The Empire Next Door

The Old Testament can sometimes feel difficult to read and understand because of all the unfamiliar places and people groups. The ancient Israelites had a lot of "neighbors" whom we don't always learn much about in history class. Over three weeks, we will look at three of the largest and most influential of these neighbors: the empires of Assyria, Babylonia, and Persia. All three were superpowers of their day, and they played important roles in the events recounted in the Bible. We will learn a little about their history, their culture, and the ways in which they interacted with the world of the Bible.

Teacher: Jon Beltz, a PhD candidate at Yale University in Assyriology at the department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations.