Understanding the Old Testament

By: Professor Robert D. Miller II, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Professor Robert D. Miller II

Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's Summary

The Old Testament is one of the foundational texts of Western civilization, and is among the most impactful and widely read books in world history. In 24 enthralling lectures, Professor Miller guides you through a core selection of the major books of the Old Testament, inviting you to probe their meaning and relevance in incisive and thought-provoking commentary. Among the books of the Old Testament, you’ll explore:

• Genesis: Uncover fascinating features of the Old Testament’s opening, such as how the events of the first week of creation form an elaborate pattern, expressing the complex order of the universe; and how the text does not lay primary blame for “the fall” on the woman, Eve;   
• Deuteronomistic History: Study the epic history of the people of Israel in the Promised Land; follow the story of the Israelites’ disobedience to God, and its tragic consequences;  
• The Prophets: Through the dramatic stories of the prophets, take account of the challenges faced by those who sought to actualize God’s plan for humanity;  
• The Books of Ruth and Esther: Among notable women in the Old Testament, explore two stories of women who are doubly at risk, and who prevail through loyalty, resourcefulness, and integrity; and
• Daniel and the Apocalyptic: In the Book of Daniel, encounter the genre of apocalyptic literature - revelation initiated by God - and contemplate the figure of “the Son of Man,” a promised redeemer.

Throughout the lectures, Professor Miller offers a wealth of perspectives on how to approach the texts. You’ll assess the role of translation in the understanding of the texts, studying the meanings of key Hebrew words; you’ll also look in depth at the history, dating, and writing of the texts, and you’ll study their literary and linguistic features, noting how they achieve their impact on the reader.

In Understanding the Old Testament, you’ll take a revelatory look at this epically impactful document, finding its deeper historical and religious meanings, as well as its sublime literary treasures.

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

©2019 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2019 The Great Courses

This is not what I was hoping for...

Based on reviews, I expected a scholarly discourse on the texts that were compiled to form the Old Testament. No doubt Robert Miller is a scholar, but he is also clearly an apologist, promoting only scholarship that justifies modern Catholic doctrine. I heard enough of that as a kid. A scholarly discourse of texts this ancient should leave lots of room for uncertainty, and a discussion of different interpretations (without always the need to select the one most convenient for Catholic dogma) would really have been interesting.

Radical (in a good way)

This is an excellent course. Professor Miller strips away centuries of tradition and offers what to my ears is a fresh and persuasive interpretation of the Old Testament. His approach to the text is interdisciplinary, combining history, anthropology, structural analysis, literary criticism and linguistics. His conclusions are often surprising but are always well-supported with evidence. In Lecture 4, for example, his novel reading of Genesis 3 (The snake isn’t a snake! Eve’s not to blame! There’s dark humour and puns! How angry was God?) is presented so forcefully that even if you don’t accept it, you’ll still be impressed by the scholarship. Highly recommended.

Great recap for an agnostic

This course is full of fascinating little linguistic tidbits lost in translation of the Bible (e.g. who came up with the name Jehovah? Was the snake in Genesis really a dragon? Satan just means “the accuser”?!) I never felt that the lecturer was preaching, which was great. I would have liked a bit more context on how the Old Testament is interpreted by religions today, but with 12 hours of audio I really couldn’t ask for more with one credit.

dissapointed

ok I did not listen to it all but I wanted a book to learn about the Bible more. after the narrator said BCE I stopped. if you can't use BC and AD in a Bible study something is wrong.

Literary Look

Looking at the Old Testament as a literary aspect was not only intriguing, but exciting at times. You can hear the passion in the professor's voice during the lecture. The professor has great insight into the time of writing, characters in history, and religions of the day. The Bible we have today may have literary errors, but in context is infallible, which is evident to one who has studied the Old Testament for themselves and then heard the lectures.

Not an Overview, Too Literary

I got this after listening to some new testament great courses as I wanted to learn more about the old testament as well. However, this was very specific to certain books of the old testament and very focused on the literary context. I was hoping for more understanding of the history and the old testament in that context.

The professor sounded extremely knowledgeable and informed. I did hear some interesting things, but overall, it was a disappointment.

Too much shouting

It sounds like the professor is talking in a hall to a big audience without a microphone, therefore he is like shouting. With time it becomes annoying. Furthermore the speech is quite monotonous in comparison to other Great Courses, so sometimes it's hard to get involved in it. Also these lectures are quite difficult and the listening isn't easy. However, it is still a great way to learn more about Old Testament

The More You Know!

There is a lot that I don't understand from the old testament and these lectures helped me answer a lot of questions.

outstanding review of the old testament

i am a believer. i have no idea if the author is. that is because he gave a great even handed review of the old testament. i grew in my knowledge and understanding of the old testament. i will listen to this again.

very insightful!

scholarly and religiously insightful. I listened at 2.15X speed and I devoured this over a few days! will re-isten.

interesting and helpful, but I wanted more...

Before we start, reviews of this sort of text are clearer when we know where the reviewer is coming from; I’m an atheist reading the bible in lockdown 2020. I thought this book would help me in understanding the OT better (it’s in the title!).

What I liked about this book was:
the way it approached major books one at a time.

The constant reference to and clarification of the Hebrew wording was also useful in many places.

The main thing I learnt from this was the use of Hebrew poetry structures such as repetition, and how they are used to point at and develop meaning, by sudden changes in these repetitions.

The performance is up beat throughout, and never lets you drop attention.

What I didn’t like was;
the performance was so upbeat that the guy was often seemingly catching his breath throughout, which took a bit of getting used to.

The focus on individual books meant that themes are restricted; you don’t get much cross-referencing. Given that many books have the same theme (the Israelites were granted favours for a covenant, then broke the covenant, leading to loss of favours until a leader could drag them back on course) means it gets repetitive and I often had to actually look at the app to find out which book was being discussed.

My most problematic issue and the reason for the 3 stars overall was the absence of discussion about the interplay between the OT and the NT: which bits did Christianity pick up on, reject or have to reinterpret. Maybe this is my fault, it’s a book about the OT after all.

So.. 5 stars for a book that would help you on reading for the first time or reviewing individual books of the OT.
2 stars for a wholistic view of themes in the OT
Don’t buy this book if you are looking for deeper understandings of the dynamic between Christianity and Judaism: an OT reader would be a better title...

Brilliant!

If I could give this audiobook more stars, I would. The lectures are fascinating! The background information provided is always relevant to the text being discussed, without becoming overbearing; each lecture is conducted methodically, with references to other text and sources, presenting alternative interpretations and various arguments. I loved it that Prof. Miller doesn't shy away from providing what he deems to be the most sensible interpretation as well. He sounds passionate about the subject and this approach not only prevents the lectures from becoming a dry, academic discussion, but also provides enough information for the listener to either develop their own opinion or dig deeper into the subject.

In many ways, this is an introduction to the Old Testament that I have been looking for for the last 20 years or so. I will be definitely going back to this audiobook several times and will recommend it to anyone who wants to find out more about the Old Testament.

Superb

I loved every second of it. He has the perfect balance. Great intellectual insight.
The last lecture is the best. Magnificent

Mind Opening Stuff.

Listened to these lectures twice through. Really interesting. Helps to see the old testament / Hebrew Bible in a completely different light than is commonly portrayed. One of my faves in The Great Courses series.

Very good course.

Enjoyed this course very much.
Very good presentation and excellent explanation of topics both obvious and obscure.

Really whetted my appetite for more

I’m a big fan of Biblical scholarship and have read or listened to a number of authors and academics. Obviously, every scholar has their own view of the material and I found that Prof. Miller put his case in a clear way on each type of material. Contrary to another reviewer, I found his energy and enthusiasm absolutely enjoyable and I looked forward to every opportunity I had to engage with the course.

However, if I could give six or seven stars to this course it would be for the final chapter which I started listening to again as soon as I finished it. Although I’m sure that scholars who are immersed in the Old Testament have a good feel for the cultural setting of the Hebrews then Jews who wrote it I had never heard this so clearly communicated before. This chapter has opened my eyes to a whole new way of understanding what the keepers of this tradition were trying to say and how closely it is tied to the culture and myths of the Middle Eastern civilisations which came before it. Now, I'm determined to read more about those other cultures and their myths.

The Creation Myth of God.

Scholarly but not simple to follow.Complexity deciphered.
I have a healthy respect for the Book but now appreciate that the texts are a History but based on previous myths and histories,mostly oral traditions.
A revelation was the Dragon slayer metaphor..for the whole text and analysis.The Leviathan from the sea,a depth that personifies evil and the devil.I came to the conclusion that God is defined as a metaphor by the Old Testament , and is personified by being the abstract opposite of the Dragon myth..
Very interested in the Hindu myths precedent that established way before this written book the myths.It is like all religions and faiths just Hun beings mostly paternalistic head of family males or elites just making sense of things they cannot understand.

Anyway ,Prof.OK but should seperate his analysis the textual from historical and not leave me to figure it out.Detracted from.real interpretations in my view.