A-Z: General definitions: Old Testament

The Creation; Fall of humankind and universal or original sin; Noah and the Flood; the call of Abraham (start of salvation history), followed by the stories of the other patriarchs, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.

Big ideas: Creation; Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve; Cain and Abel; Noah and the Flood; Patriarchs

Famous stories from the Bible: Adam and Eve / Creation; Noah's Ark; Abraham

Birth and call of Moses; Passover and deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt; giving of the law including the Ten Commandments at Sinai; God takes Israel as his covenant people; beginning of 40 years wandering in the wilderness; setting up of the Tabernacle.

Big ideas: Journey of faith, Exodus, pilgrimage; Moses; Ten Commandments

Famous stories from the Bible: The Ten Commandments given to Moses

Establishment of Aaronic priesthood and practice (cult) of animal sacrifice; detailed laws governing cultic purity, food laws, various animal sacrifices dealing with sin and transgression.

Big ideas: Sin

Israel in the desert; consecration of Levites for service in the Tabernacle (symbolising God's presence); further rulings, eg. keeping of Passover; God's guidance by pillars of cloud and fire; challenges to Moses' leadership; appointment of Joshua as Moses' successor.

Big ideas: Passover

Restatement and reaffirmation of the Sinai covenant on the eve of the Israelites' entry into Canaan, the Promised Land, in the form of addresses by Moses to the Israelites (note especially the series of blessings and curses in ch. 27-30).

Big ideas: Promised Land; Ten Commandments

Covers the lifespan of Moses' successor, Joshua and describes the conquest of Canaan ending with the covenant renewal ceremony at Shechem, which established the tribes of Israel in united allegiance to God.

Big idea: Promised Land

An episodic account of the completion of the conquest when individual tribes suffering incursions from hostile neighbours (e.g. Philistines). The Judges were 'liberators' whom God raised up to defeat these enemies. Chief among these were Deborah, Barak, Gideon, Jephthah and Samson. The reason for the failure of the Israelites was that '(they) did what was evil in the sight of the Lord'.

Big ideas: Women in the Bible

Set in the time of the judges, a story of the faith of a Moabite girl and her sacrificial love for her Jewish mother-in-law. Descended from Ruth is King David, the ancestor of Christ the Messiah.

Big ideas: Women in the Bible

1 and 2 Samuel: Advent of chronological record of events, particularly the story of David; central figure of Samuel (judge and prophet); interest focused on the issue of kingship; Samuel anoints first Saul (the first king of Israel) then David. Key events include David's victory over the Philistine champion, Goliath, his affair with Bathsheba and rebellion by his son Absalom. The period covered by their reigns was 1050 BCE until 971BCE. David reigned in Jerusalem for the last 33 years of his life.

Famous stories from the Bible: David and Goliath; Big ideas: Women in the Bible

1 and 2 Samuel: Advent of chronological record of events, particularly the story of David; central figure of Samuel (judge and prophet); interest focused on the issue of kingship; Samuel anoints first Saul (the first king of Israel) then David. Key events include David's victory over the Philistine champion, Goliath, his affair with Bathsheba and rebellion by his son Absalom. The period covered by their reigns was 1050 BCE until 971BCE. David reigned in Jerusalem for the last 33 years of his life.

Famous stories from the Bible: David and Goliath; Big ideas: Women in the Bible

1 Kings and 2 Kings: Accession of David's son Solomon; building of Jerusalem Temple; the break-up of the kingdom of Israel 40 years later; rivalry between the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The prophetic activities of Elijah and Elisha are recorded, including Elijah's contest with the prophets of Baal. Fall of Northern capital, Samaria, to the Assyrians in 722BCE, also Judah's capital, Jerusalem, to the Babylonians in 587BCE; exile in Babylon. Main themes of 1 and 2 Kings are the Davidic dynasty, the prophetic word of the Lord and the worship of the Jerusalem temple.

Big ideas: Temple; Dreams, visions, prophecy

1 Kings and 2 Kings: Accession of David's son Solomon; building of Jerusalem Temple; the break-up of the kingdom of Israel 40 years later; rivalry between the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The prophetic activities of Elijah and Elisha are recorded, including Elijah's contest with the prophets of Baal. Fall of Northern capital, Samaria, to the Assyrians in 722BCE, also Judah's capital, Jerusalem, to the Babylonians in 587BCE; exile in Babylon. Main themes of 1 and 2 Kings are the Davidic dynasty, the prophetic word of the Lord and the worship of the Jerusalem temple.

Big ideas: Temple; Dreams, visions, prophecy

1 and 2 Chronicles: Similar in outline to Kings, but 1 and 2 Chronicles ignores the northern kingdom - after the reigns of David and Solomon, traces the history of Judah from Rehoboam to the exile. Most space is given to David and Solomon and matters to do with the temple. The chronicler is also interested in the part played by priests and levites as cultic officials.

Big ideas: Temple, tabernacle; Lion

1 and 2 Chronicles: Similar in outline to Kings, but 1 and 2 Chronicles ignores the northern kingdom - after the reigns of David and Solomon, traces the history of Judah from Rehoboam to the exile. Most space is given to David and Solomon and matters to do with the temple. The chronicler is also interested in the part played by priests and levites as cultic officials.

Big ideas: Temple, tabernacle; Lion

Episodic book about the rebuilding of the temple after the exile; rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah around 445BCE; various reforms regarding observance of the law.

Big ideas: Exile

Episodic book about the rebuilding of the temple after the exile; rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah around 445BCE; various reforms regarding observance of the law.

Story (possibly an historical novel) set in the post-exilic Persian period, about a plot to commit genocide against the Jewish nation. A young Jewish girl, Esther becomes the queen of the king Ahasuerus and helps thwart the plot. The story illustrates the overruling providence of God and explains the origin of the Jewish feast of Purim.

Big ideas: Women in the Bible

Essentially the hymn book of the Jerusalem temple, expressing the whole range of human emotion, from dark depression to exuberant joy; many attributed to David.

Big ideas: Psalms

Also known as the Song of Solomon; an erotic celebration of human love; variously interpreted by Jews and Christians alike

A book of wise sayings (a kind of oriental textbook) training the young in wise and right living; stylistically, many short, sharp phrases, dramatic contrasts and unforgettable scenes from life; traditionally attributed to Solomon, Israel's 'wise' king.

Big ideas: Parents and children; Wisdom

A great debate on why, if God is just and good, he allows innocent people to suffer (theodicy); recognised as a literary masterpiece for the wealth and energy of its language and the power of its thought

Rather disjointed and bleak collection of thoughts and sayings about life; attributed to Solomon; conclusions are that life without God is futile and empty, the cycles of nature and history are constantly repeating themselves and that 'There is nothing new under the sun'

There are at least 2 Isaiahs: Isaiah of Jerusalem, active in the final years before the exile, warns of coming judgement; an unknown prophet after the exile proclaims hope and salvation.

Big ideas: Redemption, salvation; Dreams, visions, prophecy

Active for 40 years, Jeremiah warns of coming disaster to an unrepentant Judah; he observes the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BCE and Jewish exile. Jeremiah contains the famous prophecy of a 'New Covenant' written on the heart (ch. 31).

Big ideas: Exile; Judgement

5 laments which reflect on the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 587BCE, seen through the eyes of one unknown individual.

Big ideas: Exile

Ezekiel received his prophetic call during Babylonian exile; contains an apocalyptic vision of God in awesome majesty (ch1); prophecies of judgement; the vision of the valley of dry bones (ch37); eight chapters devoted to a vision of the future renewed temple.

Big ideas: Temple; Dreams, visions, prophecy; Exile; Judgement

Ch 1-6 narrate stories about Daniel and his friends, exiles who remain faithful to God in the period of the Persian and Babylonian empires; includes accounts of surviving a lion's den, a fiery furnace, the story of Belshazzar's feast when Daniel interprets the writing on the wall. Ch 7-12 are a series of apocalyptic visions depicting the rise and fall of a succession of empires culminating in the establishment of the Kingdom of God.

Big ideas: Exile; Dreams, visions, prophecy; Famous stories from the Bible: Daniel and the lions

Active prior to the fall of Samaria in 721BCE, Hosea depicts Israel's unfaithfulness in terms of a wife who commits adultery; however God will again betroth Israel as a faithful wife after judgement.

Big ideas: Bride and marriage; Judgement

Includes visions of a plague of locusts and devastating drought in Israel, seen as signs of the coming day of the Lord when God will punish his enemies; followed by promises of restoration, blessing and the outpouring of God's spirit on all people.

Big ideas: Dreams, visions, prophecy

A contemporary of Hosea, Amos depicts God's voice as the roar of a lion; judgement is passed on each of Israel's neighbours in turn followed (to her astonishment) by Israel herself.

Big ideas: Judgement

An oracle specifically against Edom, Israel's age-old enemy, who rejoiced at the destruction of Jerusalem; Israel's restoration is prophesied.

Big ideas: Dreams, visions, prophecy

Story of Jonah's commission to take God's message of judgement to pagan Nineveh capital of Assyria; after disobedience and being swallowed by a large fish (whale) Jonah repents and delivers God's message; Nineveh repents and God has mercy on the city.

Big ideas: Forgiveness, mercy and grace

Contemporary of Hosea, Micah addresses Samaria and Jerusalem and denounces rulers, priests, prophets, the exploitation of the helpless, dishonesty in business and sham religion; later sees a glorious future for Jerusalem and that Bethlehem will give birth to a greater David (understood by Christians as Jesus).

Big ideas: Messiah

Poem celebrating the fall of Nineveh, God's judgement on a cruel nation.

Big ideas: Judgement

Habakkuk battles with the problem that while God's people suffer, the wicked prosper; God's answer is that ultimately only the man who trusts God and remains loyal to him will live.

Big ideas: Judgement

A prophecy of judgement against Judah (probably uttered around the time Jeremiah's ministry began but before king Josiah launched his programme of reform in 621 following the discovery of the law-book in the temple).

A message for the Jews returning from exile (520 BCE), when life seems hard, with food and clothing in short supply and prices soaring; people have their priorities wrong, God is neglected and so the very things they work for elude them.

Big ideas: Exile

A visionary priest involved in the rebuilding of the temple; Zechariah distils the wisdom of earlier prophets and brings into sharp focus the events of the distant future; he makes references to the Messiah which Christians believe are fulfilled in Christ.

Big ideas: Messiah

Malachi means 'my messenger'; the message (dated around 450 BCE at a time when disillusionment and an increasingly casual attitude to worship had set in), concerns God's claims on his people.