Fall 2018/Pasadena

OT581

Hays

OT581: HISTORY AND THE OLD TESTAMENT (4 Units: 170 Hours). Christopher B. Hays.

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DESCRIPTION: Rowan Williams said that “good theology does not come from bad history.” And William Faulker wrote, “The past is never dead; it’s not even past.” We continue to live with the histories that we recount. What do we know about the history of the Old Testament, and how do we know it? How have the stories of the ancient past been told in recent times, and what’s at stake there? This seminar is intended to ground advanced graduate students in the scholarly conversation about the history of Israel, which is the foundation for every other critical method in Old Testament scholarship. The course begins with a consideration of the sources of data for writing the history of Israel, and continues with reflections on methodology. The later weeks involve case studies on specific historical periods and moments, as well as special topics such as social history, and philosophies of historiography.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students successfully completing this course will have demonstrated that they have (1) attained a familiarity with the most significant primary textual and archaeological data relating to Israel’s history; (2) attained a familiarity with scholarly reconstructions of Israel’s history; (3) gained an ability to reason through historiographical decisions in keeping with critical methods; (4) become familiar with the work of major scholars writing about Israelite history; and (5) achieved at least intermediate expertise in classical Hebrew.

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets once per week for four-hour sessions for a total of 40 hours of classroom instruction for lecture and discussion. Class sessions will involve weekly student presentations and guided discussions on various topics. Weekly Hebrew translations set the scene for each topic.

REQUIRED READING: 1,350 pp. required.

Miller, J. Maxwell, and John H. Hayes. A History of Ancient Israel and Judah. Westminster John Knox Press, 2006. ISBN: 978-0664223588, Pub. Price $42.00 [250 pp.].

Moore, Megan Bishop and Brad E. Kelle. Biblical History and Israel’s Past: The Changing Study of the Bible and History. Eerdmans, 2011. ISBN: 978-0802862600, Pub. Price $46.00 [200 pp.].

Course Reader [900 pp.].

RECOMMENDED READING: Students are invited to contact Prof. Hays in advance for the list of recommended texts.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. 1,350 pp. of required reading [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-4] [90 hours].
2. Seminar participation (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-5] [40 hours].
3. Seminar presentations on assigned topics (25%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-4] [30 hours].
4. Final paper due on the last day of finals week (15-20 pages) (50%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-5] [40 hours].

PREREQUISITES: OT500 and BI500 (or NE502) and LG502 (or LG502B), not LG500.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the Biblical Elective requirement in the 120 MDiv, 80 MAT, and 80 MATM Programs (Fall 2015).

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.

NOTE: This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. Textbook prices are set by publishers and are subject to change.