Evers Bible Class - A Gentle Ramble through the Bible

        Beginning Maccabees    How It Starts The Hebrew Bible ends around 400 BCE. There are no more tribes of Israel--only scattered families which are gradually coalescing into geographic communities. Around 330 BCE, Alexander the Great conquers the world but dies suddenly, leaving the world in chaos.  After 40 years of infighting, the world settles (more or less) into four major kingdoms: Macedonia, Thrace, Egypt, and the Seleucid Empire. Judea (named Palestine by the Romans who were themselves a rising world power) is fought over by Egypt and the Seleucids. The Seleucids eventually win.  As the story of the Maccabees opens, the high priest has become a political appointee of the Seleucid king. It is a position of power that goes to the highest bidder. Prepare yourself for a whirlwind of politics and intrigue. 1&2 Maccabees overlap, so refer to the Maccabees Chronology to guide your reading. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube

       Baruch, Wisdom, Sirach    Who Is Wisdom? The Apocryphal books of Baruch, the Book of Wisdom, and the Wisdom of Ben Sirach, all emphasize the importance of Wisdom. Her value is far beyond that of riches or any power. In all three books she is emphatically female. And yet, we get conflicting views of her. In some passages, she is omniscient and all-powerful, the very image and breath of God, while in other passages she is quite clearly a created being (albeit the very first created being). In this class we explore these passages and compare them to similar passages in the Proverbs of the Hebrew Bible as well as passages in the New Testament. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. More info at EversBibleClass.com .

      Judith    Truth and Lies The story of Judith is set at the time of the fall of Israel and Judah (both--it’s a mashup). General Holofernes threatens to overwhelm the forces of Israel. The tiny town of Bethulia guards the mountain pass.  Judith, a righteous and beautiful widow living in Bethulia, devises a plan to deceive General Holofernes. Asking God to bless her in her deceit, she enters the enemy camp with nothing but her handmaid and a bag of food. Is her deceit blessed by God? Good question. She does, in fact, deliver Israel from the hands of General Holofernes. We’ll give some thought as to what parts to take away and what parts we should perhaps leave behind. A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. More info at EversBibleClass.com .

     Tobit    A Fishy Tale Tobit is a righteous man living in Galilee until he is exiled by the Assyrians to their capital city of Nineveh. He rises to an important position in Assyria, only to lose everything when he is caught burying the bodies of fellow exiles who have been thrown outside the city walls. There follows an incredible tale involving an angel in disguise, hidden wealth, inexplicable blindness, death wishes (two of them), a demon king (!!), a sudden marriage, and a happy ending.  Hang on for a wild ride! A free Study Guide is available. A video version of the class is available on YouTube. More info at EversBibleClass.com .