Lesson 1: About the instructor and why the course

• Mike quals, experience, credentials
  • M.S., M.Div., Taught at graduate Master’s level and Master’s seminary-level
• Goals: Think deeply about the Bible itself (not religion), and gain knowledge to understand the sources and integrity of the Bible
• Learn about:
  • Biblical canon(s)
• Books that fell/fall outside the canon; why they stay out
  • Biblical context being Hebrew (all of it) and Hebrew culture
  • Biblical original manuscripts and important translations
  • About the Dead Sea Scrolls and importance
  • Hebrew Bible fidelity in reproduction
  • About modern English translations and what MSS used
  • About textual criticism and why it’s important
  • “Did you know” side notes on questions like:
• When was verse numbering initiated?
• What Bible did Jesus read?  The Apostles?
• What about the Apocrypha or deuterocanon?