The Bible and History

Rameses II
Central Hill Scene

Almost three thousand years ago, a small group of ancient Israelite literati wrote the major narrative that spans the biblical books of Genesis through Kings, creating what may be called the world's first history. The narrative focuses on the people of Israel, but because the history of Israel constantly intersected with the surrounding countries, the Bible gives us a veritable tour of the ancient Near East. Great powers such as Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia, and lesser powers such as the Philistines and the Phoenicians, all make an appearance in the Bible's pages. In this online course, Professor Gary Rendsburg, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Professor of Jewish History at Rutgers University, will present both the evidence from the Bible and the wealth of archaeological data, with an eye to evaluating these two sources and to determining the manner in which they inform each other.