OT 113 Course at a Glance

Course Description

What is the Old Testament? Is it just a patchwork of ancient sources or Israelite folklore? If not, then why have generations of OT scholars spoken this way? Where and when was the OT written, and by whom? When OT manuscripts disagree, which one is Scripture? Whether in the church or academia, concerned people will ask you questions like "Did Moses really write the Pentateuch?" Or "Why did my college professor say that Deuteronomy was written after the time of David?" Or "Are the OT stories history or myth, and how can we know?" The aim of this course is to equip you to engage complex issues like these throughout your life of ministry. Old Testament Introduction (OTI) is the course in which you will learn, not simply the answers to these kinds of questions, but how to answer them. In this course, you will learn how to approach various complex hermeneutical, theological, historical, and doctrinal issues surrounding OT interpretation, and how others have approached these issues. This course will provide introductions to the history of the Old Testament, OT canon and versions, textual criticism, modern biblical criticism, and introduction to OT biblical theology. You will thus be prepared for ‘OTHT I & II,’ ‘Prophets’, and ‘Poetry and Wisdom’ by gaining basic competence in matters of general OT introduction.