About this course

This course is free because of the generosity of our Vision Partners.

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.

Course outline

    1. About this course

    2. What you will learn

    3. What you need

    4. Instructor

    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

History of the Bible

  • Free
  • 5 hours of video content
  • 8 Modules

Additional course details:

  • Difficulty level: 4

    The learning difficulty for this course is 4 out of 5. It is recommended for advanced students and above.

  • Unlimited access

    You receive unlimited access to the course once you enroll.

  • Certificate of completion

    You automatically receive a certificate of completion once you finish the course.

Course material

All instructional material is provided in the course.

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.

Certificate program

Earn credit towards the Certificate of Biblical History when you complete this course.

View certificate program

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

Each module title has been appropriate for the material presented

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! I have thoroughly loved taking this History of the Bible class and have learned so much and appreciate this precious book even more! I will look forward to reading through the source materials again as there is so much to learn and absorb. Thank you Dr. Heiser for all your work in putting these courses together for us. I truly enjoy the way you present these materials - it makes it a joy to learn!

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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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5 star rating

Deep dive

Phyllis Crum

Excellent, thought provoking, tool laden approach to understanding and respecting the Bible I hold dear. I have a new- found respect for the work and sacrifice every hand made to this work.

Excellent, thought provoking, tool laden approach to understanding and respecting the Bible I hold dear. I have a new- found respect for the work and sacrifice every hand made to this work.

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5 star rating

Great

Amy Ward

Awesome

Awesome

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5 star rating

Great course, highly recommended

Josh Bernard

I was looking for something that collected all the information of the writing and assembly of the Bible in a straight forward, honest way. This was fantastic. Easy to understand, lots of good information, lots of insight into the way we approach t...

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I was looking for something that collected all the information of the writing and assembly of the Bible in a straight forward, honest way. This was fantastic. Easy to understand, lots of good information, lots of insight into the way we approach the Bible. I hope there will be a follow up that is deeper if their is enough content to make a second class!

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5 star rating

yes this title is perfect as i wished to know answer to the question.

Betty Lovejoy Sauceda

inspiration is given by God to men through providential means. The people are equipped in their lives to hear God but not whispered in the ears...

inspiration is given by God to men through providential means. The people are equipped in their lives to hear God but not whispered in the ears...

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