LESSON 1
ANCIENT
ROOTS
Explores the history of the land of Israel-Palestine from ancient times up to the late 19th century and discusses and debates topics such as:
• What is history? Can we Establish Reliable Knowledge About the Past?
• Critical Thinking in the Study of History
• The Critical Thinking Skill of Reason Assessment
• Is the Bible a credible source of factual information?
• Ancient Roots of Israel-Palestine
• The Biblical Era and the Rise of Judaism
• The Rise of Christianity and Israel-Palestine
• Islam and Israel-Palestine
Lesson 1 Videos
Episode #1 Ancient Roots
In this first episode of IsraelPalestine for Critical Thinkers, Richard Bass takes us back thousands of years to when the region was called Canaan, and explains why it's important to go back in time to understand the issues taking place there today. We also discuss how archaeologists and historians have used the Bible as a guide for their discoveries in the region, while working to distinguish facts from legends.
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Episode #2 The Biblical Era
In episode two, Richard Bass examines Israel-Palestine from the biblical era through the early years of Judaism, until the reign of the ancient Israelites ended with the destruction of their Temple at the hands of the Romans. He explains how the region became known as Judea, and how the Israelites battled against the empires of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Greece and Rome and the challenges of imperialism, slaughter and dispersion that they presented.
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Episode #3 The Rise of Christianity in Israel-Palestine
In this episode, Richard Bass take us back to the tumultuous time of first century CE in Israel-Palestine, when the events of Jesus’ life took place and the Roman’s destroyed the Second Temple. We also discuss how Christianity grew to become the religion of the Roman Empire, transforming Israel-Palestine into a Christian holy land, and dominating there until the 7th century.
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Episode #4 Islam and Israel-Palestine
In this episode of IsraelPalestine for Critical Thinkers, Richard Bass explores the origins of Islam and how Israel-Palestine became a holy place for Muslims. We discuss the significance of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to understanding replacement theology and it's role in the tensions in the region. And we'll explain how the events surrounding World War I led to the contemporary issues facing Israel-Palestine and the Middle East.
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