The Bible in Light of the Ancient Near East

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Free Online Course (Audit)
English
$99.00 Certificate Available
9 weeks long, 2-4 hours a week
selfpaced

Overview

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.

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.

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.

Taught by

Dr. Nili Samet