Bible 401: Survey of Tanakh

Transcription

1 1 Bible 401: Survey of Tanakh Spring 2010 Elaine Goodfriend, Ph.D. Wednesday, 7:30-10 P.M. Office hours: Before class or by appointment. COURSE OBJECTIVES FOR BIBLE 401: (1) Students will demonstrate familiarity with the basic contents and major themes of Genesis 2 Kings, and selected portions of the prophetic books and Ketuvim. (2) Students be familiar with the geographical and historical contexts of the Tanakh and the powerful impact that these had on its writing. Our textbook for the semester is the Tanakh. You may use any edition you wish as long as it is in modern English. If you read biblical Hebrew with some fluency, bring along a Hebrew Tanakh as well. If you are planning on purchasing a Bible, the preferred translation is that of JPS TANAKH. There will be other readings, which will be distributed. Requirements: Course Requirements: 1. Attendance: Attendance is crucial for the learning experience. If you are absent more than twice, 3 points will be deducted from your average for each class that you miss. If you have perfect attendance (which means prompt arrivals), I will add three points to your final averaged grade. If you are consistently late for class, this will be counted as an absence. 2. Always (and I mean always!!) bring your Bible to class. 3. Your grade will be based on two projects: a. a take-home final exam due at the last class. b. You must complete 1 (one) of the following two assignments: i. An essay on the life of King David. ii. An essay on a theme that you have found in your reading of the Tanakh. Each of these will count as 50% of your grade. Essays may be written in Hebrew as long as they are typed.

2 2 Topics and Readings After the readings are found questions to consider as you read. These will be the subject of class discussion, but PLEASE feel free to come up with your own questions and ideas. January 20: Introduction to BIB 401 and the Hebrew Bible. Readings: Creation and the Garden of Eden, Genesis 1-3. January 27: Genesis: From Cain to Abraham (including the Flood!) Readings: Genesis 4-12, 15-19, As you read the book of Genesis, think of these themes: covenant and promise, conflict within the family, conflict with others, reversal of primogeniture, deception, the role of women. February 3: Isaac & Jacob & The Story of Joseph. Readings: Genesis 24-29, 34-35, 37-45, 48, 50. Thursday, 9/24: Israel in Egypt. Readings: Exodus 1-12, As you read these stories, think about the Narrator s explanation for the selection of Moses as Liberator, the role of women in Exodus 1-4, God s revelation of a unique aspect of His character as YHQH [the Tetragram], and the portrayal of Israel as a people. February 10: The Civil Law of the Torah. Readings: Exodus 19-24, Leviticus 18-19, Numbers 5, 35-36, Deuteronomy Focus on the laws of homicide, the value of fetal/human life, and sexual ethics. See if you can write up Israel s law code regarding homicide and sexual ethics in your own words. Also, what is the role of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 and how are they different than the other laws you read after that? February 17: The Tabernacle and Priesthood; Deuteronomy. Readings: Exodus 25-32, Leviticus 11-16, Deuteronomy 1, 5-7, 12, 18, 20.

3 3 As you read Exodus 25-32, see if you can imagine/reconstruct the architecture of the Tabernacle. Look it up online at the following sites and make a diagram for yourself Then, as you read Leviticus 11-15, think about the conditions that made one offlimits for the Tabernacle, the locus of holiness. Do these physical conditions have anything in common? Are there any conditions that are not included that should be? Leviticus 16 offers us the ritual for Yom Kippur what are the elements in this ritual and what are they for? As you read the chapters in Deuteronomy, think about Moses role in this book, and the role of prophets in general. What is Israel s form of holy war? Deuteronomy 12 demands centralization what do you think would be the consequence of a policy like this? February 24: Joshua & Judges. Readings: Joshua 1-6, 8-11, Judges 1-2, 4-5, 11, Regarding the chapters in Joshua, think of the portrayal of Joshua as a second Moses : what are the similarities? In what ways does God fight for Israel? Do you detect any influence of the laws of Deuteronomy on the book of Joshua? How? How is the conquest of the Land of Israel described? Regarding Judges, concentrate: what is the Author s motivation in his portrayal of the Judges? What is he trying to prove? What is a judge? Does he/she judge? March 3: 1 Samuel Readings: 1 Samuel 1-3, 8-11, 15-18, 24-25, Who and what is Samuel? What are we told about his choice of Saul? What are Saul s characteristics that make him appropriate for Israel s kingship? Why the need for a king anyway? Why is Saul rejected? And why was David chosen? As you read the stories about David, consider the characteristics that allow him to rise to kingship in Israel. Does the Author allude to any negative aspects of David s

4 4 character? March 10: 2 Samuel Readings: 2 Samuel 1-8, 11-19, 24, 1 Kings 1. Again, think about the Author s portrayal of David, but also about how the Author arranges his material about David. What is the theme of chapters 2-8? Then what about 11-19? What is the principle the Author uses to arrange his material about David? And how does David change over time? March 17: 1 Kings Readings: 1 Kings 2-5, 9-12, 1 Kings 16-19, 21. What does the Author of I Kings 1-12 emphasize about the reign of King Solomon? How does Solomon create the situation that causes the division of the kingdom in chapter 12? In chapters 16-19, 21, we meet Elijah the prophet. Is this how you expect a prophet to behave? Who are his antagonists? How does he achieve his goals? March 24: 2 Kings Readings: 2 Kings 1-2, 5, 8-11, What is the relationship of Elisha to Elijah? How is Elisha portrayed? Is there a certain morally ambiguous aspect to both of these men of God? How about Jehu? Look up the article at How is the Tel Dan Stele related to 2 Kings 8-10? As you read 2 Kings 17-25, think of the role of the great empires in this period of Israelite history. Where do the kings of Israel go wrong in their formulation of policies regarding these great powers? To the biblical Author, why do they go wrong? חספ 31: March April 7: Spring Break April 14: The Diaspora and the Return.

5 -5- Readings: Isaiah 44-45, Daniel 1, 6; Ezra 1, 6, 7, 9, Nehemiah 1-2, 5, 13 (Esther). What are the lessons of Daniel 1 & 6 for the Jews of the Diaspora? Both Isaiah and Ezra 1 mentions Cyrus. Who is he and what do these writers expect him to do? And does he? What is the role of Ezra and Nehemiah in the rebuilding of Jewish life in the Land of Israel? What does the Book of Esther tell us about Jewish life in the Diaspora? April 21: Prophets Readings: Isaiah 1-3, 6-10, 20, Jeremiah 1, 7, 13, 16, 25, 32, Ezekiel 1-4, 16,18, 20, 37. See how many times the prophets in these chapters perform symbolic acts in order to impress their message upon the people. That is, when prophets do more than talk but rather play act their message to the people. For example, Hoshea marries a promiscuous woman to experience what God experiences with Israel. How do these prophets view Israel s past? Its future? April 28: Ketuvim. Readings: Song of Songs 1-5, 8; Ecclesiastes/Kohelet 1-4, Proverbs 1-4, 7-8. OK, so why do you think the Song of Songs was included in the Tanakh? For Kohelet, what gives meaning/purpose to life? Or is there any purpose? In Proverbs 1-4, what does the Author assume about God? What happens to the evil person? The good? Why? Who/what are the mysterious women of Proverbs 7-8? May 5: Last day of class. A Taste of Job. Readings: Job 1-3, 18-22, Why does God agree to let the Adversary torment Job? What is God trying to prove with his bet? What is Job s response to his terrible misfortunes? In chapters 18-22, what do Job s buddies express about the fate of the evildoer? What is Job s response? For Job, what is the fate of the evildoer? What are Job s friends insinuating about Job himself? When you turn to chapters 38-42, why does God discuss the cosmos and animals? What is God trying to prove to poor Job? Why

6 do you think this book was included in the Tanakh? What are the dangers of this book? -6-