BIBLE HISTORY AND LITERATURE BRENT S. WALTERS

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the Bible, a document that remains scripture to millions of people around the world. Its main objective is to reconstruct its original context, and to achieve that goal we cover the social setting of the Jews and Christians in light of the cultural and religious environ- ments that influenced the writers of these sacred texts. Its literary genres are discussed in order to distinguish between literal and figurative uses of language, and they include: narrative, prophecy, poetry, wisdom, apocalypse, , and . Special attention is placed on the extra-canonical and contemporary litera- ture that circulated during this same period. Discussions on Hebrew scripture are replete with references from history, legend, tradition, and archaeology and take into account the formation of the canon through the Second Temple and Talmudic eras. The New Testament lectures likewise draw from such sources and include patristic, apocryphal, and legendary materials from the Ante-Nicene period in order to attain a concurrent interpretation of the first-century text. Our intent is to approach the world of in order to understand his message in context, one that the apostles and others taught throughout the Roman Empire. This contributes to such study, since it preserves the theology and culture of the early Jesus move- ment as well as the polemic between the synagogue and the church. This course does not cower from the difficulties generally associated with studying sacred texts or from the attempts that some experts have made to answer questions about sources, authorship, audience, and date. One of our primary goals is to reach a balance, whenever possible, between what its writers assert and what historians, theologians, and scholars have concluded about the biblical text. While not a theology class, students are encouraged to participate in the discussion but to temporarily suspect their denominational and sectarian perspectives in order to approach this material without prejudice. At times the content may seem contro- versial, since we are dealing with documents that have been interpreted in a variety of ways for hundreds of years. Furthermore, schools of thought differ both in meaning and in application, and bearing in mind the number of acknowledged eras and reforms in the Jewish and Christian communities, consider such diverse backgrounds before arguing a particular point of dogma or proclaiming a codified statement of faith. The intent of this class is to restore as much of the historical context as possible in order to enable research to continue with confidence. Weekly readings are suggested (many of which were prepared for this course), so that fur- ther detail may be provided for those who desire to study more effectively.

Brent Walters is curator of the Ante-Nicene Archive and has taught this class at San Jose State University for nearly thirty years. His expertise in early Christian thought and practice makes this content both innovative and informative (as his hundreds of students over the years acknowledge). This is the opportunity you have sought to return to biblical study.

Please join us for “Bible History and Literature” each first and third Thursday of the month from 6:30-8:00pm at the First Presbyterian Church of Santa Clara (2499 Homestead Rd, Santa Clara, Ca 95050).

Registration occurs on the first night of instruction (March 7, 2019), but the series may be joined at any time. Each session is recorded, so missing a class will not hinder an individual from participating.

A PowerPoint presentation is provided each week, and it empha- sizes the historical context for the topics discussed as well as images of numerous sites (especially those archaeologists have unearthed).

The cost for this course is $10.00 each session (with two classes each month). All proceeds support the Centre for Early Christian Studies that houses the Archive and its holdings. Please view the agenda.

COURSE AGENDA

MANUSCRIPTS AND TEXTS Greek Language • Scribal Schools • Ancient Versions • Patristic Citations • Papyri and Minuscules • Uncial Codices • Textual Schools

CRITICS AND EDITIONS Carolingian Renaissance • Illuminated Manuscripts • Polyglots • Textual Criticism • Restored Text • Early Translations • English Editions

ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES Oxyrhynchus • St. Catherine’s Monastery • Dura Europos • Dead Sea Schools • Nag Hammadi • Hebrew Text • The Septuagint

CREATION OF UNIVERSE Torah (Tanakh) • Redaction Theory • Creation Narratives • Cultural Cosmology • Babylonian Religion • Seven-Day Model • Logos Doctrine

ORIGIN OF JUDAISM Adam Saga • Story of Eve • Good and Evil • The Serpent • Asclepius Cult • Role of Satan • Lessons of Eden

EAST OF EDEN Paradise and Torment • Cain and Abel • The Deluge • Epic of Gilgamesh • Noah and Seth • The Nephilim • The Shemites

THE PATRIARCHS History of Josephus • Book of Generations • Ancient Ziggurats • Terah and Abraham • The Covenant • Land of Canaan • The Canaanites

ABRAHAMIC FAITH Abraham and Sarah • Tribes of Ishmael • Tribal Circumcision • Journeys of Abraham • Generation of Isaac • Jacob and Esau • Twelve Tribe

JOSEPH The Struggle • Joseph and Brothers • Hyksos Dynasty • Entering Egypt • Land of Goshen • Israelite Popu- lation • Archaeological Record

MOSES The Narrative • The Plagues • The Passover • The Exodus • The Wandering • The Levites • The Tabernacle

THE COVENANT Babylonian Dynasty • Hammurabi • The Code • Code and Torah • Events at Sinai • Ten Commandments • A Second Set

LAND OF CANAAN Death of Moses • Joshua • Twelve Tribes • Jericho • Non-Israelite Tribes • Samson and Philistines • Meren- ptah and Israel

PROPHET AND KING Samuel the Seer • The Nazirite • Roots of “Messiah” • The Monarchy • Davidic Narrative • Jerusalem • Temple

DIVIDED KINGDOM Solomon’s Reign • Divided Kingdom • Rise of Prophets • Assyria • Prophetic Role • Fall of Israel and Judah • Neighboring Kingdoms

THE PROPHETS Tel Dan Stele • Tales of Elijah • Three Prophets Periods • Forty-Eight Prophets • Message of Isaiah • Visions of Ezekiel • Account of Jeremiah

WISDOM LITERATURE Hebrew Poetry • Wisdom Sources • Forms of Wisdom • Wise Samples • Missing Documents • Wisdom in Athens • Hellenistic Worldview

APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE Unique Worldview • Literary Genre • Book of Enoch • • Apocalypse of John • Lazarus and Rich Man • Origin of Hell RABBINIC LITERATURE The Remnant • The Diaspora • Oral Law • Hillel and Shammai • Gathering Tradition • Mishnah Avot • Talmud

HELLENISM Eras of Foreign Reign • Alexander the Great • Dividing the Kingdom • Ptolemaic Dynasty • Seleucid Dynasty • Hasmonean Dynasty • Reconstructing Athens

ROMAN EMPIRE First Century Timeline • The Emperors • Roman Pantheon • Jewish Occupation • Reconstructing Rome • Herod’s Jerusalem • Restored Temple

FIRST CENTURY Emperors • Writers and Statesmen • Wars and Revolts • Religious Figures • Disasters • Births and Deaths • Events

JESUS OF NAZARETH Jewish Messiahs • John the Baptist • Images of Jesus • Birth Narrative • Early Years • Baptism and Calling • Passion Account

THE GOSPEL Various Accounts • Essence of the Gospel • • Gospel of Matthew • Gospel of Mark • Gospel of Luke •

SPURIOUS ACCOUNTS Infant Thomas • History of Joseph • Gospel of • • • Acts of Pilate • Diatessaron

FAMILY OF JESUS Brothers of Jesus • Protevangelium • Hegesippus • James the Just • Josephus on James • Grandsons of Jude • Epistle of James

TWELVE APOSTLES Acts of the Apostles • The Twelve • The Traditions • Apocryphal Legends • Petrine Tradition • Peter and Rome •

THE TEACHING Oral Tradition • Gentile Converts • Discovery • Early Editions • Two Ways • Church Practice • Eschatology

THE Synagogue Remains • Prophetic Proofs • Gospel to the Hebrews • Jesus in the Talmud • Synoptic Tradition • Luke-Acts Narrative • Mark’s Community

PAUL OF TARSUS Pharisaic Training • Traditional Chronology • Patristic References • Missionary Journeys • • Cor- inth • Life and Legacy

JOHANNINE TRADITION Tradition of the Elders • Anatolia • Authorship • Docetism • Unique Material • Identity • Prologue and Appendix

THE APOCALYPSE Apocalypticism • Patmos • John the Seer • Apocalypse of John • Date of Composition • Intent for Writing • Seven Churches

CANON OF SCRIPTURE Marcion of Sinope • Regional Usage • Muratorian Fragment • Determining Scripture • Councils and Synods • Dating and Arrangement • Early Patristic Literature

APOSTOLIC FATHERS Introduction • Character of Content • Early Editions • Scholarly Research • Clement of Rome • • Polycarp of Smyrna

SUB-APOSTOLIC AGE Nature of the Literature • • Fragments of Papias • Shepherd of Hermas • Second Cle- ment • • Diognetus

APOLOGISTS Literary Genre • Ambrosius • Aristides • Justin • Tatian • Athenagoras • Theophilus