COURSES
REL 104 Study of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
Critical introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, studying its role in the history and culture of ancient Israel and its relationship to ancient Near Eastern cultures. Special focus on the fundamental techniques of literary, historical, and source criticism in modern scholarship, with emphasis on the Bible’s literary structure and compositional evolution.
REL 203 Prophets and Prophecy in Ancient Israel
Examination of texts in the Hebrew Bible bearing on the phenomenon of prophecy: narrative descriptions of prophetic behavior and literary texts which purport to be the words of the biblical prophets themselves. Consideration of prophetic behavior in its ancient Near Eastern context and in relation to the unique cultural, social and political conditions in ancient Israel. Particular attention to the relationship between poetry and political critique and on the transition from orally delivered oracles to written prophetic texts.
REL 205 Wisdom Literature in the Hebrew Bible and Early Judaism
The worldview of ancient Israelite wisdom literature: its philosophical, ethical and cosmological systems, and broader cross-cultural contexts. Also the adaptation of individual ethical doctrines to the governance of the political collective during the great Judean reform movement of the 7th century BCE, and the breakdown of this system in the wake of the Babylonian Exile. Special attention to scribal responses to the Problem of Evil and their ideas on the relationship between the created cosmos and divine intentionality.
REL 208 Legend, Satire and Storytelling in the Hebrew Bible
The art of narrative composition in the Hebrew Bible. The literary techniques and conventions of ancient Israelite authors in the Bible’s rich corpus of stories. Philosophical and aesthetic treatment of themes such as kingship, power, gender and covenant. Primary focus on the role of narrative in the cultural life of ancient Israel, with attention also to the difficulties of interpreting biblical stories from within our contemporary milieu.