Foundations of World History

Chapter 1

What is History?

“Inquiry”•What happened?•Why did it happen?•What can we learn from those events and people?

Why study history?

What do these people have to do with us today in the 21st Century A.D.?

Why study history?History prepares us for the future.

History gives us cultural identity.

History declares God’s glory.

Isaiah 46:9-10“Remember the former things of old: for I

am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.”

Romans 15:4“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

Flood account from the Epic of Gilgamesh written in cuneiform on a stone tablet

Think for a moment…Noah, his wife, sons, and daughters-in-lawHebrews who walked across the Red SeaThose who wandered 40 years in the desertThose who crossed the Jordan River into the

Promised Land at last.Those who marched around Jericho shouting

and watched as the walls crumbled.What did they tell their children,

grandchildren, neighbors?

The Historian & His Task

How do we know?Primary Sources

Produced at the time of the event often by people involved in the event.

Secondary SourcesInterpret or explain

primary sources.

Artifacts from Clovis mammoth kill site

Primary or Secondary?

Primary or Secondary?

What do we do with the information we gather?

Extracting meaning from sourcesEvaluationSynthesisInterpretation

EvaluationIs the record internally consistent?Is it believable?How does it compare with similar records?

Historical SynthesisBased on the RELIABLE information

gathered, assemble the facts into a narrative of the past.

Historical InterpretationWhat does this event mean?Are it important?What makes it important?Why did it happen?What are the consequences of this event?How is it relevant to people living today?

What flaws are involved with the historical process?We can’t know everything.May have too much information.

What to keepWhat to leave out

Historians, just like all people, have biases.Worldview will affect interpretation of facts.

Studying History with a Christian World View

A Christian World View isBased on God’s Word, the Bible.

Three Central TruthsCreation

Fall

Redemption

Mankind was created in God’s image.

Mankind sinned and fell into human depravity as a result. (sinful human nature)

God sent his son Jesus to redeem mankind from his depravity and to restore him into a relationship with his Creator.

Christian ViewGod knew it all from

the beginning.The world is out of

control.We have HOPE.God is in control of

all.We study history

with God’s will in mind.

Christian ViewThe focal point and

center of human history is the advent of God as man in the person of Jesus Christ to redeem mankind.

What is your role in history?

Beginnings of World HistoryGenesis Chapters 1-11

Key Terms from Genesis StudyCreation mandateCultureCivilizationCitySpecializationOrganizationNationsTable of Nations

Key PlacesMap page 25