REL/JSP 114 The Bible

Moses: bronze sculpture by Ivan Mestrovic at Syracuse University

Syracuse University
Fall 2007
REL/JSP 114
THE BIBLE
Time: MW 11:40-12:35

Study guide for FinalExam available here

Course Description:
The Bible has been the most widely read literature in Western culture, influencing literature, law and politics as well as religious traditions. This survey of Jewish and Christian scriptures in their ancient Near Eastern and Hellenistic contexts will pay particular attention to the literary form of biblical books, their history of composition, and their role in the development of Western religions and cultures.

Teaching Team:

Crucifixion triptych by Rico Lebrun, 1950; in SU art collection

Instructor: Prof. Jim Watts
Office: 505 HL
Office Hours: M 1:30-2:30 & by appointment
E-mail: jwwatts
Phone: 443-5713

T.A.: Dan Miller
Office: HL 514
Office Hours: M 10:30-11:30 & by appointment
E-mail: ddmiller

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

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;
develop an understanding of the Bible as a key instance in the diversity of human religious phenomena, and achieve fluency in describing and interpreting it;
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 students' completion of all reading assignments is essential for their success. Assignments, discussions, lectures and tests all presuppose that students have read carefully and on schedule the assigned readings.

Weekly discussion sections will focus on interpretation of particular biblical texts, while class lectures survey larger blocks of material. Attendance at lectures and participation in discussions is expected of all students and will influence evaluation of their work (15%), which will also be based on their performance on three midterm tests (20% each) and a final exam (25%). Student may check their grades online through the Blackboard Learning System.

Required Textbook (available at the campus bookstore in Schine Student Center):
Fant, Musser & Reddish, An Introduction to the Bible, revised ed. (Abingdon, 2001)
Recommended: New Oxford Annotated Bible = NOAB (New Revised Standard Version)

Topics & Assignments: Readings from biblical books appear as book title, chapter, and (sometimes) verse numbers; World Wide Web 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	Assignment (due by class on date listed)
M Aug 27	Introductions
W Aug 29	Reading the Bible	Genesis 1; Introduction, Chap. 1
F Aug 31 11:40 or 12:45	No Sections - lecture in Grant Auditorium: Literary & Historical Criticism	Genesis 2-3; Introduction, Chap. 2
W Sep 5	Historical and other "Criticisms"	Genesis 4:1-6:8; Introduction, Chap. 3
F Sep 7	Sections: Comparing Ancient Texts	Genesis 6:9-9:17; WWW Gilgamesh IX
M Sep 10	Geography and Archeology	Genesis 9:18-11:32; Introduction, Chap. 4
W Sep 12	The Origins of Israel: Genesis-Deuteronomy	Genesis 12, 15-17, 28, 37, 45; Exodus 1-4, 7-13; 19, 24; Deuteronomy 32-33; Introduction, Chap. 5
F Sep 14	Sections: Writing Stories and Songs	Exodus 14-15
M Sep 17	The Origins of Scripture: Torah	Exodus 20-24; Leviticus 19; Deuteronomy 6, 31
W Sep 19	Ritual and Law	Leviticus 1-2, 9-11, 16, 25.
Th Sep 18	Review session	6 pm in Sims 137
F Sep 20	TEST # 1	*Study!* (study guide)
M Sep 24	Early Israel	Joshua 1-6, 23-24; Judges 1, 4-5, 15-16; Introduction, Chap. 6
W Sep 26	United Kingdom	1 Samuel 8-18; 2 Samuel 1-2, 6-7; Introduction, Chap. 7
F Sep 28	Sections: The Bible As Literature	2 Samuel 11-19
M Oct 1	Kings and Historians	1 Kings 11:41-12:33; 2 Kings 17:1-14; 24:1-25:30; Introduction, Chap. 8
W Oct 3	Prophecy	1 Kings 13, 17-21; Introduction, Chap. 9
F Oct 5	*Sections:* Oral and Written Prophecy	Hosea 1-3, 11-14
M Oct 8	Prophetic Literature	Isaiah 6-9; Amos 4:1-5, 5:14-24, 7:1-9; Jeremiah 1:1-10, 5:1-6:30; Introduction, Chap. 10
W Oct 10	The Babylonian Exile	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; Introduction, Chap. 11
F Oct 12	Eid Ul-Fitr	No class
M Oct 15	Judea under the Persians	Ezra 1:1-4, 9:1-10:43; Ruth (all); Introduction, Chap. 12
W Oct 17	Psalms and Wisdom	Psalms 8, 22, 32, 80, 110; Song of Solomon 1, 5; Proverbs 7:1-27; 10:1-32; Ecclesiastes 1:1-3:22; 12:1-14; Job 1-3, 18-19, 38-42; Introduction, Chap. 13
Th Oct 18	Review session	6 pm in Sims 137
F Oct 19	TEST # 2	*Study!* (study guide)
M Oct 22	Second Temple Judaism	Daniel 1-3; 1 Maccabees 1:1-5:68; Introduction, Chap. 14
W Oct 24	Apocalyptic	Daniel 7, 12; Introduction, Chap. 15
F Oct 26	Sections: Reading Apocalyptic	Daniel 7; Mark 13; Revelation 6:1-8:2
M Oct 29	From Dead Sea Scrolls to Rabbinic Judaism	WWW Scrolls from the Dead Sea
W Oct 31	Jesus of Nazareth	Mark (all); Introduction, Chap. 16
F Nov 2	*Sections:* Parables	Mark 4:1-34
M Nov 5	The Gospels	Compare Matthew 12:1-50 with its parallels in WWW Five Gospels (instructions); Introduction, Chap. 17
W Nov 7	The Gospels (cont.)	Matthew 26-28; Luke 1-2, 24; John 1, 17; Introduction, Chap. 18
F Nov 9	Sections: OT & NT	Hebrews 3-5; Genesis 14; Leviticus 8
M Nov 12	Jesus, the Jewish Rabbi	Luke 4; Matthew 5-7
W Nov 14	Earliest Christianity	Acts 1-2, 5:27-8:3; 9:32-10:48; Introduction, Chap. 19
Th Nov 15	Review session	6 pm in Sims 137
F Nov 16	TEST # 3	*Study!* (study guide)
Nov 19-23	Thanksgiving	No classes
M Nov 26	Paul	Acts 9:1-31, 15:1-35; 16-17; 19:1-10, 22-28; Galatians 1-2; Introduction, Chap. 20
W Nov 28	Paul's Letters	1 Corinthians 1:1-25; 7:1-40; 12:12-13:13; 15:1-19; Romans 3:1-20; 4:13-5:21; 8:1-39; 12:1-21; Introduction, Chap. 21
F Nov 30	Sections: Reading Paul	Galatians (all)
M Dec 3	The Early Church	James 1-2; 1 John 1,4; 2 Thessalonians 2; 1 Timothy 4; Introduction, Chap. 22
W Dec 5	Christianity in Conflict	Hebrews 8-11; Introduction, Chap. 23
Fri Dec 7 11:40 OR 12:45	No Sections - lecture in Gifford Auditorium: Revelation	Revelation 1-5, 20-22
W Dec 12	Review session	6 pm Lyman 132
Th Dec 13 2:45-4:45	FINAL EXAM	*Study!* (study guide)