Name: Student ID: Course: BIBL 104 B01 Date: 15 June 2015 Old Testament Bible Dictionary Project:

Sarah
Sarah was born Sarai in the city of Ur and lived from about 1986 BC to 1859 BC (127 years). She was faithful and often described as a very beautiful wife of Abraham, as well as his half-sister—both sharing the same father, Terah. God blessed Sarai and her husband, who was then named Abram, declaring that Abram would be the “father of all nations”. Through this covenant is when Sarai became Sarah and Abram became Abraham. Abraham was to birth a nation, meaning that he was to bore a son. But Sarah was barren…as well as impatient and even doubtful of God’s promise. How could she birth a child at her old age? Determined to give her husband the fated child that God promised, she allowed Abraham to impregnate their slave, Hagar. This plan backfired, for Sarah became extremely jealous of Hagar and the two women quickly became adversaries. Sarah later banished Hagar and her son by Abraham, Ishmael, from their household. At age 90, Sarah finally bore Abraham’s son according to God’s will, a boy named Isaac. God did not forget His promise to Abraham and He especially did not forget Sarah, even when she decided to take matters into her own hands. Sarah’s story perfectly reminds us that what God has promised for you, it is especially for you! Even despite her doubt and the pain and conflict she caused by taking advantage of Hagar, God still came through with His promise for her, making her the “mother of all nations.” Ruth
The book of Ruth author was anonymous, but some believe it was written by Samuel the prophet. Written about 1046-1035 B.C. and intertwined during the period of the Judges, the book of Ruth is written as a story of love and loyalty. Key personalities include Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz. During the book of Judges, there was a famine and the Israelite family of Bethlehem “Elimelech and his wife Naomi, their sons Mahlon and Chilion” moved to the nearby country of Moab. Elimelech died, and the sons married two Moabite women: Ruth and Orpah. After about 10 years, both Mahlon and Chilion died leaving Ruth and Orpah widowed. Naomi had lost everything and decided to move back to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest for a fresh start. Orpah returned to her own mother while Ruth remained loyal to Naomi and decided to follow her home. Ruth accepted Naomi’s God as her God, Naomi’s people were her people, where Naomi died, Ruth would die. To support her mother-in-law and herself, Ruth began to glean the fields that belonged to Boaz. A widowed woman was to marry the closest relative to the deceased (normally the brother) to carry on the family’s inheritance. Boaz was a close relative and was obliged by the Levirate law to marry her. After speaking with a closer relative, Boaz was able to secure the marriage of Ruth having a son named Obed. Dan
The land of Dan was founded approximately 1200 BCE. The land of Dan was one of 12 tribes allocated territory by Joshua following the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes. Dan was the last tribe to receive its territorial inheritance. It was originally a small enclave in the central area of Canaan, between Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and the Philistines. Northern end of the Dan territory ended opposite Joppa, which was soon diminished by the Philistines allowing the tribe to camp in the hill country overlooking Sorek Valley. As pressures from the Philistines increased, the tribe abandoned hopes of settling near the central coast migrating into the north of Philistine territory. After conquering Laish, they refound it as their capital renaming it Dan. In the Book of Numbers, the tribe of Dan was portrayed as the second largest Israelite tribe following Judah. From the time Joshua originally conquered the land to the formation of the first Kingdom of Israel in c. 1050 BC, the Tribe of Dan was part of a loose confederation of Israelite tribes having no central government, and in times of crisis, the people were led by ad hoc leaders known as Judges. With the threat from the Philistine incursions increasing, the Israelites formed a strong centralized monarchy to meet the challenge. The Tribe of Dan joined the new kingdom with Saul as the first king. After the death of Saul, and later Saul’s son and successor to the throne or Isreal, the Tribe of Dan joined the other northern Israelite tribes making David. The territory of Dan was later conquered by the Neo-Assyrian Empire and exiled which led to their demise in circa 722 BCE