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Religious Studies 2101A: Introduction to the Bible I

(Section 570) King’s University College At Western University Fall Semester 2013 Mondays 1:30-4:30pm Room: W147 Instructor: Prof. Andrea Di Giovanni Email: adigiov2@uwo.ca Office Hours: Office Location: FB112Phone: 519-433-3491 ext. 4525 Course Description The literature of the Hebrew Bible (known to Jews as the Tanak and to Christians as the Old Testament) has influenced the culture and history of the Western and Middle Eastern worlds for millennia, underpinning a great deal of the literature and art in particular. The goal of this course is to familiarize students with the contexts of the Hebrew Bible in order to broaden their understanding of cultural resonances at play in our contemporary culture. In this course we will explore the Hebrew Bible under some of its broad themes as a window into the world of the ancient Israelite and Judaean communities. As we read through the texts we will ask, who wrote it? What did they believe? How did they perceive their relationship with God? How did they see themselves with respect to other communities? Since these texts continue to be “living” for contemporary practicing Jews and Christians, we will look at how some of these themes intersect with our modern world. Course Objectives By the end of the course the students should be able to:

• Identify the books in the Hebrew Bible and describe their contents • Describe the major themes of the Hebrew Bible • Describe the historical (social, political, and religious) context of the Hebrew Bible

Prerequisite(s): None Antirequisite(s): The former Religious Studies 021E, 2164F/G, 2201F/G. Unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.

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Required Texts A copy of the bible. The New Revised Standard Version is preferred. Two very good editions of this translation are: The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha, Fully Revised Fourth Edition, Michael D. Coogan, editor (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010). The HarperCollins Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books. Student Edition, Harold W. Attridge, editor. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006. Recommended Texts (on reserve in the Cardinal Carter Library) Boadt, Lawrence. Revised and edited by Richard Clifford and Daniel Harrington. Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction. Second Edition. New York/Mahwah: Paulist Press, 2012. This is a thorough treatment of the Old Testament by a renowned biblical scholar. The second edition contains updated material. Highly recommended. Carmody, Timothy. Reading the Bible: A Study Guide. New York/Mahwah: Paulist Press, 2004. This is a brief book that explores the bible using the “Three Worlds” approach. The author is a Catholic priest who guides readers through an informed and careful reading of scripture on selected texts. Online Resources Oxford Biblical Studies Online: Access available through the Cardinal Carter Library website. You will be required to enter your UWO ID and password. Offers on-line access to the entire Bible, as well as to select commentaries and maps. ATLA Religion Database: American Theological Library Association Database. Access available through the Cardinal Carter Library website. You will be required to enter your UWO ID and password. Contains references to, and access to, thousands of articles and books in Religious and Biblical studies. Additional Resources Periodically, additional reading material may be supplied to the class electronically via SAKAI or email. Please be sure that your UWO email account is active and accessible. Course Format Our first meeting will be on Monday, September 9, 2013. Our final session will be on Monday, December 2, 2013. Classes will involve lectures, discussion and group activities. Students should come having done the assigned readings and be prepared to engage in discussion. We will meet for three hours each week. The first hour of each meeting will function as a tutorial session in which we will explore the previous week’s topic in more depth and raise issues for

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reflection and discussion. Occasionally I will assign discussion questions to be completed in advance of the tutorial. After the tutorial, the remaining class time will be devoted to lecture material and appropriate activities. Attendance at all portions of all class meetings is necessary to fulfill participation requirements (see below). Evaluation Participation: 10% The following comprise the participation mark:

1. Weekly Attendance. Attendance will be taken at every meeting. An absence will be excused for medical reasons with the proper documentation from the Academic Dean’s office.

2. Active and Informed participation that demonstrates engagement with the material. Since students interact and participate in different ways, various kinds of participation will be noted towards your grade. For example, listening attentively, asking questions, and making comments are all good ways to indicate that you are engaged in the material. Participation marks are lost when it is clear that a student has not done the readings and, though perhaps physically present, is not engaged with the material or class discussion.

Reading Responses: 30% (3 at 10% each)

Reading Responses are written assignments between 400-500 words (500 words is the maximum!), which are due on the specified dates below. The instructor will release the question for the Reading Response at least one week in advance of the due date. The questions for the Reading Responses will be based on the assigned readings that have been discussed during class. Students will be expected to engage in a close reading with the assigned texts and other supplementary materials as required. 1st Reading Response: September 30, 2013 2nd Reading Response: November 4, 2013 3rd Reading Response: December 2, 2013

Midterm Exam: 25% The Midterm Exam will be given on at the START of class. It will last for approximately

one and half (1.5) hours. The Midterm Exam will be:

1. Based on Lecture Notes: All the material up to the Midterm (i.e. Sept. 9 to Oct. 7) will be covered.

2. Multiple choice and short-answer format Final Exam: 35% The date for the Final Exam is set by the University and is TBA.

1. Based on Lecture notes 2. All material from the Mid-term onwards will be covered. 3. Multiple choice, short-answer and essay format

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4. Approximate length: 2 hours For a complete description of the grading scheme at King’s, go to: http://www.kings.uwo.ca/academics/philosophy-and-religious-studies/resources-and-information/ Email Policy Email is the fastest and most reliable way to contact me. While I do try to respond to emails promptly, there may be times when I am delayed. I aim to reply to emails within 24-48 hours, so if you have not heard from me within that time, please send another. When emailing, please use only your university email account as other email providers (Hotmail, Gmail, etc), often are marked as spam. Messages that end up in SpamTrap will not be retrieved. Also, please ensure that your UWO account is able to receive new messages and is not full. Please use the following in the subject line for any email you send: RS 2101, Your Last Name, and a clear subject. For Example: RS 2101, Smith, Reading Response for Sept. 23. If the answer to your question is found in the syllabus, I will direct you there. Remember that you are addressing a human, not a horse, so begin your message with a proper greeting such as, “Dear Professor”, or “Hello Professor” and not with “Hey…”. J

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Schedule of Classes *NB: This is a tentative schedule. Readings may be adjusted throughout the semester. Date Lecture Topic Readings to Prepare Sept 9 Introduction

• Syllabus review • What is the Hebrew Bible? • How to read scripture citations • Resources and Methods of

Biblical Study • The Process of Canonization • Historical Overview: Israel and

the Ancient Near East in context

Please read for Sept 16: “The Canons of the Bible” and “Textual Criticism”. These can be found either on pp 2185-2196 of the print NOAB or via Oxford Biblical Studies Online (the link will be on our SAKAI site).

Sept 16

Tutorial Examining Texts: Biblical Criticism and Interpretation

Tutorial Discussion Points What are some challenges presented by approaching the bible historically? If there are variants in the different versions of our texts, how can we be “sure” about what is being said??

Lecture “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Chosenness: The Formative Experience of the Exodus and the

Entry into the Promised Land • Moses, the reluctant leader • The Commandments • Entry into Canaan: Joshua,

Caleb & Rahab. • Four Settlement Models.

Exodus 2-4 Exodus 12-15 Exodus 20 Joshua 6 Joshua 24:1-28

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Sept 23 Tutorial The Conquest of the Promised Land

Tutorial Discussion Points Please read Genesis 12 & 15 and Joshua 6 & 24:1-18 for the tutorial portion of class.

Lecture Tribal Confederation: The

Period of the Judges • Deborah • Samson • Samuel

Game of Thrones: Nation

Building….and un-Building • Saul, David, Solomon • Division of the North and

South • The Documentary

Hypothesis: Starting to tell the story: Genesis 2

Judges 4-5 Judges 13 Judges 16 1 Sam 1-2:11 1 Sam 3, 5 1 Sam 8-11 1 Sam 16-17 1 Sam 24 2 Sam 5; 7 2 Sam 11 Genesis 2

Sept 30 1st Reading Response Paper Due

Tutorial The Documentary Hypothesis: Piecing together a narrative

Tutorial Discussion Points Work group activity: Genesis 37

Modern Family: Social Structures and the National

Narrative. • The Patriarchs: Noah,

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob • Sibling Rivalry: etiology or

history?

Gen 2-4 Gen 6-10 Gen 12-18 Gen 49

Oct 7 Tutorial

Covenant: God’s promise Tutorial Discussion Questions • What are the promises God

makes to Abraham? • What kind of covenant is it?

Mad Men: The Prophets • Elijah and Elisha • Rise of the “Writing”

1 Kings 17 Amos 5

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prophets • The Fall of the North • Repent and Reform: The

Deuteronomistic Worldview • To the third and fourth

generation: Manasseh’s sin and Josiah’s reform

Hosea 1 Isaiah 2; 6 Micah 3 Jeremiah 1; 26-27 Deut 5:15 and 15:15 Deut 18:15-22 2 Kings 21-22

Oct 14 Thanksgiving Monday No Class

Oct 21

Midterm

No Assigned Readings The Midterm will cover all material from Sept 9-Oct 7 inclusive.

Oct 28

Tutorial If it looks like a duck...: How to tell

real prophet from a fake

Tutorial Discussion Points The cases of Micaiah ben Imlah (1 Kings 22) and Hananiah (Jeremiah 28)

Exile & Return • The Fall of the South • Prayer in Exile • Chosenness revisited: Has

God Only One Blessing?? The strengths and challenges of post-exilic exclusivism.

Lamentations 1 Psalm 137 Psalm 126 Ezra 3-4, 6, 9-10

Nov 4 2nd Reading Response Paper Due

Tutorial Belonging and Self-Definition:

Being Jewish in Post-Exilic Jerusalem

Tutorial Discussion Points According to the readings from Ezra (see above), who is “in” and who is “out”?

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God, Creation and the Temple: • Who is this King of Glory?

Monotheism and Depictions of God: Coming to know the God of Israel.

• Inter-cultural influences: Creation in Genesis and in Babylon

• The “P” source • Notions of sacred space • Ritual and Purity

Genesis 16; Genesis 32 Psalm 24 Isaiah 45 Ezekiel 1 Genesis 1 Handouts: Excerpts from the Enuma Elish (posted on SAKAI) Numbers 2; Ezekiel 43:1-5; 44:1-3

Nov 11 Tutorial

Whose God is it anyways?? Who gets to worship the God of Israel?

Tutorial Discussion Points Isaiah 42:6-9 versus Ezra 4:1-4

Women in the Hebrew Bible • The “role” of women • Main characters • Idealized Israel/Jerusalem

Love and Sex

• Ruth • Song of Songs • Nakedness, Knowledge, and

Power • Susanna, Bathsheba, The

Levite’s Concubine

Proverbs 5, 7-8, 31 Isaiah 5 Hosea Ruth 3 Song of Songs 3 Gen 3; Gen 9:20-29; Gen 19:30-38; 1 Sam 24 Judges 19

Nov 18

Tutorial Shocked into listening: Judges 19

Tutorial Discussion Points

Violence, Revenge, and the Problem of Suffering

• Abraham’s test • Job • Ecclesiastes

Gen 22 Job 1-3; 38-42 Eccl 8-9

Nov 25 Apocalypticism and Sectarianism

• Daniel • Maccabees • 1 Enoch • Jubilees • Qumran Community and

Daniel 7 2 Macc 7 1 Enoch (on SAKAI) Jubilees (on SAKAI) Excerpts from the Rule of the

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the Dead Sea Scrolls Community (on SAKAI)

Dec 2 3rd Reading Response Paper Due

Putting the Story Together: Looking Backward and Forward

• Final wrap-up • Review for Exam.

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Policies

Medical Illness:

The Policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/accommodation_medical.pdf

Student Medical Certificate (SMC): http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/medicalform.pdf

Non-Medical Absences

Absences for legitimate non-medical reasons (e.g., a death in the family) will be accommodated at the discretion of the instructor on a case-by-case basis. Absences for legitimate medical and non-medical reasons that affect elements of the course worth less than 10% of the final grade will be dealt with by re-weighting the term work grade accordingly.

Support Services

Students who are in emotional/mental health distress should refer to Mental Health@Western: http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.

University Students Council provides many valuable support services for students (including the health insurance plan) http://westernusc.ca/services/.

Information about Counseling and Student Development Services at King’s is available at

http://www.kings.uwo.ca/current-students/academic-support/; for emotional/mental health assistance see specifically: http://www.kings.uwo.ca/current-students/campus-

services/student-support-services/personal-counselling/

The web site for Academic Services at King’s University College is:

http://www.kings.uwo.ca/current-students/courses-enrolment/program-and-course-planning/academic- advising/

Use of Electronic Devices:

You are not allowed to have a cell phone, or any other electronic device, with you during tests or examinations.

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Use of Laptops in the Classroom

King’s University College at The University of Western Ontario acknowledges the integration of new technologies and learning methods into the curriculum. The use of laptop computers can contribute to student engagement and effective learning. At the same time, King’s recognizes that instructors and students share jointly the responsibility to establish and maintain a respectful classroom environment conducive to learning.

The use of laptops by students during lectures, seminars, labs, etc., shall be for matters related to the course at hand only. Students found to be using laptops for purposes not directly related to the class may be subject to sanctions under the Student Code of Conduct. See http://www.kings.uwo.ca/kings/assets/File/currentStudents/ studentLife/conduct/code_of_conduct_2003.pdf . Inappropriate use of laptops during lectures, seminars, labs, etc., creates a significant disruption. As a consequence, instructors may choose to limit the use of electronic devices in these settings. In addition, in order to provide a safe classroom environment, students are strongly advised to operate laptops with batteries rather than power cords.

Social Networking

Social networking (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc), including texting and iMessage, is not only disruptive to your learning experience and disrespectful of the instructor, but it is also interruptive to your fellow students. Students who are engaged in social networking during class time will be recorded as if they have not participated in class.

Statement on Academic Offences

King’s is committed to Academic Integrity.

“Scholastic offences are taken seriously and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/scholasticdiscipline_undergrad.pdf.

All required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the detection of plagiarism. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between The University of Western Ontario and Turnitin.com http://www.turnitin.com.

Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams may be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.

Mailbox re Submission of Late Essays/Assignments ONLY

Only late essays/assignments not handed in at class may be dropped off in the green mailbox, located on the main floor of The (south) Annex. Essays dropped into the mailbox will be picked-

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up twice per day: once in the morning (9:30 a.m.) and in the afternoon (4:00 p.m.). All essays dropped off after 4:00 p.m. on a Friday will be date- stamped the following Monday.

Debarrment of Students from writing the Final Examination 1. A student may be debarred from writing the final examination for failure to maintain satisfactory academic standing throughout the academic year. 2. Any student who, in the opinion of the instructor, is absent too frequently from class or laboratory periods in any course, will be reported to the Dean of the Faculty offering the course (after due warning has been given). On the recommendation of the department concerned, and with the permission of the Dean of that Faculty, the student will be debarred from taking the regular examination in the course.

Statement on Academic Offences King’s is committed to Academic Integrity. “Scholastic offences are taken seriously and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/scholasticdiscipline_undergrad.pdf. All required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the detection of plagiarism. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between The University of Western Ontario and Turnitin.com http://www.turnitin.com. Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams may be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.

Unless otherwise noted by your Professor, the following policies are in effect:

Statement on Use of Electronic Devices

Use of Electronic Devices:

You are not allowed to have a cell phone, or any other electronic device, with you during tests or examinations.

Use of Laptops in the Classroom

“King’s University College at The University of Western Ontario acknowledges the integration of new technologies and learning methods into the curriculum. The use of laptop computers can contribute to student engagement and effective learning. At the same time, King’s recognizes that instructors and students share jointly the responsibility to establish and maintain a respectful classroom environment conducive to learning.

The use of laptops by students during lectures, seminars, labs, etc., shall be for matters related to the course at hand only. Students found to be using laptops for purposes not directly related to the class may be subject to sanctions under the Student Code of Conduct. See http://www.kings.uwo.ca/kings/assets/File/currentStudents/ studentLife/conduct/code_of_conduct_2003.pdf . Inappropriate use of laptops during lectures, seminars, labs, etc., creates a significant disruption. As a consequence, instructors may choose to limit the use of electronic devices in these settings. In addition, in order to provide a safe classroom environment, students are strongly advised to operate laptops with batteries rather than power cords.”

Mailbox re Submission of Late Essays/Assignments ONLY Only late essays/assignments not handed in at class may be dropped off in the green mailbox, located on the main floor of The (south) Annex. Essays dropped into the mailbox will be picked-up twice per day: once in the morning (9:30 a.m.) and in the afternoon (4:00 p.m.). All essays dropped off after 4:00 p.m. on a Friday will be date-stamped the following Monday. Policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness: (http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/accommodation_medical.pdf) Student Medical Certificate (SMC): http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/medicalform.pdf Tests/Examinations Students are responsible for seeking accommodation with appropriate documentation, prior to writing tests/examinations, if they are of the view that their performance may be affected by extenuating circumstances. Faculty Office Hours: Faculty office hours can be found on King’s homepage under the menu heading Academics and are also posted on the bulletin board across from the Faculty Secretaries’ Office on The 2nd floor of Dante Lenardon Hall. Support Services Students who are in emotional/mental health distress should refer to Mental Health@Western: http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help. University Students Council provides many valuable support services for students (including the health insurance plan) http://westernusc.ca/services/. Information about Counselling and Student Development Services at King’s is available at http://www.kings.uwo.ca/current-students/academic-support/; for emotional/mental health assistance see specifically: http://www.kings.uwo.ca/current-students/campus-services/student-support-services/personal-counselling/ The web site for Academic Services at King’s University College is: http://www.kings.uwo.ca/current-students/courses-enrolment/program-and-course-planning/academic-advising/