Author’s Note: The course of study this year for our weekly[1] Sunday school is the Hebrew Bible, (aka, the Tanakh or the Old Testament). In a fit of bad judgment, the local leaders of my church asked me to share a few thoughts each week on the books and chapters scheduled for study and discussion on the Sabbath. I will publish the first installment of this series the evening of Friday, May 7 (Saturday May 8, at the latest).
There is a manual for this class, a PDF of which can be obtained, free of charge, here. Reviewing the weekly lesson is not essential to understanding my essays.
Given the size of the Old Testament and the comparatively small number of Sundays in a calendar year, I will only scratch the surface of the assigned lesson material. (With rare exception, I will limit each essay to 1,000 words or less.)
As a preface to this project, I thought I should explain my methodology—my mindset, if you will—when reading ancient texts.
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Continue reading “Interpreting the Old Testament”