Introduction to the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible)
Christine Hayes leads this Yale College course on the Hebrew Bible as both a religious document of ancient Israel and a foundational text of Western civilization. Recorded for Open Yale Courses in Fall 2006, the series covers the full lecture run of RLST 145, applying source criticism, tradition criticism, redaction criticism, and literary and canonical approaches to the text. Lectures set the Bible against its historical and cultural backdrop in the Ancient Near East, tracing the development of the Pentateuch, the prophetic books, and the wisdom literature through competing scholarly methods. Materials include full video lectures and a syllabus; the course does not require enrollment or payment, and lecture transcripts are available alongside the recordings. Hayes wrote a companion book, Introduction to the Bible, drawing on the same lecture material.