I.    Introduction

II.    The Songs of Israel
 

A.    Introduction

B.    The Book of Psalms

1.    Introduction
2.    Types of Psalms

a.    Laments
b.    Songs of Praise
c.    Psalms as Unique Poems

3.    Alienation and Reconciliation in the Psalms

C.    Songs in the Festival Scrolls

1.    Song of Songs
2.    Lamentations

D.    Summary and Conclusions

III.    The Wisdom Literature

A.    Proverbs
B.    Job
C.    Ecclesiastes

IV.    The Narrative Books and the Persian Period

A.    Introduction

B.    A Brief History of the Persian Period

1.    The Fall of Babylon 2.    Return to the Promised Land 3.    Defining Events in the Post-exilic Period a.    Temple b.    Defenses c.    Torah d.    Conclusion 4.    National Identity and the Prohibition against Foreign Marriages 5.    Dating Ezra and Nehemiah 6.    A New Government: Heirarchy 7.    Limits on Our Knowledge of the Persian Period

C.    The Literary Evidence for the Persian Period

1.    The Chronicler's History
2.    Ruth and Esther: Two of the Megilloth

a.    Ruth
b.    Esther

D.    Historical Summary