Bible Overview: Hebrew Scriptures
This course uses the term “Hebrew Scriptures” in place of the more commonly used term “Old Testament.”
Overview of the Hebrew Scriptures introduces the rich history of the Hebrew Scriptures, known in Hebrew culture as Tanakh, and provides a framework for future study. Learners will explore the history and development of the Hebrew Scriptures through stories, exploration of events, and discussion of the perspectives from which the books of the Law (Torah), the Prophets (Nevi’im), and the Writings (Kethuvim) were written.
The course identifies the main story lines and historical periods of the Hebrew Scriptures. It begins with the allegories of Genesis and traces the history of the Hebrew people from the call of Abraham through the Patriarchal period, the Exodus, the period of the Judges, the United Kingdom, the Divided Kingdom, the Exile, and the post-Exile period.
Required Text:
The New Interpreters Study Bible, New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha
Reading the Bible Again for the First Time by Marcus J. Borg, published by Harper San Francisco.
Class Handouts