Episode: This episode discusses the importance of understanding the cultural backgrounds and context of the Bible for biblical interpretation. We look at examples from Egypt, Mesopotamian law, bedouin ethnography and more!

Hosts: Chris McKinny (Gesher Media) and Oliver Hersey (Jerusalem University College)

Summary: In this episode, Chris and Oliver discuss the following:
1. The importance of cultural backgrounds for studying the Bible;
2. The example of Yahweh saving Israel with a strong “outstretched hand” as an appropriated motif of New Kingdom Egypt;
3. The example of bedouin ethnography (“the scientific description of the customs of individual peoples and cultures”) for understanding nomadic and semi-nomadic life in ancient Israel;
4. The example of the law of Exodus 21:22–25 regarding the restitution for the death of a pregnant woman or child in comparison with Mesopotamian and Hittite law codes.

Additional Resources: Jerusalem University College (JUC); JUC Summer Institute; JUC Online; Context of Scripture in Accordance Bible Software; Seti I War Scenes from Hippostyle Hall Project; Mosaic Magazine 2015 Berman, Joshua. “Was there an Exodus?”; OnScript Clinton Bailey – Bedouin Culture in the Bible; TheTorah.com article comparing Biblical and Mesopotamian Law Codes.

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Image by Loretta Rossiter from Pixabay

Looking Behind the Scenes - Oliver Hersey & Chris McKinny