Bible: Old Testament: English Standard Version

Read The Epic of Gilgamesh from Babylonian literature and compare it to the primeval history narrated in Genesis 1-11. What are the major similarities and differences?

Assess the relative influence of the major world empires of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia on the history of ancient Israel, and make a case for which empire has had the most formative influence on the Old Testament.

Although the canon has long been accepted in its established form, a few marginal voices in the Jewish and Christian traditions have expressed uncertainty about Esther, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. Why do you think there would have been reservations about the scriptural status of these books?

Some scholars view the Old Testament texts as having a uniformly monotheistic perspective throughout, whereas others suggest that Israelite religion evolved from a henotheistic view (one supreme God among many others) toward a later position of monotheism (that there is only one God). Which perspective do you find a more compelling view of the evidence, and why? Support your answer with references to Old Testament texts.

Research the current state of the field of biblical archaeology in relation to the Old Testament texts. In what respects does it confirm traditional interpretations of Old Testament history, and in what respects does it challenge them?

Find and outline an example of a chiasm in the book of Psalms. How does the poetic structure affect the communication of the psalm’s message?

Given the fact that ancient Israel had an established class of religious professionals tasked with maintaining the people’s relationship with God—the priests of the temple—why do you think a separate office of prophet developed, rather than having the priests themselves fill such a role?

Of the prophetic books for which we can assess a reasonable estimate of historical context, a large proportion of them are clustered around the dual experiences of the destruction of Jerusalem and the return from exile. Why do you think this is the case?