The Book of Genesis

by Gary A. Rendsburg

Course Lecture Titles

On Reading the Book of Genesis
Genesis 1, The First Creation Story
Genesis 23, The Second Creation Story
An Overview of Ancient Israelite History
The Ancient Near East
The JEDP Theory and Alternative Approaches
Genesis 68, The Flood Story
Genesis 9, Covenant
Genesis 1222, The Abraham Story
When and Where Did Abraham Live?
Genesis 2122, Abraham Put to the Test
Women in the BibleSarah and Hagar
Genesis 24, A Bride for Isaac
The Barren Woman and the Younger Son
The Literary Structure of Genesis
Different Bible Translations
Genesis 27, Jacob and Esau
Genesis 29, Jacob and Rachel
The Date of the Book of Genesis
Genesis 37, Joseph and His Brothers
Genesis 38, The Story of Judah and Tamar
Genesis 39, The Story of Potiphars Wife
The Egyptian Background of the Joseph Story
One Last Textand the Text as a Whole

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook, Theology, Christianity, Mythology

13 pages, Audio CD

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing lecture!
Rendsburg opens up the book of Genesis and pulls all of the stories apart to give you an in-depth look at a wonderful piece of literature. It had been years since I'd read Genesis, so I listened to it before I started this lecture as a refresher and I'm glad I did. I'd really suggest it if you decide to listen to this, as I had all the stories fresh in my head.



His explanations of what was going on in the world when the different authors wrote certain parts helped explain some of the contradictions, and why it wasn't thought of as strange to leave those contradictions in place in the final version.
Also, just listening to him explain the intricate use of the ancient Hebrew language and how the authors used it to add layer upon layer to the stories was incredibly eye-opening.



I think most people are aware that the flood story with Noah parallels older stories, especially The Epic of Gilgamesh. But I really enjoyed learning the differences that the ancient Hebrews added into their story that made it so different from the other stories.



The way the creation stories were explained was another highlight. Coming from an evangelical background, nobody had ever explained why there were two different accounts of the creation. Rendsburg goes not only into the popular pagan myths at the time but also into the language used to keep the Hebrew creation stories from being associated with the pagan gods.
Genesis 1:16 refers to the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night, which is obviously the sun and the moon. But the words for sun and moon were also the words for the pagan sun & moon god in Canaan, and very probably the author avoided using those words for that reason.
That's pretty cool.



I had also never noticed the way the stories from Abraham (Abram) to Joseph all repeated and interconnected with each other. The barren woman, the younger son, and the use of women to represent Israel. I was reading these stories as what literally happened to these people instead of an author's version of their ancestors and I missed out on a lot of the intricacies of the book as a piece of ancient literature.
However, even if you are a fundamental Christian, I think this would be something that you would find incredibly interesting and insightful. This isn't a theological lecture, and your beliefs are your beliefs. Rendsburg just provides context to the ancient texts, leaving you with a greater understanding of the book of Genesis as a whole.



I appreciated that Rendsburg also gave his reasons for thinking something and then also gave you the opinions & reasons of other scholars who disagreed with him. This comes into play a lot with timelines and whether or not you are a maximalist or a minimalist in your belief in Genesis' basic historical accuracy.

Overall, this was one of the most interesting and informative books I've read this year.
Recommended.

[Maede · Rating 5 out of 5]

کتاب پیدایش (یا سفر پیدایش) اولین کتاب توراتِ یهودیان و عهد عتیقِ مسیحیان هست و مثل یک مقدمه برای کتاب مقدس عمل می‌کنه. محتواش رو به طور کلی میشه در دو بخش دید

یک. آغاز جهان و انسان (فصل‌های ۱ تا ۱۱)
شامل داستان‌های: آفرینش، آدم و حوا، هابیل و قابیل، طوفان نوح و برج بابل

دو تاریخ پدران قوم اسرائیل (فصل‌های ۱۲ تا ۵۰)
شامل داستان‌های: ابراهیم، اسحاق، یعقوب/اسرائیل و یوسف

در دوره‌ی «کتاب پیدایش» از مجموعه‌ی گریت کورسز، پروفسور گری آ. رندزبرگ، متخصص مطالعات کتاب مقدس عبری در دانشگاه راتگرز آمریکا، با ذره‌بین ادبیات و تاریخ به سراغ تحلیل این کتاب مهم می‌ره

فکر می‌کنم در مطالعه‌ی پیدایش، بزرگترین مشکلی که برای افرادی مثل من که با اسلام بزرگ شدند وجود داره اینه که این داستان‌ها رو اول از منظر اسلامی شنیدند. برای همین، آگاهانه و ناآگاهانه، بیشتر زمان صرف مقایسه‌ی داستان‌ها میشه و چون اسامی یکسان و آشنا هستند، انتظار می‌ره که برای مثال ابراهیمِ عهد عتیق همان ابراهیمِ قرآن باشه. برای ما تعاریفی از «پیامبر» و «خدا» وجود دارند که اگر همان‌ها رو معیار قرار بدیم، خواندن این متن از مسیر درست خارج می‌شه

مشکل دوم اینه که ما متن رو معمولاً «فقط» با استاندارد دینی می‌خونیم و در وادی تمسخر و اینکه «چطور کسی می‌تونه به این‌ها معتقد باشه؟» گیر می‌کنیم. البته که آگاهی از مشکلات و نقد دینی متن می‌تونه یکی از اهداف خواندن باشه، اما تمام ماجرا نیست

اینجا سعی می‌کنم نکاتی رو که از خواندن طولانی، گروهی و همراه با توضیحات این کورس (و چند کورس دیگر) یاد گرفته‌ام، بنویسم

۱. دیدن کتاب به عنوان اثر ادبی منسجم
پیدایش فقط یک متن تاریخی یا دینی نیست؛ یک متن ادبیه که توجه به تقارن‌ها، تکرارها و انتخاب واژگان در عبری بهش عمق بیشتری میده

۱.۱. موتیف‌ها
از اولین مسائلی که در خوانش پیدایش جلب توجه می‌کنه تکرار داستان‌هاست: زنان نازایی که با وعده‌ی خدا باردار می‌شن، پسران کوچک‌تری که به جای پسران بزرگ‌تر انتخاب می‌شن، خواب‌هایی که نشانه‌هایی از سوی یهوه هستند و سه روایت از ابراهیم و اسحاق که همسرشون رو به عنوان خواهر معرفی می‌کنند. این تکرارها برای چیه؟ نویسندگان مختلف؟ ویرایش ضعیف؟ 

رندزبرگ یادآوری می‌کنه که این داستان‌ها برای مردمی نوشته شده‌اند که الگوهای محبوب روایی خودشون رو داشته‌اند. همون‌طور که ما الگوی تکراری سیتکام‌ها (چند دوست در فضاهای مشخص)یا فیلم‌های ابرقهرمانی رو خسته‌کننده نمی‌دونیم، تکرار این داستان‌ها برای مخاطبان باستان هم آزاردهنده نبوده و بخشی از سنت ادبی محسوب می‌شده

علاوه بر این، موتیف‌ها معنا دارند: مثلاً الگوی زنِ نازا اهمیتِ نقش خدا در بقای نسل را برجسته می‌کنه؛ یا انتخابِ پسرِ کوچک‌تر نشان می‌ده معیارِ انتخابِ الهی لزوماً با عرف انسانی یکی نیست. موتیف‌ها مثل نشانه‌های راهنما عمل می‌کنند. با هر بار تکرار، خواننده به یاد نمونه‌های قبلی می‌افته و متوجه خط معنایی مشترک میشه

۱.۲. ساختار ادبیِ تقارن (Chiasmus)
A
  B
    C
  B′
A′

تقارن در سرتاسر کتاب دیده میشه و گاهی هم دیدنش آسان نیست، اما نشان میده که تکرارها بی‌معنی نیستند و متن ساختاری رو دنبال می‌کنه، برای مثال داستان طوفان نوح

A  فساد انسان → تصمیم خدا
  B  نوح و کشتی
    C  ورود حیوانات
      D  باران ۴۰ روز
        E  اوج: آب همه زمین را می‌پوشاند
      D′ باران قطع می‌شود
    C′ خروج حیوانات
  B′ نوح قربانی می‌کند
A′ پیمان خدا (رنگین‌کمان)

۲. مسئله‌ی معصومیت 
ایده‌ی «پیامبرِ پاک و بی‌خطا» بیشتر در مسیحیت و از همه پررنگ‌تر در اسلام حضور داره و در پیدایش چنین تصویری وجود نداره. شخصیت‌ها انسانی‌اند: دروغگو، زرنگ و دغل‌کار (که به‌نوعی ارثِ پدری از ابراهیمه) و حتی سرِ همدیگر رو هم کلاه می‌گذارند. یعقوب خودش رو به‌جای عیسو برادر بزرگترش جا می‌زنه و برکتِ نخست‌زادگی رو از پدرِ نابینایش اسحاق می‌گیره. کمی بعد همان تقارن رو می‌بینیم: دایی‌اش سرِ خودش رو کلاه می‌گذاره و خواهرِ بزرگ‌تر را به‌جای خواهرِ کوچک‌تر در شبِ عروسی به او می‌ده

میشه گفت پیامبران این کتاب اصلا بی‌عیب و نقص نیستند. فقط برگزیده هستند (چراییش مشخص نیست) و یهوه حتی با وجود اشتباهاتشون ازشون حمایت می‌کنه

۳. بُعد تاریخی
بحث تاریخ در مورد پیدایش معمولاً به این سمت می‌ره که این داستان‌ها چقدر بر مبنای واقعیت تاریخی‌اند. آیا واقعاً ابراهیمی وجود داشته؟ این بحث جذابه و بهش زیاد پرداخته شده، اما بُعد تاریخی‌ای که معمولاً فراموش می‌شه، شرایط جامعه، مردم و جهان در زمان نوشته‌شدن این کتابه که به درکِ موضوعاتِ پیدایش کمک می‌کنه: چه کسانی این متن رو نوشتند؟ برای چه کسی و به چه دلیل؟ در چه اقلیم و فرهنگی زندگی می‌کردند؟ پاسخ این پرسش‌ها فهم متن رو دقیق‌تر می‌کند

۴. زبان اصلی
یکی از نکات جالبی که از این کورس و چند کورس دیگر یاد گرفتم، اهمیتِ بررسی کتاب به زبان عبریه. رندزبرگ تأکید می‌کنه که عبریِ کتاب مقدس فقط یک زبان ساده‌ی روزمره نیست. زبانی ادبی-هنریه و برای شنیده‌شدن و به‌یادماندن طراحی شده. جمله‌ها در عبری معمولاً کوتاه و آهنگین‌اند، واژه‌ها و عبارت‌های کلیدی تکرار می‌شن و ریشه‌ی کلمات در فهمِ معنا اثر می‌گذاره. مثلاً «آدم» از «آدامه = خاک». برای همین، ترجمه، حتی وقتی خوب باشه، بخشی از ظرافت‌ها رو ناگزیر از دست می‌ده

جمع‌بندی
تجربه‌ی خواندنِ پیدایش، خلاصه‌کردنِ داستان‌ها، گوش‌دادن به چند دوره‌ی تخصصی، جست‌وجوهای طولانی در اینترنت، دیدن نقاشی‌های مرتبط و گفت‌وگوهای گروهی در گروه همخوانی، آن‌قدر خوب و خاص بود که حس می‌کنم مسیر کتاب‌خوانی و سیم‌کشیِ مغزم رو شکل داد

سعی کردم بخشی از این دریافت‌ها را خلاصه کنم، هرچند حس می‌کنم هنوز در همان مقدمه باقی موندم. به جمله‌ی کلیشه‌شده‌ی سهراب باید برگردم: اگر سراغ این‌جور کتاب‌های باستانی رفتید، چشم‌ها را باید شست تا عمق بیشتری دید و این تغییر بینش خودش شاید ارزشمندترین نتیجه‌ی مطالعه‌ست

کانال تلگرامم که این دوره رو آپلود کردم و ریویوها رو هم می‌گذارم
Maede's Books

۱۴۰۴/۶/۲۸

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating, incredibly researched series.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough examination of the Book of Genesis, a great exercise in close reading, and a fine introduction to the bible as a work of literature as well as a religious document. Prof. Rendsburg does not hold back his opinion of certain approaches (he is particularly critical of the "documentary hypothesis") but his explanations are clear and fair despite his objections.

The lectures bog down a bit when he indulges his obsession with chronology, and his delivery is a little stiff at times. (He reminds me a little of Dan Aykroyd as Beldar the Conehead, especially in the early lectures... but if he were to produce more of these lectures on other books of the Bible I would happily consume mass quantities. )

[Jane Lebak · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had my way, Dr. Gary Rendsburg’s course on “The Book of Genesis” would be mandatory for every Christian, Jew, historian, lover of language, and student of the human spirit. Let’s start this review by giving the course five stars.

Background: I had the privilege of taking two courses with Dr. Rendsburg in Cornell University’s Near Eastern Studies department, and they were the best two classes I took in college. When this course became available through The Teaching Company, I made sure to snatch it up. It took a while to get to it after that, but I’m thrilled.

Overview: Dr. Rendsburg analyzes The Book of Genesis from a religious, literary, historical and sociological perspective. He draws on every tool for this analysis, including the archaeological record, other ancient texts, modern illustrative examples, and an encyclopedic understanding of the ancient world.

My only complaint: it’s too short. I would have the same complaint even if it were 48 one-hour lectures. Well, one more: during the first lecture he sounds a bit stilted and uncomfortable with the microphone. He warms up during the second lecture.

The good stuff: Everything!

Hah. Okay, first, he treats the Book of Genesis primarily as an academic text. He feels free to analyze every aspect of it, view it in the context of the time/place in which it was written and the people for whom it was intended, but at the same time is absolutely respectful of the religious value of the text. While he is himself Jewish, he does not disparage the Christian reading of the text nor does he force his religious views on the listeners. When he makes a point, he backs it up (often multiple ways) and presents the opposing viewpoint for controversial subjects (such as JEDP theory and the dating of the events in the Book of Genesis.)

I had forgotten until I listened that even more than an academic respect, Dr. Rendsburg has an actual love for the writing. He is actively delighted by the word play, the textual tricks, the parallels, the rich imagery and the wordcraft involved in the writing.

And perhaps because of this love of the text, he dives deep into the text to point out puns, the lyrical writing in the original Hebrew, and parallels that lie beneath the surface.

For example, Jacob deceives Isaac; later, Jacob is deceived by Judah (who lies about the death of Joseph) and then Judah is deceived by Tamar. All three of these deceptions use the same props and the same verbiage. I’d known these stories all my life, but I’d never made the connection. Then he moves beyond the literary to point out the theological subtext, that God has stepped in to exact justice.

I could write for hours about this, but really, don’t listen to me. Go pick up a copy of the course and listen for yourself to an amazing scholar analyzing an amazing book.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good if problematic introduction to the Book of Genesis.

What I loved and hated about these lectures was how close Rendsburg got to the text itself.

What I thought Rendsburg did best was his close-reading of the text. I loved the way Rendsburg burrowed into the text, paying close attention to every word, teasing out meanings from what was and was not said. Rendsburg is an amazing close reader, and going through his lectures felt like sitting at the feet of a venerable Rabbi or listening to Jewish friends during Passover as they argue over the meaning of a single line in the Torah.

But there were some other things Rendsburg did that I thought were out of line, at least for the Great Courses genre. First, Rendsburg rejects the Documentary JEPD thesis, the consensus among most Biblical scholars that the Torah is made up of multiple narratives that pre-existed the single text that we today call the Torah. It is fine that Rendsburg rejects the consensus of the vast majority Biblical scholars, but, if you are writing a text book, you teach to the consensus. You do not use the textbook to spout off on your own personal take. That is not what a textbook is supposed to be about. So, by focusing on his own theory rather than the consensus, Rendsburg goes beyond the boundaries that this genre set.

His alternative theory, that we should read the book of Genesis as a cohesive whole, seemed like a thinly veiled defense of treating the entire Torah as a religious document. In arguing this, I think that Rendsburg is defending this traditional view of the document more than seems appropriate. He is too close to the Torah, too invested in it. He does not seem to be able to maintain that academic distance that is necessary to be a good scholar.

Despite these flaws, I found I learned a lot from Rendsburg.

[Cameron Rhoads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The page numbering is wrong on Goodreads for this title. The guidebook consists of 159 pages. I watched the accompanying 24 thirty-minute lectures of this guidebook and thoroughly enjoyed it, even though I disagree with Dr. Rendsburg’s chronology of the Patriarchs, whom he places in the 15th century B.CE.

[Jeff Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

From "The Great Courses" series, these area an excellent set of lectures on The Book of Genesis with a lot of interesting information presented quite well. I especially like how the professor would present multiple explanations for certain aspects and present which one he favors. Multiple theories and explanation are presented.

The interpretations are pretty much from a world view of a believing Jew, but a to that is presented also fits quite well into Catholic biblical scholarship. I didn't entirely agree with everything he said or what theories he favored, but still found a lot to think about.

The only disappointing part was the lecture on the history of translations of the Bible. When it came to discussions regarding the Catholic Church it was dead wrong saying the Church did not allow any translation but the Vulgate and no vernacular translations were allowed. The discussion of the King James totally ignored the Douey-Reims which was even mentioned in the first version of the KJV. No mention of the multiple German vernacular translations. This was just bad scholarship that took Protestant claims without fact-checking.

Still despite this I found it very worthwhile.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled to rate this. It has some really solid content, but then some serious weaknesses and biases. Rendsburg is obviously very enamoured with the bible. I listened to his Dead Sea Scrolls course, and it was great, but when he talks about Genesis he fan boys with an academic veneer. He also suffers a bit from the need to take a position, rather than just say "who knows?" Some of his insights into the literary features of Genesis were quite good. But sometimes he gushed at the 'author's skill'. These were some very basic skills, such as maintaining a consistent theme throughout a narrative (is this not normal for most authors??), or using thematic key words throughout a narrative (oooooh, aaaahhhhhhh!).

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a somewhat mixed assessment to this course-on-CD.

On the one hand, Rendsburg is a top-notch scholar who knows the original text (and language), the traditions of interpretation, and comparative and historical contextual material extremely well. He gives wonderfully detailed close readings of individual episodes in Genesis that show just how rich, nuanced, and subtle those stories from a literary/storytelling perspective. In particuarly, his analysis of seemingly minor differences when certain details in stories get 'repeated' by different characters, with minor variations in each retelling is brillliant. His use of archeological and textual material to clarify details in the story, and of comparative material (e.g. the story of the flood in the Epic of Gilgamesh vs. the account in Noah) is extremely thoughtful and illuminating.

On the other hand, there are some aspects of this course that can get a bit tedious. The first time that Rendsburg does his close comparison of repeated elements in stories (in connection with the the account of getting Isaac a bride), the time spent on going through the various permutations of the story, and showing how and why the servant rephrases Abraham's words to him is insightful and worth the time. However, Rendsburg doesn't relent in this. Subsequent stories with repeated elements are subjected to a similarly high level of discussion and by the time we get to the tale of Joseph & Potiphar's wife, it seems a bit overkill for him to be performing the same kind of close word-by-word analysis of differences at the same level of detail.

Also, while I appreciated Rendsburg's approach to the text's narrative and story-telling qualities, I found myself skeptical-- increasingly so as the lectures progressed. of his repeated use of cinematic metaphors. (e.g. "If this were a movie, the camera would be shifted to focus entirely on Rachel on this line.") Certainly, this does seem to be a convenient way to try to get modern readers to take a more active approach in thinking about narrative focus. But, modern cinema with its visual emphasis-- seems a problematic point of comparison to use for describing how an ancient audience would have experienced and understood as a purely textual account.

Finally, I do have to say that, while Rensburg made a compelling case for viewing many of the episodes in Genesis ( and Genesis itself) as "literary wholes" that have an identifiable thematic structure, I remain unconvinced by his suggestion that this undermines the four-source (JEPD) paradigm for understanding the authorship of the Pentateuch/Torah. Some of the story-telling structures he identifies (e.g. the chiastic structure of certain episodes) do not extend across traditional JEP source divisions, and even when they do, he seems a bit quick to assume that this proves single authorship for the entire text (as opposed to say, considering the possibility, that such structure were imposed by the selective and thoughtful editing of a redactor who applied his own sense of storytelling and poetic structure when weaving the various source materials together into a single text.)

Those minor quibbles aside, I do have to say that this was a thoughtful, insightful, and enjoyably scholarly discussion of the book of Genesis. While I remain unconvinced of some of Rendsberg's assumptions and conclusions, his arguments are still well worth considering.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a very informative and well done lecture series. What was most interesting was his deviation from the more accepted Biblical Scholarship that tries to connect everything in the Pentateuch (or Torah) to the Documentary Hypothesis. I am a big advocate of the JEPD Theory, but Rendsburg adeptly presents explanations and reasons as to why it should not be the only theory considered. I, myself, am a believer that the likelihood of a single theory being perfectly and exactly right is highly improbable, so these lectures gave me the opportunity to expand my knowledge, learn a considerable amount about the literary analysis that should be applied to the writing in Genesis AND provided me with the means to "think for myself" regarding the context and origins of the writing.

I am currently teaching an undergraduate introduction to Biblical Studies course, and this lecture series helped me to spice up my lectures and challenge the students to think outside of what was being presented to them in the text. (Something truly needed in today's classrooms)

Thank you Dr. Rendsburg!

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

If it's 3:00 am...this must be She'ol.
...Well, not really! These lectures are much better than that.
I purchased this course some time ago (when it was on sale and I had a great coupon), thinking that someday I might want revisit Dr Rendsburg and his thorough lecture style...the one he displayed so well in the 'Dead Sea Scrolls' series.
More recently I completed the 'Ancient Mesopotamia' course and was intrigued by the lectures dealing with the Gilgamesh Epic and the Enûma Eliš, and wondered if those myths and legends had had any effect on the creation stories in the Christian bible, or...more to the point...the Hebrew Torah, or the Old Testament. Further, I read a prose translation of the Gilgamesh Epic and was taken with the style in which it was written that made it a best seller some 4000 years ago...the book has been found (in fragments) throughout the area from the Levant to Ur. Great book...no spoilers here.

So, now was the time for the Book of Genesis series, and I was not disappointed. Dr Rendsburg's thorough (some reviewers called it boring) discussion of the first book of the Torah as a literary work is wonderful, especially the side notes on translation differences/choices when moving between 'old' Hebrew and English (King James ver). The nuances in style show that the author was indeed a gifted story teller. In addition the author must have been widely read, and very much aware of the older literary genres within his Akkadian library.

Notwithstanding the God/Marduk issues, the Book of Genesis is a book...fiction trying to be historic fiction...mostly about people, in this case the people of Israel. Possibly some of the characters in the book are historical characters (Abram, Joseph, Jacob, Judah, Daniel and Solomon), but others are either unknowable (that would be the God of the Hebrews) or just fictional characters to prove a point or define a particular noble trait (Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel and Noah). Literature abounds with these types of works...ain't life grand!

I very much liked these lectures and probably will do a redo at a later date. If you like a good story, with **x, murder and intrigue this one's right down your alley, and Dr Rensburg is the best Clif-Notes you'll ever come across.

[Feng Ouyang · Rating 4 out of 5]

These lectures analyze Genesis as a literature work, not words from God. The analyses divide the book into four parts. The first part is the creation story, which describes the relationship between God and humanity in general. The next three parts tell stories of the Israelites and their relationship with God in specific. The stories focus on the generations that lead to the people of Israel: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.
The recounts of Genesis stories in the course are interlaced with lectures on the relevant historical background: the history of Israel as a nation, the history of the surrounding regions, and the literary traditions of the region and era. While they talk about the religious messages intended by the author(s) of Genesis, the lectures basically treat the book as written by human beings during the early years of the kingdom of Israel. As such, they talk about the connection between the stories and literary techniques in Genesis and other myths and epics of the same period. The author identifies several overall features of the narratives. For example, a recurring theme is that the weaker (women, last-born children) eventually prevail under the help of God. They represent the people of Israel. Another recurring theme is deception: Jacob deceived his father, while his sons deceived him. The message is that all sins will be punished.
The author is a researcher of Hebrew literature. He provides much insight from his own research in the lectures. What is more valuable is that he takes care to distinguish his personal views from the mainstream ones. Such a practice makes the presentation clearer and more consistent. As to the lecture style, the author provides many summaries and repeats. He also cross-references other lectures frequently. This way, a listener can retain the network of knowledge. Overall, the course is both enjoyable and informative.

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This course was quite fascinating. Over the course of 24 lectures, Prof. Rendsburg takes you through Book of Genesis. One aspect of the course I appreciated was that Rendsburg had lectures weaved into the overall progression of the book that focused on various issues needing special focus. For example, there are lectures that focused on the history of the Ancient Near East that are relevant for understanding the historical context of the Bible, another lecture on the literature structure of the Bible, one on the different ways of translating the Bible, and another on the dating of the Book of Genesis. These provide important theories and ideas for understanding Genesis, but also they help break up the lectures and avoids the tedium that can sometimes come in long Teaching Company courses.

Though most of the stories where familiar to me, and I imagine would be to almost anyone raised in the West, I learned a lot about the context of these stories, how they related to each other and to other parts of the Bible. I also developed a deeper appreciation for the language, structure, and construction of the Biblical text.

My main criticism would be that some of the discussion of the historicity of the stories could be too credulous. Most of the evidence for the events of the Biblical narrative is circumstantial at best and I think Rendsburg ought to have been clearer about that. Personally, I don’t think it matters all the much: the power of the stories and their meaning is not tied to their literal truth. Like fiction and mythology, the narrative can be meaningful and significant without historical accuracy.

[Kade · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the great courses.

The professors? I see what they mean when they say they pick them especially...

and this course was very informative.

but .

you guys.

never have I ever felt so LECTURED.

in college lectures...

and also...

like

this is saying A LOT

but I have scarcely ever felt like such a total
disappointment.
than when I was listening to this.

I felt like the tone of voice and tone of message is "LISTEN HERE BUCKO!"📢

GET THIS STRAIGHT!"

"DONT👏 MAKE 👏THIS👏 MISTAKE!"

"STOP MAKING THAT MISTAKE"

"I TOLD YOU TO STOP"

"YOU IDIOT"

"YOUR MOTHER SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN AN ABORTION "

At first a LOT of manners of speaking can seem abrasive; Then you get used to them and by the end of 8-36 hours they're endearing and charming.

so even tho I almost stopped after the first lesson, I figured that would happen.

I did, however, decide to listen at a slightly faster speed, which made the emphasis on words feel slightly less aggressive somehow...

(LISTENHEREBUCKO-GETTHIS STRAIGHT- DONTMAKETHISMISTAKE!)

I also thought maybe someone was nervous??

I have heard the whole setup at this place, with cameras and TIMERS and literally NO ONE else in the audience CAN be kinda stressful. maybe this was just an early lecture thing.

unfortunately, I reached the end and still felt like I should just friggin kill myself because im so stupid and like why is he even wasting his time with me?

however. the applause at double speed is pretty funny every time.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this quite a bit more than I was anticipating! The lecturer is pretty good, though he has a. Kind of. Weird. Delivery. It’s not quite a monotone, but it also has lots of small pauses, kind of like William Shatner as Captain Kirk.

Anyway, the main thrust of the lectures is his take on Genesis as an individual edited document of compiled stories, intended to be read with a critical eye. This goes against my prior belief, and the belief of most biblical scholars, in the “documentary hypothesis”, but he makes a very compelling case for why to consider his approach instead. Regardless of which way is actually true, the lectures would only make sense from his perspective so we just follow him on it.

The lectures strike a great balance between the classic heavy interpretation of literary classics and a discussion of history, theology, archeology, and language. For example, digging into alliterations of words in the Hebrew, and explaining why certain words or ideas are used in certain places. Seeing the book as more of a play or epic with the “aural oral” lens adds a lot to the depth and interest! It’s made me appreciate the book much more than I have in the past, despite having read it several times before. I’d love if he did a lecture on Exodus, though I know it’s not his preferred biblical piece.

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 5 out of 5]

This course was intensive, so unless you are really into an analysis of the Bible, forget it. Naturally a Talmid Chacham would be really into an analysis of the Bible, but this is an academic and literary analysis of Genesis (Bereshit)... not a strictly religious analysis. The Holy Name is spoken out loud so brace yourself. The lecturer suggests that Genesis was composed around the time of King David, so if you are a religious person looking for an inspirational treatment of the Holy texts then skip this one.

Professor Rendsburg points out the dramatic structure of the stories in Genesis and the clever use of alliteration (in Hebrew). He also explains the Julius Wellhausen documentary hypothesis of the Bible which splits the writing of the Torah amongst various biblical redactors over the centuries. Rendsburg does not accept the Wellhausen hypothesis, and points out some of the flaws in this point of view.

I almost took off a star for his mispronunciation of Canaan, but I understand why he did so. Most people are used to hearing it pronounced in English, not in Hebrew.

I'd listen to these lectures again.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I enjoyed it overall and gained a lot of valuable insights, even as someone who has studied the stories in Genesis extensively over the years, but while the lecturer certainly has a right to his opinion, I personally found his animus against the documentary hypothesis to be a bit over the top. Even I know that it's evolved a lot over the years and scholars probably accept it to different extents, but he seems to ignore that fact. Also, the idea that different sources were used doesn't seem incompatible with his view that it's also a unified literary whole - he just gives more credit to the person usually referred to as "R," the Redactor. Unfortunately, though, although it was soon left behind, that left enough of a bad taste in my mouth to make me round down. Also, incidentally, I don't know that there is near-universal agreement that the Pharaoh of the Exodus was Ramses the Great - the last I knew there was debate whether it ever took place, or at least that more than a small group of maybe a few hundred people left Egypt.

[Payton Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very in-depth overview of the book of Genesis that interacts well with modern critical scholarship. I ultimately disagree with some of the claims he makes about the literary unity of Genesis, but I believe his arguments are exceptionally well-stated, and I think that anyone can benefit from giving these lectures a good and careful listen.

However, I find most appealing and convincing his theory for the composition of Genesis during the united monarchy of David/Solomon. It provides perfect occasion for kingly themes that pop up in the patriarchal narratives, and a context in which such stories might be written at the earliest.

[Matt DeVore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gary Rendsburg presents a thorough survey of Genesis with an emphasis on the literary structure and devices employed in the text along with some consideration of parallels of these techniques and motifs in other cultures. While I disagree with a few of his approaches, such as the dating, I found this series to provide many valuable insights and connections in the text such as word plays and patterns of which I was previously unaware.

[Winona · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this!
Describes structure of Genesis, including parallels between the creation and Noah's story and chiastic structures of the Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph stories.
Wonderful discussion of 2 creations
Fascinating comparisons with Gilgamesh and other cultures neighboring Israel
Interesting discussion of timelines.
loved it!

[Scott Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I typically struggle with books where the author is pretty proud of themselves for how smart they are, but this course was pretty insightful. I love scripture and spending time in the details of it and I think there is a really good balance of detail without getting too bogged down. If OT is your cup of tea this is a great companion.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

This guy is easily impressed by alliteration. I could have done without all the breathless wonderment expressed over literary devices, but the historical analysis was worthwhile, even if not always convincing.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

6: interesting, but a bit too praising

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the first book in the Bible. This book talks about the beginnings of the world. It tells a lot on how God created the all the plants and animals we have today!

[Purple Wimple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rendsburg is a fount of knowledge and experience with the Hebrew text and tradition. His work on chiasmus in Genesis is wonderful and compelling. Bravo.

[Bill Dauster · Rating 4 out of 5]

A survey of Genesis and beyond, full of insights but marred by digressions to address the general subject of Biblical study

[Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm an atheist and even I thought this course was fascinating

[Michelle Mosley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, a bit dry at times

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a twelve hour course on the book of Genesis taught by a Biblical Maximalist (those who view archaeology and the Bible support each other for the most part). However, he believes that Abraham existed about 1000 - 1200 BCE, the Egyptian captivity was only for three generations and the numbers of people in the Exodus was much less than found in the Bible. He points out how people of that time tracked time and illustrates it with similar cultures of today. He also points out how the ages of the patriarchs in Genesis appears to be made up in cleaver mathematical formulas for the time:

Abraham 175 years = 5 x 5 x 7 = 5^2 * 7
Isaac 180 years = 6 x 6 x 5 = 6^2 * 5
Jacob 147 years = 7 x 7 x 3 = 7^2 * 3
Joseph 110 years = 5^2 + 6^2 + 7^2 = 25 + 36 + 49

I really enjoyed this course and it brought me into a whole new and different understanding of Genesis, making it a book in the Bible I love to read. Genesis is written for the micro and the the macro reader, each story is made for the reader to ask questions and often repeated. For the big picture Genesis has an image of God and man walking, talking to Adam and Eve and he slowly fades the conversing with individuals until Joseph were God never talks with him.