Notes on the Syllabus

Transcription

1 Notes on the Syllabus The following syllabus was used for an upper-level course on the Hebrew Bible at UC-Santa Barbara in the spring of The title (and level) suggested something other than an introduction, but since this is the only course in the catalog dedicated to the Hebrew Bible, I still had to assume little to no knowledge of biblical scholarship and the historical-critical method, and in many cases, even no familiarity with the Hebrew Bible at all. I decided that I will keep this in mind in my choice of texts, but at the same time change the focus from an introduction to aspects of literature and religion as the title anticipates. For literary aspects, I focused on different genres of biblical literature, something I also emphasized in my introductory course several years before that. However, I forewent my goal of having students read most of the Hebrew Bible in class. Experience taught me that when I asked students to read all of Genesis for one class, we barely had time to discuss the Garden of Eden, the Selling of Joseph, and the wife-sister narratives. So I decided to split Genesis into two classes, and not have the students read all, but only the parts we would have time to discuss. The law was a meeting point between the literary genres and the religion of the Israelites. From there I focused on some specific aspects of ritual (circumcision and the Sabbath), examining its presentation in both narrative and literature, and introducing some examples of reception history for both of them. Two thematic classes in the end on biblical theology (the development of monotheism, and sin and free will) were also added to give theoretical aspects of the religion, in addition to the practices of ritual. The students read less of the primary text than they did in my introduction class, which was a struggle for me, but I also know that students are sometimes frustrated by readings that are not addressed in class. They are mistaken, of course, to think that reading is for an ulterior purpose, such as class preparedness. Reading is for its own sake. Nevertheless, this syllabus addresses those concerns. As always, the syllabus cannot reflect everything that went in class. Assignments, handouts, discussions, and unexpected questions made this class the full experience that it was. This was just the platform on which the rest could grow.

2 Details: RGST 115A T R 9:30am-10:45am Room: Girvetz 2127 LITERATURE AND RELIGION OF THE HEBREW BIBLE Aryeh Amihay Office HSSB 3048 Office Hours: T & R 11:00am-12:00pm; 3:30pm-4:30pm aamihay@religion.ucsb.edu Books Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, eds. The Jewish Study Bible, 2 nd edition. New York: Oxford UP, (ISBN: ). Henceforth: JSB 2 Description and Mission The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the major genres of biblical literature, alongside prominent tenets of religious thought and practice. In addition to acquaintance with the biblical text itself, the course will introduce major trends in research, providing critical tools for the study of the Hebrew Bible. Students are expected to prepare primary readings before each class, and to bring questions, comments, insights on oddities and incongruities in the text for discussion. These contributions will present occasions for exploring the types of different problems involved in reading the Hebrew Bible, and will thus allow students to further their understanding of the text and its challenges. Tardiness and Absence Students should be in class on time. Students are allowed four unjustified absences from class. The instructor does not adjudicate as to what is a justified absence. Justified absence is according to UCSB rules, or requires a justification from another UCSB faculty or staff. Grading Students should submit 3 assignments of their choice. Each one comprises 20% of the grade. Each assignment is entirely optional, but the deadline for each one is binding, and students must submit three by the deadline of the last one. For the final, students will have the option of writing a ~5pp. exegesis paper, or a ~6pp. take-home, open book exam. Lack of presence, preparation or participation, may be penalized up to a full letter grade. Students who have missed more than a third of the course will not be graded. All students are required to have one office hour meeting with instructor during the course. Grades will not be submitted for no-show students.

3 Class 1 (Apr. 4) Introduction Baden, The Documentary Hypothesis Class 2 (Apr. 6) Biblical Narrative: The Primordial Myths Gn 1-11 (JSB ) Steinmetz, The Family in Context Class 3 (Apr. 11) Biblical Narrative: The Patriarchs Wife/Sister: Gn 12:10-20, Gn 20, Gn 26 (JSB , 39-40, 49-51) Binding of Isaac: Gn 22 (JSB ) Selling of Joseph: Gn 37 (JSB ) Gunkel, Comparison of the Variants 12:9ff; 20; 26:6ff Class 4 (Apr. 13) Biblical Narrative: Exodus and Wilderness Ex 1-3, 14-20, (JSB , , ) Num 11-12, 16-17, 20 (JSB , , ) Frymer-Kensky, Moses and the Cults Class 5 (Apr. 18) Biblical Narrative: Saul and David 1 Sam 16-20, 24-25, 31 (JSB , , ) 2 Sam 1, 11, 13-14, (JSB , , , ) 1 Ki 1 (JSB ) Tov, The Composition of 1 Samuel in the Light of the Septuagint Version Class 6 (Apr. 20) Historiography: Kings, Destruction, and Reform 1 Ki 7-8, 12, 15 (JSB , , ) 2 Ki 17-20, (JSB , ) Monroe, Ḥērem Ideology and the Politics of Destruction Class 7 (Apr. 25) Biblical Poetry: Psalms Ps 1-3, 8, 22-24, 30, 48, 51, 72, 90, 92, , 114, 121, 126, 133, 137, 150 (JSB ff.) Alter, Forms of Faith in Psalms 3 Amihay, Lit&Rel of HB

4 Class 8 (Apr. 27) Biblical Poetry: Song of Songs Song of Songs (JSB ) Isa 5:1-7 (JSB ) Pr 6:25-7:27 (JSB ) Zakovitch, A Conservative Response to the Song of Songs Class 9 (May 2) Biblical Law: Covenant and Reform Ex (JSB ) Deut 12, 15, 17-18, 22, 25 (JSB , , , , ) Levinson, The Revisionary Hermeneutics of Deuteronomy Class 10 (May 4) Biblical Law: Sacrifice, Purity, and Holiness Lev 1-5, 11-12, 15, 19 (JSB , , , ) Milgrom, Leviticus 1-7: The Sacrificial System Class 11 (May 9) Biblical Ritual: Circumcision Gn 17 (JSB ) Ex 4:24-26 (JSB 2 106) Ex 22:28-29 (JSB 2 149) Lev 12:1-3 (JSB 2 220) Josh 5:1-9 (JSB ) Jer 4:4, 9:21-25 (Cf. Deut 10:16, 30:6; JSB , , 369, 414) Cohen, A Canonical History of Jewish Circumcision Class 12 (May 11) Biblical Ritual: The Sabbath Gn 1:1-2:3 (JSB ) Ex 20:8-11 Deut 5:12-15 (JSB , ) Ex 35:1-3 (JSB 2 182) Num 15:32-36 (JSB ) 2 Ki 4:22-23 (JSB ) Isa 56:1-8, 58:11-14 (JSB , ) Jer 17:19-27 (JSB ) Neh 13:15-22 (JSB ) Chavel, Novella III: Num 15: Amihay, Lit&Rel of HB

5 Class 13 (May 16) The Prophets: Pre-Classical Prophets 1 Sam 3:1, 9, 28 (JSB 2 553, , ) 2 Sam 12:1-25 (JSB ) 1 Ki 13, 17-19, 21 (JSB , , ) 2 Ki 2-5 (JSB ) Overholt, Elijah and Elisha in the Context of Israelite Religion Class 14 (May 18) The Prophets: Social Reformers and Political Commentators Hο 1-3 (JSB ) Am 1-5, 9 (JSB , ) Isa 1, 5, 10 (JSB , , ) Jer 2, 7, 9, 37 (JSB , , , ) Ezek 17, 20, 23 (JSB , , ) [Note the cult polemic : 1 Sam 15:22; Isa 1:11-20; Ho 6:6; Am 4:4-5, 5:4-5, 21-25; Mi 6:6-8] Houston, Rethinking the Background of Social Criticism in the Prophets Class 15 (May 23) The Prophets: The Perils of Prophecy Am 7 (JSB ) Jer 15:10; 26, 28, 32, (JSB 2 944, , , , ) Jonah (JSB ) Schellenberg, An Anti-Prophet among the Prophets? On the Relationship of Jonah to Prophecy Class 16 (May 25) Biblical Theology: Polytheism, Henotheism, Monotheism Ps 82, 115, 29 (JSB , , 1298) Gn 6:1-4 (JSB 2 19) Job 1:6-12 (JSB ) Isa 6:1-7 (JSB ) Ex 3:11-18; 15:11-18 (JSB , ) Deut 4, 32:8-9 (JSB , 419) Isa 45 (JSB ) Smith, The Emergence of Monotheistic Rhetoric in Ancient Judah Class 17 (May 30) Biblical Theology: Sin, Retribution, and Free Will Gn 3-4 (JSB ) Ex 7:2-5, 14:4-5, 14:27-28 (JSB 2 109, 126-7) Num 22, 24 (JSB , ) Deut 30 (JSB ) Ju 2 (JSB ) Isa 6:8-13 (JSB ) Ex 20:1-6, 34:5-7 (JSB , ) Ezek 18 (JSB ) Joyce, Ezekiel and Moral Transformation 5 Amihay, Lit&Rel of HB

6 Class 18 (June 1) Wisdom Literature Pr 20, 22, 27, (JSB , , , ) Job 1-6, 28, (JSB , , ) Ecc 1-3, 9, (JSB , 1612, ) Fox, Three Theses on Wisdom Class 19 (June 6) Women of the Bible Gn 2-3, (JSB , 71-74) Ju 4-5, 11 (JSB , ) Ruth (JSB ) Esther (JSB ) Bal, Between Altar and Wondering Rock: Toward a Feminist Philology Class 20 (June 8) Conclusion Geller, The Religion of the Bible (JSB ) Levenson, The Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, and Historical Criticism Sources of Secondary Readings Alter, Robert. The Art of Biblical Poetry. New York: Basic Books (division of HarperCollins), Baden, Joel S. The Composition of the Pentateuch. Renewing the Documentary Hypothesis. New Haven: Yale University Press, Bal, Mieke. Between Altar and Wondering Rock: Toward a Feminist Philology. In Anti-Covenant. Counter-Reading Women s Lives in the Hebrew Bible, edited by Mieke Bal, Sheffield: Almond Press, Chavel, Simeon. Oracular Law and Priestly Historiography in the Torah. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, Cohen, Shaye J. D. Why Aren t Jewish Women Circumcised? Gender and Covenant in Judaism. Berkeley: University of California Press, Fox, Michael V. Three Theses on Wisdom. In Was There a Wisdom Tradition? New Prospects in Israelite Wisdom Studies, edited by Mark R. Sneed, Atlanta: SBL Press, Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Moses and the Cults: The Question of Religious Leadership. Judaism 34.4 (1985): Geller, Stephen A. The Religion of the Bible. In The Jewish Study Bible, 2 nd ed., edited by Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, Gunkel, Hermann. Genesis. Translated by Mark E. Biddle. Macon, Ga.: Mercer University Press, Houston, Walter J. Exit the Oppressed Peasant? Rethinking the Background of Social Criticism in the Prophets. In Prophecy and the Prophets in Ancient Israel. Proceedings of the Oxford Old Testament Seminar, edited by John Day, New York and London: T&T Clark, Joyce, Paul M. Ezekiel and Moral Transformation. In Transforming Visions. Transformations of Text, Tradition, and Theology in Ezekiel, edited by William A. Tooman and Michael A. Lyons, Eugene, Ore.: Pickwick, Levenson, Jon D. The Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, and Historical Criticism. Louisville, Ky.: Westminster / John Knox Press, Levinson, Bernard M. Deuteronomy and the Hermeneutics of Legal Innovation. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Milgrom, Jacob. Leviticus. A Book of Ritual and Ethics. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, Amihay, Lit&Rel of HB

7 Monroe, Lauren A.S. Josiah s Reform and the Dynamics of Defilement. Israelite Rites of Violence and the Making of a Biblical Text. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Overholt, Thomas W. Elijah and Elisha in the Context of Israelite Religion. In Prophets and Paradigms. Essays in Honor of Gene M. Tucker edited by Stephen Breck Reid, Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, Schellenberg, Annette. An Anti-Prophet among the Prophets? On the Relationship of Jonah to Prophecy. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 39.3 (2015): Smith, Mark S. The Origins of Biblical Monotheism. Israel s Polytheistic Background and the Ugaritic Texts. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, Steinmetz, Devora. From Father to Son: Kinship, Conflict, and Continuity in Genesis. Louisville, Ky.: Westminster / John Knox Press, Tov, Emanuel. The Composition of 1 Samuel in the Light of the Septuagint Version. In Empirical Models for Biblical Criticism, edited by Jeffrey H. Tigay, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, Zakovitch, Yair. A Woman of Valor, Eshet Hayil (Proverbs ): A Conservative Response to the Song of Songs. In A Critical Engagement. Essays on the Hebrew Bible in Honour of J. Cheryl Exum, edited by David J. A. Clines and Ellen van Wolde, Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, Amihay, Lit&Rel of HB