Lecture 2. The Hebrew Bible in Its Ancient Near Eastern Setting: Biblical Religion in Context

Introduction to the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) (RLST 145) with Christine Hayes
In this lecture, the Hebrew Bible is understood against the background of Ancient Near Eastern culture. Drawing from and critiquing the work of Yehezkel Kaufmann, the lecture compares the religion of the Hebrew Bible with the cultures of the Ancient Near East. Two models of development are discussed: an evolutionary model of development in which the Hebrew Bible is continuous with Ancient Near Eastern culture and a revolutionary model of development in which the Israelite religion is radically discontinuous with Ancient Near Eastern culture. At stake in this debate is whether the religion of the Hebrew Bible is really the religion of ancient Israel.
00:00 - Chapter 1. The Bible as a Product of Religious and Cultural Revolution
08:16 - Chapter 2. Kaufman's Characterization of "Pagan Religion"
22:16 - Chapter 3. Kaufman's Characterization of One Sovereign God
35:13 - Chapter 4. Continuity or Radical Break?
Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: oyc.yale.edu
This course was recorded in Fall 2006.