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The Bible and History
with Professor Gary A. Rendsburg

Merneptah SteleAlmost three thousand years ago, a small group of ancient Israelite literati wrote the major narrative that spans the biblical books of Genesis through Kings, creating what may be called the world's first history. The narrative focuses on the people of Israel, but because the history of Israel constantly intersected with the surrounding countries, the Bible gives us a veritable tour of the ancient Near East. Great powers such as Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia, and lesser powers such as the Philistines and the Phoenicians, all make an appearance in the Bible's pages.

Central Hill SceneProfessor Gary Rendsburg, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Professor of Jewish History at Rutgers University, will present both the evidence from the Bible and the wealth of archaeological data, with an eye to evaluating these two sources and to determining the manner in which they inform each other.


Gary A. Rendsburg

Professor Gary Rendsburg holds the Blanche and Irving Laurie Chair in Jewish History at Rutgers University, at the rank of Distinguished Professor, with academic homes in both the Department of Jewish Studies and the Department of History.

Prof. Rendsburg's research areas include literary approaches to the Bible, the history of the Hebrew language, the history of ancient Israel, and the literature and culture of ancient Egypt. Prof. Rendsburg is the author of seven books – including his most recent book How the Bible Is Written (Links to an external site.) (2019) – and over 200 scholarly articles. He has visited all the major archaeological sites in Israel, Egypt, and Jordan; and he has participated in excavations at Tel Dor and Caesarea. In addition, he has lectured around the world, including in Israel, Europe, Japan, and Australia.


All materials produced herein by the faculty member (in particular, but not limited to, the script) are copyrighted, according to the policies set forth by Rutgers University.

© Gary A. Rendsburg