The History and Archaeology of the Bible

Considering the nature and scope of biblical archeology; how the Book of Genesis makes its case for the existence of a single God; archeological evidence for a great flood in ancient times; its possible connection to the biblical story of Noah.

The symbolism of the tower and pyramid in ancient architecture; the Egyptian step pyramid at Saqqara; the Mesopotamian ziggurat's role in religious life and ritual; parallels between the building of ziggurats and the story of the Tower of Babel.

Tracing the life of Abraham from his origins; how Abraham follows the call of God in traveling to Canaan; historical evidence related to the events of Abraham's journey; the narrative of Abraham's search for an heir to his clan and to God's covenant.

Archeological traces of Abraham's descendants; the events surrounding Dinah, daughter of Jacob; how their clan is forced to leave Canaan; the story of Joseph's bondage in Egypt; the plausibility of Joseph's rise to the grand vizier to the Pharaoh.

Parallels between the history of Ancient Egypt and the book of Exodus; evidence that the Hebrews in Egypt are forced into slave labor; how the biblical story of Moses correlates with earlier legends and Theban history; the event of the Burning Bush.

How the biblical story of the turning of the Nile to blood and the plagues of flies, locusts and hailstorms brought by God may be inspired by actual events; the exact route of the Exodus; historical perspectives on key features of the journey.

How Joshua succeeds Moses as a military commander; the heroic saga of Joshua's conquests; the rise of the Philistines; their aggression against the Egyptians and the Canaanites; evidence that the Israelites settle in the highlands of Canaan.

The transformation of the Israelite tribes into the beginnings of a nation; how the tribes spread across Canaan; how they coalesce around a supreme commander, making Saul the first Israelite king; the rise of David as the successor to Saul.

Exploring the period of David's kingship; beginning with his selection of Jerusalem as the Israelite capital; examining excavation evidence at ancient sites that relate to the story; charting the dramatic events within the house of David.

Following the arc of Solomon's life as he reorganizes his kingdom and develops trade; archeological finds that may be traceable to Solomon's reign; the design and building of Solomon's Temple; the fortunes of the temple; the trials of Solomon's rule.

How the kingdom of Israel divides into a Northern Kingdom and a Southern Kingdom; how the Northern Kingdom becomes dominant under King Omri; the divisive rule and tragic fate of Omri's son; how the kingdom falls to aggression by the Assyrian Empire.

The motives behind Assyria's major wars of conquest; the bas-reliefs that recount the empire's triumphs; how new military technology drives their conquests, how the empire continues to expand, forcing mass deportations of people held in captivity.

The history of the second Hebrew nation; the expansion of Judah under its early kings; how Judah and Babylon suffer as vassals of the Assyrians; the record of their ill-fated rebellion against Assyrian rule; how Judah again challenges the Assyrians.

How the Israelites become a distinct community in religious terms; the rise of the Persian Empire under Cyrus the Great; the singular character of Cyrus's rule as he builds fair trade and raises the quality of life for all within his realm.

Tracing the process by which Hellenism reaches Judea; learning how the Judeans come under the rule of the Egyptian Ptolemies in the wake of Alexander's short-lived empire; the creation of synagogues; the translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek.

Rome's social and political structure; its rapid ascent to become a major empire, a time when Judean society is fragmented into the Sadducees, the Pharisees and the Essenes; the resulting tensions within Judea; how the kingdom falls to the Romans.

Tracking the events through which Herod becomes the Roman ruler of Galilee; how Herod secures his kingdom; visiting key sites from the period, including Scythopolis and Sebaste; taking account of how Herod rules, forestalling rebellion.

How accounts of Jesus's life spread through oral tradition; the question of who writes the Gospels; how they originate in Christian communities seeking scripture and liturgy; the key differences between the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John.

How both prophesy and miraculous signs figure in the birth of Jesus; why it is essential that Jesus be born in Bethlehem; the tensions within the story related to Mary's immaculate conception; how Matthew and Luke explain the journey to Bethlehem.

Examining evidence suggesting that Joseph and Jesus are actually farmers; the strife and violence that consumes Galilee at this time, surrounding peasant revolts against Rome; considering where Jesus may learn the Torah and become a rabbi.

Taking the measure of John the Baptist; John's role as an apocalyptic prophet; Jesus's motives in seeking John and being baptized by him; how John comes into conflict with the Roman authorities, leading to his death at the behest of Salome.

Studying three phases of Jesus's ministry; Jesus's role as a healer; his central vision of the Kingdom of Heaven; how his ministry responds to the humanitarian crisis faced by the Judeans; how he determines to take his message to Jerusalem.

The events of Jesus's arrival in Jerusalem; Jesus's reaction to moneychangers in the Temple; why the Temple's high priest seeks Jesus's death; visiting the likely place where Jesus is tried by Pontius Pilate; Jesus's Condemnation to Crucifixion.

How the Christian movement gathers force in the decades following Jesus's death; how Paul undertakes three missionary journeys across the Mediterranean world; how Christianity's message of universal redemption resonates with many in the Roman world.