BIBLE HIGHLIGHTS
Medieval artists, patrons and audiences would
have
been thoroughly familiar with the Bible. The Christian Bible
includes
the OLD TESTAMENT (the Hebrew Bible) and the NEW TESTAMENT
(the
Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and additional writings ascribed to his
disciples
and early followers). A Greek translation (the SEPTUAGINT)
of
the Hebrew Bible was begun in Alexandria in the third century B.C. and
completed
by the next century; it includes some books (the APOCRYPHA)
that were
not accepted as canonical by the Jews. It was later used - with
the
New Testament - by the Greek-speaking Christians of the Byzantine
Empire.
Latin-speaking Christians of western Europe used the VULGATE
text,
a Latin translation of the Old and New Testaments prepared by ST.
JEROME (c.400).
OLD TESTAMENT
The Jewish Bible includes the Law, the Prophets and the Writings.
The
first five books of the Bible (GENESIS, EXODUS, LEVITICUS
, NUMBERS AND DEUTERONOMY), the Jewish TORAH
(the Law
or Instruction), are known as the PENTATEUCH (five scrolls) in
Greek.
The Greeks also use the term, OCTATEUCH (eight scrolls), to
describe
eight books of the Bible: the five books of the Pentateuch, Joshua,
Judges
and Ruth. ST. AUGUSTINE made a distinction among the books of
the
prophets, based on their length, between the major prophets (ISAIAH
, JEREMIAH, EZEKIEL and DANIEL) and the twelve
minor
prophets. Christians looked for a figurative or symbolic meaning
in
the Jewish Bible. In this way, they understood events from Jewish
history
and passages from the writings of the prophets as foreshadowing events
in
the life of Jesus, in the life of the Christian church and in the Last
Judgement
GENESIS
-CREATION (chap. 1)
-ADAM and EVE (2-3): the creation of Adam and Eve, the
description of the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge, the
temptation and sin of Adam
and Eve, their shame and their expulsion from Paradise
-CAIN and ABEL, the sons of Adam and Eve (4:1-16): their
offerings to God, Cain's killing of his brother, Abel, and its
consequences
-NOE and the FLOOD (6-9): the wickedness of the world and God's
anger,
the making of the ark, the flood, God's covenant with Noe sealed by the
rainbow,
Noe's drunkenness
-the TOWER OF BABEL (11:1-9)
-God's covenants (promises) to ABRAHAM and his descendants
(12:1-3, 15:1-18, 17:1-21, 22:16-18): Abraham is promised many
descendants; they will
be a great nation and live in a promised land.
-Abraham and MELCHISIDEK (14:18-20): Melchisidek's offering of
bread
and wine is understood by Christians as foreshadowing the EUCHARIST
, the central part of the Catholic MASS or worship service.
-Abraham and the Three Angels on the plains of MAMRE (18:1-6):
God's
appearance to Abraham in the form of three men is understood by
Christians as prefiguring the TRINITY (their belief in three
persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - in one God).
-the destruction of SODOM and GOMORRAH (18:19 - 19:28)
-the SACRIFICE of ISAAC (22:1-18): Abraham's faith and
obedience are
tested by God when he is asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac; at the last
moment,
an angel prevents him from slaying his son. The episode is viewed
by
Christians as foreshadowing God's sacrifice of his son, Jesus, on the
cross.
-JACOB and ESAU, the sons of Isaac (27): Isaac's wife, Rebecca,
tricks
him into giving Jacob, the younger son, the blessing meant for Esau,
the
older son; Christians understood this story as meaning that they would
replace
the Jews, the older people of God, in his favor.
-the story of JOSEPH and his brothers, the sons of Jacob who
was renamed
Israel (37-50): Joseph interprets his father's dreams; his brothers
sell
him into slavery because of their jealousy. Joseph attains
greatness
in Egypt and is reunited with his family.
EXODUS
the story of MOSES and the release of the Jewish people from
their captivity in Egypt
-the finding of Moses by Pharaoh's daughter (2:1-10)
-Moses kills an Egyptian and flees to Midian (2:11-17)
-God appears to Moses in the BURNING BUSH (3 - 4:17)
-Moses and Pharaoh (5 - 7:14)
-the plagues of Egypt (7:15 - 12:30/the PASSOVER 12: 1-27)
-the CROSSING OF THE RED SEA (14 - 15:21)
-the Israelites receive manna (bread) in the desert (16: 2-4)
-Moses receives the TEN COMMANDMENTS on MT. SINAI
(19-20)
-Instructions for the ARK OF THE COVENANT (25-27)
-Instructions for the making of the robes of AARON, the priest
(28)
-The Israelites make and worship the GOLDEN CALF and are
punished (32)
THE NEW TESTAMENT
The New Testament includes accounts of the life of JESUS CHRIST
and
the writings of his disciples (followers), such as the EPISTLES
(letters)
of ST. PAUL and the visionary BOOK OF REVELATION (the APOCALYPSE
) attributed to ST. JOHN the EVANGELIST. The four GOSPELS
are attributed to MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE and JOHN, the four EVANGELISTS
. Each tells the story of the life of Jesus. Therefore,
there
are several versions of many events, although some stories occur only
in
a single gospel.
LUKE offers the most elaborate
account of the INFANCY of Jesus:
-ANNUNCIATION (Luke 1:26-38): the angel GABRIEL
announces to
MARY that she has conceived a son and would bear Jesus, the son
of
God
-VISITATION (1:39-56): Mary visits her cousin, ELIZABETH,
the
mother of JOHN THE BAPTIST
-Birth and naming of John the Baptist (1:57-80)
-NATIVITY (2:1-7): the birth of Jesus
-ADORATION OF THE SHEPHERDS (2:8-20)
-PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE (2:22-39): The aged SIMEON
and
the prophetess ANNA prophesy Jesus's future greatness when the
infant
is brought to the temple
Other important parts of the story of
Jesus's infancy and childhood may be found in MATTHEW'S GOSPEL:
-EPIPHANY/ADORATION OF THE MAGI (Matthew 2:1-12): the coming of
the
Three Magi (wise men or kings) to worship the newborn Jesus
-FLIGHT INTO EGYPT (Matthew 2:13-15): warned by an angel, Joseph
takes
Mary and Jesus into Egypt to escape king HEROD who is intent on
killing
the newborn children of Israel because the wise men told him one had
been
born who would rule over Israel
-MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS (Matthew 2:16-18): Herod orders the
killing
of all the children of Israel
Important events of Jesus's ADULT LIFE in Matthew's Gospel
include:
-the BAPTISM of Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan river
(3)
-the three TEMPTATIONS of Jesus by SATAN in the
wilderness (4:1-11)
-the SERMON ON THE MOUNT (5-7)
-the TRANSFIGURATION (17:1-13): Jesus appeared in glory to
three chosen
disciples (PETER, JAMES and JOHN) on a mountaintop accompanied
by
two Old Testament figures, MOSES and ELIAS
The story of Jesus's PASSION (suffering) and death in
Matthew includes
these important episodes:
-the ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM (21:1-11): Jesus is hailed as king
and messiah
-Jesus drives the moneychangers from the Temple (21:12-14)
-the prophecy of the LAST JUDGEMENT and the PARABLE of
the
wise and foolish virgins (24-25)
-the LAST SUPPER (26:17-29): Jesus announces to the TWELVE
APOSTLES that one of them - JUDAS - has betrayed him.
Christians viewed
this meal as the institution of the SACRAMENT of the EUCHARIST
by
Jesus's transformation of bread and wine into his body and blood, a
sign
anticipating his own sacrifice on the cross. This is the central
event
commemorated in the Catholic MASS.
-the AGONY IN THE GARDEN (26:30-56): Jesus prays and is
arrested in
the Garden of Gethsemane.
-Jesus is brought before CAIAPHAS, the High Priest (26:57-68)
-the DENIAL OF PETER (26:69-75): as Jesus had prophesied, Peter
denies
knowing Jesus.
-JUDAS' SUICIDE (27:3-10)
-Jesus is brought before PONTIUS PILATE, the Roman governor
(27:11-26)
-Jesus is mocked by the Roman soldiers (27:27-31)
-the CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS (27:32-56)
-the ENTOMBMENT OF JESUS (27:57-66)
-the RESURRECTION OF JESUS (28:1-15)
Other episodes frequently shown in Christian
art
and celebrated in the liturgy of the church are:
-the RAISING OF LAZARUS (John 11:1-45): Lazarus, the brother of
MARTHA AND MARY, is raised from the dead by Jesus.
-the ASCENSION (Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11). Christ
ascends into heaven.
-the PENTECOST (Acts of the Apostles 2). The HOLY
SPIRIT descends upon the apostles in the form of tongues of fire,
and gives them power to speak in many languages.
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