About this course

In this course, Dr. Heiser surveys how the Scriptures came to be, from the original composition to canonical recognition, to transmission of ancient manuscripts, to English translations. He discusses how the roles of archaeology, paleography, and textual criticism contribute to this understanding, and he outlines controversies arising from the intersection of theology (revelation, inspiration, inerrancy) and the evidence yielded by the data.
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What you'll learn

After completing this course, you'll be able to:

  • Describe how the human authorship of the Bible is part of the process of biblical inspiration.

  • Explain the meaning of canonicity and how the books of the Bible came to be viewed as sacred (“canonical”).

  • Explain the nature of the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible and the major manuscript families of the Greek New Testament.

  • Explain the history of the Bible in English, and why English translations disagree at various points.

What's in this course

    1. Objectives 01

    2. Pre-work 01

    3. Session 01

    4. Quiz 01

    5. Discussion 01

    1. Objectives 02

    2. Pre-work 02

    3. Session 02

    4. Quiz 02

    1. Objectives 03

    2. Pre-work 03

    3. Session 03

    4. Quiz 03

    5. Discussion 03

    1. Objectives 04

    2. Pre-work 04

    3. Session 04

    4. Quiz 04

    5. Discussion 04

    1. Objectives 05

    2. Pre-work 05

    3. Session 05

    4. Quiz 05

    1. Pre-work 06

    2. Objectives 06

    3. Session 06

    4. Quiz 06

History of the Bible

  • $199.00
  • 5 hours of video content
  • 8 Modules
  • 1 year access
  • Certificate of completion

Instructor

Dr. Michael S. Heiser

Dr. Michael S. Heiser (who prefers to be called Mike) is a scholar of the Bible and its ancient context. He earned master’s degrees in Ancient History from the University of Pennsylvania and Hebrew Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has a Ph.D. in Hebrew and Semitic Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before teaching at AWKNG School of Theology, Dr. Heiser taught at the university level for over 20 years and was the Academic Editor and Scholar for Logos Bible Software for 15 years. He supervised scholarly data projects related to the Dead Sea Scrolls, Hebrew and Semitic inscriptions, the Septuagint, and the Greek Pseudepigrapha. Dr. Heiser is published widely in scholarly academic journals, including the Bible Study Magazine, and authored several portions of the Faithlife Study Bible.

What our students are saying

5 star rating

Excellent

Jared Jeffers

Very informative and easy to digest. I'm looking forward to more of Hieser's material.

Very informative and easy to digest. I'm looking forward to more of Hieser's material.

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5 star rating

Excellent course

Hannah Cornman

I loved this course. It really helped me understand arguments about different translations, how the material was parsed, and how textual criticism is a meticulous process. I came out of the course with a deeper understanding of the Bible on my lap...

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I loved this course. It really helped me understand arguments about different translations, how the material was parsed, and how textual criticism is a meticulous process. I came out of the course with a deeper understanding of the Bible on my lap, and a new appreciation for the people who dedicate their life’s work to interpreting it for us.

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5 star rating

Inspiration and Authority - a very appropriate title for module 1

Marsha Burnside

I have learned a lot in reading through much of the reading. I especially appreciated the slides and transcription of the lectures by Dr. Heiser. I truly appreciate his understanding and acceptance of the Biblical text as inspired from God. I was ...

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I have learned a lot in reading through much of the reading. I especially appreciated the slides and transcription of the lectures by Dr. Heiser. I truly appreciate his understanding and acceptance of the Biblical text as inspired from God. I was raised in a tradition where we were taught it was only true as far as translated correctly. I love Dr. Heiser's strong defense for the authenticity of the Bible! Thank you!

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5 star rating

History of the Bible

Opal Croke

Excellent. Easy to follow and assimilate. Very helpful in understanding the process and amplifies my wonder at the the beauty and application of God's Word Highly recommend to anyone in love with God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Excellent. Easy to follow and assimilate. Very helpful in understanding the process and amplifies my wonder at the the beauty and application of God's Word Highly recommend to anyone in love with God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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