Spring 2013/Pasadena

LG846/546

Melzian

LG846/546: NORTHWEST SEMITIC TEXTS. Marilyn Melzian.

DESCRIPTION: This course will introduce the student to the more important remains of the literature of the NW Semitic sphere from the first millennium B.C., i.e., Old Phoenician, Old Aramaic, Old Hebrew, Ammonite and Moabite.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: For students pursuing a course of study leading to an advanced degree in either Old Testament or Semitic Languages and Literature, an introduction to the remains of Old Hebrew, Old Aramaic, Old Phoenician, Ammonite and Moabite provides the linguistic setting of Northwest Semitic within which Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic are situated.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: On completion of this course the student will (1) be familiar with the ancient scripts used in alphabetic texts of the first millennium B.C.; (2) be familiar with the basic grammatical forms in Old Phoenician, Old Aramaic, Old Hebrew, Ammonite and Moabite; (3) be able, with the aid of lexicons, to translate texts in Old Phoenician, Old Aramaic, Old Hebrew, Ammonite and Moabite; (4) be aware of the relationship between the Hebrew and Aramaic of the biblical texts and the languages of first millennium alphabetic inscriptions.

COURSE FORMAT: The course will meet twice weekly for two-hour sessions of recitation and discussion of prepared materials.

REQUIRED READING:

Course Reader.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: Assigned portions of the inscriptions will be prepared before coming to class.

PREREQUISITES: LG502 Hebrew. No audits.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: LG846 (2 units) is intended for ThM/PhD students.
LG546 (4 units) is intended for master’s level students and is required in the MA in Theology, Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Literature format.

FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.