the lesson proceeds, and let the class do the same on paper or in notebooks. Let every Scripture text be read in the class by a student, and let its bearing be shown. Call upon members of the class to give more complete account of the events and the persons named, and for this purpose let the first eleven chapters of Genesis be assigned in advance as a reading lesson.
| I. Per. Hu .Ra. | II. Per. Ch. Fam. | III. Per. Is. Peo. | IV. Per. Is. Kin. | V. Per. Je. Prov. |
| C. M. C. A. |
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| Dir. Adm. | ||||
| Fa. Del. Dis. |
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| A. E. N. |
What is the central theme of the Bible? How is this theme presented in the Bible? Why should we study the history in the Bible? What are the five periods of Old Testament history? What is the subject of the history during the first period? With what events does the first period begin and end? What is said concerning the dates of early events? What kind of divine government in relation to men is shown in the first period? Into what epochs is the first period subdivided? What results followed the first man's falling into sin? Where was the population of the world confined up to the time of the flood? How did the flood become a benefit to the world? What new instinct came to the human family after the flood? Name three important persons in the first period? State a fact for which each of these three men is celebrated.
II. A new chapter in Bible history opens at Gen. 12. 1. Here we find one family of the race is selected and made the subject of the divine revelation. This was not because God loved one family more than others, but because the world's salvation was to be wrought through that family (Gen. 12. 2, 3). Hence we call this the Period of the Chosen Family.
1. This period extends from the Call of A´bra-ham (Gen. 12. 1), B. C. 2280?, to the Exodus from E´gypt, B. C. 1270?.
2. In this period we notice the recognition of the family. God deals with each family or clan through its head, who is at once the priest and the ruler (Gen. 17. 7; 18. 19; 35. 2). We call this period, therefore, that of the Patriarchal Administration.
3. We subdivide this period into three epochs:
1.) The Journeyings of the Patriarchs (Gen. 12. 5; 13. 17, 18; 20. 1, etc.). As yet the chosen family had no dwelling place, but lived in tents, moving throughout the land of promise.
2.) The Sojourn in E´gypt. In the lifetime of the patriarch Ja´cob, but at a date unknown, the Is´ra-el-ite family went down to E´gypt, not for a permanent home, but a "sojourn," which lasted, however, many centuries (Gen. 46. 5-7; 50. 24).
3.) The Oppression of the Is´ra-el-ites. Toward the close of the sojourn the Is´ra-el-ite family, now grown into a multitude (Exod. 1. 7), endured cruel bondage from the E-gyp´tians (Exod. 1.13, 14). This was overruled to promote God's design, and led to their departure from E´gypt, which is known as "the exodus," or going out.
4. From the names of men in this period we select the following:
1.) A´bra-ham, the friend of God (James 2. 23).
2.) Ja´cob, the prince of God (Gen. 32. 28).
3.) Jo´seph, the preserver of his people (Gen. 45. 5).
| I. Per. Hu. Ra. | II. Per. Ch. Fam. | III. Per. Is. Peo. | IV. Per. Is. Kin. | V. Per. Je. Prov. |
| C. M. C. A. |
C. A. E. E. |
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| Dir. Adm. | Patr. Adm. | |||
| Fa. Del. Dis. |
Jou. Pat. Soj. Eg. Opp. Isr. |
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| A. E. N. | A. J. J. |
What is the name of the second period? Why is it so named? With what events does the second period begin and end? What kind of divine administration do we notice in the second period? Into what three epochs is the second period divided? What were the beneficial results of the bondage in E´gypt upon the Is´ra-el-ites? Name three persons of the second period? For what fact or trait is each of these three persons distinguished?
III. When the Is´ra-el-ites went out of E´gypt a nation was born, and the family became a state, with all the institutions of government. Therefore we call this the Period of the Is´ra-el-ite People.
1. It opens with the Exodus from E´gypt, B. C. 1270? (Exod. 12. 40-42), and closes with the Coronation of Saul, B. C. 1050?.
2. During this period the government of the Is´ra-el-ites was peculiar. The Lord was their only King (Judg. 8. 23), but there was a priestly order for religious service (Exod. 28. 1), and from time to time men were raised up by a divine appointment to rule, who were called judges (Judg. 2. 16). This constituted the Theocratic Administration, or a government by God.
3. We subdivide this period as follows:
1.) The Wandering in the Wilderness. This was a part of God's plan, and trained the Is´ra-el-ites for the conquest of their land (Exod. 13. 17, 18). It lasted for forty years (Deut. 8. 2).
2.) The Conquest of Ca´naan, which immediately followed the crossing of the Jordan (Josh. 3. 14-17). The war was vigorously carried on for a few years, but the land was only seemingly conquered, for the native races remained upon the soil, and in some places were dominant until the time of Da´vid.
3.) The Rule of the Judges. From the death of Josh´u-a, B. C. 1200?, the people were directed by fifteen judges, not always in direct succession.
4. This period has been justly called "the Age of the Heroes"; and from many great men we choose the following:
1.) Mo´ses, the founder of the nation (Deut. 34. 10-12).
2.) Josh´u-a, the conqueror of Ca´naan (Josh. 11. 23).
3.) Gid´e-on, the greatest of the judges (Judg. 8. 28).
4.) Sam´u-el, the last of the judges (1 Sam. 12. 1, 2).
| I. Per. Hu. Ra. | II. Per. Ch. Fam. | III. Per. Is. Peo. | IV. Per. Is. Kin. | V. Per. Je. Prov. |
| C. M. C. A. |
C. A. E. E. |
E. E. C. S. |
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| Dir. Adm. | Patr. Adm. | The. Adm. | ||
| Fa. Del. Dis. |
Jou. Pat. Soj. Eg. Opp. Isr. |
Wan. Wil. Con. Can. Ru. Jud. |
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| A. E. N. | A. J. J. | M. J. G. S. |
What is the third period of Bible history called? With what events did it begin and end? How was Is´ra-el governed during this period? What are its subdivisions? How many judges governed the Is´ra-el-ites after Josh´u-a? Name four important persons of the third period. State for what each of these persons was distinguished.
IV. With the reign of the first king a new period opens. We now study the history of the Is´ra-el-ite Kingdom. The kingdom was divided after the reign of three kings, but even after the division it was regarded as one kingdom, though in two parts.
1. This period extends from the Coronation of Saul, B. C. 1050? (1 Sam. 11. 15), to the Captivity of Bab´y-lon, B. C. 587.
2. During this period the chosen people were ruled by kings; hence this is named the Regal Administration. The king of Is´ra-el was not a despot, however, for his power was limited, and he was regarded as the executive of a theocratic government (1 Sam. 10. 25).
3. This period is divided into three epochs, as follows:
1.) The Age of Unity, under three kings, Saul, Da´vid, and Sol´o-mon, each reigning about forty years. In Da´vid's reign, about B. C. 1,000, the kingdom became an empire, ruling all the lands from E´gypt to the Eu-phra´tes.
2.) The Age of Division. The division of the kingdom took place B. C. 934, when two rival principalities, Is´ra-el and Ju´dah, succeeded the united empire, and all the conquests of Da´vid were lost (1 Kings 12. 16, 17). The kingdom of Is´ra-el was governed by nineteen kings, and ended with the fall of Sa-ma´ria, B. C. 721, when the Ten Tribes were carried into captivity in As-syr´i-a (2 Kings 17. 6) and became extinct.
3.) The Age of Decay. After the fall of Is´ra-el, Ju´dah remained as a kingdom for one hundred and thirty-four years, though in a declining condition. It was ruled by twenty kings, and was finally conquered by the Chal-de´ans. The Jews were carried captive to Bab´y-lon in B. C. 587 (2 Chron. 36. 16-20).
4. The following may be regarded as the representative Persons of his period, one from each epoch:
1.) Da´vid, the great king (2 Sam. 23. 1), and the true founder of the kingdom.
2.) E-li´jah, the great prophet (1 Kings 18. 36).
3.) Hez-e-ki´ah, the good king (2 Kings 18. 1-6).