The time between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament is sometimes erroneously referred to as the “400 Years of Silence.” In this course, students enter a world of imperial conquest and theological development to explore how the Jewish people wrestled with faith and survival under foreign rule. Figures such as Daniel, Esther, Tobit, Judith, and Susana teach us faithful resilience in the diaspora, while Ezra, Nehemiah, Zechariah, and Malachi deal with theological and cultural issues back in the land of Israel. This course unpacks the historical context of the neo-Babylonian, Persian, Hasmonean, and Greek/Roman empires to see how the exile reshaped Jewish culture, theology, and communal identity into the Judaism of Jesus’ day
The following courses are prerequisites or corequisites:
Demonstrate knowledge of the content and message of the Daniel, Esther and intertestamental literature;
Exegete critically one passage, which will engage with a wide variety of primary and secondary sources;
Explain the background, content, composition and theological motifs that developed during the exilic and post-exilic periods;
Assess the literary and social context of Daniel and Esther, with reference to the Apocrypha and Dead Sea Scrolls;
Evaluate the place of Daniel, Esther and intertestamental literature within the context of the contemporary church.
Historical Overview
Literary Overview
Narratives in Exile
Redefining and Practicing Faithfulness
Additions to Daniel and Esther
Apocalyptic Literature
Yahweh vs the Gods
Jewish Re-interpretation of Hebrew Scripture
Retribution and Salvation
Hope for Restoration
Towards the New Testament
Pseudepigrapha
Faith and Praxis