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How did the Old Testament get its name?

How did the Old Testament get its name?
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Key Info
  • How did the Old Testament get its name?
  • Duration: 01:41
  • The history of the Old Testament and how it came to be written down over time are summarised in this clip. Stories and ideas about God were formed over time by the Israelites, or Jews, on their 'epic journey' across the Holy Land. Eventually scribes began to write down these stories, written by a number of different people from different times. This became the Jewish Scriptures and Old Testament.
  • Subject:

    Religious Education

       Topic:

    Christianity: The Bible

  • Keywords: testament, agreement, covenant, Israelites, Jews, Holy Land, scriptures
Ideas for use in class
  • This is a useful introduction to the origins and age of the Old Testament. Before viewing, ask pupils if they know any stories from the Old Testament. They may not realise that they know any. Allow them to physically look and leaf through the Old Testament to see its size, books and chapters, and that it makes up the largest portion of the Bible. Ask them for any questions, e.g. how old is it? Who wrote it? What's it about? Then watch the clip, possibly twice. Ask them to put together main points or new facts learnt in groups in the form of a poster or book mark. Testament is defined as 'agreement'. What does this say about the Old Testament? Do you think bits might have been left out?
Background details
  • Clip language : English
  • Aspect ratio : 16x9
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