This course is based on the premise that the Bible is written by humans for humans. The texts were compiled and edited over hundreds of years. We will discuss some of the major stories within the Old Testament and looking at how they fit together.  I will provide excerpts from other ancient civilizations to provide comparison and context. 

The course outline:
1) Understanding the Big Picture of the Bible
2) Creation, Adam and Eve
3) Cain and Abel
4) Tower of Babel & the Flood
5) Stories of the Patriarchs

In this set of five classes we'll be looking at the stories in the Biblical book of Genesis. We'll discuss their possible connections to the exilic or Persian period and how they explore boundaries. We'll also look at some of the ways the stories have been rewritten and reinterpreted in Medieval and early modern times.

As a secular class, we'll be looking at questions like:
- When might this story have been written?
- How do these stories relate to one another?
- What image of God does this passage portray?
- What other mythological themes and motifs can we see in the passage? 

We will avoid questions like "who is God?" or "what does God want?" or even "is there a God?" because those are questions of faith. This is a secular class for learning about an ancient religion and the ancient history of Israel, as well as later interpretations in literature.