Diaspora. The dispersion or scattering of the Jewish people after the exile of 587 B.C., particularly the extended settlements following the conquests of Alexander the Great. Didactic. That which is intended to teach or instruct. Much of the Old Testament and New Testament is didactic in nature. Example: the Sermon on the Mount. Direct Equivalence. A theory of translation that believes only one English word should be used to represent each Hebrew or Greek word found in the Old Testament and New Testament.