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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