This class is a seminar to read and discuss each book of the Old Testament Five Books of Moses and discuss interpretation, deeper meanings, anachronisms and inconsistencies.
Some of the portions to be discussed will include: 1. Genesis: the two creation stories, the myth of Adam’s first wife, Lilith, and the flood story, including that of Gilgamesh, 2. Exodus: Moses and the burning bush, 3. Leviticus: the Holiness Code, 4. Numbers: the talking donkey, 5. Deuteronomy: Moses’ speech as an example of Biblical poetry.
Scholarly analysis of the text writers and Old Testament translations (Septuagint, Masoretic, Vulgate, Tyndall and King James) will be discussed. The instructor will discuss Hebrew and the differences in poetry and other aspects of Semitic versus Indo-European language translation and how it affects meaning. Juliet Baker (longtime Senior College instructor) will provide color commentary.
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Instructor: Brian Richardson
Brian Richardson has studied the Old Testament, five Books of Moses, and the Torah every year for the last 30. He has studied Hebrew and has translated several verses in Leviticus from Hebrew to English. He has led Torah Study for Congregation Beth El congregants many times.
Image by Ken Williams from Pixabay
