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Jacob and the Angel: Modern Readers and the Old Testament

Edited by Sheldon Greaves, Karl Sandberg, and Mark Thomas.
The Old Testament is a cornerstone of western  civilization. However, reading it can become a wrestling match with a very eccentric and challenging text. This collection of essays by noted modern biblical scholars presents the methods and findings of current biblical scholarship for a general audience.

Scholars include Karl Sandberg, William Dozeman, Diana Edelman, Marvin Sweeney, William Dever, Russell Fuller, Richard Clifford, Carole Fontaine, and Sheldon Greaves.

Available now as an Kindle eBook or in paperback.

DtOT_Podcast_CoverDiscovering the Old Testament is a series of podcasts based on a Summer course, “Discovering the Old Testament” offered through the Stanford University Continuing Studies program, along with other classes and seminars conducted in the San Francisco Bay Area. The podcast takes a closer look at the history, culture, language, archaeology, and impact of one of the West’s most influential books. I am planning a series of at least 50 parts for this podcast, perhaps more, delivered at the rate of about four each month.

Comments

home — 21 Comments

  3. I just started your course and will be downloading your syllabus and notes. Thank you for sharing this with the world. Looking forward to finishing the course.

  4. Here’s the thing with Job. ever since I was young I have had problems with the end of Job. Maybe because I am female, when I got that replacement set of children I think I would have said to God, “You’re kidding right?”. and I would have always been watching my back waiting for the same thing to happen. BTW, I am a believer but also the ultimate Doubting Thomas. I appreciated that ending comment.

  5. Hi Dr. Greaves,
    I’m interested in taking one of your courses. Having briefly explored your website, I haven’t found where one would sign up (hopefully that is not a litmus test to determine whom can and cannot take the course!). A point in the right direction would be most appreciated.
    Thanks,
    Eric

  6. Hi Dr. Greaves.
    I am greatly enjoying your podcast. I download and save each episode from your website for listening later at work where I have no wifi. I thought I should let you know that episodes 14, 28, 30 and 37 are unavailable for download. The link titles are not functioning. I found your podcast on Stitcher and will be listening to the remaining episodes from there.

    Thanks for your work in putting together a wonderful, informative podcast.

  7. I just complted listening to podcast 50. Wow! eager to listen to them all again and share them with friends. Thanks for all you efforts to put this together!

  8. Great podcast. I’m thoroughly enjoying it. However, some of the episodes are missing their download links. These episodes can be played in the browser, but can’t be downloaded. The affected episodes are: 38, 39, 41 and 49.

  9. Dr. Greaves,

    Just finished the podcast and your interview on Rational Faiths podcast. Great ending to a great series. I am a huge fan of the way you break the books and subjects down into easy to understand bites and providing scholarly insights while avoiding any belittling tones. If I can ever talk anyone into letting me teach Sunday school I will be plagiarizing the hell out of your lessons! I was surprised to learn you moved from the bay area to Oregon and are leading a discussion group in Corvallis where I lived for eight years. I’m now, ironically, moving to the Bay area. But I was wondering if any of my friends back in Corvallis was interested in attending, if there’s still time to attend your group?

    • Richard,

      Thank you for your kind words. To answer your question, please do send your friends over to our seminar. It’s an ongoing, open-ended affair and we expect people to drop in and out from time to time. Our seminars in the Bay Area would go for a year or more, so we design them to make it as easy as possible for newbies to jump in even if they don’t have a lot of background.

      We meet on Wednesday evenings. Potluck at 6:00 PM, discussion starts at or a little after 6:30. We finish at 8. The location is Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan, 333 NW 35th St., Corvallis, OR 97330.

      Best wishes,

      Sheldon

  10. Great series! Helped get me through my first (and unexpected) semester as a Seminary teacher (don’t tell CES). I’m re-listening to the series in prep for New Testament. Do you have any suggestions on books covering similar level of depth and cultural background with respect to NT?

    • Hi Dan,

      Thanks for the note; glad the series was helpful!

      For New Testament, one tool that you’ll find very useful is “The Jewish Annotated New Testament.” It’s an edition of the New RSV with note and essays by Jewish scholars looking at the NT from their perspective. There’s some real eye-openers there (I’m currently reading an essay, “John’s Prologue as Midrash”). I would also suggest looking at whatever you can find on the Intertestamental Period. There isn’t a whole lot, but D. S. Russell and George (?) Nickelsburg are two important scholars there, along with James Charlesworth.

      Hope this helps! Good luck in your studies.

      Sheldon

  11. I just finished Discovering the Old Testament podcast. Have you/will you do one for the New Testament?