Syllabus for BIB 421 Pentateuch 3.0 Credit Hours Spring 2017 I. COURSE DESCRIPTION A study of the first five books of the Bible, treating historical beginnings, content of the covenant, and worship. Introduces the student to the cultural, geographical, and historical milieu of the Pentateuch. Course Prerequisites: BIB 222 Old Testament Introduction, BIB 306 Hermeneutics, THE 217 Seminar in Theological Research. II. COURSE GOALS The purpose of this course is to enable the student to do the following: A. Investigate the cultural, geographical, and historical milieu of the Pentateuch. B. Study and examine the foundational theological concepts of the Pentateuch. III. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR THIS COURSE As a result of successfully completing this course, the student will be able to do the following: A. Identify the various peoples and events in Old Testament history. Compare (in essay form) the biblical narrative with other ancient literature, especially in the areas of the creation, fall, flood, life-span of humans, law, customs, worship, and the concept of deity. B. Identify by a short statement the major characters in the Pentateuch. C. Define and/or identify the major geographical regions and phenomena of Palestine and related areas. Be prepared to indicate this material on a map. D. State current interpretations of the creation account and be prepared to give supporting evidence for a least one view which the student deems to be most plausible. E. Give the various dates proposed for the Exodus and defend one date by biblical and extra-biblical evidence. F. Discuss (in essay form) major theories concerning the composition of the books of the Pentateuch. G. Discuss (in essay form) the development of Hebrew religion as it is presented in the Pentateuch. H. Discuss (in essay form) the subject of sacrifice as it relates to the Hebrews. Identify the various forms of sacrifice and their purpose. I. Discuss (in essay form) the tabernacle, its purpose, meaning, and typology. Include not only the immediate textual interpretation, but later biblical interpretation as well. J. Identify and discuss key theological concepts in the Pentateuch, sin, promise, covenant, law, sacrifice, and the concept of God and His will for humanity and the world. K. Identify the most important locations (in the text) for the key theological ideas and events recorded in the Pentateuch. Revised 10/16 Page 1
IV. TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER LEARNING RESOURCES A. Required Materials 1 Blenkinsopp, Joseph. The Pentateuch: An Introduction to the First Five Books of the Bible. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2000. (ISBN: 9780300140217) Friedman, Richard E. Who Wrote the Bible? New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1987. (ISBN: 9780060630355) Hamilton, Victor P. Handbook on the Pentateuch. 2 nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007. (ISBN: 0801027160) Wenham, Gordon J. Exploring the Old Testament: A Guide to the Pentateuch. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2008. (ISBN: 9780830825417) B. Optional Materials Coogan, Michael D., ed. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. (ISBN: 9780195289558) Gignilliat, Mark S. A Brief History of Old Testament Criticism: From Benedict Spinoza to Brevard Childs. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012. (ISBN: 9780310325321) Livingston, G. Herbert. The Pentateuch in Its Cultural Environment. 2 nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1987. (ISBN 9780801056468) Pritchard, James B. The Ancient Near East: An Anthology of Texts & Pictures. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2011. (ISBN 9780691147260) Soulen, Richard N., R. Kendall Soulen. Handbook of Biblical Criticism. 4 th ed. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011. (ISBN: 9780664235345) V. POLICIES AND PROCEDURES A. University Policies and Procedures 1. Attendance at each class or laboratory is mandatory at Oral Roberts University. Excessive absences can reduce a student s grade or deny credit for the course. 2. Double Cuts are assessed for absences immediately preceding or following holidays. 3. Students taking a late exam because of an unauthorized absence are charged a late exam fee. 4. Students and faculty at Oral Roberts University must adhere to all laws addressing the ethical use of others materials, whether it is in the form of print, video, multimedia, or computer software. By submitting an assignment in any form, the student gives permission for the assignment to be checked for plagiarism, either by submitting the work for electronic 1 Occasional additional readings may also be required as the class progresses. Typically these include selected book chapters or journal articles. Revised 10/16 Page 2
verification or by other means. 5. Final Exams cannot be given before their scheduled times. Students need to check the final exam schedule before planning return flights or other events at the end of the semester. 6. Students are to be in compliance with University, school, and departmental policies regarding eportfolio requirements. Students should consult the eportfolio handbooks for requirements regarding general education and the students majors. a. The penalty for not submitting electronically or for incorrectly submitting an eportfolio artifact is a zero for that assignment. b. By submitting an assignment, the student gives permission for the assignment to be assessed electronically. B. School and/or Department Policies and Procedures Note: Attendance policy is enforced. Excessive absences will affect your grade. See syllabus attendance policy. 1. Completion of a Course a. Late work will not be accepted. Assignments are due on or before the deadline given. b. Under rare circumstances, exceptions may be made in consultation with the faculty member for the course. However, except in extreme emergencies, students must contact faculty members before the assigned due date and request an exception to the policy. 2. Incompletes a. An incomplete is given only after the student establishes with the instructor and the department chair by written petition that his or her work is incomplete for good cause (i.e., lengthy illness, death in the family). Incompletes are rarely granted. Only those absences that are incurred within the time period of the extenuating circumstances prompting an incomplete will be excused. The student is still accountable for any other absences and will be penalized for them according to the attendance policy. b. A Petition for Incomplete Grade with all supporting documentation must be submitted for approval at least one week prior to the end of normal classes. The submitting of a petition does not automatically ensure the granting of an incomplete. The petition must be approved by the appropriate academic committee of the Undergraduate Theology Department. 3. Examinations and Other Assignments a. Early examinations are not allowed. b. Late examinations are administered only when extenuating circumstances are present (such as a death in the family the week before exams, sudden and major illness the week of exams that is documented by a physician). In fairness to all students, some persons should not have more time to prepare for an examination than others. The granting of a late examination request is rare. c. A Petition for Late Examination without penalty must be signed by the professor and the chair. Proper documentation must accompany the petition and must be submitted to the Undergraduate Theology Department. The student must Revised 10/16 Page 3
schedule the makeup exam with the professor of the course. The exam must be taken no later than five (5) calendar days after the approval of the petition. Grade penalties may be applied as indicated by the Academic Affairs Committee. d. All exams will be given as scheduled. It is the student's responsibility when purchasing airline tickets, for example, to take this schedule into consideration. Not being present for the final examination automatically results in failure of the course. e. These requirements apply to all quizzes, tests, and examinations administered by the Undergraduate Theology Department. 4. Attendance Policy a. The Official Attendance Policy for the Undergraduate Theology Department is as follows: (1.) If class meets three times a week, 3 unexcused absences will result in 1 grade letter reduction; 6 unexcused absences will automatically result in an F for the course. (2.) If class meets two times a week, 2 unexcused absences will result in 1 grade letter reduction; 4 unexcused absences will automatically result in an F for the course. (3.) If class meets one time a week, 1 unexcused absence will result in 1 grade letter reduction; 2 unexcused absences will automatically result in an F for the course. b. The absences allowed prior to grade reduction are designed to allow for emergencies and illnesses, only. (Faculty may require documentation.) Administrative excuses are granted only when a student is on official University business and has received approval in advance from the University administration. c. The penalty for tardies is at the discretion of the instructor. C. Course Policies and Procedures Weekly Reading Report & Class Participation 15% Book Report 1 20% Book Report 2 20% Class Presentation 20% Final Exam 25% Total: 100% Grading Scale: A= 100-90; B = 89-80; C = 79-70; D = 69-60; F = below 60 Whole Person Assessment requirements: none. Revised 10/16 Page 4
VI. COURSE CALENDAR 2 Week One: Introduction Week One (cont.): Introduction 8/19: Genesis 1 11 3 8/21: Friedman 9 49 Week Two: Genesis (cont.) 8/26: Genesis 12 25 8/28: Wenham 159 85; Friedman 50 69 Week Three: Genesis (cont.) 9/2: Genesis 26 50 9/4: Blenkinsopp vii 30 (skim) Week Four: Exodus 9/9: Exodus 1 18 9/11: Friedman 70 100; Blenkinsopp 31 53 Week Five: Exodus (cont.) 9/16: Exodus 19 31 9/18: Blenkinsopp 54 133 Week Six: Exodus (cont.) 9/23: Exodus 32 40 9/25: Friedman 70 100 Week Seven: Leviticus 9/30: Leviticus 1 10 10/2: Blenkinsopp 133 182 Week Eight: Leviticus (cont.) 10/7: Leviticus 11 16; Book Report 1 due 10/9: Friedman 101 49 Fall Break!!! Week Nine: Leviticus (cont.) 10/21: Leviticus 17 27; Blenkinsopp 183 228 10/23: No class (Fall Revival Meetings!) Week Ten: Numbers 10/28: Numbers 1 10 10/30: Blenkinsopp 229 46 Week Eleven: Numbers (cont.) 11/4: Numbers 11 25 11/6: Friedman 150 187 2 This Calendar is subject to change early in the semester in response to class size. 3 In addition to reading the assignments in the Bible each week, students should also read the corresponding entries in both Hamilton and Wenham. Revised 10/16 Page 5
Week Twelve: Numbers (cont.) 11/11: Numbers 26 36 11/13: Friedman 188 216; Book Report 2 due Week Thirteen: Deuteronomy 11/18: Deuteronomy 1 12:28 11/20: Friedman 217 60 Week Fourteen: Deuteronomy (cont.) 11/25: What Ever Happened to the Yahwist? 4 Submit Final Exam Questions 11/27: No class: Thanksgiving! Week Fifteen: Deuteronomy (cont.) 12/2: Deuteronomy 12:29 34:6 12/4: Review Final Exam Written Assignments Weekly Reading Reports Due at the beginning of the last class of the week. Late submission only accepted with an excused absence. Book Reports (2) Prepare two book reports on books selected from the books listed on the Book Report list. The purpose of the Book Report is to augment our required reading and classroom discussions and to train students to read and analyze a variety of literary material, construct an argument, and write clearly and persuasively by citing evidence and specific examples from the relevant primary and secondary sources. Each essay should be 4 5 pages long and written in 12 point Times New Roman font. The margins should be 1½ inches on the left and 1 inch on all other sides. (The top margin of page 1 should 2 inches.) Number each page in the upper right hand corner (no number on page one). Include a cover sheet to your term paper with the following information: Department name; class name and number; term paper title; your name; instructor s name; course title; and the date. Class Presentation Each student will be responsible to lead a class discussion. Topics will be picked from the Course Calendar. Presentations should include: 1. Introduction to the topic/material of the day 2. Presentation of the material (your job is not to lecture, but facilitate discussion). Prepare questions to stimulate discussion on your topic for the class. Remember, part of your classmates grade is Participation, and so, they will be ready to discussion the topic of the day. 3. Presentations will be graded on the following: organization of the presenter; presentation and clarity of information; overall impression of the presentation. Final Examination Comprehensive 4 Reading material available in class. Revised 10/16 Page 6
Course Inventory for ORU s Student Learning Outcomes BIB 421 Pentateuch Spring 2017 This course contributes to the ORU student learning outcomes as indicated below: Significant Addresses the outcome directly and includes targeted assessment. Moderate Addresses the outcome directly or indirectly and includes some assessment. Minimal Addresses the outcome indirectly and includes little or no assessment. No Does not address the outcome. The Student Learning Glossary at http://ir.oru.edu/doc/glossary.pdf defines each outcome and each of the proficiencies/capacities. OUTCOMES & Significant Moderate Minimal No 1 Outcome #1 Spiritually Alive 1A Biblical knowledge X 1B Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit X 1C Evangelistic capability X 1D Ethical behavior X 2 Outcome #2 Intellectually Alert 2A Critical thinking X 2B Informational literacy X 2C Global & historical perspectives X 2D Aesthetic appreciation X 2E Intellectual creativity X 3 Outcome #3 Physically Disciplined 3A Healthy lifestyle X 3B Physically disciplined lifestyle X 4 Outcome #4 Socially Adept 4A Communication skills X 4B Interpersonal skills X 4C Appreciation of cultural & linguistic differences X 4D Responsible citizenship X 4E Leadership capacity X Revised 10/16 Page 7