START HERE · BEFORE THE BIBLE
Read the record.Begin here.
Try a complete lesson before creating an account. Begin with the tools for examining ancient texts, then explore the sources and competing interpretations throughout the course.
No account required to read. A free account saves your progress.
YOUR FIRST LESSON · 13 MIN READ
Entering the Ancient Record
How artifacts, copies, transliterations, translations, and interpretations become historical claims
- Distinguish a physical artifact from the composition written on it.
- Explain why the date of a surviving tablet may differ from the date when a work was first composed.
- Describe the difference between transliteration, translation, and historical interpretation.
The Archive method. Before asking what an ancient text proves, identify what survived and how the modern reading was produced.
After reading, create your free account, open your member area, and mark the lesson complete. Your dashboard will guide you to the next lesson.