B11001 Getting into the Old Testament
This unit will provide an orientation to the Old Testament by:
1 surveying the historical narratives of the Old Testament, from the Exodus to the Persian period, against their Ancient Near Eastern background
2 addressing the nature of Israelite historiography in the light of archaeology and extra-biblical texts
3 introducing the Pentateuch and the Psalms and Wisdom writings, combining attention to large-scale structures with examination of particular texts
4 introducing the prophetic books with particular attention to the book of Amos
5 highlighting significant critical and theological issues raised by the selected texts.
10 credits