This course is an introduction to and survey of the small library of ancient documents collectively known as the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) - a library which is sacred to Judaism and Christianity. During our survey of the Hebrew Bible's content and our close reading of selected passages, we will consider the origins and formation of these texts and how they relate to the history and culture of the ancient Near Eastern context in which they were written. We will also pay attention to the artistry of the texts' various genres and to modern academic theories about how to understand and interpret them.

This course is an introduction to and survey of the small library of ancient documents collectively known as the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) - a library which is sacred to Judaism and Christianity. During our survey of the Hebrew Bible's content and our close reading of selected passages, we will consider the origins and formation of these texts and how they relate to the history and culture of the ancient Near Eastern context in which they were written. We will also pay attention to the artistry of the texts' various genres and to modern academic theories about how to understand and interpret them.