Spring 2018/Pasadena

OT833

Dearman

OT833: JERUSALEM IN THE BIBLICAL TRADITION AND ANCIENT HISTORY (6 Units: 375 hours). J. Andrew Dearman.

DESCRIPTION: In this course we will examine the place of Jerusalem in ancient historical and literary settings, from the second millennium BCE to the second century CE. Attention to the Old and New Testaments is primary. We will also look at other primary sources (e.g. Amarna Letters and Neo Assyrian Annals), archaeological reports, along with literary-historical reconstructions related to the first and second temple periods.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of this course, students will have demonstrated: (1) an understanding of Jerusalem as an ancient Near Eastern City; (2) the ability to exegete and to evaluate biblical texts related to Jerusalem; (3) knowledge of and engagement with scholarly theories regarding the role of Jerusalem in antiquity and in the biblical tradition.

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets once per week for three hour sessions for a total of 30 hours of classroom instruction for lecture and discussion plus 10 hours of directed learning activities for a total of 40 instructional hours. Class will meet in a classroom in Pasadena, but will be taught by the professor from Houston for most of the quarter. Professor and students will communicate via live, interactive audio/video link.

REQUIRED READING: [3,000 pp. assigned. 200 hours]

Keel, Othmar. Jerusalem and the One God: A Religious History. Fortress Press, 2017. ISBN:978-1451478181. Pub. Price $29.00 [280 pp. assigned].

Boda, Mark, Carol J. Dempsey, and LeAnn Snow Flesher, eds. Daughter Zion: Her Portrait, Her Response. Society of Biblical Literature, 2012. ISBN: 978-1589837010. Pub. Price $32.45. [440 pp. assigned] ebook available through Hubbard Library.

Levine, Lee I. Jerusalem: Portrait of the City in the Second Temple Period (538 B.C.E.-70 C.E.). Jewish Publication Society, 2002. ISBN: 9780827607507. Pub. Price $35.95 [480 pp. assigned] ebook available through Hubbard Library.

Course Reader (reserve and ereserve): Sandra Richter, Andrew Vaughn, Nadav Na’aman, Israel Finkelstein, Ronald Clements, Jacques Vermeylen, J. J. M. Roberts, Eilat Mazar, Lois Dow, Jane Cahill, J. Bradley Chance, Timothy Wardle. Nazek Khalid Matty, Erin Darby, Daniel Pioske, Jon Levenson, Tova Ganzel. Rebecca Poe Hayes. P. W. L. Walker, Lena Tiemeyer, Lloyd Gaston, et al [approximately 1,800 pp.]

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

3,000 pages of required reading. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1-3] [200 hours].
Regular attendance and participation at class meetings. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1-3] [30 hours].
Weekly Exegetical Assignment. Students will translate and exegete assigned passage. There will be 9 texts @5 hours each (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1-3] [45 hours].
Preparing and leading discussion on assigned materials. Students will have two opportunities during the term to these tasks. One of those opportunities will be done in conjunction with another student. The instructor will meet with students after each presentation for feedback and discussion (10% each). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1-3] [25 hours, includes 10 hours of directed learning activities].
Final Research Paper, ca. 10,000 words/25 pages (50%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1-3] [75 hours].

PREREQUISITES: Admission into the ThM or PhD program.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Required course for those who elect the ANE Track within the Old Testament PhD.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.