The World of Biblical Israel

By: Cynthia R. Chapman, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Cynthia R. Chapman

From Genesis to Job, the Hebrew scriptures contain some of the most influential stories in Western civilization. But what do these stories tell us about daily life in ancient Israel? And why do they still speak to us today?

In 24 captivating lectures, Professor Chapman introduces you to the stories of the Judeans in exile and grounds them in their historical context, giving you a grand vision of history as presented in the scriptures. She compares the history in the Bible to the archaeological record so that you come away with a complete picture of life in biblical Israel.

Discover the complete literary power of the scriptures by investigating many of the Bible's key historical moments, from the origins of the Israelites in the Torah to the Babylonian Captivity and the resettlement under the Persian Empire, which is the very heart of the Hebrew scriptures. Learn how the exilic period motivated the community to reexamine its relationship to its God, its land, its religious practices, and its legacy to the children who would become the new Israel.

But you'll tackle more than the sweep of history. From the family compounds to the battlefields and from the kitchens to the temples, Professor Chapman puts flesh on the bones of the biblical stories. Spiritually engaging and historically fascinating, this course is unlike any other, and it will give you a new appreciation both for ancient history and for the foundation of the three Abrahamic faiths.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2013 The Great Courses (P)2013 The Teaching Company, LLC

Great Introduction to Complex and Confusing Information

This does an outstanding job of dealing with the touchy subject of the etiological mythopoeism of the Abrahamic religions. Far too often, attempts at treating this topic fail to acknowledge the fictional basis for the Torah of Judaism and the Holy Bible of Christianism. If they do address it, they do so crudely and without respect to the traditions of those faiths.

The archeology and ongoing scholarship of the mundane aspects of the lives of people living Ancient Israel are well attested here, and, again, treated respectfully.

The speaker is easy to listen to, and is an accomplished scholar. I recommend this Great Course.

OK but not what I hoped for

I was hoping for a lot more insight to normal daily life in the region prior to the first century. There is detail of this kind on and off but the focus seems to be about the writing and the writers of the Hebrew Bible and whether or not a person should believe any of it.

An Insight That Is Helpful

It can be taken as a fresh delving into biblical history for those novice learner of the Bible. Definitely this book encourages me to search more deeply to other aspects of Bible history.

Hard to listen to.

Didn't get through it. Hard to listen to someone reading a lecture. Her use of so many big words sounds like she's trying to prove that she knows her topic.

Superb in every respect

This is a secular review of the early history of Israel and the Jews. It is well-done and a pleasure to listen to.

Good and necessary to listen to this audiobook

This audiobook offers fresh and another insight into the conventional bible narrative usually not mentioned in the Holy Bible. This audiobook will provide you a much needed better understanding

Naturalist/Atheist Bent

The book is written with a latent naturalist, modernist, and irreligious bent, and author’s presuppositions and inclinations toward select scientific findings that support those presuppositions make it difficult to get through as a Christian, or person who believes in the inerrancy, infallibility, and inspiration of the scriptures.

The apparent inconsistencies between the archeological record and biblical writings seem to either stem from a biased selection of either with the authors tactic to “disrupt” and “amuse” perhaps even at the expense of truth.

A Wee Bit of a Disappointment

70 percent simply paraphrase of scripture. Covers exodus in less than one lecture. more about the 200 year period around the excile.

Credentialed Theology

What did you like best about The World of Biblical Israel? What did you like least?

I didn't get very far into it before shutting it off (about lesson 4). She uses the Bible as reference but it lacks proper interpretation/context. It is very clearly man's theological doctrine and not that of Scripture. If you are looking for proper context, don't bother.

Would you recommend The World of Biblical Israel to your friends? Why or why not?

It is very clearly man's theological doctrine and not that of Scripture. If you are looking for proper context, don't bother.

Which scene was your favorite?

n/a

Did The World of Biblical Israel inspire you to do anything?

It inspired me to stay away from "credentialed" professors and their personal doctrines which are nothing more than personal opinions and interpretations.

Direct & Informative

What a breath of fresh air!

I was hesitant even to try this course. Any subject of study adjacent to the Bible has to contend with constant attempts by the faithful to undermine honest enquiry. You can see them here in these reviews railing against the course for not conforming to their presuppositions. Most coverage of this material is made by and for such people, with little interest in the truth.

Fortunately this professor takes the Bible much more seriously than they do. By comparing the Biblical record to itself, archeological evidence, and the records of other ancient cultures, she assembles an impressively detailed picture of the world that produced it. Her voice is always steady and clear, if not especially dramatic. If you actually want to learn, this one is for you.