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Lecturer: Cynthia R Chapman

From Genesis to Job, the Hebrew scriptures contain some of the most influential stories in Western civilization. But what do these stories tell us about daily life in ancient Israel? And why do they still speak to us today? In 24 captivating lectures, Professor Chapman introduces you to the stories of the Judeans in exile and grounds them in their historical context, giving you a grand vision of history as presented in the scriptures. She compares the history in the Bible to the archaeological record so that you come away with a complete picture of life in biblical Israel. Discover the complete literary power of the scriptures by investigating many of the Bible's key historical moments, from the origins of the Israelites in the Torah to the Babylonian Captivity and the resettlement under the Persian Empire, which is the very heart of the Hebrew scriptures. Learn how the exilic period motivated the community to reexamine its relationship to its God, its land, its religious practices, and its legacy to the children who would become the new Israel. But you'll tackle more than the sweep of history. From the family compounds to the battlefields and from the kitchens to the temples, Professor Chapman puts flesh on the bones of the biblical stories. Spiritually engaging and historically fascinating, this course is unlike any other, and it will give you a new appreciation both for ancient history and for the foundation of the three Abrahamic faiths. All Lectures: 1. Biblical Israel - The Story of a People 2. By the Rivers of Babylon - Exile 3. Ancestor Narratives in Genesis 4. Moses - The Torah's Central Hero 5. Becoming the Nation of Israel 6. Kinship and Economics in Highland Villages 7. Three Weddings and a Funeral 8. Political Power Bases in Early Israel 9. Kingdoms and King Making 10. Politics and Economy of a Centralized Cult 12. Worshipping Locally 13. Lives of the Rich, Lives of the Poor 14. Assyrian Incursion into Israel and Judah 15. Life under Siege 16. Religious Debates and Preserved Text 17. Ezekiel - Exilic Informant 18. Life in Exile, Life in Judah 19. Literacy and Education 20. Religious Developments of the Exile 21. The New Israel - Resettling the Land 22. Food and the Family Meal - Boundaries 23. National Identity - Intermarriage 24. National Identity - Twins and Enemies 25. Loss and Restoration - Two Biblical Stories

Mode of access: World Wide Web