The Old Testament in the Heart of the Catholic
Church
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Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers
Deuteronomy || Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings || 1
Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah || >> Tobit* << Judith*
Esther 1 Maccabees* 2 Maccabees* Job
Psalms
Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of
Songs Wisdom* Sirach* || Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Baruch* Ezekiel
Daniel || Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah
Haggai Zechariah Malachi
The Old Testament books with a star *
are not any more or less important than the others. The star indicates
that the Catholic Church definitively professes and knows these books to
be part of the sacred writings, the inspired Word of God [cf. CCC 120],
but that they are specifically rejected by the Jewish people, and called
''apocryphal'' (of doubtful inspiration) by Protestants.
Most scholars consider the book of Tobit to be a story,
not a historical account. Tobit is a faithful Jew living among pagans.
Read Tob 1:1-3. Read Tob 1:5-6. Read Tob 1:16-17. The book of Tobit
teaches that faithfulness to God includes
a. giving money to the poor.
b. restoring the Ark of the Covenant.
c. vengeance toward enemies.
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Tobit becomes blind and prays for death. The woman Sarah has no husband
because a demon, wanting her for himself, has killed seven prospective
bridegrooms. She also prays to God for deliverance. Read Tob 3:7-15. Now
read Tob 3:16-17. The readers of Tobit now know something that the
characters do not. What is it?
a. God is sending the angel Raphael to
answer both their prayers.
b. God is sending the angel Raphael to
answer Sarah's prayers.
c. God is sending the angel Raphael to
answer Tobit's prayers.
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Tobit asks his son Tobiah (or Tobias) to travel to Gabael's house, so
that Tobiah can have the money Tobit has saved there. Before Tobiah
leaves, Tobit, expecting death, tells his son how to live. Read Tob
4:1-21. Now re-read Tob 4:21. Are these words of Tobit to his son
apparently inconsistent with Tobit's own condition?
a. Yes.
b. No.
c. Maybe.
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The angel Raphael becomes Tobiah's guide on the journey. Raphael tells
Tobit and Tobiah that his name is Azariah (or Azarias) - a little white
lie, because Azariah means ''the LORD is my help.'' (Raphael truly is
there to be the LORD's help to them). Instructed by Raphael, Tobiah
catches a fish that would have seized him, whose parts can heal the blind
and drive away demons. Raphael also suggests that he marry Sarah, who is
his relative (scholars think that at the time marriage between relatives
was encouraged by some Jews). Read Tob 7-8. The wedding of Tobiah and
Sarah occurs only after
a. a wedding feast that lasted fourteen
days, twice the normal time.
b. a young lamb is sacrificed in the Temple
precincts.
c. their prayer to the God of the
patriarchs and the God of Creation.
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Read Tob 8:3. Sarah's deliverance from the demon occurs not directly from
Tobiah's burning of the fish parts but
a. unexpectedly, without warning, and for
no reason.
b. when Raphael catches the demon and binds
him.
c. when the smoke from the fish parts
rises.
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Read Tob 11. Tobit finally
a. dies.
b. is healed.
c. suffers.
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Read Tob 12. Raphael reveals that he is
a. an angel.
b. a demon.
c. a man.
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The Catholic Church professes with certainty that angels are real. Not
only that, you really do have a guardian angel. Read CCC 328-336.
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Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers
Deuteronomy || Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings || 1
Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah || Tobit* >> Judith* <<
Esther 1 Maccabees* 2 Maccabees* Job
Psalms
Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of
Songs Wisdom* Sirach* || Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Baruch* Ezekiel
Daniel || Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah
Haggai Zechariah Malachi
The Old Testament books with a star *
are not any more or less important than the others. The star indicates
that the Catholic Church definitively professes and knows these books to
be part of the sacred writings, the inspired Word of God [cf. CCC 120],
but that they are specifically rejected by the Jewish people, and called
''apocryphal'' (of doubtful inspiration) by Protestants.
Read Judith, Jdt 16:25, the very end of the book of
Judith. Scholars note that similar words end the accounts of many of the
judges in the book of Judges. Most scholars think that the book of Judith
is a story, rather than a historical account, and seems to cast Judith in
a role similar to that of a judge in ancient Israel. There is a crisis in
Israel and Judith is called by God to respond and defeat Israel's enemies.
What is the awesome weapon the faithful and courageous Judith possesses
that God uses to defeat Nebuchadnezzar's general Holofernes and his whole
army? Her
a. beauty.
b. cunning.
c. strength.
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The eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign is the year he took
Jerusalem. However, the twenty-second day of the first month is the day
after Passover. Thus the sacred author of Judith gives a reminder of both
defeat and victory in the one date. Read Jdt 2:1-13. In the book of
Judith, the situation seems hopeless, and yet God does work to save his
people, but not in any expected way. It was not likely then and it is not
likely now that an entire army could be defeated by one courageous woman's
beauty, yet that is what happens. Judith, seemingly powerless, cuts off
Holofernes's head with his own sword, and scatters his army.
The Catholic Church reads the Old Testament in the light of Christ, and
sees God gradually revealing that his ideas of power and man's ideas are
not the same. The book of Judith is one example of this. The Church sees
the Old Testament as gradually preparing man for the coming of Jesus, who
defeats life's strongest enemy, death, out of what seems to be complete
weakness, by dying on the Cross.
However, the Church never forgets that in her Magnificat, her great hymn
of praise, Mary also shows that she too belongs to the poor. Read Judith,
Jdt 15:8-10. This passage has been heard by the Church to refer to Mary,
the Mother of God and the New Eve, who is in worldly terms even more
insignificant than Judith.
Finally, read Judith's canticle, Jdt 16:1-17. <<
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Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers
Deuteronomy || Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings || 1
Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah || Tobit* Judith* >> Esther
<< 1 Maccabees* 2 Maccabees* Job
Psalms
Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of
Songs Wisdom* Sirach* || Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Baruch* Ezekiel
Daniel || Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah
Haggai Zechariah Malachi
The Old Testament books with a star *
are not any more or less important than the others. The star indicates
that the Catholic Church definitively professes and knows these books to
be part of the sacred writings, the inspired Word of God [cf. CCC 120],
but that they are specifically rejected by the Jewish people, and called
''apocryphal'' (of doubtful inspiration) by Protestants.
The book of Esther contains the story that is the basis
for the Jewish feast of Purim, traditionally a feast of wild celebration.
It is a story of villains and heroes whose setting is banquets. The book
also includes instructions for celebrating the feast of Purim. The version
of Esther accepted by Catholics includes additions that many scholars say
were added by an editor who wrote in Greek. Mordecai the trickster is a
Jew at the court of a Persian king and is able to have his cousin Esther
named queen. The villainous Haman plots to kill all Jews and Mordecai in
particular. Haman is defeated and killed instead. Queen Esther obtains a
royal decree allowing the Jews to defend themselves against attack. They
do, and slaughter great numbers of Persians. The Greek editor adds
material at the beginning and the end, which clarifies that God (not the
flawed Mordecai) is the true victor and the true hero and places the story
in the context of a cosmic struggle between good and evil. Read Esther,
Esth 10:4-13. <<
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Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers
Deuteronomy || Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings || 1
Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah || Tobit* Judith* Esther >> 1
Maccabees* 2 Maccabees* << Job
Psalms
Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of
Songs Wisdom* Sirach* || Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Baruch* Ezekiel
Daniel || Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah
Haggai Zechariah Malachi
The Old Testament books with a star *
are not any more or less important than the others. The star indicates
that the Catholic Church definitively professes and knows these books to
be part of the sacred writings, the inspired Word of God [cf. CCC 120],
but that they are specifically rejected by the Jewish people, and called
''apocryphal'' (of doubtful inspiration) by Protestants.
Most modern scholars think that First Maccabees, unlike
Second Maccabees,
a. admits that Judas Maccabeus suffered
occasional defeats and was killed.
b. denies that Judas Maccabeus suffered
occasional defeats and was killed.
c. never mentions any of the defeats of
Judas Maccabeus or his death.
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1 and 2 Maccabees is the story of events that occurred while the Jews
were living under the rule of
a. Greek-speakers, about 200-100 BC.
b. the Romans, after about 60 BC.
c. the Persians, about 500-400 BC.
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Historians tell us that ''Hellenization'' (Greeks called themselves
''Hellenes'') occurred throughout the known world at the time of the
Maccabees. Hellenization was the adoption of Greek language, customs, and
practices by other societies. Greek philosophy, science, and art were
widely recognized as being important and valuable, and the Greek language
was the international language of the day.
Just for example, many Jews (along with people in many other societies of
the time) took Greek names, and the Jewish scriptures were translated into
Greek. Some Jews actively encouraged Hellenization. Others actively
resisted it. Many Jews probably just accepted it.
However, a turning point came when the Greek-speaking rulers of Judah
began to force Hellenization on the Jews, especially after one ruler
looted the Temple and turned it into a shrine to the Greek god Zeus. A
partially-successful armed resistance by some Jews developed. This armed
resistance was
a. ignored by the Maccabees.
b. led by the Maccabees.
c. opposed by the Maccabees.
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Most scholars agree that 1 Maccabees itself indicates that most Jews of
the time joined the Maccabees in resisting Greek rule.
a. Yes.
b. No.
c. Maybe.
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1 Maccabees records that the Maccabean resistance to Greek rule was
a. military and also political.
b. military but not political.
c. political but not military.
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Although neither 1 nor 2 Maccabees is part of the sacred scriptures of
the Jews, Jews remember the retaking and then the restoration of the
Temple under Judas Maccabeus at the feast of
a. Hanukkah.
b. Rosh Hashanah.
c. Yom Kippur.
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The first of the Maccabees, Mattathias, is near death, and delivers a
testament that sums up much of the teaching of the Maccabees. It
emphasizes faithfulness to the covenant with God and the eventual reward
for faithfulness. Read 1 Macc 2:49-69.
The rededication of the Temple is recounted in 1 Macc 4:36-59. This
rededication is celebrated every year at the feast of Hanukkah. Read 1
Macc 4:36-59.
Most scholars note that 1 Maccabees, while focusing on the Maccabees as
heroes, does mention the negatives: their political and diplomatic
machinations, their occasional military defeats, and the fact that most of
them were eventually killed in battle or assassinated. In 1 Maccabees, God
is seen to work through capable but flawed men. >>
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2 Maccabees focuses on the time of Judas Maccabeus, when both the Temple
and its worship were under attack from within and without. 2 Maccabees
clearly remembers the time as a time of great crisis for the Jewish people
and their relationship with God. Extremes of both faithfulness and
violence - even gore - are featured in its account, as are martyrdoms.
The Catholic Church remembers the story of seven martyred youths and
their martyred mother in 2 Maccabees and reads it at Mass. The Church
remembers them for a number of reasons, including of course their
faithfulness to God in spite of brutal torture. The Church also sees these
martyrs as professing a belief in a God who creates out of nothing, and in
the resurrection of the dead. Read 2 Macc 7.
Also note that this chapter reveals that martyrdom is not a waste. In a
mysterious way, the death of martyrs has the effect of ending suffering
and allowing the people to come closer to God. Re-read 2 Macc 7:37-38.
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Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers
Deuteronomy || Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings || 1
Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah || Tobit* Judith* Esther 1
Maccabees* 2 Maccabees* >> Job <<
Psalms
Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of
Songs Wisdom* Sirach* || Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Baruch* Ezekiel
Daniel || Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah
Haggai Zechariah Malachi
The Old Testament books with a star *
are not any more or less important than the others. The star indicates
that the Catholic Church definitively professes and knows these books to
be part of the sacred writings, the inspired Word of God [cf. CCC 120],
but that they are specifically rejected by the Jewish people, and called
''apocryphal'' (of doubtful inspiration) by Protestants.
The book of Job is made up largely of
a. poetry.
b. prose.
c. quotations.
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2001 John Kelleher. All rights reserved.
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