In the Beginning: History, Legend, and Myth in Genesis

The titles of this 6-lesson course:

Mysteries and Meanings of the Pentateuch - The five books of the Pentateuch are foundational not just for the nation of Israel and the history of Judaism but for the history of civilization in the West. Yet they are rarely read and even more rarely understood. This lecture shows why these accounts continue to be intriguing and can in fact be hugely important, even for readers who don’t “believe” them.
Myth, Science, and How it All Began - Many people today – even internationally esteemed scientists – try to reconcile the creation myths of Genesis with the claims of science. This lecture shows why the endeavor is not only futile but also misguided.
Did Genesis Borrow Its Stories from Other Cultures? - Among the most surprising and influential findings of modern archaeology are ancient texts produced before the book of Genesis that narrate older forms of many of its stories – especially its accounts of creation and the worldwide flood. How do we explain such works?
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph: History or Legend? - What can we say about these accounts as historical records? If they are more legendary than historical, should they simply be dismissed as unimportant?
The Bible and Morality? Case Studies from the “Patriarchs” - Most Christians believe their moral views come from the Bible, with its stress on monogamy, sexual restraint, truthfulness, non-violence, and fairness. But what about the stories of Genesis that describe (promote?) their opposites: polygamy, sexual license, deceit, brutality, and injustice?
Who Wrote the Pentateuch? - For most of Jewish and Christian history, Bible readers have assumed that Moses himself wrote the first five books of Scripture, the Pentateuch. Scholars since the nineteenth century, however, have maintained otherwise. How do the stories of the first book, Genesis, help us decide the matter? If Moses did not write them, who did? Were there multiple authors? When did they write? And how would we know?

Bart D. Ehrman is a professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina. He has written or edited thirty-four books, including six New York Times bestsellers: How Jesus Became God, Misquoting Jesus, Jesus Interrupted, and Forged.

Bart's work has been featured in The New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Time, and Newsweek; he has appeared on National Geographic, CNN, the BBC, NBC's Dateline, the Discovery Channel, Fresh Air with Terry Gross, the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Sam Harris Podcast, and many other top media outlets.

Registration Includes Lifetime Access to the 6-Lesson Online Course complete with:

Six 30-minute lectures by Dr. Bart Ehrman
PDF lesson guides
Questions for reflection
Two Q&A sessions
Additional reading list to dive deeper
Audio downloads for listening on the go
Discounts for additional courses in the "How Scholars Read the Bible" series
One-time exclusive deep discount offer at checkout for our course, "Finding Moses," the sequel to "In the Beginning"
$1 from your purchase is donated to charity: water

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Is this a LIVE course?
Bart gave the lectures live and recorded them in January 2022, so there is no live component to this course. However, as an "In the Beginning" course student, you will receive advanced notification and discounts to Bart's future live events. In addition, included in this purchase is Lifetime Access to the Online Course.
Are any other discounts available?
Yes, if you have attended one of Dr. Ehrman's other events, such as the "Did Jesus Call Himself God?" or "Did the Christmas Story Really Happen?" webinars, you should have received an additional discount code during the webinar or via email.
Do you offer a money-back guarantee?
Absolutely! If you don't love the seminar, send us an email and we will refund 100% of your investment. You will have 30 days from the date of the seminar.
What is
Bart offers stand-alone 1-lecture courses for $14.95 each. To purchase six individual courses, it would normally cost nearly $90. But as a bundle of lectures in single course, your price is only $39.95.

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