OLD TESTAMENT CHARACTERS (Essay Sample)

Old Testament Characters Student's Name University Affiliation Old Testament Characters Genesis The book of Genesis is the first book of the Bible and is found in the Old Testament. It falls within the religious narrative genre. The history of the entire Bible story is predicated upon the fundamentals found in Genesis. It can therefore be referred to as the bedrock of Bible history. The authorship of Genesis is hardly discernible from the book itself. However, Christian and Jewish theologians attribute it to Moses. This might be supported by the fact that it appears along the other four books written by Moses in the Old Testament and also due to the fact that the contents of these four derive their origin from Genesis. Just like its authorship, there is uncertainty as to the exact date when the book of Genesis was written. However, by attributing its authorship to Moses, then it follows that it must have been conceived and produced during his lifetime. This information therefore places its authorship date between 1440 and 1400 BC. It should be noted that this is the period between when Moses led the people of Israel from Egypt and the time he died. While several themes can be observed in the book of Genesis, two of them are outstanding. The first of these is origination. The book of Genesis explains the origin of man and life on earth. Further, it provides useful insights into the origin of marriage and sin. The second outstanding theme addressed in this book is redemption. After going against God's will, man is subjected to terrible conditions. However, the coming of salvation through a Messiah is foretold. Moreover, Abraham's offspring generation is blessed by God and set up for His favour. This indicates the rise of man after falling from Grace. Abraham One of the most important characters in the entire bible is Abraham. The rise of an entire nation is attributed to him. Consequently, even though his story is told in the book of Genesis in the Old Testament, his significance reverberates across the entire Bible. Jewish history places the birth of Abraham, then known as Abram, around 1800 BC in the city of Ur. He was the son of Terah. The most significant moment in his life came when he was called by God to leave his father's household and head into an unknown land together with his household. Abraham passed a series of tests on his way, much to God's approval. Therefore, he and his descendants were blessed by God. In particular, he was blessed to be the father of a great nation of God's people. In this way, Abraham is considered to be the father of the Jewish nation and therefore the first Hebrew. A key characteristic that defines Abraham is his solid faith in God. This is seen when he is promised a son in old age, which he believes in spite of the apparent minimal probabilities. The greatest test of his faith comes when he is commanded by God to sacrifice his only son. His acceptance to go through with this command is always upheld as the greatest demonstration of Faith in the bible. Isaac and Jacob are two prominent characters that are associated with Abraham. Isaac was Abraham's son who was born to the couple in old age as a sign of God's faithfulness. He in turn fathered Jacob and Esau. Jacob went on to become the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. Jerusalem The city of Jerusalem derives its origin from the Canaanite settlement of Salem according to the bible. A particularly signi...