The Bible in Light of the Ancient Near East

Overview

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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.