A Dictionary of the Old Testament

Paper Summary:

This paper introduces, discusses and reviews the book "Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch" by Desmond Alexander and David Baker. The paper explains that, although the title of the book would leave one questioning what light a dictionary could possibly shed on one's theological and philosophical understanding of the Old Testament, the book does, in fact, have a lot to offer its readers and contains a clear message and mission about the Old Testament.

From the Paper:

"The section of the authors on the "Image of God" is perhaps the most powerful example of how a dictionary format can be instructive as a way of teaching an individual about the theological and historical nuances of the Bible. Rather than seeking the Image of God as a particular doctrine, expressed differently and piecemeal in a few texts, or pertaining only to the Genesis creation myth, the authors trace how humanity was made in the image of God, and yet connect this concept to the mention of God's image in other texts of the books of Moses, such as the condemnation of idolatry in the story of the Golden Calf and in the Ten Commandments. They stress how God's Image in the Pentateuch was also regarded as sacred thing, not a part of the idolatrous worship of the human-created image common to paganism."

More papers on A Dictionary of the Old Testament:

• Term Paper # 68786 : "King David of the Old Testament "
• Book Review # 91176 : "The Old Testament Documents"
• Research Paper # 112745 : "Anthropological View of the Old Testament"

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