The Ancient Near East: Land of Babel

In this series of presentations, Robert Henrey shares his interest in the highly diverse historical and cultural environments that characterized the Ancient Mesopotamian and Mediterranean world. He sets out to give an overview of the events that made it possible for narratives and traditions to develop, especially those underlying the scriptures, and be eventually recorded thereby ensuring their transmission down the generations. It’s a fascinating story and one that is relevant to our contemporary world as we cope with our overarching need to communicate with each other, and at the same time, balance the pursuit for national identity with the forces of globalization. Despite their complexity, Robert attempts to present the events as straightforwardly and engagingly as possible, with each presentation fully illustrated with on-screen, relative graphics.
Please join us for either or both of these engaging events!

October 4- Part One: The Origins of Writing and Narrative
The development of writing from its Mesopotamian cuneiform origins to a medium fit for transmitting codes of conduct and pre-Biblical narratives

October 18- Part Two: Empires, Alphabets and Exile
The rise of Mesopotamian Empires, the powerful innovation of alphabetic writing, and the spread of Aramaic up to the Jewish Exile