The Charm of Biblical Polytheism

Series of lectures attempting to initiate an in-church discussion about diversity and plurality of religions in the Bible, the Ancient Palestine and our World.

 
 
Rutgers Church Lenten Lectures:
February 29th  Did YHWH have a wife? - Archeology and the Bible: Surprising inscriptions illuminate ancient Jewish piety.
March 7th   Outrageous patriarchs - Myths in the Bible: Why is it that biblical characters so often act so strangely?
March 14th   What's wrong with magic? - Biblical Oracles: Rediscovering many surprising biblical divination practices.
March 21st   Many Deities of the Bible - Parade of divinities: How many gods are in the Bible?  How many gods make up God?

Selected literature:
Philip R. Davies: In Search of Ancient Israel, Continuum 2006
Philip R. Davies: Memories of Ancient Israel, Westminster John Knox Press 2008
Herman Gunkel: Water for a Thirsty Land, Fortress Press 2001(Articles from 1906-1928, edited and translated by K.C.Hanson)
Judith M. Hadley: The Cult of Asherah in Ancient Israel and Judah, Cambridge University Press 2000
Othmar Keel and Christoph Uehlinger: Gods, Goddesses and Images of God In Ancient Israel, Fortress Press 1998
Niels Peter Lemche: The Israelites in History and Tradition, Westminster John Knox Press 1998
Thomas E. Levy (ed.): The Archeology of Society in the Holy Land, Continuum, 2003
Mark S. Smith: The Early History of God, Eardmans 1990
Mark S. Smith: The Origins of Biblical Monotheism, Oxford 2001
Francesca Stavrakopoulou and John Barton (eds.): Religious Diversity in Ancient Israel and Judah, T&T Clark 2010.
Thomas L.Thompson: The Historicity of the Patriarchal Narratives, Trinity Press 2002
Steve A. Wiggins: A Reassessment of ‘Asherah’, Neukirchen Verlag 1993
Nicolas Wyatt: Myths of Power, Ugarit-Verlag 1996
Ziony Zevit: The Religions of Ancient Israel, Continuum 2001