Introduction to the Hebrew Bible - Part 2

In this study group, we will study and discuss the Hebrew Bible, by way of the Open Yale course taught by Christine Hayes, Professor of Religious Studies. This is a secular course of study, not a theological one. We leave aside the issue of whether the Bible was divinely inspired or represents religious truth. Our focus is on how the Bible can be viewed and enjoyed from the perspectives of literature, history, law, archaeology, and the cultures of the Ancient Near East within which the stories of the Bible arose. The texts we will use are Introduction to the Bible by Christine Hayes (Yale University Press, 2012), and The Jewish Study Bible, 2nd Edition edited, by Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler (Oxford University Press, 2014). No prior knowledge or experience from the first semester is required to participate, although we will begin where our group left off (Chapter 12 of the Hayes text). Our study group is made up of many faiths. Together we will discuss the many unique mysteries and joys of the Hebrew Bible.