A quick overview of the Bible
It's easy to get lost reading the Bible, since it deals with so
many different people, places, and times. So before you begin, it will
be useful for you to know, in very broad strokes, the history and
geography of the Bible, so that you will have a framework to fit
everything into.
History
The story of the Bible is the story of God and his people. So to get a
basic grasp on Biblical history, it's not so important to memorize
dates, but very important to know the key events in God's work of
creation and redemption. There are ten of them (this is open to
debate, of course), and these divide history up into ten key periods:
| Period | Key figure | Passages |
|---|
| Creation | Adam | Gen 1-2 |
| Fall | Adam | Gen 3-5 |
| Flood | Noah | Gen 6-11 |
| Promise | Abraham | Gen 12-50 |
| Exodus | Moses | Ex, Lev, Num, Deut |
| Conquest | Joshua | Josh, Judg, 1 Sam 1-7 |
| Kingdom | David | 1 Sam 8-31; 1 Kgs 1-11 |
 (divided) | | 1 Kgs 12-22; 2 Kgs |
| Restoration | Zerubbabel | Ezra-Neh |
| First advent | Jesus | Mt, Mk, Lk, Jn |
| (after ascension) | | Acts, Rev |
| Second advent | Jesus | Rev |
- The first four periods are packed into the book of Genesis: the creation of the world; the fall of Adam and his expulsion from Eden; the flood that destroyed humanity except for Noah; and the promise of a nation and a land given to Abraham.
- Exodus. At the end of Genesis Abraham's descendants go down to Egypt and are eventually enslaved. The book of Exodus tells how God freed Israel from slavery under the leadership of Moses. Then the books of Leviticus through Deuteronomy recount the giving of the Law.
- Conquest. After the death of Moses, Israel enters the Promised Land and conquers it under the leadership of Joshua.
- Kingdom. Against advice Israel asks God for a king, and God gives them first Saul, then David, then Solomon. After Solomon's death the kingdom is divided in two because of disobedience to the Law, and eventually conquered and sent into exile.
- Restoration. After seventy years God brings a remnant of Judah back from exile, and they rebuild the Temple and Jerusalem.
- First advent. Jesus Christ is born, and is rejected by his people and crucified. But he rises again from the dead and ascends into heaven.
- Second advent. Jesus will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead; and his kingdom will have no end.
Geography
For large-scale geography, remember the six countries that ruled
Israel: Egypt, Assyria (in northern modern Iraq), Babylon (modern
Iraq), Persia (modern Iran), Greece, Rome. Add to those six Asia
(modern Turkey), and you've learned the key regions of the Biblical
world.
But most of the action in the Bible takes place in the land of
Canaan; so it's helpful to know the geography of this region in a
little more detail. Here are ten important regions in and around Canaan:
| Coast | West of river | East of river |
|---|
| Phoenicia | | Aram |
| Israel | Gilead, Ammon |
| Philistia | Judah | Moab |
| | Edom |
| Sinai |
- Phoenicia (roughly modern Lebanon). Its two main cities are Tyre and Sidon.
- Philistia (includes modern Gaza Strip). Its five main cities are Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. The Philistines are often mentioned in the Bible as oppressors or enemies of Israel. The Philistine best known today is Goliath of Gath.
- Israel. The northern half of the kingdom after it was divided. It is also often called Ephraim, and its capital city from the time of Omri was Samaria. The northern part of Israel is called Galilee, often mentioned in the Gospels.
- Judah. The southern half of the kingdom after it was divided. Its capital city from the time of David was Jerusalem.
- Edom. Descended from Israel's brother Esau.
- Sinai. Mostly desert, this is where Israel wandered for forty years in Numbers.
- Aram (roughly modern Syria). Its capital city was Damascus.
- Gilead (in modern Jordan). This is the part of the Promised Land east of the Jordan River. It was the first part to be conquered.
- Ammon and Moab (in modern Jordan). Descended from Israel's second cousins.
With these names in mind, a passage like Amos 1-2 becomes much more manageable.
Next: how to enjoy the boring parts
David Chiang dchiang@cis.upenn.edu
Modified 15 Jun 2001