Material Culture of the Biblical World Class

from A.D. Riddle   <ad_riddle@diu.edu>:

• A new course next spring 2025 (15 Jan-08 May)  “Material Culture of the Biblical World” will be offered at Dallas International University (DIU). 
• You can take the course for audit (fees only).
• If you are a graduate of DIU/GIAL with a Master’s degree, you can audit the course for free.
• You can also apply as a regular student for graduate credit, and register for the course.

This course will bring together archaeology, Hebrew lexicology, semiotics, and other disciplines to examine specific categories of material culture from ancient Israel, and then apply that to the Elijah-Elisha narratives (1 Kings 17 to 2 Kings 13).

AA5398 Material Culture of the Biblical World

• Material Culture is the study of manmade artifacts (such as clothing, pottery, architecture), exploring how those artifacts were produced as well as their function and significance within the culture that created them. 
• This course will focus on the material culture from the Biblical World, with special emphasis on ancient Israel. 
• The principal sources for study are results of archaeological excavation, experimental archaeology, ethnoarchaeology, and iconographic studies. 
• This course is designed principally for students who anticipate working in the areas of Bible Translation and Scripture Engagement. 
• In this course, students will 
  • (1) be introduced to key concepts for the study of material culture, 
  • (2) study material artifacts from ancient Israel and explore their cultural significance, 
  • (3) apply this information to the exegesis of biblical passages, and 
  • (4) extend these principles to the analysis of material objects of contemporary world cultures for the purpose of ethnographic research and Scripture Engagement. 
• This course is holistically multidisciplinary in that it intersects the disciplines of archaeology, semiotics, biblical studies and ethnography.

The spring term at DIU runs from Jan 15 to May 8, 2025. Registration opens Oct 1, 2024.

For further information or to ask any questions, please contact A.D. Riddle at <ad_riddle@diu.edu> or Kim Wells at Kim_Wells@diu.edu.