We all have associations with the word Israel." But how did ancient Israel emerge? Who were the Israelites and where did they come from? What was it like to live in biblical Israel? In The World of Biblical Israel, journey through ancient Israel and be introduced to the world, the people, the challenges, and the triumphs of ancient Israel. In 24 captivating lectures, Professor Cynthia R. Chapman of Oberlin College introduces you to the stories of the Judeans in exile and grounds them in their historical context. By comparing the history in the Bible to the archaeological record, Professor Chapman gives you a complete picture of life in biblical Israel."
The World of Biblical Israel
Get a better understanding of the peoples and events described in The Old Testament with this interesting and helpful course taught by a professor of biblical studies.
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Sleepless_In_Potomac from
the best
Professor Chapman does an excellent job of telling the story of the Jews up to the time of Christ. The lecture about the Babylonian Exile was especially informative because it describes how and why the Old Testament came into being. I can see how a viewer might give this course a rating of 4, but anything below that is a mystery to me..
Date published: 2024-11-25
Rated 4 out of
5
by
DaGeek from
Balanced Presentation of Biblical Israel
My wife and I watched this course in preparation of a trip to Israel that was cancelled at the last minute due the current conflict. Just glad we were not in country when all hell broke loose.
The World of Biblical Israel taught by a graduate of Harvard Divinity School, Cynthia R. Chapman, Th.D. Using the Bible as a framework Chapman ties in historical and archeological records to support its narrative. She also points out when they do not support the Biblical story. She also ties together the varied religious influences, including non-Abrahamic religions, that influenced those who wrote the Bible. I learned a great deal about the Babylonian exile of the Jews, a subject of which I had only sketchy knowledge.
I enjoyed this course, learned a great deal I did not know, and would recommend it.
Date published: 2023-12-03
Rated 5 out of
5
by
RobRD from
Another Success
This was a well crafted set of lectures. I learned a lot - particularly the "story behind the story"
Date published: 2023-09-08
Rated 4 out of
5
by
otrman from
A very good start for me
I really enjoyed this course as it opened my eyes regarding the Old Testament and its pointer to Jewish history and development.
Highly recommended to those interested in early Jewish history and the role of the bible in relating it.
Date published: 2023-06-02
Rated 5 out of
5
by
AaronWC from
Comments from a learner
Amazing series for those wanting to examine the Bible from the historical perspective.
Date published: 2022-09-19
Rated 2 out of
5
by
tommyd555 from
Just Retells Bible Stories with Not Enough Analysi
Well that wasn't what I expected.
Based on the title of the course and the lecture descriptions it was reasonable to expect a painting of what life was like in ancient Israel through solid analysis of the books of the Bible and archeological finds. Instead most of the lectures are just retellings of the various stories in the Bible. Warning: this will be maddening for anyone who is already well acquainted with the content of the 39 books of the Hebrew Bible. If we're not going to get a full-bodied view of what daily life in ancient Israel was like and instead the focus will be on the stories of the Bible then surely we're going to get deep analysis on those stories from a historical and theological perspective.
Nope.
Sure the professor had some interesting theories concerning how the collection of these specific 39 books was driven by the Babylonian exile and perhaps some redacting might be going on here to reshape some of the books or stories in them in light of Judah's defeat and exile and eventual return to their homeland in an effort to define and shape the story of their nation. And yes perhaps these books would have turned out drastically different if written from the perspective of one of the 10 "lost" tribes of Israel---yes, the victors get to write the history and tell the story the way they want. And her assertion at the end of lecture 14 that had King Hezekiah not paid off Assyria and instead Jerusalem had been destroyed utterly and its people exiled to many other lands (vs. the Judeans being exiled together to one location) as Assyria had done to other cities and peoples, then perhaps the Bible and its stories as we know it today would not have come down to us in their forms, was indeed thought-provoking.
But these were the exceptions. Sorry there just isn't enough meat on the bones here/new insight. We just get the stories of the Bible retold to us.
This is strike two to me relating to TGC's study of the Hebrew Bible. "The Book of Genesis" was also a disappointment since it had little insight into what we actually read about in the book and instead we got a literary lesson on how to select specific impactful words when telling a narrative/story. SIGH. Certainly hoping some of the other courses I have not yet listened to ("The Old Testament" and "Understanding the Old Testament") live up to the standard of what I expect from this company.
Lectures 2 (seeing the Babylonian exile as the central event that shares the books we have today in the Bible), 5 (Israelite conquest of Canaan), and 14 (Assyria's siege of Jerusalem) were worthwhile explorations. The remaining I can only recommend if you have little (none?) exposure to the stories of the Hebrew Bible. If you want to know what is in the Hebrew Bible then this might be for you. If you have some knowledge and were looking for deeper insights/criticims/analysis behind these stories then you might want to spend your time elsewhere.
Date published: 2022-09-01
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Martrw from
An anthropologic - historical analysis
I thought this was an interesting and excellent anthropologic-historical review of the Hebrew Nation. Prior to this I viewed Great Courses: 'History and Archeology of the Bible' (Dr. Isbouts), 'the Greek World' (Dr. Garland) and 'Great Tours of Greece & Turkey' (Dr. Hale), and 'Cities of the Ancient World' (Dr. Tuck). Simultaneously I also read: 1. a textbook on the historical analysis of the bible written by one of her Oxford academic co-authors 2. a chronologic study bible of the 'Old Testiment'. Dr. Chapman has the type of world view one would expect of a graduate of Kalamazoo College who teaches at Oberlin College. Occasionally, as a 'womanist', she violated Dr. Garland's axiom that 'modern readers should not use their contemporary standards to judge the lives or actions of people in classical times.' But typically she was not too revealing of her personal views. The challenge of the historical-critical approach is that for most of its history the Abrahamic people were not a generally literate society and that archeology only preserves very limited stratigraphic scraps of evidence. So the silence or unknowns are filled with 'most scholars agree', 'almost certainly' [but no supporting reference] or 'oral history traditions in other people show' ..... so in the end expert opinion rules and the course's tone is a little hollow.
Having said this I learned a lot, and in particular thought the assembly of primary texts into the earlies Hebrew scripture during the Babylonian Exile in the 500s BC was a central concept. Dr. Chapman believes this framed the selection and tone of the writing of the Torah as the 'collective memory of a people' to help them cope with the travails of exile. It is also notable that during the period of Nehemiah and Ezra that many of the returning Hebrews as well as those who were no deported to Babylonia did not speak Hebrew, but Aramaic and later relied on Greek translations of their early 'Bible'.
I believe most people would feel this was a respectful and useful analysis that added to the depth of their understanding of ancient history and the Hebrew and Christian Bibles. Video and Audio formats would both be good.
Date published: 2022-04-23
Rated 5 out of
5
by
a walk in the park from
informative and eye opener
good courses on biblical history as it relates to israel of past
Date published: 2022-03-16
Overview
About
Dr. Cynthia R. Chapman is Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at Oberlin College, where she teaches courses on the Old and New Testaments, suffering and the book of Job, and biblical women, among other topics. She holds a B.A. from Kalamazoo College, an M.Div. from Vanderbilt Divinity School, and a Th.D. from Harvard Divinity School, Harvard University. Professor Chapman's research has focused on the historiography of the Bible considered within the larger ancient Near Eastern environment, and on gender in ancient Israel. Her first book, The Gendered Language of Warfare in the Israelite-Assyrian Encounter, explores the shared use of gendered literary tropes in the Bible and Assyrian royal texts. She is currently completing her second book, The House of the Mother: The Social Function of Maternal Kin in Biblical Hebrew Narrative, which demonstrates that kinship bonds established through the mother served vital social and political functions for a son who aspired to inherit in his father's household. A chapter has been published in the online Journal of Hebrew Scriptures.
Trailer
01: Biblical Israel-The Story of a People
What can the Bible tell us about life in biblical Israel? What do other archaeological sources tell us? Enter the world of biblical Israel with a historical overview and an examination of how the Bible gives us insights into the daily life of ancient Israelites. Then consider the context for how the Bible came into being.
32 min
02: By the Rivers of Babylon-Exile
Start your journey through biblical Israel with a look at the Babylonian exile. In this period, the exiled Judeans began asking themselves who they were as a people and why they had been conquered. Because the Bible began to be compiled in this time of exile, it offers us two vantage points for understanding its history.
30 min
03: Ancestor Narratives in Genesis
Survey the stories of ancient Israel's origins as preserved in the book of Genesis, from the covenant of Abraham through the cycle of Jacob and his children. Ancient Israel understood itself to be a family that descended from Jacob, so these origin stories are crucial for understanding the books that follow.
28 min
04: Moses-The Torah's Central Hero
Continue your study of ancient Israel's origins with a look at Moses and the story of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. After tracing the narrative of Moses's captivating journey, which includes receiving the Ten Commandments from Yahweh, the Israelite god, on Mount Sinai, you'll review the Torah-the "law of Moses"-and explore the origins of the priesthood.
30 min
05: Becoming the Nation of Israel
Turn now to the emergence of Israel as a nation, which is detailed in the books of Joshua and Judges. What does each book tell us about the Israelites' conquest of Canaan? And what does archaeological evidence tell us about this period? Learn about the origins and methods of biblical archaeology.
31 min
06: Kinship and Economics in Highland Villages
Enter the central highlands of ancient Israel and see what the houses, family compounds, and villages were like. How did people live? What did they cook with? How did they divide their labor? What were the roles of men and women?
30 min
07: Three Weddings and a Funeral
To explore some of the practices and beliefs that surrounded marriage, Professor Chapman focuses on several biblical relationships: Isaac and Rebekah show us what was considered an ideal marriage in ancient Israel; Abraham and Hagar reveal the importance of producing an heir in marriage; and Dinah's abduction and rape by Shechem offers insight into the role of proper family negotiations in protect...
31 min
08: Political Power Bases in Early Israel
Investigate three models of leadership-the judges, the elders, and the kings-each of which offers insight into ancient Israel's structures of power. You'll meet several men and one woman who rose to power during times of military crisis, and you'll get insight into how they ruled.
30 min
09: Kingdoms and King Making
Begin a four-lecture unit on the political, religious, and economic developments that occurred between 1000 and 745 B.C.E. The unit opens with an overview of King David, Solomon, and the divided kingdom of Israel. What were the origins of monarchy? Why did Israel split into northern and southern kingdoms? How does the archaeological record compare with the biblical narrative?
33 min
10: Politics and Economy of a Centralized Cult
Delve into the intersection of politics and religion in Mesopotamia, from the Sumerian kings to the Egyptian pharaohs. Then consider the political and economic role of the temple. Use a variety of sources to reconstruct Solomon's temple and its place in ancient Israel's society.
32 min
11: Worshipping Locally
While the ancient states built centralized places of worship, many Israelites continued their local religious practices. Discover the household religions and the variety of gods and goddesses worshipped at the time. Then see what the Bible has to say about these deities and family shrines.
31 min
12: Lives of the Rich, Lives of the Poor
Learn the story of Naboth's vineyard, in which King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, annexed land from a common man, and see what this story tells us about the monarchy and social classes. Then find out what prophets such as Amos and Isaiah had to say about living in a stratified society.
29 min
13: Assyrian Incursion into Israel and Judah
Travel to the "age of empires" and witness the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel. Thanks to Assyrian writings and recordkeeping, historians have a wealth of sources with which to explore life in this era. See how Assyria's recorded history overlaps with the history preserved in the Bible.
31 min
14: Life under Siege
Turn now to the southern kingdom of Judah. After providing an overview of King Hezekiah's reign and the Judean perspective on Assyria, Professor Chapman shows you how each side claimed victory following the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem. Regardless of who truly won, the survival of Jerusalem had profound implications for history.
31 min
15: Religious Debates and Preserved Text
In the 7th century B.C.E., Judah was a vassal of the Assyrian Empire. Delve into the period's religious debates, including the worship of foreign gods and the division over centralized worship in the Jerusalem temple. King Josiah repaired the temple and enacted a sweeping religious reform that called for the worship of one god, Yahweh, in one temple.
30 min
16: Ezekiel-Exilic Informant
Meet the prophet Ezekiel, an eyewitness to the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem and a first-person informant on the experience of exile. Ezekiel's traumas become symbolic of the larger national trauma, and this lecture introduces you to his visions and examines the theological developments that came about as a response to exile.
29 min
17: Life in Exile, Life in Judah
What was it like for the Judeans living in exile? Different segments of the population had varying experiences following the Babylonian conquest of the southern kingdom. In this lecture, you'll investigate what life was like for exiles in Babylon and in Egypt as well as for those who stayed in Judah.
31 min
18: Literacy and Education
Explore the origins of writing in the ancient Near East and the growth of literacy in ancient Israel. After looking at the earliest forms of writing, explore the rise of literacy in the monarchic periods. Then learn about the education systems in ancient Israel-the palace training programs, the book of Proverbs, and education within the family.
31 min
19: Religious Developments of the Exile
Chart the development of monotheism in the Bible, from a plurality of gods to the primacy of the Israelite god known as Yahweh. Then turn to Second Isaiah, "the prophet of monotheism," who, in the final years of the Babylonian exile, envisioned Yahweh on a cosmic and universal scale.
31 min
20: The New Israel-Resettling the Land
How did the Israelites return to their homeland? And what issues did they confront after the restoration? With the Cyrus Cylinder and the book of Ezra as your sources, find out who returned from exile, what conflicts they faced in rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, and how they preserved their sense of national identity.
30 min
21: Food and the Family Meal-Boundaries
Step into the kitchens of the ancient Israelites and take a tour of their diets, from the fruits and grains of common villagers to the meats and fats of the elites. Then consider the bond that forms between people who share a meal and what effect dietary laws have on the formation of group identity.
30 min
22: National Identity-Intermarriage
Take a closer look at intermarriage with foreigners in the years after the restoration. In Genesis, the story of Dinah reflects the post-exilic anxieties about national identity. Likewise, the book of Ruth offers a rare glimpse into women's perspective on marriage and survival in the restored Judah.
29 min
23: National Identity-Twins and Enemies
Revisit the story of Jacob and Esau in light of the quest for national identity. On one level, this narrative presents the history of two brothers and shows the rise of Jacob as he supplants Esau, the firstborn. On another level, the story captures the relationship between Israel and its neighbor Edom, and speaks to their continuing relationship in the post-exilic world.
32 min
24: Loss and Restoration-Two Biblical Stories
Conclude your study of biblical Israel with a look at the stories of Abraham and Isaac and the trials of Job. Each of these tells a narrative of loss and recovery, of displacement and restoration, and each asks questions about the nature of suffering and the mystery of the Israelite god. These questions-and what answers the text could offer-would have held meaning and hope for a community in exile...
35 min
