Old Testament

General Information 

The Old Testament is studied from the confessional position that – together with the New Testament – it forms the Word of God. The purpose is to disclose the Old Testament in such a way that its message becomes relevant for contemporary humankind. 
 
For this reason, the study of the discipline deals primarily with the exegesis of the Old Testament. The subject includes the method of exegesis in a study of the various books and literature encountered in the Old Testament. Various ancillary subjects, studied to gain in-depth insight, consider the:

• text of the Old Testament,
• text criticism,
• origins of the books and the canon of the Old Testament,
• cultural-historical background of the Old Testament,
• history of Israel and the geography of Palestine.

The most important theological lines and themes are also explored so that the message of the Old Testament may be determined.