OT RESEARCH PAPER TOPICS

• Should we read Genesis 3:15 as a prophecy about Jesus Christ?
• How do we understand the Tower of Babel in its ancient Near Eastern context?
• The Old Testament and the problem of polygamy.
• The significance of the image of God in the Old Testament.
• The identity of the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament.
• The rationale for the distinction between clean and unclean foods in Leviticus 11.
• The theological significance of the design and furnishings of the Tabernacle.
• The historical and theological significance of Ahab and Jezebel in the Old Testament.
• Assessing the character of Jehu in the book of Kings—did his bloody purge of the house of Ahab go too far?
• Analysis of the David-Bathsheba story.
• Recent archaeological evidence for the kingdom of David and Solomon.
• Are the land promises of the Abrahamic Covenant still in effect for Israel?
• How does the historical background of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel and Judah inform our understanding of the narrative in 1 Kings 13?
• How do the stories of Elijah and Elisha provide a polemic against Baal worship in ancient Israel?
• Should we preach Joseph as a “type” of Christ? (Discuss the proper and improper use of typology when reading and teaching the Old Testament from a New Testament perspective.)
• Why does the sin of Moses in Numbers 20 lead to his exclusion from the Promised Land?
• A literary and theological analysis of Balaam in Numbers 22–24.
• A literary and theological analysis of Gideon in the book of Judges.
• A literary and theological analysis of Samson in the book of Judges.
• A literary analysis of the character Ruth in the book of Ruth.
• Does Jephthah sacrifice his daughter in Judges 11?
• How do we assess the actions of Yahweh in the death of Uzzah (2 Samuel 6)?
• The significance of the covenant blessings and curses in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 for the history and theology of the Old Testament.
• Does God change his mind in the Old Testament (Exodus 32; Numbers 23; 1 Samuel 15; and other related OT texts)?
• Interpretive views on the long day in Joshua 10.
• The theological problem of the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart—how to resolve?
• The theological problem of a God who deceives (1 Kings 22 and other related texts).