Explanatory Bible. Old and New Testaments. prof. A. Lopukhin. Lopukhin A.P. Biblical history of the Old and New Testaments. Complete edition in one volume

V historical science at present, an extraordinary movement is taking place, precisely thanks to those amazing discoveries that are being made on the forgotten ashes of the historical life of the ancient peoples of the East. From that happy hour, when historians, not confining themselves to the pen, took up spades and shovels and began to dig out the rubble of the ruins in the valleys of the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates, as well as in other countries of the historical East, a whole world of new historical knowledge opened up before the eyes of researchers: pale and the meager pages of the history of the ancient peoples were extremely revitalized and expanded, even the existence of new, completely unknown hitherto peoples and monarchies was discovered, the knowledge of which shed new light on the entire fate of ancient mankind. But these extraordinary discoveries gained even more significance due to the fact that they were in close correlation with the biblical history, and not only shed a lot of new light into it, understanding its often darkest pages, but also presented an almost miraculous confirmation of many biblical events and facts. which hitherto could be criticized by skepticism with impunity. This circumstance has extremely revived interest in biblical history, which has ceased to be a dry specialty of theologians, and now attracts the attention of both secular scholarly historians and the entire educated society of all civilized peoples. This interest is noticeable in our country too; but, unfortunately, in our country it has not yet left the narrow framework of a circle of specialists, and for our society, in fact, there is literally not a single such publicly available book that could serve as a guide or an introduction to this deeply interesting and eminently an instructive field of knowledge. Meeting this, in our opinion, an urgent need is partly what this book has in mind.

In its main parts, it was compiled several years ago and was intended only as a synopsis for our private study in the field of biblical-historical knowledge related to our specialty ("History of the Ancient World"). But the consciousness of the above-mentioned deep need prompted us to process this synopsis in such a way that it could satisfy this need at least in the slightest degree, precisely by giving a coherent and lively course of biblical history with the introduction of the main features from the inexhaustible wealth of the latest biblical-historical research. It is clear that within the frameworks that were outlined for this manual, the aforementioned studies could not find an independent place in it, and we really limited ourselves to only introducing some features of them; but we hope that readers will notice their presence at every more or less important biblical-historical event, and will see for themselves how much light the latest discoveries shed in the field of history and how much fresh interest they give to the most common facts and events.

We intend our "manual" for reading in general, but we would especially like it to find access to the environment of the student youth. We are deeply convinced that biblical history can become an inexhaustible source of moral and higher historical education for any person who is more or less capable of serious mental life. Every history is an educator of the mind and heart and a teacher of wisdom; but biblical history in this respect stands above all other stories, because its subject is the central points of the spiritual life of mankind, and it reveals the deepest laws of world-historical development. It can most clearly show that in the history of nations there is nothing accidental and arbitrary, that any attempt to “make history” is meaningless and harmful, because everything waits and demands “the fulfillment of times”, which cannot be brought closer or removed. At the same time, it represents a series of deep life experiences of the greatest characters, which, with their virtues and no less their vices, open the door to the very depths of a person's spiritual life and thereby teach the deepest lessons for anyone who has a sufficiently vivid moral sense to perceive such amazing experiences. Our "leadership", of course, has no claims to presenting the biblical history from this very side: understanding this side in it presupposes a preliminary acquaintance with the rudiments of biblical-historical knowledge, and it is these beginnings that we offer in our book, in the hope that it can serve as a guide to penetration into a deeper field of knowledge.

In a short time, a similar "Guide to the Biblical History of the New Testament" has to follow.

Biblical story of the old testament

First period

From Creation to the Flood

world creation

The world, considered in its external beauty and internal harmony, is a wondrous creature, amazing with the harmony of its parts and the wonderful variety of its forms. In all its immensity, it moves correctly like a magnificent clock wound by a great and skillful master. And just as when looking at a watch, the thought of the master who made and who has made it involuntarily appears, so when examining the world in its correct and harmonious movement, the mind involuntarily comes to the thought of the Culler to whom it owes its existence and wondrous dispensation. That the world is not eternal and has its beginning is clearly proved, first of all, by the common belief of peoples, among whom the most ancient tradition of the beginning of all things is preserved. Then the study of the course of the historical life of mankind, especially of its most ancient peoples, shows that historical life itself has a very limited extent and soon passes into the prehistoric era, which is the childhood of the human race, which, in turn, presupposes birth or beginning. The same is indicated by the course of development of the sciences and arts, which again leads us to a primitive state, when they just began. Finally, the latest sciences (geology and paleontology) through the study of the layers of the earth's crust and the remains contained in them irrefutably and clearly prove that the globe was gradually formed on its surface, and there was a time when there was absolutely no life on it, and he himself was in a state of formless substance. Thus, the beginning of the world is undoubted, even if only in the form of a formless, primitive substance, from which all its forms were gradually formed. But where did this primordial substance come from? This question has long occupied human thought, but it was powerless to resolve it without the highest help, and in the pagan world the greatest sages and founders of religions were unable to rise above the thought that this primitive substance had existed from eternity, and from it God created or arranged the world, being only, thus, the creator or organizer of the world, but not in the proper sense of its Creator. Then the Divine Revelation, contained in the books of Holy Scripture, came to the aid of the human mind, and it simply and clearly proclaimed the great mystery of being, which the sages of all times and peoples tried in vain to comprehend. This mystery is revealed on the first page of the book of Genesis, which begins Biblical story peace and humanity.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” says in the first verse of the book of Genesis the everyday writer, St. prophet Moses. These few words express the truth, immense in its depth, that everything that exists in heaven and on earth, and therefore primitive matter, has its beginning, and everything was created by God, who alone is eternal and existed in pre-temporal existence, and, moreover, was created from nothing as the verb itself means bar used to express the word "created". God is the only Creator of the universe, and without Him nothing could happen.

The book by A.P. Lopukhin, which stood about 20 editions until 1917, does not lose its relevance today thanks to an unusually deep understanding of Biblical history. The author reveals to us the historical significance of the facts set out in the Bible, proves that the biblical stories about the creation of man, the fall, the flood, and the mixing of languages have a real historical basis. The book provides many explanations of everyday life, realities, traditions of the time when the Bible was created, which help to understand the depth and meaning of the Bible Scripture. The author intended his work for a wide audience, therefore the language of presentation is easy and simple to understand.

The book is supplied with a large number of color and black and white illustrations.

Preface to the first edition

BIBLICAL HISTORY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

PERIOD ONE. FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD TO THE FLOOD
I. Creation of the world (9) II. Creation of the first people and their blissful life in paradise (13) III. The Fall and its consequences. The Seat of Paradise (15) IV. Sons and immediate descendants of Adam. Cain and Abel. Two directions in the life of antediluvian humanity. The longevity of the patriarchs. Chronicle (18)

PERIOD SECOND. FROM THE FLOOD TO ABRAHAM
V. The Flood (26) VI. Descendants of Noah. Genealogy of peoples. Babylonian pandemonium and dispersal of peoples. The Beginning of Idolatry (31)

PERIOD THIRD. FROM THE CHOICE OF ABRAHAM TO THE DEATH OF JOSEPH AND THE CONCLUSION OF THE PATRIARCHAL AGE
Vii. The election of Abraham. His resettlement to the land of Canaan and his life in this country. God's Covenant with Abraham and the Promise of a Son (37) VIII. Epiphany at the oak of Mamre. The death of cities in the Siddim Valley. The ultimate test of Abraham's faith and the last days of his life (42) IX. Isaac and his sons (48) X. Jacob (51) XI. Joseph (57) XII. Internal and external condition of the chosen family during the patriarchal era. Worship and rituals. Morals and way of life. Government, Industry and Education (65) XIII. True religion outside the chosen race. A new religious state of the pagan peoples. Chronicle (68)

PERIOD FOUR. FROM THE DEATH OF JOSEPH TO THE DEATH OF MOSES - 73
XIV. The Israelites in Egypt (73) XV. Moses, his upbringing in Egypt and stay in the land of Midian. Calling him at Mount Horeb (79) XVI. Intercession before the pharaoh and Egyptian executions. Preparing for the Exodus. Easter (85) XVII. Exodus from Egypt. Crossing the Red Sea (90) XVIII. The Wanderings of the Israelites in the Desert to Sina (96) XIX. The history of the gift of Sinai legislation. Golden Taurus. Tabernacle. Priesthood. Calculation of the people (100) XX. The events of a 38-year wandering in the desert. Conquest of the East Jordanian country. The last orders and admonitions of Moses; his prophetic blessing of the people and his demise (109) XXI. The Legislation of Moses. Theocracy. The Tabernacle and Associated Institutions (118) XXII. Resolutions of Moiseev's legislation regarding civil life. Education. Inspirational books. Chronicle (126)

PERIOD FIVE. FROM THE CONQUEST OF THE PROMISED LAND TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ROYAL POWER
XXIII. Promised land. Its external position and nature. Population, its language, religion and civil status (136) XXIV. Joshua. Conquest of the Promised Land and its division. The Religious Animation of the Israeli People (142) XXV. The deviations of the Israelites into idolatry and their conversion to God during the calamities that befell them. Deborah and Barak (150) XXVI. Gideon and Jephthah (154) XXVII. Samson (160) XXVIII. Religious and moral condition of the Israelites during the time of the judges. The Story of Ruth (164) XXIX. Eli - High Priest and Judge (167) XXX. Samuel is a prophet and judge. Schools of the prophets. Education. Chronicle (171)

PERIOD SIX. FROM THE ANOINTING OF THE KING TO THE DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM OF THE JEWISH

XXXI. Saul's anointing to the kingdom. The first years of his reign. Saul's Rejection and David's Anointing (175) XXXII. Saul and David. The defeat of Goliath and the rise of David at court. Persecution of him. Death of Saul (180) XXXIII. The reign of David. Conquest of Jerusalem. The Transfer of the Ark of the Covenant, Victory Wars, and the Thought of Building the Temple (187) XXXIV. Continuation of the reign of David. His power and fall. Absalom and his rebellion (192) XXXV. Last years reign of David. Calculation of the people and punishment. Last Orders and the Death of David (198) XXXVI. The reign of Solomon. The wisdom of the young king, her greatness and power. Construction and consecration of the temple (202) XXXVII. Solomon is at the height of his glory. Queen of Sheba. The Fall of Solomon and His End (207) XXXVIII. The internal state of the Israelite people during the time of the kings. Religion and worship. Enlightenment and divinely inspired books. Chronicle (211)

PERIOD SEVEN. FROM THE DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM TO THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON BY THE BABYLONIANS
XXXIX. The division of the kingdom, its causes and significance. Jeroboam and the religious schism he produced (220) XL. The weakness and wickedness of Rehoboam and Abijah, the kings of Judah, and the pious reign of Asa and Jehoshaphat (224) XLI. Kings of Israel Ahab and Ahaziah. The complete establishment of idolatry under them in the kingdom of Israel. Prophet Elijah. The harmful consequences of Jehoshaphat's alliance with the kings of Israel (228) XLII. Successors of Ahab. Prophet Elisha. Naaman the Syrian. The destruction of the house of Ahab (235) XLIII. King Jehu of Israel and his successors. Prophet Jonah. The fall of the kingdom of Israel and the scattering of the ten tribes. Righteous Tobit (240) XLIV. The kings of the Jews Joash, Ahaz, Hezekiah and Manasseh. Prophet Isaiah. King Josiah's Transformative Activities (246) XLV. Fall of the Kingdom of Judah. Prophet Jeremiah. The destruction of Jerusalem. The Captivity of Babylon (252) XLVI. The internal state of the chosen people in the VII period. The state of the surrounding peoples. Chronicle (257)

PERIOD EIGHT. THE TIME OF THE BABYLONIAN COLLECTION - 261
XLVII. External and religious condition of the Jews. Ezekiel's Prophetic Activity. Prophet Daniel (261) XLVIII. Fall of Babylon. The position of the Jews under Cyrus. Manifesto for the release of prisoners. Chronicle (265)

PERIOD NINTH. THE STATE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT CHURCH FROM EZRA TO THE BIRTH OF CHRIST
XLIX. Return of the Jews from captivity. Creation of the second temple. Activities of Ezra and Nehemiah. The last prophets. The Fate of the Jews Remaining within the Persian Kingdom: The Story of Esther and Mordecai (270) L. The Condition of the Jews Under Greek Dominion. Time of Maccabees and their exploits for church and state. Jews ruled by the Romans. The reign of Herod (275) A. Religious and moral state of the Jews upon their return from captivity. Sects. Divine service. Governing body. Chronology (279) LII. Jews scattering. The state of the pagan world. Common expectation of the Savior (284)

Appendices of Additional Notes on Selected Issues from Old Testament Bible History

BIBLICAL HISTORY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

DEPARTMENT ONE. EMBODIMENT OF GOD'S WORD. CHRISTMAS, CHILDHOOD AND ADOLITION OF JESUS CHRIST
I. The eternal word. Righteous Zechariah and Elizabeth. Annunciation of Preiev. Virgin Mary. The birth of John the Baptist (315) II. Nativity. Circumcision of the Lord. Meeting of the Lord Jesus in the temple. Adoration of the Magi. Flight of St. families to Egypt and return to Nazareth (321) III. The life of St. families in Nazareth. Twelve-year-old Jesus in the Jerusalem Temple. The Rise of Jesus (328)

SECTION TWO. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST'S INTRODUCTION INTO THE WORK OF OPEN MINISTRY FOR THE SALVATION OF THE HUMAN KIND - 333
IV. John the Baptist's sermon in the wilderness. Baptism of Jesus Christ. Removing him into the wilderness and temptation from the devil (333) V. Testimony of John the Baptist about himself and about Jesus Christ. The first followers of Jesus Christ. The first miracle of Christ at marriage in the city of Cana (339)

SECTION THREE. THE WORKS AND TEACHING OF JESUS CHRIST FROM THE FIRST TO SECOND EASTER

Vi. In Judea. Expulsion of the merchants from the temple. Conversation of Jesus Christ with Nicodemus. The last testimony of John the Baptist about Jesus Christ (345) VII. Stay of Jesus Christ in Samaria. His conversation with the Samaritan woman (349) VIII. In Galilee. Healing by Christ the son of a courtier. Sermon in the Nazareth Synagogue (354) IX. Wonderful fishing on the Galilee lake. Healing of the possessed and the paralytic and many others in Capernaum. The calling to the apostleship of the publican Matthew (357)

SECTION FOUR. THE WORKS AND TEACHING OF JESUS CHRIST FROM THE SECOND TO THE THIRD EASTER
X. In Jerusalem. Healing the paralyzed at the Sheep's Bath. Clash with the Pharisees because of the picking of the ears by the disciples on the Sabbath. Healing of the withered (362) XI. Service in Galilee and the vicinity of Lake Galilee. Election of the Twelve Apostles. The Sermon on the Mount and the Nature of New Testament Legislation (367) XII. Healing a leper and a centurion's servant. The resurrection of the son of a widow of Nain. Embassy of John the Baptist. Forgiveness of the Sinner in the House of Simon the Pharisee (377) XIII. New way teachings - in parables. Parables about the sower, about mustard seed, about wheat and tares. Taming the storm on the lake. The Healing of the Gadarene Demoniac (382) XIV. Healing of a woman suffering from bleeding and resurrection of Jairus's daughter. The departure of the twelve apostles to preach. Martyrdom of John the Baptist (388) XV. The return of the disciples from the sermon. The miraculous feeding of five thousand people with five loaves of bread. Christ's walk on the waters and his conversation in the Capernaum synagogue about the sacrament of communion (394)

SECTION FIVE. THE WORKS AND TEACHING OF JESUS CHRIST FROM THE THIRD EASTER TO THE SOLE ENTRANCE OF HIS IN JERUSALEM
Xvi. Conversation of Jesus Christ about the meaning of paternal traditions. Healing of the demoniac daughter of a Canaanite woman. Miracles in the Trans-Jordan region (400) XVII. Confession of ap. Peter and the prediction of the Lord Jesus about the suffering and death awaiting him in Jerusalem. Transfiguration of the Lord (402) XVIII. Healing a demoniac deaf-mute youth. Wonderful receipt of a coin to pay the temple tax. The teaching of Jesus Christ about the church judgment and about the forgiveness of offenses. The Parable of the Merciful Tsar and the Merciless Lender (406) XIX. On the way from Galilee to Jerusalem. Inhospitableness of the Samaritans. Embassy of seventy. The parable of the merciful Samaritan. Visit to Martha and Mary. The Lord's Prayer (410) XX. In Jerusalem. The sermon of Jesus Christ on the preparatory and last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Healing of the Man Born Blind (414) XXI. In Galilee and on the way to Jerusalem beyond the Jordanian country. Proverbs and Miracles (421) XXII. In Jerusalem. The testimony of Jesus Christ on the Feast of the Renewal of the Temple about his consubstantiation with God the Father (430) XXIII. In the over-Jordanian country. Blessing the Children. A rich youth. Parable about equal pay for workers in the vineyard. The news of the illness of Lazarus and the departure of Christ to Judea (432) XXIV. In Judea. Resurrection of Lazarus. Definition of the Sanhedrin against Jesus Christ. The foreshadowing of death on the cross. Salome's request. Healing of the blind in Jericho and the conversion of Zacchaeus. The anointing of the feet of Jesus Christ with myrrh at the supper in Bethany (435)

SECTION SIX. LAST DAYS OF THE EARTH LIFE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

XXV. The Lord's Entry into Jerusalem and the Deeds, Parables and Conversations that followed. Answers to the crafty interrogation of the Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes (444) XXVI. The last denunciation by Jesus Christ of the scribes and Pharisees. Praise for the widow's diligence. Conversation with disciples about the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, about the end of the world and the second coming. Parables about the ten virgins and talents. Image of the Last Judgment (453) XXVII. Determination of the Sanhedrin about the capture of Christ by cunning; betrayal of Judas. Washing the feet, the Last Supper and the farewell conversation with the disciples. Prayer of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane and the capture of it by the soldiers (457) XXVIII. The trial of Christ by the high priests Anna and Caiaphas. Peter's denial and repentance. Jesus Christ at the trial of Pilate and Herod; scourging and condemnation by Pilate to death. The destruction of Judas, and also of other perpetrators of the atrocity (464) XXIX. Crucifixion, suffering on the cross, death and burial of Jesus Christ (474) XXX. Resurrection of Christ. The appearances of the risen Christ. Ascension to Heaven (482)

SECTION SEVEN. THE CHURCH IN PALESTINA BEFORE THE SCATTERING OF CHRISTIANS FROM JERUSALEM
XXXI. The election of Matthias to the number of the apostles. Pentecost and the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. The First Converts and the State of the Primary Church (493) XXXII. Healing a lame man in the temple. A warning from the Sanhedrin. Communication of estates. Ananias and Saphira. Persecution. The Seven Deacons and Their Zeal in Spreading the Gospel (498) XXXIII. Archdeacon Stephen, his sermon and martyrdom. Persecution of the disciples and their scattering from Jerusalem. Spreading the Gospel. Philip's sermon in Samaria. Simon the sorcerer. Conversion of an Ethiopian eunuch. State of the Church towards the end of the reign of Tiberius (503)

DEPARTMENT EIGHT. THE CHURCH AMONG THE PAGES FROM THE CONVERSION OF SAUL TO HIS MARTYRED IN ROME
XXXIV. Saul's conversion. His communion with the apostles and his special purpose (509) XXXV. The address of Cornelius ap. Peter. Preaching to the Gentiles in Antioch and the first Gentile church. The persecution in Jerusalem and the martyrdom of St. Jacob (514) XXXVI. Arrival of Saul to Antioch. A guide to Jerusalem Christians. The departure of Barnabas and Saul to preach to the Gentiles. The first missionary journey of ap. Paul. Jerusalem Cathedral (520) XXXVII. The second missionary journey of ap. Paul. The beginning of the preaching of the Gospel in Europe (527) XXXVIII. Ap. Paul in Athens. His speech in the Areopagus. Life and Preaching in Corinth. First Epistles (531) XXXIX. The third missionary journey of ap. Paul. Stay in Ephesus. Galatians and Corinthians. Mutiny at Ephesus (539) XL. On the way to Macedonia. Second Epistle to the Corinthians. In Corinth. Romans. State of the Roman Church (544) XLI. On the way to Jerusalem. Sunday service at Troas. Conversation in Miletus with the Ephesian elders. At Tire and Caesarea (550) XLII. Ap. Paul in Jerusalem. Temple mutiny. The apostle is arrested and sent to Caesarea. Felix and his trial (553) XLIII. Proceedings of the case of ap. Paul before Festus. Ap. Paul and Agrippa II. An appeal to Caesar. Voyage to Rome and Shipwreck (559) XLIV. Ap. Paul in Rome. Two-year bond. Epistles written from Rome to the Philippians, Colossians, Ephesians and Philemon. The Liberation of the Apostle and the Epistle to the Hebrews (568) XLV. Activity of ap. Paul after releasing him from his first bonds. Visit to the East. Pastoral Epistles to Timothy and Titus. Travel to Spain. New arrest in Ephesus, second bond in Rome and martyrdom (573)

SECTION NINE. THE END OF THE APOSTOLIC AGE
XLVI. Apostolic activity and martyrdom of ap. Peter. Cathedral Epistles to Apostle Peter. The Activity of the Other Apostles (580) XLVII. The revolt of the Jews and the destruction of Jerusalem. Significance of this event in the history of the Church (584) XLVIII. Removal of Christians from Jerusalem before its siege. Ap. John, his life and work (589) XLIX. Sacred books Of the New Testament. Historical, didactic books and the Apocalypse (594) L. The Primary Church and Its Institutions. Primary Christian worship (603) LI. Life of First Christians. The purity and sanctity of family life. The situation of women and children. Slaves and Gentlemen. Love for Neighbors (609) LII. The struggle of paganism with Christianity and the triumph of the Church (616)

Appendices of Additional Notes on Selected Issues from New Testament Bible History

Buy an orthodox book"Bible story. Explanatory Bible: Old and New Testament" (by A. Lopukhin), published by the publisher "EKSMO", in the online store of Orthodox literature at a low price with delivery in Moscow and Russia.

Alexander Pavlovich Lopukhin

Biblical story Old Testament

Bible story of the Old Testament
Alexander Pavlovich Lopukhin

The book of the famous Russian theologian, biblical scholar and translator A.P. Lopukhina first saw the light of day back in 1887 and has since gone through more than 20 editions. Due to the depth of comprehension of the biblical history, its content does not lose its significance today. Having collected and analyzed the rich theological-exegetical, chronological, archaeological, historical and ethnographic material, the author reveals the historical significance of the events set forth in the Bible. He proves that biblical stories have a real historical basis.

Conceived as a work contributing to the popularization of theological science and spiritual enlightenment, the book is written in an accessible language.

Alexander Pavlovich Lopukhin

Bible story of the Old Testament

LLC "AST Publishing House", 2017

First period. From the Creation of the World to the Flood

I. Creation of the world

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” says in the first verse of the book of Genesis the everyday writer, St. prophet Moses. These few words express the truth, immense in its depth, that everything that exists in heaven and on earth, and therefore primitive matter, has its beginning, and everything was created by God, who alone is eternal and existed in pre-temporal existence, and, moreover, was created from nothing, as the very verb "bar" used to express the word "created" means. God is the only Creator of the universe, and without Him nothing could happen.

Affirming this idea, the everyday writer thereby rejected all other ways of explaining the origin of the world, that is, that the world could not have occurred either from chance, not from spontaneous generation, or from the struggle between good and evil principles (as the pagan sages taught, and after them the newest wisdom), but only from the free decision of the will of the almighty God, who was pleased to call the world to temporary existence out of nothingness. This decision flowed solely from the love and goodness of the Creator, with the aim of giving creature the opportunity to enjoy these greatest properties of His being. And now “He”, according to the words of the divinely inspired psalmist, “said and it was done, He commanded and appeared” everything (Ps 32: 9). His instrument during creation was His Word (“said and was made”), which is the original Word, the Son of God, through whom “everything began to be, and without Him nothing began to be, what happened” (John 1: 3). Since the second verse also speaks separately about the participation of the Spirit of God in the work of creation, it is clear that God acted in the creation of the world as the eternal Trinity.

Having discovered the secret of the origin of the world as a whole and its two constituent parts - heaven and earth, the everyday writer proceeds to describe the order of the formation of the world in its present form, in all the variety of its visible forms, and since the chronicle of life was intended to teach the inhabitants of the earth, the main attention it refers precisely to the history of the formation of the earth, so that heaven is no longer mentioned in the second verse. In its primitive state, “the earth was formless and empty, and darkness was over the abyss; and the Spirit of God was hovering over the water. " It was a newly created formless substance - chaos, in which the blind forces of matter roamed, waiting for the inspiring word of the Creator, and above this roving abyss there was darkness, and only the creative Spirit of God hovered over the water, as if fertilizing the embryos and seeds of life that had arisen on the ground. Revelation says nothing about the duration of such a chaotic state. Only from a certain moment did the creative and educational activity of the Creator begin, and it took place in six successive periods of time, called the days of creation.

When the time came for the beginning of creative activity, the word of God thundered over the dark formless substance: “Let there be light! and there was light. " The beautiful day of God instantly dawned over the abyss of chaos and illuminated the gloomy womb of the pre-temporal darkness. “And God saw the light that it was good”; and “God separated light from darkness. And God called light day and darkness night. And there was evening and there was morning: one day. "

With the appearance of light, the fermentation of forces in the bubbling substance of chaos intensified. Huge masses of vapors rose above the surface of the earthly body and enveloped it in impenetrable clouds and haze, so that every edge separating it from other celestial bodies was lost. “And God said: Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water, and let it separate the water from the water; (and it became so). And God created the firmament; And he separated the water that is under the firmament from the water that is above the firmament; and it became so. " The lower layers of vapor turned into water and settled on the surface of the still bubbling abyss, and the upper ones evaporated into the immense region of heavenly space, and that beautiful blue sky that we see now. It was the second day.

Above the earthly body there was an atmosphere already cleared of vapors, but the earth itself was still a continuous sea. Then “God said: let the water that is under the sky be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear; and it became so. " The thickened and gradually cooled substance rose in some places and fell in others; elevated places were exposed from water, became dry land, and depressions and depressions were filled with water that merged into them and formed seas. "And God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of waters called the sea: and God saw that it was good." But no matter how good this distribution of sea and land was, the earth did not yet possess what constituted the purpose of its creation: there was still no life on it, and only bare, dead rocks looked gloomily at the reservoirs of waters.

But now, when the distribution of water and land was completed, and the necessary conditions for life, did not hesitate to appear and its first beginnings - in the form of vegetation. "And God said: let the earth bring forth greenery, grass that sows seed (after its kind and after its likeness), and a fruit tree that bears fruit after its kind, in which is its seed on the earth, and it was so." “And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. "

But vegetation for its vegetation needs a correct change of light and darkness. “And God said: let there be lights in the firmament of heaven (to illuminate the earth), to separate day from night, and for signs and seasons, and days and years, and let them be lamps in the firmament of heaven to shine on the earth: and it was So". At the word of the Creator, the solar and stellar systems were finally established as they exist now. The sun blazed with its mighty, life-giving light and illuminated the planets around it; the heavenly vault was adorned with myriads of stars, and their enchanting brilliance aroused the delight of the heavenly angels, who praised the Creator in chorus (Job 38: 7). “And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. "

The sky was already adorned with luminaries, gigantic vegetation was developing on the ground; but there were not yet living beings on earth who could enjoy the gifts of nature. For their existence there were not yet the proper conditions, since the air was saturated with harmful fumes, which could only contribute to the vegetable kingdom. But here the gigantic vegetation cleared the atmosphere, and the conditions for the development of animal life were prepared. “And God said: Let the water bring forth reptiles; I live the soul; and let the birds fly over the earth, in the firmament of heaven. "

By virtue of this divine command, a new creative act took place, not just educational, as in previous days, but in the full sense of the creative, as was the first act of the creation of a primitive substance - out of nothing.

Here a living soul was created, something was introduced that was not in the existing primitive substance. Indeed, the writer of everyday life here for the second time uses the verb "bara" - to create from nothing. “And God created the great fish, and every living creature that creeps, which the waters brought forth, after their kind, and every bird of the bird after its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying: be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth. And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. "

Water and air were filled with life, but a third of the earth was still deserted - land, the one that provides the most convenience for the life of living beings. But now the time has come for its settlement. “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after its kind: and it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creeps on the earth after its kind. " All these animals were formed from the earth, from where they now extract their nutrients and into which they turn again during decomposition. "And God saw that it was good." Thus, the earth has already been inhabited by living beings in all its parts. The world of living beings was a slender tree, the root of which consisted of the simplest, and the upper branches of the higher animals. But this tree was incomplete, there was not yet a flower that would complete and decorate its top. There was not yet a man - the king of nature. But then he appeared. “And God said, Let us make man in our image (and) in our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over cattle, and over all the earth, and over all creeping things that creep on the earth. And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them. " Here, for the third time, a creative act (bara) took place in the full sense, since man in his being again has something that was not in the nature created before him, namely the spirit, which distinguishes him from all other living beings.

Thus ended the history of the creation and formation of the world. “And God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. " - “And on the seventh day God completed His works, and rested on the seventh day from all His works that He did and created. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. " This is the origin of the establishment of the Sabbath as a day of rest, and the correct change of work and rest in human life is still based on this establishment.

II. Creation of the first humans and their blissful life in paradise

Man as the crown of creation was created on the special advice of the Creator, and he is only one created in the image and likeness of God. His body, like the bodies of all animals, was formed from the earth; but the spiritual part of it is the direct inspiration of the Creator.

"And the Lord God created man (Adam) from the dust of the earth, and breathed the breath of life into his face, and man became a living soul." The image and likeness of God in man therefore consists in spiritual sonship to his God, in striving for mental and moral perfection, which gives him the opportunity to dominate nature. As the king of creation, he is introduced into a special garden planted for him or paradise in Eden in the east, all creatures are brought into subjection to him, and he becomes the ruler of the earth.

But man, as a rational and spiritual being, would not be a worthy representative of the Divine on earth if he lived in solitude or in communion only with beings, either higher than him, like angels, or lower ones, like animals. For him it was necessary not only for pleasure and happiness, but even more for the perfection of the divine work, to have an assistant in himself, capable of perceiving and mutual communication of thoughts and feelings.

Meanwhile, among the already created living beings "for a man there was no helper similar to him." “And the Lord God said: It is not good for a man to be alone; let us make him a helper corresponding to him. "

And now a wife is created, and, moreover, from the rib of the man himself, taken from him during a deep sleep.

As soon as a woman was created, a person immediately understood in this Creator's work the desire for happiness for the social life of a person and prophetically pronounced the position that became the law of marriage for all subsequent centuries: “This is a bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh, it will be called wife, for she was taken from her husband. Therefore, a man will leave his father and his mother, and cleave to his wife; and the two will be one flesh. "

From these words, as well as from the circumstances of the very creation of the wife, it naturally follows that the husband and wife are a unity concluded in marriage, that marriage should consist of the union of one man with one woman, and that the wife should obey her husband as his assistant. created for him.

"And God blessed them and said: be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over all creatures."

And so the first people in the bliss of their innocence lived in paradise, enjoying all its fruits and enjoying all its joys. They were provided with all the blessings of a perfect and innocent life.

In material terms, they were surrounded by an abundance of the richest gifts of paradise nature, along with the fruits of trees, which were especially miraculous for their bodily strength and vitality, giving them immortality.

Their spiritual needs were fully satisfied in direct conversation with God, who appeared "in paradise during the coolness of the day," as well as in the search better ways dominance over nature subordinate to them and control over it, for which Adam gave names to animals, as well as, of course, to all other objects, thus establishing language as a means of distinguishing between objects and social intercourse. But their highest perfection lay in moral innocence, which consisted in the absence of the very thought of anything unclean and sinful. "And they were both naked, Adam and his wife, and were not ashamed."

III. The Fall and its consequences. Location of paradise

The stay of the first people in paradise was their stay in direct communion with God, which was the first and most perfect religion of the human race. The outward expression of this religion was the church, as the assembly of the first two believers. But since the church, as an external institution, presupposes certain institutions and conditions on which the congregation is based, then the primitive church was founded on a special covenant between God and man. This covenant was that man should love God and his neighbors and show his Creator perfect obedience in all His commands, and God, for his part, promised for this the continuation of his blissful state, safety from death as a painful destruction of the body, and, finally, eternal life. In order to provide a person with the opportunity to testify to his obedience and to strengthen his faith, God gave him a commandment that could serve as a test for him, as a means of strengthening that free moral self-determination, which is the highest good of life. The commandment was to prohibit eating from the fruits of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. “And the Lord God commanded the man, and said, Of every tree in the garden you will eat; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil - do not eat from it; for on the day that you eat of it, you will die a death. " Having given man complete freedom, the Creator, however, wanted to show him with this commandment that as a limited being, he must live under the law and that a terrible punishment will follow for breaking the law.

Revelation does not tell how long the blissful stay of the first people in paradise was. But this state already aroused the malicious hatred of the enemy, who, having lost it himself, looked with hatred at the innocent bliss of the first people. When the world of universal bliss still reigned on earth and she did not know evil, the world in its higher regions was already familiar with evil, and there was a struggle with it. Among the higher created beings or angels gifted with the highest gifts of reason and freedom, some have already violated the commandment of obedience to the Creator, proud of their perfection (1 Tim 3: 6) and did not retain their dignity (Jude 6), for which they were cast out of heavenly paradise to the underworld. Envy and a thirst for evil became the soul of these creatures. Every good, every peace, order, innocence, obedience became hateful to them, and they tried to destroy them even among people who enjoyed the bliss of heavenly life on earth. And then in paradise appeared the tempter - in the form of a serpent, who "was more cunning than all the beasts of the field." At the same time, he used a crafty cunning, directing the temptation not to both people and not to the husband, but to one wife, as the weakest member, rather amenable to passion.

The serpent approached his wife and said to her: "Did God truly say, do not eat from any tree in paradise?" This question consisted of an insidious lie, which should immediately alienate the interlocutor from the tempter. But she, in her innocence, was not able to immediately understand the insidiousness here, and, at the same time, was too curious to immediately end the conversation. However, she understood the lie of the question and answered that God allowed them to eat from all trees, except for one tree, which is in the middle of paradise, because they could die from eating its fruits. Then the tempter directly arouses distrust of God. “No,” he said, “you will not die; but God knows that on the day you taste them, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods who know good and evil. " The insidious word sunk deeply into the soul of a woman. It aroused a number of doubts and mental strife. What is good and evil that she can learn? And if people are blissful in their present state, then what kind of bliss will they be when they become like gods? its mysterious properties. This external impression resolved the internal struggle, and the woman “took the fruit of this tree and ate; And she gave also to her husband, and he ate. " The greatest revolution in human history has taken place. Those who were supposed to be the pure source of the entire human race poisoned themselves with the fruits of death. The woman followed the snake, as if he were higher than God. At his inspiration, she did what the Creator had forbidden. And her husband, in sin, followed his wife, who from being tempted immediately became a seducer.

The consequences of eating the forbidden fruit were not slow to show themselves: their eyes were really opened, as the tempter had promised, and the forbidden fruit gave them knowledge; but what did they learn? - learned that they were naked. An outraged moral feeling opened before them the consciousness of their nakedness, which became a victorious sign of sensuality and the triumph of the flesh, and in order to cover it, they sewed fig leaves for themselves and made of them aprons - this primary form of clothing. But if those who sinned were so ashamed even of their own inner voice of conscience, then they were completely afraid to appear now before God. Evening came, and the coolness of his shadows poured bliss over the garden. At this time, they usually had an interview with God, whom they had hitherto expected and greeted with innocent joy, like the children of their father. Now they wish that this moment never came. And meanwhile he approached, and they heard a familiar voice. Horror seized Adam and his wife, and they "hid from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of paradise."

And the Lord God called to Adam: "Adam, where are you?" And the unfortunate fugitive answered with trepidation from the thicket of trees: "I heard your voice in paradise and was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid." “But who told you that you were naked? have you not eaten from the tree from which I have forbidden you to eat? " The question was put directly, but the sinner was unable to answer it as directly; he gave an evasive and crafty answer: "The wife you gave me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate." He blames his wife and even God Himself. The Lord turned to his wife: "Why did you do that?" The wife also, in turn, deflects guilt from herself: "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." The wife told the truth, but the fact that they both tried to shield themselves from guilt was a lie. This immediately showed the pernicious influence of the father of lies, whose seduction the first people succumbed to, and this influence, like a drunken poison, poisoned their entire moral and bodily nature.

Then the Lord pronounced the well-deserved punishment and, above all, the snake, as the instrument of temptation: he was cursed in front of all animals and he was assigned a miserable life of crawling on his belly and feeding on the dust of the earth. The wife was sentenced to obedience to her husband and to severe suffering and illness when giving birth to children; and the husband was condemned to a hard life, since the earth, cursed for the deeds of man, had to become scarce in its gifts, produce thorns and thistles, and only in exhausting sweat could he get himself bread for food until he returned to the land from which it was taken was. “For dust you are, and to dust you will return,” said the Lord, condemning him to bodily death. The punishment for the transgression of the commandment of God was terrible; but as a merciful Father, God did not leave His sinful children without consolation, and at the same time gave them a promise, which with the bright hope of restoring the lost bliss was to support their gloomy spirit in the days of subsequent trials and adversities of sinful life. This is precisely the promise of the seed of the woman, which was supposed to erase the head of the serpent, that is, to finally defeat the destroyer of the bliss of people, and to restore people to the opportunity to achieve bliss and eternal life in heaven. This was the first promise of the Savior of the world, and as a sign of His coming, the sacrifice of animals (apparently already now divided into two classes - clean and unclean) was established, the slaughter of which was to foreshadow the slaughter of the great Lamb for the sins of the world. Having made for Adam and his wife Eve (the mother of the living, as Adam now called her) leather clothes (from the animals killed for sacrifice) and taught them how to dress, the Lord expelled them from paradise, “and placed in the east near the garden of Eden a cherub and a flaming sword turning, to guard the way to the tree of life ”, which through their sin they have now become unworthy.

With the expulsion of people from paradise, among the labors and hardships of a sinful life, the very memory of its exact location was obliterated over time, among different peoples we meet the most vague legends that vaguely point to the East as a place of a primitive blissful state. A more precise indication is found in the Bible, but even it is so unclear to us in the present view of the earth that it is also impossible to determine the location of Eden, in which Paradise was located, with geographical accuracy. This is the biblical instruction: “And the Lord God planted paradise in Eden, in the east. A river went out of Eden to water paradise; and then split into four rivers. The name of one is Pison; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold, and the gold of that land is good; there is bdellium and onyx stone. The name of the second river is Tikhon (Geon): it flows around the entire land of Kush. The name of the third river is Hiddekel (Tigris); it flows before Assyria. The fourth river Euphrates ”(Gen. 2: 8-14). From this description, it is first of all clear that Eden is a vast country in the east, in which paradise was located, as a smaller room designated for the dwelling of the first people. Then the names of the third and fourth rivers clearly indicate that this Edenic country was in some neighborhood with Mesopotamia. But this also limits the geographical indications that are understandable to us. The first two rivers (Pison and Tikhon) now have nothing corresponding to themselves either in terms of geography or name, and therefore they gave rise to the most arbitrary guesses and rapprochements. Some saw in them the Ganges and Nile, others - Phasis (Rion) and Araks, originating in the heights of Armenia, others - Syr Darya and Amu Darya, and so on ad infinitum. But all these guesses are not serious and are based on arbitrary rapprochements. Further definition geographic location these rivers serve as the lands of Havilah and Kush. But the first of them is just as mysterious as the river that irrigates it, and one can only guess, judging by its metal and mineral wealth, that this is some part of Arabia or India, which served in ancient times as the main sources of gold and precious stones... The name of another country, Kush, is somewhat more definite. This term in the Bible usually refers to the countries lying south of Palestine, and "Kushites", like the descendants of Ham, from his son Khush or Kush, are found throughout the entire space from the Persian Gulf to southern Egypt. From all this, we can only conclude that Eden was indeed in a certain neighborhood with Mesopotamia, which is also indicated by the legends of all ancient peoples, but it is impossible to accurately determine its location. Since that time, the earth's surface has undergone so many upheavals (especially during the flood) that not only the direction of the rivers could change, but the very connection between them could break, or even the very existence of some of them could cease. As a result of this, science is just as barred from access to an accurate determination of the location of paradise, just as it was barred to the sinning Adam - from eating from the tree of life in it.

IV. Sons and immediate descendants of Adam. Cain and Abel. Two directions in the life of antediluvian humanity. The longevity of the patriarchs. Chronology

Having lost their former blessed home, the first people settled east of Eden. This eastern non-Paradise country has become the cradle of humanity. Here the first labors of the harsh everyday life began, and here the first generation of "born" people appeared. "Adam knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore a son, whom she gave the name Cain, which means: I got a man from the Lord." At the first birth, Eve experienced completely new, unknown conditions - pregnancy and painful childbirth. Their consequence was a new, dear to her creature, which led her into delight, expressed in its very name, which, obviously, expresses the memory of the promise of God regarding the seed of the woman. But she was cruelly mistaken, suggesting in her first son the beginning of deliverance from the punishment that had befallen her: in him there appeared for her only the beginning of new, still unknown to her, sufferings and grief. However, Eve soon realized herself that she too early began to cherish herself with the hope of fulfilling the promise, and therefore, when her second son was born, she named him Abel, which means a ghost, par.

Now the first people are not alone: a family has formed, and with it new relationships began to be developed. With the growth of the family, the needs increased, for the satisfaction of which it was necessary to work harder. From the very first days of the new position in which people were placed by the fall, the needs turned out to be varied: it was required to get food and clothing. Accordingly, the division of labor took place among the first people: the first son, Cain, began to cultivate the land to satisfy the first need - food, and the second - Abel - began to engage in cattle breeding to get milk, as well as wool and skins. The choice of the type of work and occupation of the first brothers, of course, depended on the difference in their characters and inclinations. Their studies further divided them, and between the first brothers it was not slow to reveal a rivalry that ended in a terrible atrocity, which the earth had not yet seen. “Once Cain brought a gift from the fruits of the earth to the Lord. And Abel also brought out of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord looked upon Abel and his gift; But I did not look after Cain and his gift. " The reason for this, of course, must be seen not only in the quality of the gifts themselves, but especially in the inner disposition for bringing them. This forever taught the lesson that sacrifice to God must be combined with the inner sacrifice of a good heart and a virtuous life. Meanwhile, if Abel brought his sacrifice with faith, confirmed by a good life, then, on the contrary, Cain brought it obviously without inner participation, since in life “his deeds were evil” (1 John 3:12). Seeing the preference shown to his brother, and seeing in him a clear denunciation of his "evil deeds," Cain was greatly upset, and his darkened face drooped. Sinister features appeared on him. But conscience (this voice of God within a person) spoke in Cain: “Why were you upset, and why did your face droop? If you are doing good, will you not raise your face? And if you do not do good, then sin lies at the door; he attracts you to him, but you dominate him. " Cain, however, disobeyed the warning and opened the door of his heart to sin. Calling his trusting brother in the field, he killed him, having committed an atrocity unheard of on earth. The terrible crime, which for the first time brought destruction and death to the order of nature, could not remain without punishment. "Where is your brother Abel?" - asked the Lord Cain. “I don’t know: am I my brother’s keeper?” - answered the killer, showing with such an answer what a terrible step forward evil has taken since the fall of the ancestors. This insolence, this shameless denial did not allow for the possibility of further testing, and the Lord directly addressed the murderer with the definition of punishment. "What did you do? the voice of your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you cultivate the earth, it will no longer give its strength to you; you will be an exile and a wanderer on earth. " The bloody land, by virtue of this determination, had to lose its former fertility, so that Cain could no longer remain in the same place. The curse caused by original sin also fell on the earth and only mediocrely on man; now, when sin has reached murder, the curse falls on the killer himself, but not an unconditional curse, but the curse of exile, by virtue of which the earth, as an executor of the will of God, not giving its fruits to Cain, had to force him to leave the primitive cradle humanity. In view of the severity of the punishment imposed, Cain's stubbornness broke and turned into cowardice and despair. “My punishment,” he exclaimed, “is greater than you can bear. Let everyone who meets kill me. " But this desire of Cain, caused by his despair, was criminal and therefore could not be fulfilled. As a punished murderer, he was to serve as a warning example for others. Therefore, anyone who decided to kill Cain had to take revenge seven times. His drooping face, distorted by villainy, was to serve as a sign so that no one, meeting with him, would kill him - whether it would be a wild beast, or which of his brothers.

And Cain went to wander the earth, and finally settled in the land of Nod, even further east of Eden. It is difficult to determine the exact position of this country. Some researchers point to North India, China, etc. In any case, this is a land remote from the primary settlement of people, a country of "exile", as its very name indicates. But Cain did not go there alone. No matter how great his evil deed and insult inflicted on the purity and holiness of brotherly love, from among the brothers, sisters and subsequent generations who multiplied during this time, there were people who decided to follow Cain to the country of exile, so he settled there with his wife. Here he had a son, whom he named Enoch. Removed from the rest of human society, left to his own fate, Cain, by nature harsh and stubborn, now had to fight with nature and the external conditions of life with even greater stubbornness. And he really devoted himself entirely to hard work to ensure his existence and was the first person who built the city as the beginning of a settled life. The city was named after his son Enoch. Some researchers argue that it is unthinkable to allow the construction of a city in such a early time... But before this event, several centuries could have passed from the origin of man, during which people could come to the idea of better means protect your existence from external enemies. Moreover, under the name "city", of course, one cannot understand in its own present sense a city, but simply a fence erected to protect the dwelling that was in the middle of her.

The generation of Cain began to multiply rapidly, and at the same time, the struggle against nature (culture) started by his ancestor continued. From among him came people who, having inherited from Cain a stubborn will in the struggle with nature, continued tirelessly to seek new means for the most successful management of it. Especially remarkable in this respect is the family of Lamech, the sixth member of Cain's generation in a straight line from him.

Lamech himself is remarkable in the history of mankind in that he was the first to violate the natural, established at the beginning, the order of marriage relations and introduced polygamy, which later became a source of terrible trampling on the human dignity of women, especially in the East. Obeying his passionate nature, he took two wives for himself - Ada and Zillu. They gave birth to sons who were the inventors of the first crafts and arts. Jabal was born from Ada. He was the first to invent tents and with them began to lead a completely nomadic life, transferring tents and driving herds from one place to another.

Second period. From the flood to Abraham V. The Flood Vi. Descendants of Noah. Genealogy of peoples. Babylonian pandemonium and dispersal of peoples. The beginning of idolatry Third period. From the election of Abraham to the death of Joseph and the conclusion of the patriarchal era Vii. The election of Abraham. His resettlement to the land of Canaan and his life in this country. God's covenant with Abraham and the promise of a son. VIII. Epiphany at the oak of Mamry. The death of cities in the Siddim Valley. The ultimate test of Abraham's faith and the last days of his life. IX. Isaac and his sons X. Jacob XI. Joseph XII. Internal and external condition of the chosen family during the patriarchal era. Worship and rituals. Morals and way of life. Government, industry and education XIII. True religion outside the chosen race. Job. The religious state of the pagan peoples. Chronology The fourth period. From the death of Joseph to the death of Moses XIV. Israelites in Egypt XV. Moses, his upbringing in Egypt and stay in the land of Midian. Calling him at Mount Horeb Xvi. Intercession before Pharaoh and Egyptian executions. Preparing for the Exodus. Easter XVII. Exodus from Egypt. Crossing the Red Sea Xviii. The Wanderings of the Israelites in the Desert to Sin XIX. The history of the gift of Sinai legislation. Golden Taurus. Tabernacle. Priesthood. Calculus of the people XX. The events of a 38-year wandering in the desert. Conquest of the East Jordanian country. The last orders and admonitions of Moses; his prophetic blessing of the people and death XXI. The Legislation of Moses. Theocracy. The Tabernacle and Associated Institutions XXII. Resolutions of Moiseev's legislation regarding civil life. Education. Inspirational books. Chronology The fifth period. From the conquest of the promised land to the establishment of kingship XXIII. Promised land. Its external position and nature. Population, its language, religion and civil status XXIV. Joshua, the conquest of the promised land and the division of it. Religious animation of the Israeli people Times of the judges XXV. The deviations of the Israelites into idolatry and conversion to their God during the calamities that befell them. Deborah and Barak XXVI. Gideon and Jephthah XXVII. Samson XXVIII. Religious and moral condition of the Israelites during the time of the judges. Ruth's story XXIX. Eli - High Priest and Judge XXX. Samuel is a prophet and judge. Schools of the prophets. Education. Chronology Sixth period. From the anointing of the king to the division of the kingdom of the Jews XXXI. Saul's anointing to the kingdom. The first years of his reign. Saul's Rejection and David's Anointing XXXII. Saul and David. The defeat of Goliath and the rise of David at court. Persecution of him. Saul's death XXXIII. The reign of David. Conquest of Jerusalem. Carrying over the ark of the covenant, victorious wars, and the thought of building a temple XXXIV. Continuation of the reign of David. His power and fall. Absalom and his rebellion XXXV. The last years of the reign of David. Calculation of the people and punishment. Final orders and the death of David XXXVI. The reign of Solomon. The wisdom of the young king, his greatness and power. Construction and consecration of the temple XXXVII. Solomon is at the height of his glory. Queen of Sheba. The fall of Solomon and his demise XXXVIII. The internal state of the Israelite people during the time of the kings. Religion and worship. Enlightenment and divinely inspired books. Chronology Seventh period. From the division of the kingdom to the destruction of Solomon's temple by the Babylonians XXXIX. The division of the kingdom, its causes and significance. Jeroboam and the religious schism he produced XL. The weakness and wickedness of Rehoboam and Abijah, the kings of Judah, and the pious reigns of Asa and Jehoshaphat XLI. Kings of Israel Ahab and Ahaziah. The complete establishment of idolatry under them in the kingdom of Israel. Prophet Elijah. The harmful consequences of Jehoshaphat's alliance with the kings of Israel XLII. Successors of Ahab. Prophet Elisha, Naaman the Syrian. The destruction of the house of Ahab XLIII. King Jehu of Israel and his successors. Prophet Jonah. The fall of the kingdom of Israel and the scattering of the ten tribes. Righteous Tobit XLIV. The kings of the Jews Joash, Ahaz, Hezekiah and Manasseh. Prophet Isaiah. King Josiah's Transformative Activities XLV. Fall of the Kingdom of Judah. Prophet Jeremiah. Destruction of Jerusalem. The captivity of Babylon XLVI. The internal state of the chosen people in the VII period. The state of the surrounding peoples. Chronology Eighth period. Babylonian captivity times XLVII. External and religious condition of the Jews. Ezekiel's Prophetic Activity. Prophet Daniel XLVIII. Fall of Babylon. The position of the Jews under Cyrus. Manifesto for the release of prisoners. Chronology Ninth period. State of the Old Testament Church from Ezra to the Nativity of Christ XLIX. Return of the Jews from captivity. Creation of the second temple. Activities of Ezra and Nehemiah. The last prophets. The Fate of the Jews Remaining within the Kingdom of Persia: The Story of Esther and Mordecai L. The Condition of the Jews Under Greek Dominion. Time of Maccabees and their exploits for church and state. Jews ruled by the Romans. Reign of Herod LI. Religious and moral state of the Jews upon their return from captivity. Sects. Divine service. Governing body. Chronology LII. Jews scattering. The state of the pagan world. The common expectation of the Savior Appendices of Additional Notes on Selected Issues from Old Testament Bible History I. Days of creation II. Biblical chronology III. Flood Legends IV. The death of Sodom and Gomorrah V. Hungry years in Egypt Vi. Mills in the desert Vii. Manna VIII. Balaam IX. Solstice at Joshua X. Biblical Time XI. Biblical scales and money XII. Measures of length XIII. Measures of bulk and liquid solids XIV. Synchronistic table of the most important events from the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt

Preface to the first edition

An extraordinary movement is currently taking place in historical science, thanks to those amazing discoveries that are being made on the forgotten ashes of the historical life of the ancient peoples of the East. From that happy hour, when historians, not limiting themselves to the pen, took up spades and shovels and began to dig out the rubble of the ruins in the valleys of the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates, as well as in other countries of the historical east, a whole world of new historical knowledge opened up before the eyes of researchers: pale and the meager pages of the history of the ancient peoples were extremely revitalized and expanded, even the existence of new, completely unknown hitherto peoples and monarchies was discovered, the knowledge of which shed new light on the entire fate of ancient mankind. But these extraordinary discoveries gained even more significance due to the fact that they were in close correlation with the Biblical history, and not only shed a lot of new light into it, understanding its often darkest pages, but also presented an almost miraculous confirmation of many biblical events and facts. which hitherto could be criticized by skepticism with impunity. This circumstance has extremely revived interest in Biblical history, which has ceased to be a dry specialty of theologians, and now attracts the attention of both secular scholarly historians and the entire educated society of all civilized peoples. This interest is noticeable in our country too; but, unfortunately, in our country it has not yet left the narrow framework of a circle of specialists, and for our society, in fact, there is literally not a single such publicly available book that could serve as a guide or an introduction to this deeply interesting and eminently an instructive field of knowledge. The satisfaction of this, in our opinion, an urgent need, in part, is what this book has in mind. In its main parts it was compiled several years ago and was intended only as a synopsis for our private office studies in contact with our specialty (“History the ancient world ») The field of biblical and historical knowledge. But the consciousness of the above-mentioned deep need prompted us to process this synopsis in such a way that it could satisfy this need at least in the slightest degree, precisely by giving a coherent and lively course of Biblical history, introducing into it the main features from the inexhaustible wealth of the latest biblical-historical research. It is clear that within the framework that were outlined for this manual, the aforementioned studies could not find an independent place in it and we really limited ourselves to only introducing some features of them; but we hope that readers will notice their presence at every more or less important biblical-historical event, and will see for themselves how much light the latest discoveries shed in the field of history and how much fresh interest they give to the most common facts and events. reading in general, but we would especially like it to find access to the environment of the student youth. We are deeply convinced that Biblical history can become an inexhaustible source of moral and higher historical education for any person who is more or less capable of serious mental life. Every history is an educator of the mind and heart and a teacher of wisdom; but Biblical history in this respect stands above all other stories, because its subject is the central points of the spiritual life of mankind, and it reveals the deepest laws of world-historical development. It can most clearly show that in the history of nations there is nothing accidental and arbitrary, that any attempt to “make history” is meaningless and harmful, because everything waits and demands “the fulfillment of times”, which cannot be brought closer or removed. At the same time, it represents a series of deep life experiences of the greatest characters, which, with their virtues and no less their vices, open the door to the very depths of a person's spiritual life and thereby teach the deepest lessons for anyone who has a sufficiently vivid moral sense to perceive such amazing experiences. Our "leadership", of course, has no claims to presenting the Biblical history from this very side: understanding this side in it presupposes a preliminary acquaintance with the rudiments of biblical-historical knowledge, and it is these beginnings that we offer in our book, in the hope that it can serve as a guide to penetration into a deeper field of knowledge. A similar "Guide to the Bible History of the New Testament" on December 31, 1887 has followed in a short time.

Preface to the second edition

OUR "Guide", greeted with the lively sympathy of the spiritual and secular press, not only Russian, but also abroad - Slavic (it has been fully translated into Serbian), despite a significant number of printed copies, was sold out in a relatively short time and had not been available for several years. sale. Since the demands for it do not stop, we decided to make a second edition, which is offered to the benevolent attention of our readers. Without making any significant changes in it, we only carefully revised it and corrected it where it turned out to be necessary, and also supplemented it with several notes and biblical quotations, which enable the reader to easily find the narration about each event in the Bible itself, as a primary source. 3 July 1896.

Conceived as a work contributing to the popularization of theological science and spiritual enlightenment, the book is written in an accessible language.

The work was published in 1887 by the publishing house AST. On our site you can download the book "The Bible story of the Old Testament" in fb2, rtf, epub, pdf, txt format or read online. Here you can also, before reading, refer to the reviews of readers who are already familiar with the book, and find out their opinions. In the online store of our partner, you can buy and read a book in paper form.