Discovering the Old Testament

Discovering the Old Testament, Part 20 Judges records the transition of Israel from a scattered collection of tribes caught in a cycle of sin and redemption, but where each iteration of that cycle brings them closer to social and institutional … Continue reading →

Discovering the Old Testament, Part 19 The Book of Joshua introduces us to the end of the Exodus and the entry into the Promised land of Canaan. As the Bible tells the story, it’s an unsettling read for readers with … Continue reading →

Discovering the Old Testament, Part 18 The system of sacrifices among the ancient Hebrews is one of the more perplexing aspects of the Old Testament and Jewish Law. As with the purity regulations, the ancient Hebrew legalists took religious metaphors … Continue reading →

Discovering the Old Testament, Part 17 How did the people who first assembled and wrestled with the text of the Old Testament interpret their scripture? In this session, we will introduce the Jewish interpretive methods of Pesher and Midrash, along … Continue reading →

Discovering the Old Testament, Part 16 More than almost anything else, the Sabbath is the defining institution of ancient and modern-day Judaism. We look at this unique holiday, and its place in Judaism. This episode also examines the various law … Continue reading →

Discovering the Old Testament, Part 15 What are the purity regulations all about? Why did they matter so much? What were the ethical foundations of the Jewish dietary laws? In this installment, we address these questions and, along the way, … Continue reading →

Discovering the Old Testament, Part 14 The Exodus from Egypt and the theophany at Sinai are the defining moments in Israel’s history—literally. This is when Israel is “created” as a nation. It is not just a geographical exodus from Egypt … Continue reading →

Discovering the Old Testament, Part 13 The story of Joseph and his rise from slavery to near-ultimate power, and his role in saving his family from famine not only sets the stage for the Israelite Exodus out of Egyptian slavery, … Continue reading →

Discovering the Old Testament, Part 12 What does the science of archaeology tell us about the past, especially the world of the Bible? In this episode we will learn about the basic problems facing the archaeologist, its essential assumptions, and … Continue reading →

Discovering the Old Testament, Part 11 How Jacob outwitted his father-in-law to secure his future, and deflected the wrath of his brother Esau upon his return to his family homeland. Some thoughts on animal husbandry, tactical gift-giving, and how the … Continue reading →

Discovering the Old Testament, Part 10 In which we meet Jacob the deceiver who, with some help from his mother Rebecca, does what he must to secure the blessing meant for his brother, and gets cheated in his turn. Here … Continue reading →

Discovering the Old Testament, Part 9 Two episodes from Abraham’s life are difficult for many readers: Abraham’s attempted deception of King Abimelech, and the Sacrifice of Isaac. Apart from the questions they raise, they give the character of Abraham the … Continue reading →

Discovering the Old Testament, Part 8 The stories of the Patriarchs, beginning with Abraham, are stories of survival. How did these progenitors survive, and why were they favored to receive God’s covenant? This was a major question that Genesis seeks … Continue reading →

Discovering the Old Testament, Part 7 Abraham’s world: living the life of the desert pastoral nomad where reputation is wealth, generosity a necessity, gift-giving a political tool, and hospitality as one of the most sacred of obligations. … Continue reading →

Discovering the Old Testament, Part 6 The story of the Flood is one of the most well-known and controversial in the Old Testament. Other flood stories have been found in Babylonian and Sumerian sources; what do they tell us about … Continue reading →