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The World of the Old Testament

Let's travel back 1000 years B.C.E. to the Middle East.

The Old Testament (OT) world was different from our own...

Then and Now

Then...
Travel by camel, horse, and boat

Now...
Travel by car, motorcycle, bus, plane (plus camel, horse, and boat!)

OK, so some things don't change. People still use the tried and true methods of travel, including their feet.

Other things do change. Just think what a difference the invention of the airplane made in the twentieth century. Things in history affect worldviews.

Other Things Affecting the OT World:

Religious Beliefs Affected Worldviews

Occurrences in the ancient peoples' world affected their world views. They believed...

God/gods were blessing them, because rain helping the crops to grow sun helping crops to grow plenty to eat battles won

God/gods were cursing them, because rain flooding everything drought starvation battles lost

Read an excerpt from The Bible: The Book that Bridges the Millennia to further understand the impact of crisis in history on the writings of Scripture. View World of Old Testament Timeline.

Take the Highway

Learn about the cosmology of Middle Eastern people in ancient times.

What's cosmology? Read the next page.

Choose a Byway

Read these articles about today's world and reflect on the similarities between then and now.

• Uprooted: Refugees and Global Migration
  article from Response magazine linking the migration issues of today with the issues of Biblical times.
• Resettling in a New Land
  article from Response magazine that looks at the issues people face when settling in a new land because of forced migration.
• Haitian Refugees: The Last in Line
  article from Response magazine on the issues and discrimination faced by Haitian refugees.
• Refugee and Global Migration Resources
  a list of internal and external links on migrant issues and resources produced by the General Board of Global Ministries.

Next Page: Cosmology of the Old Testament
Flat Earth and More

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