Iain argues that we cannot do justice to the OT without understanding the context in which it was written—in this case, that means the 'ancient near eastern world', primarily of Egypt and Mesopotamia. Most of us probably view that kind of historical context as interesting but not vital and certainly not inspiring. Iain's talk will blow that away. Once we grasp the sheer darkness and limitations of the ancient mind, we begin to realise that the OT was new and spectacularly human-centred in its day. It created the paradigms and thought structures that the whole modern world benefits from - but largely takes for granted. Listen and be stunned.