Old Testament

American  

[ohld tes-tuh-muhnt] / ˈoʊld ˈtɛs tə mənt /

noun

Chiefly Christianity.

1. 1. the first of the two main divisions of the Christian Bible, including the Mosaic Law, the history of the people of Israel, the wisdom writings, and the major and minor prophets: in the Vulgate translation all but two books of the Apocrypha are included in the Old Testament.

   2. this part of the Bible thought of as the complete Scripture of the Jews.

2. the covenant between God and Israel on Mount Sinai, seen as the basis of the Jewish religion.

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Old Testament British  

noun

1. the collection of books comprising the sacred Scriptures of the Hebrews and essentially recording the history of the Hebrew people as the chosen people of God; the first part of the Christian Bible

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Old Testament Cultural  

1. The first part of the Bible (see also Bible), so called by Christians (see also Christian), who believe that its laws and prophecies are fulfilled in the person of Jesus, whose mission is described in the New Testament.

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Etymology

Origin of Old Testament

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English; translation of Late Latin Vetus Testamentum, translation of Greek Palaià Diathḗkē; cf. paleo- ( def. ), dia- ( def. ), tick ³ ( def. )

Example Sentences

The first was a smoldering, wrath-&-judgment Old-Testament oratorio, Watchman, What of the Night? by James Gutheim Heller, rabbi of Cincinnati's aged Plum Street Temple.

From Time Magazine Archive

As a radical, Frank is not so uncompromising as shillelagh-artists like Corcoran, Old-Testament purists like Cohen, bouncers like Henderson.

From Time Magazine Archive

I may add, that I quite receive this thought in reference to those two Old-Testament fathers.

From Notes on the Book of Genesis by Mackintosh, Charles Henry

What is recorded in the Pentateuch, not being mentioned in other Old-Testament writings, shows that such records had no existence when those books were written, and therefore could have no recognition.

From The Eliminator; or, Skeleton Keys to Sacerdotal Secrets by Westbrook, Richard B.

Is it not reasonable to suppose that the various Old-Testament writers would have made some reference to the Pentateuch had they known of its existence?

From The Eliminator; or, Skeleton Keys to Sacerdotal Secrets by Westbrook, Richard B.