Back before Stonehenge or the wheel, back before the pyramids, math, or even the crudest writing existed, ancient peoples gathered and told stories. They told stories of how the world began, what the first people were like, and which of them were heroes or failures. They tried to make sense of the world around them and tried to sort out who the gods were and what those gods wanted from them.

More than 10,000 years later, one set of those stories has come down to us in the form of the Old Testament. It is the story of the Jewish people and their distinctive God, giving us a glimpse through story, song, history, and law of the rocky, raucous, faithful, fumbling beginnings of one of the oldest religions on Earth.

Perhaps you think you know it. Think again.

This second course in Exploring the Bible: The Dickinson Series will help you better understand the Old Testament in the context of the world in which it was written. Use it as designed in small-group study or work with it on your own. Either way, you will come to a new appreciation for this amazing collection of ancient texts and the faith that they represent.

A detailed Leader's Guide for this study is sold separately. You can learn more about the series and how you can earn a Certificate in Biblical Literacy at massbible.org.

Other volumes in the series include:

Volume 1: What Is the Bible?

Volume 3: Introducing the New Testament