The lectures of Dr. David Neiman (1921-2004) sparkle with a rare combination of features. They are original and scholarly yet of keen interest to the non-specialist. Dr.Neiman had the uncommon ability to relate life in antiquity to a modern audience.
Dr. Neiman knew the script, the language and content of the cuneiform tablets as well as the Hebrew original of the Old Testament. Most importantly, Dr. Neiman demonstrated how engaging the story of mankind really is regardless of the age or the intellectual and religious atmosphere.
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The Epic of Gilgamesh (49 min)
A retelling of “The Epic of Gilgamesh” – the earliest dramatic epic poem composed about 5,000 years ago, which deals with problems affecting us today.
Jesus In Context (2 hours 25 min)
Dr. Neiman analyzes the socio-political environment of Judaea during the time of Jesus. This lecture Includes segments from “Saint Paul” and “Sadducees, Pharises, Essenes”.
Cradles of Civilization (49 min)
History of WritingDr. Neiman takes us from the Agricultural Revolution to the Ceramic Age, and then the Bronze. The development of writing and literature
Hanukkah: The Historical Background
Alexander the Great attempts to Hellenize the Holy Land and meets with great resistance from the Jews. (46 min.)
History of The Talmud (49 min)
In this lecture, Dr. Neiman traces the development of the Jewish law from the Torah through today’s Jewish court system.
Saint Paul (45 min)
Origins of ChristianitySaint Paul, a Jew, lays the basis for the new religion of Christianity. His emphasis on the power of faith galvanizes followers in the Greek and Roman world.
The Church Fathers (52 min)
The Church and the Jews Lecture 1The early Church Fathers develop laws concerning the Jews in this first lecture in the series, “The Church and The Jews”.
The Khazarian Empire (67 min)
Between 750 – 1000 c.e., a Jewish kingdom flourished in Asia – The Khazars. Dr. Neiman tells their story citing the recent documentary evidence discovered.
Popes Gregory the Great (56 min) and Leo the III
The Church and the Jews Lecture 2Dr. Neiman recounts the personal histories of two significant popes whose policies defined the church in its first millennium.
The Popes and the Crusades (55 min)
The Church and the Jews Lecture 3The Great Schism, The Norman Conquests, the rise of Islam. The events surrounding the crusades and the plight of the Jews.
The 13th Century (49 min)
The Church and the Jews Lecture 4The “Great Bonfire of Paris”. Jews are forced to defend their beliefs in public trials in Barcelona. The Charter of Bolislow opens the door to large scale migration to Poland.
Expulsions and Migration (55 min)
The Church and the Jews Lecture 5The Spanish Inquisition and large scale migrations of the Jewish people. Chmelnitzki’s Invasion of Russia.
Expulsions and Migration (55 min)
The Church and the Jews Lecture 6The invention of printing plays a role in the rise of the Protestant Reformation. This intra-Christian split impacts the Jewish communities of Europe.
Passover (64 min)
The Historical BackgroundDr. David Neiman refutes the minimalists and argues the historical accuracy of the story of the Exodus
The Politics of Purim (42 min)
The story of Purim is more than a fairytale. It is a clash of empires where the Jews play a pivotal role.
Sadducees, Pharises, Essenes (50 min)
Origins of ChristianityThe Roman occupation of the Kingdom of Judea causes splits within the Jewish people.
The Polemic Language of Genesis (72 min)
Genesis Lecture 1From “Let there be light” to the Big Bang. Dr. Neiman reconciles the latest theories in astrophysics with the story of creation in the book of Genesis.
The Garden of Eden (59 min)
Genesis Lecture 2Dr. David Neiman gives historical context to the early chapters in the Bible that detail the Garden of Eden. The description of the Garden contains elements of Assyrian and Ugaritic literature.
Geneologies (76 min)
Genesis Lecture 3Dr. Neiman transforms these dry chapters on the genealogies of man into fascinating accounts of pagan origins and ancient king lists.
The Flood (54 min)
Genesis Lecture 4The story of the universal flood appears in the literature of several other ancient near eastern cultures including the literature of the Sumerians, the Babylonians and the Greeks.
Abraham (55 min)
Genesis Lecture 5This lecture includes overviews of the Babylonian, Hyksos and Amorite empires. Dr. Neiman illustrates how the fortunes of these great empires impacted the life of Abraham the Ivri.
Genesis in the Amarna Age (76 min)
Genesis Lecture 6The Amarna age was a time of social, economic and cultural transformation in Egypt that impacted the lives of the Patriarchs.
Abraham’s Family (58 min)
Genesis Lecture 7Dr. Neiman places the stories of the Abraham’s familial relations into a larger historical context giving insight into the motivations and prejudices of the Bible’s authors.
Isaac and Rebecca (58 min)
Genesis Lecture 8Dr. Neiman shows how the story of Isaac and Rebecca fits perfectly into the customs, habits and laws of the Babylonian Empire governed by the Code of Hammurabi.
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