The Old Testament: Roots, Promises, and Freedom
1. Introduction: What is the Hebrew Bible?
It's not a book, but a library . 46 books (in the Catholic version) written over a thousand years.
- The Structure (TA-NA-KH):
- Torah (Law): The first 5 books (Genesis, Exodus...).
- Nevi'im (Prophets): Those who call the people to coherence.
- Ketuvim (Writings): Wisdom, poems (Psalms), love stories (Song of Songs).
2. The Symbolic Story: Creation and the Fall
The Genesis story is not a treatise on geology or biology, but an answer to the question: Why do we exist?
- The Story: God creates with the Word . There is no struggle between gods (as in Babylonian myths), but an act of love. Man is created "in the image and likeness," that is, as a free interlocutor.
- Freedom: The tree of good and evil represents human limitations. Eating from it means wanting to decide for yourself what is right and what is wrong, breaking trust with the Creator.
3. The Story of Liberation: The Exodus
This is the beating heart of the Old Testament. God is not an unmoving mover, but a God who "listens to the cry of his people."
- Moses and the Burning Bush: God reveals his name ( YHWH - "I am who I am/I am").
- The Crossing of the Red Sea: Symbol of the passage from slavery (sin/fear) to freedom (responsibility).
- The Ten Words: The commandments are not "prohibitions," but a fence that protects the freedom we have just won.
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