Spring 2019/Fuller Online

OT583

Riley

OT583: ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN HISTORY, LITERATURE, AND CULTURE (4 Units: 160 Hours). Jason A. Riley.

DESCRIPTION: This course is an introductory survey of ancient Near Eastern (ANE) history, literature, and culture from prehistoric times to Alexander’s conquest. Civilizations singled out for focus include Sumer, Egypt, Hatti, Babylonia, Assyria, Israel, and Persia. Special attention will be paid to the ways in which surrounding cultures impinged on and influenced Israel and Judah, including detailed comparison of biblical and ANE texts as part of each week’s learning modules. In addition to historical events and texts, students will be asked to master basic geographical data, and will be briefly introduced to the languages and writing systems of some of the cultures covered.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students successfully completing the course will have demonstrated (1) broad familiarity with the history, literature, culture, and geography of major ancient Near Eastern civilizations; (2) the ability to compare biblical and ANE texts in a careful and critical manner and to articulate the significance of those comparisons for biblical interpretation and theology; and (3) the ability to articulate similarities and connections between the cultures of the ancient world and our own, reflecting a hermeneutic that allows biblical texts to speak with integrity to diverse cultural contexts in the present day.

COURSE FORMAT: This course will be conducted online on a ten-week schedule aligned with Fuller’s academic calendar for a total of 40 instructional hours. Students are required to interact with the material, with each other, and with the instructor regularly through online discussions, readings, and other assignments that promote active learning.

REQUIRED READING: 1,200 pages required.

Hays, Christopher B. Hidden Riches: A Sourcebook for the Comparative Study of the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near East. Westminster John Knox, 2014. ISBN: 978-0664237011, Pub. Price $45.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library, with limited user access (3 concurrent users) [300 pp.].

Van de Mieroop, Marc. A History of Ancient Egypt. Blackwell, 2010. ISBN: 978-1405160711, Pub. Price $54.95 [350 pp.].

Van de Mieroop, Marc. A History of the Ancient Near East. 3rd ed. Blackwell, 2015. ISBN: 978-1118718162, Pub. Price $44.95. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [350 pp.].

Readings from Simo Parpola, William W. Hallo, Amelie Kuhrt, Zainab Bahrani, and other scholars will be on e-reserve. [200 pp.]

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. Reading (1,200 pp.). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1-3.] [80 hours].
  2. Interaction with online material. (10%) [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1-3.] [10 hours].
  3. Participation in online discussions. Each week, students will post one 250-300 word response to a prompt. Each student will also post (at least) two responses to other students’ posts (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1-3.] [20 hours].
  4. Comparative Analysis Assignments. Each week, students will write a 500-word comparative analysis based on textual or iconographic comparative readings (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-3.] [20 hours].
  5. Five-page paper on an aspect of ancient Near Eastern culture and its intersection with the Bible. This assignment will be due at the end of Week 10 (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-3.] [20 hours].
  6. Final examination, open book (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-3.] [10 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Counts as a general elective only, not as a biblical elective. Required for students for the Ancient Context of the Old Testament Emphasis and Ancient Near Eastern Studies Emphasis.

FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.

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. Copyright 2019 Fuller Theological Seminary.