Syracuse University
REL/JSP 215 
The Hebrew Bible
FALL 2003
MWF 12:50 - 1:45
HL 202
Aaron & Tabernacle (Dura-Europus synagogue)


This course surveys the literature of the Hebrew Bible (= Tanak = Old Testament) within the historical and religious context of the ancient Near East. Its goals are to: 1) familiarize students with the contents of the Hebrew Bible in English translation; 2) enlarge students' understanding of the practice of interpreting biblical literature; 3) increase students awareness of Israel's religious heritage and its impact on modern culture. 

Course Objectives: The goals of this course goals are to have students

  1. gain sufficient familiarity with ancient history to understand the cultural contexts out of which biblical literature grew and which in turn were shaped by the Bible; 
  2. develop an understanding of the Hebrew Bible as a key instance in the diversity of human religious phenomena, and achieve fluency in describing and interpreting it;
  3. recognize and appreciate the difficulties and possibilities inherent in undertaking a coherent, disciplined study of biblical literature, and become aware of the diversity of perspectives within that study. 

Course Requirements: The course consists of class discussions, lectures, student projects, and, most of all, readings. This course is a reading course, and the students' completion of all required reading assignments is essential for their success. Assignments, discussions, lectures and tests all presuppose that students have read carefully and on schedule the required readings from the Bible and textbooks. Students who wish to pursue some topics in greater depth are encouraged to read the supplemental assignments listed below. 

Teaching Team:

  • Instructor: JIM WATTS (PhD)
  • Office: 505 HL 
  • Office Hours: M 2-3 pm, T 3-4 pm & by appointment
  • E-mail: jwwatts at syr.edu 
  • Office phone: 443-5713
Evaluation: Students are evaluated on the basis of their performance on three quizzes (10% for all three), three exams (15% each), two papers (20% each), and class participation (including attendance and occasional written assignments - 5%). Late assignments receive a reduced grade. Incidents of plagiarism or cheating result in no credit (0) for the test or assignment and may result in further disciplinary action. 
Textbooks:
Required: 
  • Frank S. Frick, A Journey through the Hebrew Scriptures, 2nd ed; (Thomson Wadsworth, 2003)
  • Victor H. Matthews & Don C. Benjamin, Old Testament Parallels: Laws and Stories from the Ancient Near East, 2nd ed. (Paulist, 1997)
Recommended:
  • Tanak (New Jewish Publication Society Version)
  • or New Oxford Annotated Bible (New Revised Standard 

Schedule of Topics and Assignments (also available at http://web.syr.edu/~jwwatts/REL215.htm): Required assignments are preceded by the abbreviation "Req"; optional supplementary readings are marked "Sup".
Bbiblical books are underlined; textbooks are cited by short titles; internet assignments are marked WWW.
Click on underlined topic titles for printable PDF files of class presentations (must have Adobe Acrobat Reader; to download a free copy, go to http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html). Further resources for biblical studies and religion may be found by at http://web.syr.edu/~jwwatts/UsefulLinks.htm
Date Topic Assigned Readings
Aug 25 INTRODUCTIONS Genesis 1:1
Aug 27 READING THE BIBLE

Req: Genesis 1:1-2:4; Journey, pp. 1-18, 24-31, 36-37
Aug 29 HISTORY IN/OF THE BIBLE

Req: Read Genesis 2-5; Parallels, pp. 3-18; Journey, pp. 87-105, 106-117
Sup: Journey, pp. 117-134
Sep 1 Labor Day: NO CLASS  
Sep 3 HISTORICAL & OTHER METHODS

Req: Genesis 6-9; Parallels, pp. 26-28, 32-40; Journey, pp. 31-36, 37-38, 134-40
Sup: Parallels, pp. 18-25; 28-30
Sep 5 GEOGRAPHY & ARCHEOLOGY OF ISRAEL AND THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST Req: Genesis 10-11; Journey, pp. 41-51, 66-76
Sup: Journey, pp. 51-57, 62-65, 76-86
Sep 8 HEBREW NARRATIVE Req: Read Genesis 12-25; Parallels, pp. 129-133; Journey, pp. 144-56
Sep 10 THE ANCESTORS' RELIGION  Req: Genesis 26-50; Journey, pp. 156-81
Sup: Read Parallels, pp. 66-81.
Sep 12-19: Focus Section on Exodus (paper assignment)

Sep 12 EXODUS Req: Read all of Exodus at one sitting; Content Quiz
Sep 15 MOSES Req: Parallels, pp. 85; Journey, pp. 184-94
Sup: Journey, pp. 194-209, 233-37
Sep 17 COVENANT Req: Parallels, pp. 86-90; Journey, pp. 209-20
Sep 19 LAW & RELIGION Req: Parallels, pp. 101-123; Journey, pp. 220-26
Sep 22 RITUAL & LAW Req: Leviticus 1-2, 9-11, 16, 25; 26:3-8, 14-33
Exodus paper DUE
Sep 24 ISRAEL IN THE WILDERNESS Req: Numbers 22-24, Deuteronomy 1, 5-6, 27, 31-34
Sep 26 Test #1 STUDY! (study guide)
Sep 29 JOSHUA AND JUDGES

Req: Deuteronomy 20; Joshua 1-6, 23-24; , 15-16, 19-21; Journey, pp. 240-47
Sup: Journey, pp. 273-78
Oct 1 SETTLEMENT Req: Joshua 11:16-23; Judges 1:1-2:5; Parallels, pp. 91-93, 134-144, 323-330. Journey, pp. 247-63
Sup: Journey, pp. 270-73
Oct 3 WOMEN IN ANCIENT ISRAEL Req: Judges 4-5, 11, 19-21; 1 Samuel 1:1-2:11; Journey, pp. 57-62, 461-66
Oct 6 Yom Kippur No class
Oct 8 THE UNITED KINGDOM Req: 1 Samuel 8:1-18:16; 2 Samuel 1-2, 7, 11:1-12:24; Journey, pp. 314-15
Sup: WWW assignment: Biblical Jerusalem; Journey, pp. 280-313
Oct 10 Autumn Break: No Class
Oct 13 THE DIVIDED KINGDOMS Req: Read 1 Kings 11:41-12:33, 2 Kings 3:4-27; 17:1-23; Parallels, pp. 155-176; Journey, pp. 326-34.
Oct 15 THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH. Req: 2 Kings 18-19; 22-25; Parallels, pp. 177-190; Journey, pp. 334-40.
Oct 17 PROPHECY Req: 1 Kings 13, 17-21; Parallels, pp. 124-126, 244-256; Journey, pp. 264-70; 319-26, 340-48
Oct 20 POETRY & PROPHECY

Req: Amos 4:1-5, 5:14-24, 7:1-9; Journey, pp. 350-63
Sup: Journey, pp. 428-36.
Oct 22 LITERARY PROPHECY Req: Isaiah 6:1-13, 9:1-7, 11:1-9; Jeremiah 1:1-10, 5:1-6:30, 31:31-34; Journey, pp. 370-73, 376-81, 388-90.
Sup: Parallels, pp. 312-322, 331-332; Journey, pp. 390-403.
Oct 24-31 Focus Section on Hosea (paper assignment)

Oct 24 READING HOSEA Req: Read Hosea in one sitting; Content QUIZ
Oct 27 MARRIAGE AS RELIGIOUS METAPHOR  Req: Reread Hosea 1-3 and Parallels, pp.305-311, Journey, pp. 363-70, and prepare worksheet for class discussion 
Oct 29 POETRY AND RELIGIOUS RHETORIC Req: Prepare list of ten metaphors.
Oct 31 LOVE, ANGER, AND GOD Req: Reread Hosea 11
Sup: Bring review questions for test to class
 
Nov 3 TEST #2 STUDY! (study guide)
Nov 5 THE BABYLONIAN EXILE Req: Esther (all); Journey, pp. 384-88, 466-69, 478-84.
Nov 7 THE EXILIC PROPHETS Req: Ezekiel 1:1-5:12 37:1-14; 40:1-47; Isaiah 40:1-31; 42:1-4; 46:1-13; 52:13-53:12; Journey, pp. 403-419.
Nov 10 THE PERSIAN PERIOD

Req: Ezra 1:1-4, 9:1-10:43; Jonah (all); Ruth (all); Parallels, pp. 193-200; Journey, pp. 469-72; Hosea paper due.
Sup: Journey, pp. 472-78, 484-91
Nov 12 HYMNS, LAMENTS, AND LOVE SONGS Req: Psalms 8, 22, 32, 80, 110; Lamentations 1-2; Song of Solomon 1, 5; Parallels, pp. 231-242, 257-261, 297-301; Journey, pp. 437-46, 452-53
Sup: Journey, pp. 446-51, 453-60
Nov 14 WISDOM LITERATURE Req: Proverbs 1:1-33; 7:1-27; 10:1-32; Ecclesiastes 1:1-3:22; 12:1-14; Parallels, pp. 274-288; Journey, pp. 492-503, 513-16
Sup: Parallels, pp. 265-73, 289-94; Journey, pp. 516-24
Nov 17-Dec 1 Focus Section on Job (paper assignment)

Nov 17 .  THE PROBLEM OF INNOCENT SUFFERING Req: Read Job at one sitting. Content Quiz. Prepare for debate.
Nov 19 GOD'S SPEECHES FROM THE WHIRLWIND. Req: Journey, pp. 503-510
Nov 21 THE PROLOGUE AND EPILOGUE & JOB IN CULTURAL CONTEXT  Req: Reread Job 1-2, 42;
Nov 24 Class Cancelled Req: Parallels, 203-228; Journey, pp.510-13
Nov 26-30 Thanksgiving Break: No Class  
Dec 1 THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS Req: WWW Scrolls from the Dead Sea
 
Dec 3 THE HELLENISTIC PERIOD AND APOCALYPTIC Req: Read 1 Maccabees 1:1-5:68; Daniel 1-3, 7, 10-12; Journey, pp. 525-28, 533-45
Sup: Journey, pp. 528-33
Dec 5 THE IDEA OF SCRIPTURE Job paper DUE; Req: Journey, pp. 545-48
Dec 10 at 10:15 am Final Exam STUDY! (study guide)
http://www-hl.syr.edu/depts/judaic/default.html