Ancient Marriage Contracts and the Sinai Covenant - Oliver Hersey

Biblical World

Episode: Matt Lynch speaks with Jerusalem University College president and Biblical World co-host Oliver Hersey. We discuss study of the world of the Bible and his thesis that the Sinai Covenant can be illuminated through knowledge of ancient marriage customs. Knowing ancient marriage customs can help us understand the plundering of the Egyptians, the birth of Moses, the genealogy in Exodus 6, and the events at Sinai! Enjoy.

Guest/Co-Host: Dr. Oliver Hersey is the president of Jerusalem University College in Jerusalem, Israel, an institution committed to helping students engage the geography, history, archaeology, languages, and cultures of the biblical world. He loves providing students opportunities to see the contours of the Holy Land and teaching them about the cultural backgrounds, history, and literary traditions of the ancient Near East, particularly as they inform our understanding of the Bible. His research interests lie in comparing ancient Near Eastern texts with biblical texts. Exemplary of this is his dissertation titled “The Marriage at Mount Sinai: Reading Exodus in the Context of ancient Near Eastern Diplomatic Marriages.” Hersey completed his PhD in Old Testament from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and has taught at North Park University in Chicago. For information about JUC and their programs, visit HERE.

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Image Description/Attribution: Image shows Maathorneferure and Hattusili III before Ramesses II from the Marriage Stela of Ramses II in Abu SimbelBy Lepsius - Richard Lepsius, Denkmäler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien, 1897, Abt III, Band 7, Bl. 196, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15169398