The Bible Book

332

THE CURSE OF CANAAN

Genesis 9:20–11:26

Noah is the first person to plant

crops after the Flood. Drinking

wine from his vineyard, he falls

asleep naked. His youngest son

Ham sees him and tells his brothers,

Shem and Jephthah. Shocked, they

walk backward into the tent, so

they cannot see their naked father

as they cover him with a coat.

When Noah wakes and hears that

Ham has seen him naked, he puts

a curse on Ham’s son, Canaan, and

his offspring, saying they will be

“servants of servants” while Shem

and Jephthah’s offspring will be

blessed. This story acted as

justification for the Israelites’

subjugation of the Canaanites.

See also: The Flood 40–41 ■

Covenants 44–47

A BRIDE FOR ISAAC

Genesis 24

Growing old in Canaan, Abraham

sends a servant with 10 camels to

his native lands to find a suitable

After a feast, Isaac’s servants

discover another well, so the

place is called Beersheba,

meaning “Well of the Oath.”

See also: The Testing of Abraham

50–53 ■ Esau and Jacob 54–55 ■

David and Bathsheba 118–19

MOSES’S FLIGHT

FROM EGYPT

Exodus 2:11–22; 4:24–26

When Moses’s murder of an

Egyptian for beating a Hebrew

slave becomes known to Pharaoh,

Moses flees Egypt. Arriving in

the desert of Midian, where he

will spend the next 40 years,

Moses defends seven women

from some shepherds who want

to drive them from a well. Their

father, the priest Jethro, invites

Moses to stay, and he marries

Zipporah, one of Jethro’s seven

daughters, who bears him two

sons. This begins Moses’s

transformation into one of the

most important prophets.

See also: Moses and the Burning

Bush 66–69 ■ The Exodus 74–77 ■

The Ten Commandments 78–83

DIRECTORY

C

entral to both Judaism and Christianity, the Bible has shaped

the development of the world and human thought more than

any other single work. Its influence is so great that, from ancient

times to the modern day, many Bible stories have become inextricably

intertwined with art, culture, philosophy, and society. The Bible is often

deemed a single, cohesive work, but a more accurate view of it would

be as an anthology of the writings of many authors that has developed

through several iterations. In addition to foundational narratives, such as

creation, the Ten Commandments, and the crucifixion and resurrection

detailed in the main part of this book, many less well-known stories have

also been woven into this tapestry of Jewish and Christian thought.

wife for his son Isaac. The servant

prophesies that if any woman

he meets at a local well not only

responds to his request for water,

but also offers pitchers of water for

his camels, she will be the chosen

bride. The young woman who does

these things is Abraham’s great

niece, Rebekah. Her marriage to

Isaac ensures the continuation of

Abraham’s lineage and fulfills his

covenant with God.

See also: Covenants 44–47 ■

The Testing of Abraham 50–53 ■

Esau and Jacob 54–55

ISAAC FOUNDS BEERSHEBA

Genesis 26:12–33

Blessed by God, Isaac becomes a

rich farmer, making the Philistines

so jealous that they block up his

wells, and King Abimelech asks

him to leave the country. Isaac

goes into the Negev desert where

his servants dig fresh wells, and

he prospers once more. Seeing

this, Abimelech seeks out Isaac

to apologize, saying that he now

realizes that God is with Isaac.

They make an oath of peace.

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DIRECTORY 333

THE LAST DAYS OF MOSES

Numbers 27:12–23;

Deuteronomy 34

On Mount Abarim, Moses looks

over the land God has given to the

children of Israel. God tells him

to make Joshua his successor,

presenting him to the priests

and the people. At the age of 120,

Moses takes his leave of the people,

giving instructions on how they

should live. God then gives him a

last look at the lands promised to

Abraham and his descendants, so

as to reaffirm the importance of

Moses’s mission and celebrate his

faithfulness. When Moses dies,

the Israelites weep for 30 days.

See also: Covenants 44–47 ■

The Ten Commandments 78–83 ■

Entering the Promised Land 96–97

ACHAN’S SIN

Joshua 7

After the fall of Jericho, an Israelite

named Achan secretly pillages gold,

silver, and a Babylonian garment

from the city. In the subsequent

Israelite attack on the city of Ai

ordered by Joshua, 36 Israelites are

killed and the rest are chased from

the city gate, fleeing in terror. Later,

tearing his clothes before the Ark

of the Lord, Joshua appeals to

God to save His people. God tells

Joshua that one of the Israelites

has broken His covenant, and will

be punished. The next day, God

identifies Achan as the culprit.

After Joshua’s encouragement,

Achan admits to his crimes. As

punishment, Achan, his family,

and livestock are stoned to death.

See also: The Ark and the

Tabernacle 86–87 ■ The Fall

of Jericho 98–99

THE BATTLE OF AI

Joshua 8

Following the death of Achan,

God commands Joshua and the

entire Israelite army to attack Ai

once again—this time, with an

ambush from behind the city.

Approaching from the north

with 5,000 men, Joshua lures

the army out of Ai, allowing his

forces to enter the city from the

west. Unopposed, they burn it to

the ground. The Israelites then go

on to defeat Ai’s army and kill all

of its citizens.

See also: Entering the Promised

Land 96–97 ■ The Fall of Jericho

98–99

JEPHTHAH’S VOW

Judges 10:6–11:40

Jephthah, a great warrior, leads

the people into battle against the

Ammonites, vowing to God that he

will sacrifice to Him the first thing

he sees coming out of his house

if he returns victorious. Fatefully,

it is his daughter who runs out to

greet him. He is struck with grief,

but she accepts her fate. This brutal

tale of human sacrifice has puzzled

commentators. Some note that God

does not explicitly endorse Jepthah’s

fulfillment of his vow and that the

sacrifice itself is not confirmed.

See also: The Testing of Abraham

50–53 ■ Herod’s Infanticide 187

ARK OF GOD RETURNED

TO ISRAEL

1 Samuel 5:1–6:21

After defeating the Israelites in

battle and taking the Ark of the

Covenant, the Philistines are

afflicted with a plague of tumors

in every city the Ark enters. After

suffering seven months of plagues,

the Philistines finally agree to

return the Ark in a cart laden

with golden treasure in order to

appease the God of the Israelites.

See also: The Ten Plagues 70–71 ■

The Ark and the Tabernacle 86–87

THE MEETING OF SAUL

AND SAMUEL

1 Samuel 9–10

Kish, a man from the small tribe

of Benjamin, sends his son Saul to

look for his stray donkey. Frustrated

by the search, Saul’s servant

suggests they ask the seer of a

nearby town for help. This seer is

the Prophet Samuel, who anoints

Saul and tells him God has chosen

him to rule over the Israelites.

The blessing sanctifies Saul’s new

role, preparing the way for him to

become the first king of Israel.

See also: Jacob Wrestles with God

56–57 ■ Moses and the Burning

Bush 66–69 ■ The Prophet Samuel

110 –15

SAUL, KING OF ISRAEL

1 Samuel 11

When Saul hears that the

Ammonites have threatened the

people of Jabesh, he rushes to their

defense, rallying the people of Israel

by cutting up two oxen and telling

them that the oxen of anyone who

did not join him in battle would be

similarly butchered. The Israelites

are victorious and Saul is declared

king, having earned the respect of

his people with his leadership.

See also: The Ark and the

Tabernacle 86–87 ■ The Prophet

Samuel 110 –15

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