BI-5203 Old Testament Backgrounds

Step into the world of the Old Testament, from Egypt and Mesopotamia to the villages of Israel, and read the Bible with a sure sense of its setting.

The course follows three books: Israel's contacts with Egypt; the civilizations of ancient Iraq, from the first cities to the empires that exiled Israel and Judah and beyond; and Israel's own society as villages and as a state. Two of the books are not written from an evangelical standpoint, and you learn to weigh their views fairly. Some stories touch on violence; when a matter needs more, turn to your church or a professional.

What you will study

• Why the background matters, and how to read parallels with other texts
• Egypt and the Old Testament: creation, Joseph, the plagues, the exodus
• Mesopotamia: writing, law, religion and literature, including the flood stories
• The empires of Assyria, Babylon and Persia, and the exile
• Israel's social world: households, hospitality, law, kings, priests and prophets
• How the background shapes our preaching and teaching

Course materials

• Ancient Egypt and the Old Testament (John D. Currid), a textbook you obtain
• Civilizations of Ancient Iraq (Benjamin R. Foster and Karen Polinger Foster), a textbook you obtain
• Social World of Ancient Israel, 1250–587 BCE (Victor H. Matthews and Don C. Benjamin), a textbook you obtain
• The Bible