An orientalist, philologist, and historian of the Church, Turaev did especially much for the study of Coptic and Ethiopian Christianity. The result of his work was the two-volume "History of the Ancient East"[1]. In this book, Turaev devoted several sections to the Old Testament theme. Using the results of the biblical scholarship of the time, he was far ahead of the Catholic exegetes, who were bound by the decisions of the Bible Commission. Only 23 years after the death of B. A. Turaev in Rome was published the encyclical "Divina Afflante Spiritu" (Divine Inspiration of the Spirit), which opened the way for biblical scholars and theologians to assimilate and apply the conclusions of the Old Testament science.

The tradition coming from B. A. Turaev was continued by the theologian of the Russian Orthodox Church Boris Ivanovich Sauvé, who formulated the principles of this tradition at the First Congress of Orthodox Theologians in Athens (1936). Other Russian biblical scholars (Prof. A. V. Kartashev, Protopresbyter A. Knyazev) worked in the same direction. Their attitudes also found a positive response among the biblical scholars of the Greek Orthodox Church.

At the present time, these conclusions and methods have received the rights of citizenship in Catholic theology as well: and not only in special works, but also in seminary courses, in catechetical and popular literature.

It should be noted, however, that Western authors, devoting much space to the scientific and historical side of biblical studies, often do so to the detriment of the spiritual and theological understanding of the Word of God. The task of the Orthodox science of Holy Scripture is to organically combine the historical-critical approach with the approach to the Bible as Divine Revelation.

For various reasons, this two-pronged method, first used by B. A. Turaev and other Orthodox researchers, has not yet received proper development in Russian biblical studies. Therefore, the educational manuals compiled for theological schools are built without sufficient consideration of the tradition coming from B. A. Turaev.

The proposed short course pursues the goal of at least partially filling this gap and thereby paying tribute to the "pioneers of Russian biblical criticism." Archaeological discoveries made after Turaev's death did not, in principle, weaken the value of his concepts; they remain relevant today.

Bible manuals are usually written in two versions. One contains a sequential analysis of each holy book, in the order in which they are arranged in Scripture. In Russian, the last example of this method of presentation is the translated work of Abbot Fulkhran Vigouroux (1880; Russian unfinished translation: Moscow, 1916). Another way of presentation is based on sacred history as a canvas for the study of biblical books. In this work, preference is given to the second method, since it shows with greater clarity the action of Providence in the Economy of our salvation.

Section I Introduction

§1 The Bible is the Holy Book of Revelation and Covenant

1. From the first days of the Church's existence, when there were no apostolic books, the Old Testament firmly entered her life. The Psalms were the first prayers of Christians, the biblical prophecies revealed to them the redemptive mystery of the Messiah, the spiritual experience of the Old Testament forerunners of the God-Man became the soil on which the edifice of the Gospel faith was built. In the treasury of the Word of God, Christianity constantly drew inspiration and edification. Without knowing the Old Testament, it is difficult to understand many aspects of church life. The sacraments, divine services, the religious and moral foundations of the Church, her theology, the view of the past, present and future – all this is closely connected with the Old Testament.

2. In delving into it, the Church follows the path indicated by the Lord Himself, who said: "Search the Scriptures" (Jn 5:39). In the days of His earthly life, He Himself prayed more than once with the words of the Old Testament, referring to it, proclaiming the Kingdom of God. The inhabitants of Jerusalem were amazed at his knowledge of the Scriptures (cf. Mt 4:4; 21:42; 22:29, 31-32, 36-40; 27:46; Jn 5:47; 7:42; 10:35). The Lord's Prayer, the parables, and the whole preaching of the Saviour are based on the spirit and letter of the Old Testament (cf. e.g. Mt 5:5 and Psalm 36:11; Mt 6:15 and Jeremiah 23:16; Mk 1:1-12 and Isaiah 5; Mk 13:24 and Isaiah 13:10 and many others). That is why Bl. Jerome says that "ignorance of the Scriptures is the ignorance of Christ" (Commentary on Isaiah Prologue).

Thus, for people who accepted the Good News of Christ, the Old Testament became a holy book. And after the New Testament writing appeared, it was added to the Old Testament, forming a single Christian Bible.

3. The word "Bible" is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word "sfarim" – books. In the pre-Christian period, this was the name given to the inspired testimonies of Revelation written down by the wise men and prophets of Israel (Dan 9:2).

There are truths about God, the world and man, which the mind, given to people, can and must discover by its own efforts. The laws of nature, the secrets of the craft, the present and past of peoples, and even the very existence of the supreme Principle—all this is known by man, by the natural efforts of his spirit. Revelation is a different matter. It gives something that goes beyond the boundaries of external experience, the earthly mind. It is a gift of God's love, which unites people with the mystery of the Creator and His plans.