Dido & Aeneas

What is the nature of "real" love, when does love cross over into obsession, and the power of rumors to hurt individuals (Virgil has a wonderful personification of Rumor in Book 4). 

Antigone: Video

Here is a link to a filmed performance of Antigone (1961)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suN2Pq6qoKE

Exodus: Movie

Exodus Movie

Exodus Discussion Questions

Book of Exodus Questions

Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
How would you describe God to a friend after reading Exodus? What is he like in person, and how is his role in Exodus different than, say, Moses's?

What is the role of law in the text? Is it all one big legal mess, or is this the beginning of something new in ancient culture?

Are the Israelites just sheep being led by Moses the shepherd, or do they play an active role in freeing themselves?

What is Aaron's role in the story? Is he redeemed at the end for messing up?

Is Pharaoh a victim or an oppressor? Could he be both at once?

How does an average Egyptian fare throughout the story? Are the Egyptians victims, or do they deserve what they get?

How does Exodus relate to the rise of civilization? Is it a story of creating and upholding civilization or destroying it?

What is the role of stubbornness in the story? Are people naturally stubborn, or are they made to be that way?

Did the Israelites get more than they bargained for in this covenant? Is it a fair deal, or is it tilted towards God?

What is the literary role of repetition in Exodus? Is it a good tactic, or would it have worked better around a fire, spoken orally?

Book of Amos Discussion Questions

1-5 Amos answers 1) A prophet is someone who see's visions from God. One becomes a prophet when they are chosen by God as a child. The difference between a priest and a prophet is that a Priest worships God while a Prophet tells of God's power and warns of his consequences. I think it would be harder to be a prophet because you have greater responsibility and knowledge involved with knowing the powers of God and being in charge of warning the people. 2) We can't really know if a person is prophet by physical appearance, but if we witness their prophecies becoming true then we could be convinced. Yes, prophets seem to have doubts because they constantly are asked to tell of things that seem bizarre and unrealistic. It would have been difficult for someone to believe in the things that were saying, and even more difficult to be the prophet saying it himself/herself! 3) Like I said above, one would never know for sure. There isn't any significant sign or clarification that a person is a prophet. The only way they could truly believe in a prophet is if they witnessed one of their prophecies become true. 4) It would make his job harder because not only is he going to be making bold and unrealistic claims and speech's about the power of God, but he'll be doing it in a different society where people already look down on him as an outcast. 5) Amos begins his message by warning the people around Israel so they will know that God is going to punish them for their sins. In Chapter 3, verse 7 it says "Indeed, the Lord God does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets." He wants the people around Israel to fear God and the powers he has and how he can punish them so easily for not following his laws. The answers for 6-9 are as follows: 6. The formula shows that the Lord is fed up with people disobeying him and the commandments that they swore to follow. Even though it does not list four crimes for each one as you would think. 7. The sins that Amos warns of are: the attack of Gilead by Damascus; Gaza exiled an entire population of people and handed them over to Edom; Tyre also handed over an entire population to Edom and forgot their covenant of brotherhood; Edom for raging constant war; Ammon for ripping open pregnant women to extend their territory; Moab for burning to ashes the bones of Edom's king; Judah for not obeying the instruction of the Lord and keeping its statutes; and Israel for being greedy and treating the less fortunate wrongly, they sleep around, take the Lord's name in vain, they worship other gods, for drinking in the temples, they forgot all the Lord has done for them, they made the Nazarites drink wine and told them not to prophecy. 8. Israel makes the Nazarites drink wine and stop prophecing because they did not want to hear the prophecies of the Lord to remind them that they are doing wrong. 9. The images Amos uses are locust swarms, rain of fire, the plummet, and summer fruit. The plummet and summer fruit were the most effective. Here are the answers for section 3: 10) To Amos, Bethal seems to be the most corrupt area of Israel. Bethel was originally the place where the ten commandments were stored. Amos so strongly condemned Bethal because of the high amount of corruption there. "Seek me, that you may live, but do not seek Bethel; Do not come to Gilgal, and do not cross over to Beer-sheba; For Gilgal shall be led into exile and Bethel shall be no more." God says not to go to Bethel and that is a good reason for Amos to condemn Bethel. 11) No, but God has given it to him as his duty. Amos 3:7,8 He finds the message troublesome and pleads with God not to be so harsh (have mercy) 7:5 12) Yes because the priest thinks he is being blasphemous (to his own beliefs) and so he asks him to leave. 13) Not really, apart from Epilogue v.14 where he says he will restore Israel.

The Greeks: Videos

Check out the following videos on various aspects related to the Greeks:

Adam and Eve Article

Here is an interesting article on Adam and Eve. It allows us to connect Dr. Nichols' discussion of "competing views" in his lecture on the Hebrews with the Biblical story.

Adam and Eve article

Genesis Discussion Questions 1-11 (Discussion)

1. Why is it beneficial to have no knowledge of some evils?
2. How important is the family today?

1. Who do you blame when you sin?
2. What effect has the curse had on you personally?

1. Why was Cain's offering rejected?
2. Why are religious people sometimes so cruel?

1. Why do the Scriptures give the ages of the men when they had their children?
2. Why is Enoch’s departure significant?

1. Why did Jesus refer to Noah?
2. Why were the dimensions of the ark given?

1. What phrases show that Noah did not have to take creatures such as fish on board?
2. What indicates that the flood was worldwide and not just a local flood?

1. How is the earth different now than before the Flood?

1. What do you think about capital punishment?
2. Why was Ham cursed?

1. Why is unity such a force to accomplish either good or evil?

Genesis 1-11 Discussion Questions

Genesis Chapter 1 Discussion Questions
Who is sole creator of everything?

What was the condition of the earth in the beginning?

What did God create or do in each of the creative days?

What are some phrases that are frequently repeated in this chapter?

By what means did God create light, the firmament, the earth, vegetation, the sun, moon and stars, and the animals?

Over what things did God tell man to have dominion?

How did God describe His creation when He saw everything that He had made? 

Genesis Chapter 2 Discussion Questions

What did God do on the seventh day?

How did God water the ground?

From what material did the Lord God form man?

What types of trees were in the Garden of Eden? 

Of which tree was Adam not to eat?

What were some things that Adam was to do in the garden?

How did God make a woman?

When man leaves his father and mother and cleaves to his wife they shall be what?

What were Adam and his wife's reaction to their nakedness? 

Genesis Chapter 3 Discussion Questions

How did the serpent lie to the woman? 

How was Eve tempted?

After disobeying, how did Adam and his wife cover themselves?

What questions did God ask Adam?

Who did Adam blame?

Who did the woman blame?

What curse was put on the serpent?

What promise was made regarding the seed of the woman?

What curse was put on the woman?

What curse was put on the ground?

What curse was put on the man?

Who was the mother of all living?

With what did God clothe Adam and Eve?

After driving man out of the garden, how did God guard the way to the tree of life? 

Genesis Chapter 4 Discussion Questions

What were the names of Adam and Eve's first two sons?

What offering did each of the boys bring?

Whose offering was rejected?

Who did Cain kill?

Who said, "Am I my brother's keeper?"

What punishment did Cain receive?

What son was born to replace Abel?

Genesis Chapter 5 Discussion Questions

The genealogies in this chapter begin with whom and end with whom?

What unusual thing happened to Enoch?

Who was the oldest man and how long did he live?

Who were Noah's three sons?

How many years after Adam was created were Noah’s three sons born? 

Genesis Chapter 6 Discussion Questions

What did God say would not always strive with man?

What was the condition of men's hearts before the flood?

What was God's attitude toward man in general?

Who found grace in the eyes of the Lord?

What were the dimensions of the Ark?

How many doors were in the Ark?

How many decks (stories) were on the Ark?

How many of each kind of animal was Noah to bring into the Ark?

What else was Noah to bring into the Ark? 

Genesis Chapter 7 Discussion Questions

How many of each kind of clean animal was Noah to bring into the Ark?

How long did it rain?

What was the source of all the water?

Who were the people that got into the Ark?

How high did the water rise?

What happened to all the men and animals that did not go into the Ark? 

Genesis Chapter 8 Discussion Questions

Where did the ark rest after the waters receded?

What bird was first sent from the Ark?

What happened when a dove was sent from the Ark the first time?

What happened when the dove was sent from the Ark the second time?

What were the animals to do when they left the Ark?

What was the first thing that Noah did when he left the ark? 

Genesis Chapter 9 Discussion Questions

What did God command Noah and his sons to do when they left the Ark?

What was mankind allowed to eat after the flood?

What happened to a man who shed another man's blood?

What's sign did God give that he will never again destroy the earth by water? 

Genesis Chapter 10 Discussion Questions

Who was Nimrod?

In whose days was the earth divided? 

Genesis Chapter 11 Discussion Questions

What one thing characterized the whole earth?

Why did the people want to build a tower?

What was the name of the city where God confused the languages?

This chapter traces the genealogy of Abram back to what person?

What was the name of Abram's nephew?

What was the name of Abram's first wife?

From what place did Abram and Terah depart as they went to the land of Canaan?

Mesopotamia Posters

Caananites and Origin of the Tribes of Israel (video)

Please take a look at this video on the Caananites and the tribes of Israel. Post comments/questions below.

Video: Hammurabi's Code

Please watch the brief videos of the stele Hammurabi's Code:

Video: Babylon

Please watch the documentary on Babylon:




What do you find interesting about Babylon? How did it differ from Akkad and Sumer?

Video: Akkad

Please watch the following documentary of Akkad:



What do you find interesting about Akkad? How did it differ from Sumer?

Temples and Statues

What were Sumerian temples called and what purpose did they play in their society?

What was the role of the temple statues? Who did they represent?

Numbers and Measurement

List the important discoveries in numbers and measurement in Sumerian:

Gods and Godesses

Were the Sumerians mono- or polytheistic?

What role did the gods play in everyday life?

Did the Sumerians believe in an afterlife? If so, was it for everyone?

Name the important god/s that were worshiped:

The Birth of Writing

How did writing develop and what were the characteristics of writing in Sumer? What was it used for?

Sumer: Men, Women, and Civlization

In what ways were men and women different across social classes but also within the high-ranking classes?

What was meant with the word nin?

Who was Pu-abi?

Who was the only woman to rule a city-state?

What were some important technological innovations/inventions during this time?

Priests, Kings, and Others

P12: What are the two distinguishing features of civilization that are mentioned?

What % of society was greater: kings/priests or commoners? What was the single largest group in society?

Which group was the highest ranked/had the most influence in Sumerian society? What roles did they fulfill?

What was the term for a supreme ruler which meant "great man"?

Sumer

How was farming accomplished in Sumer? What role did the climate play in this?

Men, Women, and Farming

What important changes did the Agricultural Revolution create in the pattern of relations between men and women? List as many as you can!

Important Dates: Agricultural Villages

Approximately when did the first agricultural villages appear and where?


How did family relationships change and become more complex during this time?

Hunter Gatherers

Describe life for early humans as hunter gatherers. How did these ancestors survive and thrive?

Ages of Humanity

What were the four important Ages discussed thus far?

Important Dates: Agricultural Revolution

Please list the approximate time period during which the agricultural revolution occurred?

Important Dates: First Civlizations

Approximately what year did the first civilizations rise?

Who were the Mesopotamians?

From the lecture and reading: Who were the Mesopotamians? Please list as many of the different groups as you can (Sumerians, etc.)

Bonus: What does Mesopotamia mean in Greek?

Welcome!

Welcome to Core 3!