Old Testament Field Guide
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Lesson OneGetting Ready19 Activities|4 Assessments
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Getting Started
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In | The Sunday School Old Testament
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In | Workbook: Old Testament Favorites - Going Deeper
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In | Taking the Stories Seriously
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In | 360° View: Elah Valley
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In | Workbook: Noah's Ark
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In | Putting the Bible in 3D: Noah’s Ark
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In | Workbook: Psalms
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In | The Psalms: Ancient Poetry
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In | The Promises of the Old Testament
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In | Proverbs as Promises
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In | Workbook: Rethinking Your Favorite Passages
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Behind | God of the Laws
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Behind | God of War
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Behind | Workbook: Problem Passages
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In Front | Workbook: A Personal Bible Inventory
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In Front | The Law and the New Covenant
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In Front | Workbook: The Affect of the Bible - Psalm 119
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Wrap-Up
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Getting Started
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Lesson TwoGeography and Religion11 Activities|3 Assessments
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Getting Started
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In | The Land Is a Character in the Story
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In | Onsite: The Oldest Map of the Holy Land - Father Innocent
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In | Living in the Holy Land - Father Innocent
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In | 360 View: Madaba Church Map - Father Innocent
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Behind | Fertile Crescent
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Behind | Five Geographic Zones
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Behind | The Primary Natural Challenge: Water
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Behind | Fertility Gods
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In Front | Workbook: A Temptation that Promises Prosperity
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Wrap-Up
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Getting Started
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Lesson ThreeGeopolitical History15 Activities|2 Assessments
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Getting Started
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In | The Metanarrative
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Behind | The Rise of Civilization
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Behind | Imperial Domination and Local Politics
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Behind | Onsite: Wadi Zered - Boundary Between Moab and Edom
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Behind | 360 View: Wadi Zered
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Behind | Onsite: Lower Jordan - Canyons Rich with Biblical History
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Behind | The Land Between
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Behind | 360 View: Petra
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Behind | The Great Temptation of Peace
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Behind | The Timeline
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Behind | Workbook: Timeline
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In Front | The Modern Temptation of Peace
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In Front | Workbook: The Modern-day Temptations of Peace
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Wrap-Up
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Getting Started
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Lesson FourAncient Near Eastern Sources11 Activities
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Getting Started
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In | Workbook: 2 Kings 18–19 and Taylor’s Prism
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Behind | Workbook: Colossians 2:8 and Ancient Near East Writings, Part 1
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Behind | Workbook: Colossians 2:8 and Ancient Near East Writings, Part 2
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Behind | Parallels: Myths and Tales
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Behind | Legal Collections
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Behind | Hymns
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Behind | Biblical Parallels: Historical Records
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Behind | Texts without Biblical Parallels: Magic and Rituals
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In Front | Workbook: Modern and Ancient Near East Sensibilities
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Wrap-Up
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Getting Started
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Lesson FiveImpact of the Old Testament11 Activities
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Getting Started
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In | Workbook: The Old Testament - Cultural Impact Through the Ages
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In Front | Workbook: Pondering the Uniqueness of Israel
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In Front | Impact: Monotheism
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In Front | Social and Political Impact of the Old Testament
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In Front | “You Are the Man!”
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In Front | The Impact of the Bible on Art
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In Front | Workbook: The Impact of the Bible on Art
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In Front | Workbook: The Bible’s Impact on Language
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In Front | Science
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Wrap-Up
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Getting Started
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Course Wrap-UpCourse Completion1 Activity|1 Assessment
In | Workbook: 2 Kings 18–19 and Taylor’s Prism
Before you begin this lesson: Read 2 Kings 18–19
Compare the above account of 2 Kings 18-19 with the below account of the Assyrian invasion of Israel and Judah under Sennacherib. This Assyrian account is engraved on a stone prism (the “Taylor Prism”) acquired in 1830 by Colonel R. Taylor. The account has Sennacherib making these proclamations in the first person:
As for Hezekiah the Judahite who had not submitted to my yoke, I surrounded 46 of his strong-walled towns, and innumerable small places around them, and conquered them by means of earth ramps and siege engines, attack by infantrymen, mining, breaching, and scaling. 200,150 people of all ranks, men and women, horses, mules, donkeys, camels, cattle and sheep without number I brought out and counted as spoil. He himself I shut up in Jerusalem, his royal city, like a bird in a cage. I put watch-posts around him, and made it impossible for anyone to go out of his city. The cities which I had despoiled I cut off from his territory and gave to Mitinti king of Ashdod, Padi king of Ekron, and Sil-Bel king of Gaza, so reducing his realm. I added to their previous annual tax a tribute befitting my lordship, and imposed it on them. Now the fear of my lordly splendour overwhelmed that Hezekiah. The warriors and select troops he had brought in to strengthen his royal city, Jerusalem, did not fight. He had brought after me to Nineveh, my royal city, 30 talents of gold, 800 talents of silver, best antimony, great blocks of red stone, ivory-decorated beds, ivory-decorated chairs, elephant hide, tusks, ebony, box-wood, valuable treasures of every sort, and his daughters, women of his palace, men and women singers. He sent his messenger to pay tribute and do obeisance.
Grab your Workbook Journal!
[Record your answers in the workbook provided at the beginning of this course.]
- What similarities do you observe between the biblical account and the Taylor Prism?
- What differences do you notice?
- How do you feel about the differences?
- How do you think these sorts of ancient Near East parallel texts should be treated alongside the Bible?