Hebrew Bible 2: Introduction to the Hebrew Bible I
Michaelmas Term 2001
M-W-F 9:15-10:05
Instructor: Dr. Steve A. Wiggins
Office: B House, left; 646-6523 (voice mail)
Home 646-5562
"If the Torah cannot go out into your world of scholarship and return stronger, then we are all fools and charlatans. I have faith in the Torah. I am not afraid of truth." Chaim Potok, In the Beginning.
From the beginning, the Hebrew Bible has been divided into three main sections: The Torah (Pentateuch), the Prophets, and the Writings. The purpose of this course specifically is to provide an overview of the contents of the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy), as well as the first section of the Prophets, generally known as the "former prophets" (Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings). This course will introduce and address basic exegetical questions for each book. Given time constraints, all biblical books will be examined thematically rather than comprehensively. (The "latter prophets" (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Book of the Twelve) will be covered in HB 3 along with the third section, The Writings.)
HB 2 is also the forum for the general introduction to the study of the Hebrew Bible. Prior to our examination of the biblical books themselves, essential background material will be surveyed. For a list of the topics to be considered, please see the class schedule below.
For both HB 2 and HB 3, the basic purpose is to introduce students to the contents and concepts contained in the Bible and to provide tools for interpreting Scripture. In demonstrating the methods of interpretation long applied to the Bible, as well as more recent methods, it is hoped that the student will acquire the skills necessary for serious scriptural study. Ultimately what is desired is an understanding of Scripture informed by reason, tradition, and experience.
The main text for this course will be the biblical books of Genesis through 2 Kings (excluding Ruth) in English translation. The New Oxford Annotated Bible, Third Edition New Revised Standard Version (edited by M. D. Coogan, abbreviated NOAB) is the required text for both HB 2 and HB 3. The NRSV will be the version read during lectures, and it will be the base translation for your exegetical paper(s). Required reading includes the introduction to each book as well as the annotations at the bottom of the pages. During the sequence of HB 2 and HB 3 you will be expected to read the Hebrew Bible in its entirety.
Additional reading is assigned from R. Norman Whybray, Introduction to the Pentateuch, and Joseph Blenkinsopp, A History of Prophecy in Israel (revised edition). A suggested reading schedule is provided below with the daily topics covered.
Please note: I do not "lecture from the book." These sources are intended to be supplemental information to issues discussed in class, for your own personal development.
Exam questions will assume that the assigned biblical books, NOAB notes, Whybray and/or Blenkinsopp readings will have been read.
Some additional sources, although not required, will be extremely useful:
| A. K. M. Adam, | Handbook of Postmodern Biblical Interpretation is a very useful roadmap to the sometimes perplexing methods applied to biblical study; |
| H. G. May, ed., | The Oxford Bible Atlas is a most useful collection of biblical maps and background information on the entire Bible -- highly recommended; |
| C. A. Newsom, | and S. H. Ringe, eds., The Women's Bible Commentary provides a balanced commentary on each biblical book by well-established women scholars, it is worth examining; |
| R. Otto, | The Idea of the Holy will provide groundwork for our discussion of cultic matters (particularly in Leviticus); |
| J. Pritchard, ed., | Ancient Near Eastern Texts is the standard source for extra-biblical material (but see bibliography below); |
| Pontifical | Biblical Commission, The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church is a useful pamphlet for our discussion of methods of interpretation; |
| R. N. Soulen, | Handbook of Biblical Criticism will be invaluable for your exegetical papers; |
| P. Trible, | Texts of Terror is an insightful reading of the biblical texts from the viewpoint of a highly-regarded biblical scholar. |
A suggestion: seminary provides a unique opportunity to build a useful library for your future as well as for the present. You should take advantage of it if at all possible. Please note, there are many books available on the Hebrew Bible. I am glad to offer my input on books which you may be considering for purchase.
Although an exegetical paper will be required, it will not be part of this term's grade. An introduction to exegesis will be given this term, and an exegetical paper will be due for HB 3. You need to be aware of this NOW since an exegetical paper cannot be written the night before it is due, or even the week before it is due. This exercise takes considerable time, preferably spread out over several weeks. We will begin to explore what exegesis is and how it is done this term to prepare you in advance for your required work next term.
The basis for your grade this term will be two examinations, a midterm and a final. Both exams are take-home, open-book exams. Although this format is intended to reduce the pressure of an in-class exam, they must be treated seriously. I DO NOT ACCEPT LATE EXAMS! You will have one week to work on each exam, and if it is not handed in at the time specified, you will receive a zero on the exam. You cannot pass the course with a zero on either of the exams.
The midterm exam will be handed out Wednesday, 10 October and will be due Wednesday, 17 October. The final exam will be handed out Friday, 7 December, and is due Friday, 14 December. They will be due at the beginning of class time of those days. Both exams will include a short identification section (worth 25 points) and an essay section (worth 50 points). There will be some choice involved in which essay questions you will write. One stipulation for these examinations is that you work on them with no one else. Each exam is worth one half of your grade (75 points). No late exams will be accepted.
Take-home exams are graded on the basis of your ability to make sense of the biblical material covered in applied situations. Each test is designed to give you the opportunity to explain some textual point or issue raised during the course of the class. The exam grades will reflect how well you were able to discern the issues, your clarity of thought and your ability to articulate an answer.
Ackerman, Susan, Warrior, Dancer, Seductress, Queen: Women in Judges and in Biblical Israel Using the history-of-religions approach, this book enhances the experience of reading Judges;
Balentine, Samuel, The Torah's Vision of Worship A recent attempt to address the issue of how worship was understood in the earliest books of the Hebrew Bible;
Blenkinsopp, Joseph, The Pentateuch An exploration of the documentary hypothesis which questions the traditional interpretation of J;
Bright, John, A History of Israel A standard source which provides and overview of Israelite history;
Childs, Brevard, Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture The classic exposition of "canonical criticism";
Coogan, Michael D., ed. The Oxford History of the Biblical World A new source which provides great detail to the historical backdrop to the biblical eras;
Coote, Robert, In Defense of Revolution An exploration of the pentateuchal source E;
Coote, Robert and David Ord, The Bible's First History An exploration of the pentateuchal source J;
Coote, Robert and David Ord, In the Beginning An exploration of the pentateuchal source P;
Hallo, William W. and K. Lawson Younger, Jr. The Context of Scripture A three volume work presenting ancient West Asian texts -- a rival to the much older ANET (Pritchard);
Mazar, Amihai, Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, 10,000-586 B.C.E. A recent survey of Palestinian archaeology;
Mullen, E. Theodore, Ethnic Myths and Pentateuchal Foundations See following --
-------, Narrative History and Ethnic Boundaries A challenging pair of books which offer a radical departure from the standard Documentary Hypothesis;
Niditch, Susan, Ancient Israelite Religion An interesting introduction to the phenomenon of Israelite religion from the perspective of a folklorist;
Noth, Martin, A History of Pentateuchal Traditions The classic source for an exposition of the Documentary Hypothesis;
Pritchard, James, ed., Ancient Near Eastern Texts The standard source for extra-biblical material which relates to the Hebrew Bible, largely superseded by Hallo and Younger;
Ringgren, Helmer, Israelite Religion Informative study on the development of the religion of ancient Israel: good to compare with Niditch;
Trible, Phyllis Texts of Terror Considered a formative work concerning Hagar.
Weinfeld, Moshe, Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomic School A study of the thought and influence of the Deuteronomistic tradition;
de Vaux, Roland, Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions A study of the cultural elements in the world of ancient Israel.
This bibliography could be expanded considerably; however, these books should serve as a good starting-place for further investigation. See also the commentaries on individual books. The following commentary series are especially useful: Anchor Bible, Hermeneia, International Critical Commentaries, New Century Bible Commentaries, Old Testament Library, Word Bible Commentaries.
Three further perennially useful sources are the Anchor Bible Dictionary (ABD), the Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible (IDB), and the Oxford Companion to the Bible (OCB). All students of Scripture should become familiar with them.
REMEMBER: There is no substitute for curiosity! If you see a book on the shelf on a topic of investigation which appears interesting, look it over!
Tuesday 4 September
Introduction to the Course
Focus: The wider issues of how to begin study of the Hebrew Bible will be considered today, and the expectations for the course will be discussed.
Wesnesday 5 September
Geography of Palestine
Focus: Understanding the "lay of the land" is one of the most basic ways of exploring the events of the Bible. The Oxford Bible Atlas is helpful in this regard as well. We will consider how the world view of the biblical writers affected their outlook.
Read: Whybray 1-11.
Friday 7 September
Archaeology and the Hebrew Bible
Focus: Few other disciplines affect our understanding of the world of the Bible as much as archaeology. Archaeology is not the handmaid of the Bible, however! Archaeology attempts to discover what the record of the material culture can tell us about the time of the Bible and beyond. Slides and artifacts will be presented.
Monday 10 September
NO CLASS - All Seminary Faculty Meeting in Illinois
Wesnesday 12 September
Extra-Biblical Sources
Focus: The Bible was not written in a vacuum -- many other documents were in existence in the biblical era. Most of these were unknown until beginning in the 19th century when they were starting to be rediscovered. Among the most famous are the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Ugaritic Texts. We will consider these and other important sources for our understanding of the Bible.
Friday 14 September
Chronology of the Hebrew Bible I
Focus: Just as knowing "where" (geography) affects how we understand the Bible, knowing "when" provides a context which helps to keep the events of the Bible organized. We will begin a consideration of when the important events of Palestine took place from its earliest inhabitants up to the Hellenistic Period.
Read: Whybray 12-28.
Monday 17 September
Chronology of the Hebrew Bible II
Focus: The continuation of Friday's topic.
Wesnesday 19 September
Critical Method
Focus: We have no original biblical manuscripts. The fact of textual transmission left unavoidable textual errors. The recognition of this fact led scholars to develop techniques of textual criticism. Textual criticism led to historical, literary and various other forms of criticism. Some of these approaches will be considered along with what they have to offer our understanding of Scripture.
Read: NOAB 491ES - 507 ES; Suggestion: look over Adam, Handbook of Postmodern Biblical Interpretation.
Friday 21 September
Genre and Context
Focus: The type of a piece of literature affects how it is interpreted. We will attempt to bring genre recognition to a conscious level, and also to explore the wider area of the contexts of biblical passages, which, in turn, affects our interpretative framework.
Read: NOAB 507 ES - 514 ES.
Monday 24 September
Creation
Focus: The first few chapters of Genesis are the basis for much of our own cultural heritage as well as being formative elements in Christian theology. The concept of creation and its presentation in Genesis 1-3 will be discussed.
Read: Genesis 1-12, including NOAB notes
Wesnesday 26 September
NO CLASS -- Annual Retreat
Friday 28 September
NO CLASS -- Work Crew Day
Monday 1 October
Chaos
Focus: Creation was accomplished by the subjugation of chaos. The events of Genesis 3-5 lead to the return of chaos, and ultimately the destruction of the world through water. The implications of this episode will be explored.
Read: Whybray 29-48.
Wesnesday 3 October
Ancestral History
Focus: Abraham and Sarah are formative figures for Jews and Muslims as well as for Christians. We will consider their role and importance, as well as that of their children.
Read: Genesis 13-35; Whybray 49-62.
Friday 5 October
Covenant and Joseph
Focus: It has been argued that covenant is the most essential element of the theology of the Hebrew Bible. We will look at the development of the covenant idea as we continue to explore the ancestral history down through the figure of Joseph.
Read: Genesis 36-50.
Monday 8 October
Moses and the Tetragrammaton
Focus: One of the most formative figures in the Bible, Moses takes on many roles in the Hebrew Bible. Today we will begin to explore the character and life of this person and the impact he has had on later interpretation of the Bible. The divine name, as revealed to Moses will play an important role in the story.
Read: Exod 1-20; Whybray 63-84.
Wesnesday 10 October
Plagues, Passover and the Exodus
Focus: Moses and the Pharaoh negotiate the release of the Israelites from Egypt. This negotiation, instead of using conflict management, utilized divine power to secure the release of the chosen people. The release led them into the wilderness and a new phase of their national understanding.
Read: Exod 21-30. MIDTERMS DISTRIBUTED
Friday 12 October
The Torah
Focus: Moses received the Torah (instruction, or "law") on Mount Sinai. This marked a new era for the people of Israel. We will look at the implications of this momentous event.
Read: Exod 31-40.
Monday 15 October
Sacrifice and Purity
Focus: Sacrifice was central to the worship in the Temple. Associated with it were the concepts of purity and cleanliness. These ideas are related to the concept of holiness as reflected particularly in the book of Leviticus. These concepts will be explored.
Read: Lev 1-15.
Wednesday 17 October
Atonement
Focus: The Day of Atonement plays an important role in the book of Leviticus, and in later Judaism as well as in Christian theology. The origins and some later developments of the Day of Atonement will be examined
Read: Lev 16-27. MIDTERMS DUE
Friday 19 October
The Holiness Code
Focus: The latter part of the book of Leviticus is known as the "Holiness Code." This section of the book is especially concerned with holiness. Consideration will be given to the Israelite conception of holiness.
Suggested reading R. Otto, The Idea of the Holy.
Monday 22 October
Tent of Meeting, Pillars of Cloud and Fire
Focus: Although laid out in the book of Exodus, the Tent of Meeting comes into prominence in the book of Numbers, after the sacrificial rules laid out in Leviticus. We will consider its general design, contents, and meaning. Along with the tabernacle, the priesthood involved further accouterments. The symbolism and description of the vestments and other cultic paraphernalia will occupy this discussion. Further, God's presence in the tabernacle was symbolized by the pillars of cloud and fire. We will consider their significance.
Read: Num 1-23.
Wednesday 24 October
Wanderings, Divine Presence and Wrath, Balaam
Focus: One of the prominent themes of the wilderness wanderings is complaining. The usual result involves an outpouring of divine wrath. These two major themes of Numbers will be explored. The non-Israelite prophet Balaam and his encounter with Israel will also demand some attention.
Read: Num 24-36.
Friday 26 October
NO CLASS -- Convocation
Monday 29 October
Deuteronomy and the Instructions
Focus: Framed as Moses' last words, the book of Deuteronomy is a retelling of the Instructions as contained in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. This retelling involves a distinct theology which we will explore. Legal codes from elsewhere in the ancient world will also be considered.
Read: Deut 1-16; Whybray 85-106.
Wednesday 31 October
Deuteronomy and Conquest
Focus: Deuteronomy sets the stage for the conquest which is to follow in Joshua and Judges. It also sets the stage for the reform movements to come under the kings Hezekiah and Josiah. The book will be examined as the background to these important events.
Read: Deut 19-34; Whybray 107-143.
Friday 2 November
Introduction to the Prophetic Period
Focus: Prophecy did not develop suddenly in a vacuum. Prophetic overtures began with the figure of Moses and the role of the prophet evolved over time. The development of prophecy in Israel will be briefly introduced.
Read: Blenkinsopp 1-39.
Monday 5 November
Joshua the Person, Joshua the Book
Focus: The historical background of the book of Joshua provides for Israel's prophetic experience. The person of Joshua and the basic issues concerning the book of Joshua will be considered the issue of "the conquest" will be explored.
Read: Joshua.
Wednesday 7 November
Conquest Models
Focus: There are three main models of how the "conquest" of Palestine took place. These are based on the somewhat different accounts provided by the books of Joshua and Judges. Each model and its implications will be discussed.
Friday 9 November
Judges
Focus: The Judges acted in the role of tribal heroes, almost "kings for a day". Their charismatic leadership style foreshadows the early prophets.
Read: Judges; Blenkinsopp 40-48.
Monday 12 November
Samuel
Focus: Samuel was the last of the judges and the first the prophets. As a transitional figure, he stands at the crux of Israel's experiment with kingship. In some ways he may be considered a proto-king.
Read: 1 Sam 1-15.
Wednesday 14 November
Saul
Focus: Saul was the last of the judges and the first of the kings. Another transitional figure, he never really bore the full weight of the kingship of both Israel and Judah.
Read: 1 Sam 16-31; Blenkinsopp 48-55.
Friday 16 November
NO CLASS -- Dr. Wiggins attending the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting in Denver
Monday 19 November
NO CLASS -- Dr. Wiggins attending the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting in Denver
Wednesday 21 November
David and the Development of the Monarchy
Focus: The development of the monarchy in Israel was a gradual process. David was the first true king of both Israel and Judah, and prophets were members of his court.
Read: 2 Sam 1-12.
Friday 23 November
NO CLASS -- Thanksgiving Break
Monday 26 November
David the Person
Focus: Aspects of David's personal life also affected his role as king. An overview of the second half of 2 Samuel will reveal aspects of David's personal life and the influence they had upon the nation of Israel and his successor's struggle for the throne.
Read: 2 Sam 13-24.
Wednesday 28 November
David and the Messianic Idea
Focus: David became the image of the ideal king. This was so much so that no king ever matched his stature in the eyes of the Deuteronomists or the Chronicler. This idea gave rise to the concept of the king like David, the Messiah. This concept and its implications will be considered.
Friday 30 November
Solomon and the Decline of the Monarchy
Focus: Under Solomon the monarchy began to crumble. The eventual split between Israel and Judah led to a new stage of prophecy when criticism was leveled at the monarchs themselves.
Read: 1 Kings 1-11; Blenkinsopp 55-64.
Monday 3 December
Divided Monarchy in the 10th-9th Centuries
Focus: After Solomon the monarchy split into the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. During the reigns of the bifurcated houses several prophets appeared, culminating in Elijah during the reign of Ahab of Israel.
Read: 1 Kings 12-22.
Wednesday 5 December
Elijah
Focus: The prophet Elijah was active in the northern kingdom of Israel. As a prophet he became symbolic of the office and a wealth of later traditions accrued to him.
Friday 7 December
Elisha
Focus: As 2 Kings opens, the transition from Elijah's prominence to that of Elisha is taking place. Against the background of the northern kingdom's troubles with Syria, the stories of Elisha are narrated.
Read: 2 Kings 1-10. FINAL EXAMS DISTRIBUTED
Monday 10 December
The Fall of Israel
Focus: The decline and fall of the northern kingdom are described in 2 Kings. The deuteronomists foreshadow the fall of Judah with this event. We will consider the importance of these events.
Read: 2 Kings 11-20.
Wednesday 12 December
The Struggles of Judah
Focus: Following the fall of Israel, Judah faced its own difficulties. A non-davidic monarch usurped the throne, the Syro-Ephraimite Crisis erupted, and Assyria reduced the kingdom to the city of Jerusalem only.
Read: 2 Kings 21-25.
Friday 14 December
The Fall of Judah
Focus: Despite some brief respites and even the cultic reforms of Josiah, the southern kingdom was about to fall victim to the expansion of Babylonia. The final chapters of 2 Kings narrate this event.
Read: Blenkinsopp 65-82. FINAL EXAMS DUE
The above schedule, policies, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances or by mutual agreement between the instructor and the students.
Click to view Handout List.
Click to view Hebrew Bible 3 Syllabus.
Click to view Hebrew Bible 4 Syllabus.
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This page was last modified on 23 August 2001.