"Israel's History in the Bible: Are These Stories Real?" Lecture with Nate Ramsayer

Did the Israelites intend to write a factual history of their people in the Bible? If yes, then why are there so many historical problems that arise when reading biblical stories? Name changes, fantastical events, anachronisms, and narrative contradictions show up on many of the pages found within biblical books; how did the ancient Israelites make sense of these obstacles?

Join biblical scholar and archaeologist Nate Ramsayer for the fourth presentation in his seven-part course How the Bible Became a Book. In this lecture, Nate will discuss the “historical” books of the Bible—Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings—how scholars understand who is responsible for creating this history, and whether these should be read as actual history. Feel free to join, even if you have missed other lectures!

Sponsored by the John and Mary Murphy Foundation.