If you had asked me two months ago whether I thought it would be possible for someone to lead a group of students through the whole of the Old Testament in just 11 2-hour sessions I would have said most unlikely. However, I would have been wrong! This term we have been studying the OT. It has been a voyage of discovery of hidden gems and reasons why it is still very relevant in the 21^st century as we were led through 1,300 years of Jewish history with such skill by someone who knew his subject backwards and could impart complex ideas and principles in such easily understood and memorable ways. I have sat at the feet of a very special teacher. I am very grateful for the opportunity. I have learnt a lot. The OT came alive.

Never again will I think of the OT as the part of the Bible that covers the time before Jesus and that has been superseded by the New Testament. I came to understand that the context of when they were written is crucial to an understanding of the various books and that it all hinges around the Exile in Babylon in from 587 - 538BC. It covers a majestic sweep of history from Moses around 1,300BC through David and Solomon (1,000BC), the time of the two kingdoms from 933BC to the destruction of Israel in 721BC and the total deportation of Judah in 587BC when they were all taken to Babylon and on through further trials and tribulations. The whole history of Israel was bound up by having to live with and under controlling empires throughout their existence; first the Egyptians, then the Assyrians and Babylonians and then after the exile the Persians and Greeks and finally the Roman Empire. Some were utterly repressive regimes; others tolerated the Jews. Their writings however reflect their circumstances so it is important to put and see what you read in context.

To me now the OT is not a single collection of books; it is a library on three shelves. The top shelf, the important books, contains just the "Torah" which in our bible is the first five books - the Pentateuch. The second shelf contains all the books under the general label of "Prophets" and the bottom shelf contains those books generally called the "Writings" which includes the Psalms, Proverbs, the Wisdom books and the Minor Prophets. They are all different and were written for different reasons and before we can start to make use of them today we need to understand them a little better.

By looking at various styles of writing we students were shown that the OT combines stories about ancestors (history), epics to arouse enthusiasm and celebrate heroes (albeit some were greatly exaggerated!), laws to help organize people and allow communal life, liturgy covering celebrations and ritual (showing the link between man and God), poems conveying expressions of the sentiments and faith of the people, oracles of the prophets recalling people to true faith, teachings and finally the (great) wisdom writings which are superb reflections on the great human questions. What is life? death? love? Why evil? Why suffering? All of it is still so very relevant today.

I've been shown how and where the OT repeats itself more than once since the same "story" has been told by different people for different purposes and how important details were radically changed to suit the author. There are parts that need to be treated with care; there are parts that are still not understood since the meaning of the ancient Hebrew is unclear and there are plain straightforward contradictions. These facts apart from anything else has brought home to me how vital it is to know the background and not to always accept something in the Bible as being unquestionably correct.

However, the OT today belongs alongside the NT. It certainly hasn't superseded it. I could go on and write another paragraph two on this subject alone but time and space don't permit. If I've whetted your appetite to know a little more about the OT please do ask me further questions. Most of the material is still fresh in my mind and I will continue to be closely engaged with the OT until well after Easter since I have two substantial assignments still to complete! I also have a list of set books (thankfully small and pocket sized this term) that were easy to read and I'm happy to share details.