This course is an introduction to the Bible, set against the background of the rich Archaeological findings from the Ancient Near East. The purpose of this course is to introduce you to the fascinating world of Israel’s neighboring civilizations in biblical times. It offers a comparative study that examines the relationship between the Bible and these civilizations.

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We will discuss a selection of biblical traditions, genres, and themes from a comparative perspective, and show how the ancient Near Eastern materials shed new light on these topics.

While the course will refer to a variety of civilizations, a special focus will be placed on Mesopotamia and its relationship to the bible.

What you'll learn

A new understanding of the ancient near eastern context of such central biblical themes and genres as:

- Creation Traditions

- Flood Stories

- Tower of Babel Story

- Law Literature

- Prophecy

- Wisdom

Syllabus

Lesson 1: The Ancient Near East: Historical and Cultural Introduction.

Lesson 2: Biblical Creation Traditions in their Ancient Near Eastern Context.

Lesson 3: The Biblical Flood Story in its Ancient Near Eastern Context.

Lesson 4: A Theological Perspective on the Creator God: Between the Biblical God and the Ancient Near Eastern Gods.

Lesson 5: The Biblical Tower of Babel Story in its Ancient Near Eastern Context.

Lesson 6: Biblical Legal Literature in its Ancient Near Eastern Context, Part I.

Lesson 7: Biblical Legal Literature in its Ancient Near Eastern Context, Part II.

Lesson 8: Biblical Prophecy in its Ancient Near Eastern Context.

Lesson 9: Biblical Wisdom in its Ancient Near Eastern Context.