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Understanding the Old Testament

Take a fresh and eye-opening look at one of Western civilization's most fundamental texts and learn to decipher and interpret the meanings of this world-shaping collection of books of the Bible in the Old Testament.
Understanding the Old Testament is rated 4.6 out of 5 by 105.
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Rated 5 out of 5 by from Great series I learned a lot about the Old Testament and the lecturer was a great speaker. Overall very engaging.
Date published: 2023-03-15
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Thought provoking and highly informative I found dr Miller easy to understand and fully engaging. He was knowledgeable not just about the facts but about the context, history and cultural setting. I learnt an awful lot and whether or not you are a believer this is an excellent course for both historical and religious purposes. Dr Miller, i would assume is a believer but I thought the fact he didn't state this, or which branch of Christianity he follows gave a more objective view of the material. I highly recommend this course.
Date published: 2023-02-13
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Fantastic Course With the teaching company you have to be careful with religious courses, you can end up with a Bart Ehrman pop Di Vinci code something ( not scholar). And don’t get the other Old Testament course unless you actually want the Hebrew Bible instead, I can’t tell if these professor is a believer or not. He gives we’re articulated and through full arguments/ analysis. The course is excellent and thought provoking. He puts the texts in a particular context. With some of the sections, example Job, I have heard different conclusions but that is fine, scholarly debate. Very very thought provoking course. I am Catholic and enjoyed it, where I learned about the texts without him saying they were inspired by God or not. He just gives you an interpretation of the books points. The teaching company got this one right.
Date published: 2023-01-28
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Incredibly Helpful I am not religious.. .at all. With that said, I love comparative religious studies. I read The Old Testament to better understand my comparative studies, and was overwhelmed. This course very much helped me understand the history behind the Old Testament, which helped me understand it. I have no idea how you would feel about this course as a believer... but it's VERY helpful it you are not.
Date published: 2022-12-25
Rated 5 out of 5 by from A Must for Catholics! This extraordinary course will enrich all Christians in the Fullness of the Faith, especially Catholics. Dr Miller's teaching of the essential and underlying themes of Jewish Scripture will amaze you! May God reward him!
Date published: 2022-12-21
Rated 4 out of 5 by from Good overview of Old Testament This is a good but not brilliant course. The Old Testament is a big subject and can't be covered in too much detail. The areas covered are well handled but there are many gaps and some brief mention of the areas not mentioned would be a helpful link. I am glad I took this course though.
Date published: 2022-12-08
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Great listen in the car The author is concise, to the point but not vague.. he’s presentations are perfect!
Date published: 2022-12-01
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Excellent perspective I enjoyed this course; it is well presented and quite insightful. I rate it excellent with the caveat that sometimes the professor is a bit too sarcastic for my taste.
Date published: 2022-10-31
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Overview

The 39 books of the Old Testament constitute the Hebrew Bible, comprise nearly three quarters of the Christian Bible, and contain substantial material considered sacred within Islam. As such, the Old Testament is among the most influential and widely read texts in world history.

About

Robert D. Miller II
Robert D. Miller II

Join me for this fascinating exploration of the old testament; stepping back in time to witness the historical birth of a book that continues to shape our world.

INSTITUTION

The Catholic University of America

Robert D. Miller II is Ordinary Professor of Old Testament at The Catholic University of America. He received a PhD in Biblical and Near Eastern Studies from the University of Michigan. He is a research associate at the University of Pretoria and a life member of St John’s College Cambridge.

Professor Miller is a scholar of the history, literature, religion, and archaeology of ancient Israel. His books Chieftains of the Highland Clans: A History of Israel in the 12th and 11th Centuries BC and Oral Tradition in Ancient Israel, as well as related related articles, made him a recognized authority on early Israel. Other books by him include Covenant and Grace in the Old Testament: Assyrian Propaganda and Israelite Faith and The Dragon, the Mountain, and the Nations: An Old Testament Myth, Its Origins, and Its Afterlives.

Professor Miller has worked in the interface of science and theology as the recipient of two major grants in that area, and he participates in Jewish-Christian and Muslim-Christian dialogue at local and international levels. He is a former member of the board of trustees of the American Schools of Oriental Research and was one of the translators of the New American Bible Revised Edition. In 2015, he received the Teacher of the Year Award from his university’s School of Theology and Religious Studies Student Association.

By This Professor

Understanding the Old Testament
854
Understanding the Old Testament

Trailer

The Old Testament as Literature

01: The Old Testament as Literature

Consider the historical and literary contexts of the Old Testament, and take an overview of this course. Then, study the events contained within the first six days of creation. For each day, note what was created, how God evaluated it, and how the events of the days are interconnected. Also, observe how the events establish an elaborate pattern and what that pattern meant to ancient Israelites.

28 min
The Genesis Creation Story

02: The Genesis Creation Story

Look at the creation of humanity according to Genesis Chapter 1, and in particular, at how we interpret the idea that humans were made in the image and likeness of God. Then learn about the unique seventh day— the Sabbath—and how the Sabbath was also a day of creation. Investigate the intriguing question of the authorship of the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Pentateuch or Torah.

30 min
What God Intended for Adam and Eve

03: What God Intended for Adam and Eve

Here, delve into the story of the Garden of Eden. Grasp God’s purpose in creating humans as beings that are both material and spiritual. Consider the significance of the god-like role given to Adam to name other creatures. Learn how woman was created as a counterpart (and even rescuer) of man, and how the creation story accounts for a world that is not what God intended.

29 min
When Things Go Wrong in the Garden of Eden

04: When Things Go Wrong in the Garden of Eden

In the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, explore how ancient Israelites understood the nature of sin. Follow Adam and Eve’s transgression in eating the forbidden fruit and note how this act disrupts both the relationship between the two humans and between humanity and nature. See how the ultimate consequence of the humans’ actions is the loss of fellowship with God.

28 min
Abraham, the Father of Three Faiths

05: Abraham, the Father of Three Faiths

In a deep look at the figure of Abraham, the spiritual father of three major religions, examine the features of the Covenant made between God and Abraham as Abraham embarks on his legendary journey. Study the three promises God makes, and what God asks of Abraham. Learn about the paradox embodied in God’s command that Abraham sacrifice his son, and what this signifies about the nature of faith.

29 min
Moses and the Exodus

06: Moses and the Exodus

Read the Call of Moses to liberate the Israelites in Egypt and observe how it resonates with the call of other Biblical prophets. Investigate the Hebrew name of God, Yahweh; how God’s nature is expressed in the name; and why Jews did not speak or write it. Finally, take account of scholarly controversy regarding interpretations of the Ten Plagues and the meaning of the Exodus from Egypt.

31 min
The Ten Commandments

07: The Ten Commandments

Consider why the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments, has a significance beyond that of the other 603 commandments in the Torah, and note how the Ten are numbered within different religious traditions. Examine each of the commandments and grasp how these directives by God were intended not to constrain humanity, but to guarantee freedom, of the community and of each individual.

26 min
The Covenant Code in Exodus

08: The Covenant Code in Exodus

The Covenant Code contains some of the oldest laws of ancient Israel. Read the Code’s many laws, on subjects from religious regulations to social justice, noting that they are considered divine in origin. Compare the Code to the laws of other ancient Near Eastern societies. Learn how, more than legal codes, the laws functioned as moral education regarding notions of human justice.

28 min
Leviticus at a Crossroads

09: Leviticus at a Crossroads

The book of Leviticus sets out the ways Israelites were to live as God’s people. Delve into three sections of the text, beginning with sacrificial practices. Examine five types of ritual sacrifice and the motives or purposes of each. Investigate the Manual of Impurities, which includes dietary rules on the purity of food. Then learn about the Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the year.

30 min
Deuteronomy to Kings

10: Deuteronomy to Kings

Take account of the context of Judges, within the Old Testament books that reveal the story of the Israelites in the Promised Land. Assess different accounts of how the Israelites came to the land of Canaan. Then witness the violent cycle in which they fell into idolatrous behavior, then wound up in enslavement, followed by God sending them a series of charismatic leaders (“judges”) to free them.

29 min
The Book of Judges

11: The Book of Judges

Follow the unfolding narrative of Judges, as the leaders sent to free the Israelites themselves fall from virtue. Study the stories of Gideon and his son, Abimelech, and note archaeological discoveries that show amazing similarities to the biblical story. Conclude with the trials of Jephthah and Samson, and the tragic conclusion of Judges, as Israel descends into immorality and violence.

27 min
The Books of Samuel

12: The Books of Samuel

Chart the origins of prophecy in ancient Israel, with prophecy seen during ecstatic, trancelike spiritual practices. Observe how Samuel, the last judge, initiated monarchy among the Israelites, appointing Saul as king. Trace the disastrous reign of David, and the story of Bathsheba. Then meet the wise Solomon, builder of the first temple to Israel’s God, where worship—significantly—focused on a text, not an image.

25 min
The Books of Kings

13: The Books of Kings

Examine the role of the prophet in ancient Israel as the conscience of the nation. Study the life of the prophet Elijah, his actions to affirm the supremacy of God, and his later disillusion and disobedience to God. Grasp Elijah’s role in the fall of the Israelite kingdoms of Israel and Judah to Assyria and Babylon, a story which, nevertheless, ends on a note of hope.

30 min
Biblical Short Stories: Ruth and Esther

14: Biblical Short Stories: Ruth and Esther

Discover the genre of the biblical short story: Old Testament books that recount single plots, often focusing on displaced women. Learn the story of Ruth, of the land of Moab—Israel’s hated enemy, who survived in Bethlehem through loyalty and resourcefulness. Also, encounter the Jewish, Persian Queen Esther, who saved her people by honoring her Jewishness while being queen of a gentile society.

27 min
Amos, Prophet of Justice

15: Amos, Prophet of Justice

Explore the preaching of the prophet Amos and his passionate theme of justice for the poor and vulnerable. Note how, as an outsider, Amos brings the northern kingdom of Israel to task for its crimes against the poor, seen in acts such as debt slavery, distortions of justice, and the treatment of concubines. Contemplate Amos’s “three woes” against Israel, and also his concluding vision of hope.

27 min
The Prophet Isaiah in Three Movements

16: The Prophet Isaiah in Three Movements

Examine the three distinct sections of Isaiah: first, the prophet’s stern denunciation of social injustice, and his intimation of a new era of peace under a messianic king; next, a promise of restoration and redemption for Israel, through the figure of the “Suffering Servant”; and finally, the vision of a post-exile Jerusalem, where all peoples are included within the worship of God.

28 min
Jeremiah, Persecuted Prophet

17: Jeremiah, Persecuted Prophet

Within the life and preaching of the prophet Jeremiah, study the book of Jeremiah, Chapter 7, regarding his “temple sermon” preaching against idolatry, injustice, and fraudulent worship. Witness the prophet’s response to his later persecution, and his struggle against his own call to be a prophet. Also read the hopeful prophecy in which God offers a new covenant to Israel, a covenant of forgiveness which will be everlasting.

23 min
Daniel and Apocalyptic Literature

18: Daniel and Apocalyptic Literature

In approaching the prophetic oracles and stories of the book of Daniel, delve into the genre of Apocalyptic literature—revelation which discloses a transcendent reality. Note the appearance in Daniel of the figure of “the Son of Man,” a divine, human-like being enthroned by God. Study the story of Daniel’s exile to Babylon and take account of its message for diaspora Jews.

26 min
How Scholars Study Psalms

19: How Scholars Study Psalms

Uncover the musical nature of the book of Psalms, which were prayers that were originally sung, and how the Psalms embody the words of humans to God. Study the poetic features of the Psalms, highlighting parallelism (correspondence of lines). See how these patterns structure the Psalms and help to decipher meaning. Learn about the titles of the individual Psalms and what they tell us, and how the Psalms fall into five sections or “books.”

30 min
The Music of the Psalms

20: The Music of the Psalms

In a second look at Psalms, investigate the primary psalm genres—hymns, thanksgivings, and laments— taking account, in each, of who is speaking within a given Psalm and with what intent. Also delve into lesser genres, such as wisdom psalms, pilgrimage songs, and penitential psalms. Discover how psalms are structured, and how these beloved prayers express the gamut of human emotions.

25 min
Proverbs in the Bible: Wisdom Literature

21: Proverbs in the Bible: Wisdom Literature

As context for the book of Proverbs, discover the Old Testament genre of “wisdom literature” and the varieties of knowledge it encompasses. In the first, nine sections of Proverbs, study the use of paired metaphors that guide the reader’s understanding. Examine the use of personification in Proverbs to express wisdom: as referred to as a woman, as present with God at creation, and as equivalent to the nature of the universe.

29 min
Job’s Suffering and Understanding

22: Job’s Suffering and Understanding

Immerse yourself in the mysteries of the book of Job, first identifying its biblical genre and unusual literary structure. Witness God’s wager with the accuser, who questions Job’s faith, and see the unfolding of the guiltless Job’s ensuing tribulations and reckoning with God. Contemplate the many historical explanations of God’s actions, and what the narrative suggests about divine providence and human value.

28 min
Ecclesiastes and the “Vanity of Vanities”

23: Ecclesiastes and the “Vanity of Vanities”

Grapple with the fascinating and elusive text of the book of Ecclesiastes. In the apparent bleakness of Qohelet’s words, grasp why many through the centuries have found the book depressing. With a careful and rigorous reading, plumb the verses for their deeper meaning: a singular vision of affirmation, reaching beyond the futility of human life to an authentic joy in the gifts of God.

25 min
Slaying the Dragons of the Old Testament

24: Slaying the Dragons of the Old Testament

Conclude by examining a recurrent image within the Old Testament: the figure of the dragon as the personification of evil. Look back through the entire Old Testament at the metaphor of dragon-slaying, at the hands of God, and explore its appearance within earlier mythic traditions. Through multiple textual references, see how this unusual metaphor constitutes an analogy for human suffering and redemption.

32 min

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