The biblical story

The biblical story moves from crisis to crisis. If it were graphed it would look like the valleys and peaks of a cardiogram. Valleys would be Israel in Egyptian and Babylonian bondage. Peaks would be the exodus from Egypt and the restoration of Judah.
    The exodus and the exile are Israel's formative experiences. Both involved displacement from the Promised Land. The crisis in each case was precipitated by outside pressures from world-class empires. In fact, the whole of Israel's history is played out against the backdrop of international politics.
   When studying the Hebrew Bible, it is immensely beneficial first to get a sense of the scope and flow of history. Many of its historical books were written hundreds of years after the events they relate, so getting a sense of the historical context of composition provides helpful orientation. In addition to surveying the event history of the Bible we will place the written traditions of Israel within this event stream. The parenthetical references to chapters refer to this textbook.
    The books in the Hebrew Bible are not arranged chronologically. Seeing the development of the books in relation to history will further our grasp of their meaning and intent. This introduction covers biblical history only with broad strokes. The details will come out later as we deal with individual books.
    For convenience we divide history into four large-scale eras: pre-Israelite, early Israelite, monarchy, and early Judaism. There are texts in the Hebrew Bible that apply to each period. Extra-biblical documents and archaeological evidence will also enhance our understanding.