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Course Description

Together these five “little scrolls,” which is the meaning of Megilloth, recount parts of the story of ancient Israel. Set in the time of settling in the land of Canaan, the book of Ruth narrates how a Moabite woman (non-Israelite) devotes herself to Israel. The book of Esther, which frames the scrolls at the end, narrates how an Israelite woman becomes part of the court of the Persian Empire. The three books between Ruth and Esther are poetic expressions of wisdom, love and lament. Both the Song of Songs (love) and Ecclesiastes (wisdom) are attributed to Solomon, the royal son of David who represents high culture in ancient Israel. The Lamentation, on the other hand, grieves the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and the captivity of Israel. Thus, these five little scrolls are a meaningful collection in themselves in that they tell a significant portion of the story of ancient Israel, and they express the exhilaration of love, learning, and lamentation. In this online course, we will discuss one book per night, considering its part in the story of ancient Israel as well as its literary character and cultural significance.

Course Syllabus

Notes

Online registration deadline: Thursday, June 16 at 5 pm CT

Remote courses require you to login to Canvas to access the Zoom Classroom. You will receive an invitation to join Canvas about a week before your course begins. Please visit the Liberal Arts Student Resources page to find step by step instructions for Canvas and Zoom: Online Learning Resources

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