A Survey of the Old Testament Laminated Sheet

By John H. Walton

Students of the Old Testament may not know everything they need to know, but they do know there's a lot they need to know! Whether studying for exams or delving into Old Testament Scripture, students need critical information at their fingertips. Instead, it's usually scattered throughout textbooks, self-made crib sheets, and sticky-notes on their computer monitor. Now there's a better way! The Zondervan Get an A! Study Guides to A Survey of the Old Testament is a handy, at-a-glance study aid ideal for last minute review, a quick overview of the textbook, or as an aid in Old Testament study. The study guide is tied to A Survey of the Old Testament by Andrew Hill and John Walton.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Release date: Apr 23, 2019
• ISBN: 9780310109310

John H. Walton

John H. Walton (PhD, Hebrew Union College) is professor emeritus of Old Testament at Wheaton College Graduate School. He is the author or coauthor of numerous books, including Old Testament Today, with Andrew E. Hill; volumes on Job and Genesis in the NIV Application Commentary series; the six-volume Lost World series; and Genesis 1 as Ancient Cosmology. He was also coeditor, with Craig Keener, of the ECPA 2017 Bible of the Year winner, the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible.

Book preview

I. BACKGROUND

A. Maps of Israel and Ancient Near East

Map of Israel and surrounding areas during Old Testament times (© Mosaic Graphics)

Map of Israel and surrounding areas during Old Testament times (© Mosaic Graphics)

Map of the Ancient Near East (© Mosaic Graphics)

Map of the Ancient Near East (© Mosaic Graphics)

Map of Israel during Old Testament times (© Mosaic Graphics)

Map of Israel during Old Testament times (© Mosaic Graphics)

B. Hebrew Language and Writing

Hebrew is a Semitic language and is related to many of the languages that were used in the ancient world. Unlike Akkadian cuneiform, it is alphabetic rather than syllabic (i.e., each sign is a letter rather than a syllable). It is written from right to left using only consonants. A system of marks above and below the consonants was developed during the first millennium AD to fill in vowels and thus preserve the pronunciation of what was at that time a dying language.

C. Ten Key Bridges to the Ancient Near East

■ Enuma Elish — Babylonian praise hymn to their chief God, recounting his ascension to the head of the pantheon. Dates to about 1200 BC and contains an account of creation

■ Gilgamesh — Epic from second millennium BC that records the exploits of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, and his companion, Enkidu, and ultimately the king’s search for immortality. Includes an account of a devastating flood that destroyed humanity

■ Treaty/Covenant — Hittite treaties from second millennium BC and Assyrian treaties from first millennium that use a literary format similar to that which the Old Testament uses for the covenant

■ Ugaritic Texts — Archive from 13th century BC that provides literary texts

Reviews for A Survey of the Old Testament Laminated Sheet

[dk_phoenix_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had to read this for a course I took, and surprisingly, I actually didn't mind this text; I thought it was well organized and well written - for once, I actually made it through a textbook without falling asleep or having to re-read entire sections that I'd previously glossed over in a daze...I really appreciated the sections on Near Eastern history & archaeology included in the text, and I also enjoyed reading about the various challenges and theories scholars have with dating the O.T. books' original composition. Each chapter included a look at the writing of the book, its historical background, the purpose & message, the organization & structure, the outline, and the major themes... a lot of information, but organized in a comprehensible (and readable!) way. So shoot me... I liked a textbook.

[doctorphillip · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This textbook is very well organized.I taught a course in our School of Ministry utilizing it and everyone enjoyed the rich features and solid academic content.