CHR 101: Introduction to the Old Testament

CHR 101 is a course designed to explore the literature of the Old Testament with emphasis on the history, literature, and faith associated with ancient Israel.

COURSE AIMS: Students who have successfully completed CHR 101 should demonstrate the following competencies:

1. An understanding of the various writings of the Old Testament in terms of their respective literary genres, historical contexts and theological themes.
2. Familiarity with biblical scholarship dealing with the literary and historical study of the Old Testament.
3. Familiarity with the major periods in Israel’s ancient history.
4. Familiarity with the major Old Testament characters.
5. An understanding of the development of Israel’s faith.
6. An understanding of the development of the canon of the Old Testament.
7. An appreciation for the role of the Old Testament in the development of the Judeo-Christian tradition and its impact on western civilization.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

The Access Bible, New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha (Oxford University Press, 1999).

Watson E. Mills, et al., Mercer Dictionary of the Bible (Mercer University Press, 1990).

GRADING CRITERIA: Course grades will be assessed based on the following assignments:

Quizzes (10%). At least thirteen daily quizzes will be given during the semester. They will not be announced in advance. Daily quizzes will be drawn from the assigned readings for the day and/or the previous day’s lecture and discussion. The student’s ten highest scores will be computed in the final grade.

Group Activity (15%). Students who do not choose to write the optional paper (see below) will participate in one of four group activities. Three of these are “fishbowl” exercises, the purpose of which is to engage in an intelligent, productive conversation about a given theme in Old Testament interpretation, which the rest of the class can “overhear.” This will require participants to read the assigned biblical text as well as all assigned MDOB articles. The “see also” sections at the end of each listed article may also prove helpful. The “stellar” participant will demonstrate a grasp of the text in its overall context, with an eye toward understanding what the text would have meant to its first readers as well as its continuing relevance for today. For purposes of the fishbowl, it is more important to understand the questions than to have arrived at conclusive answers. Interested students are encouraged to seek the help of the professor in guiding their preparation.

The fourth group activity is to write and perform a Purim Play in conjunction with the class discussion of the book of Esther. The play should take 20-30 minutes of class time on April 3. Unlike the fishbowls, this project will require collaborating with classmates in advance of the assigned date, possibly including some coaching from the professor outside of regular class times. Further information will be provided if a sufficient number of students choose this option.

Optional Paper (15%). Students may choose to write a “characterization” paper instead of participating in a group activity. This paper should be a character study based on a character from the Old Testament (such as Ruth or Ezekiel). If you choose this option, you must inform the professor of your intention no later than the end of class on January 15. Papers are due on April 15 (the date of the final fishbowl exercise). Topics are to be negotiated with the professor in person or via email on or before February 14. Papers should be three to five pages long (single spaced, double space between paragraphs) and employ at least three additional sources besides MDOB.

Exams (2 x 20%). Two exams will be administered on the dates listed in the course schedule. The professor is under no obligation to arrange a make-up exam for any student who misses a scheduled exam, although a make-up exam (a type and format decided by the professor) may be possible in cases of dire family emergency or other catastrophic events. Exams will be drawn from readings, lectures, and fishbowl discussions and will consist of a variety of objective, short answer, and essay type questions. Essays are to be written on paper provided by the student.

Final Exam (35%). The Final Exam will be a comprehensive exam in the same general format of the two periodic exams. It will be administed on Friday, May 2, from 2:00-5:00 pm, as scheduled by the Registrar. There will be no provision for a make-up exam.

The grading scale for this course is:

The final grade will be computed according to the following formula:

   (Quizzes grade x 0.10)
+ (Group activity grade OR research paper grade x 0.15)
+ (Exam 1 grade x 0.20)
+ (Exam 2 grade x 0.20)
+ (Final exam grade x 0.35)
= Final course grade

Any student who receives failing grades during the course is urged to arrange to meet with the professor to discuss such work.

CONDUCT: The College’s academic misconduct policy (Honor Code) will be followed.

ATTENDANCE: Each student is required and expected to be present for each scheduled class session. Since class lectures and discussions are the foundation for quizzes and examinations, attendance is crucial. Students absent from 25% or more of the scheduled class sessions will not receive credit for the course.

CLASS POLICY ON CELL PHONES AND PAGERS: Out of courtesy for all those participating in the learning experience, all cell phones and pagers must be turned off before entering the classroom. Students who have legitimate reasons to have phones or pagers activated during class should set them to silent or vibrate settings. If a necessary call or page is received, students should quietly exit the class and not return for the remainder of the class period.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT STATEMENT: Students with a documented disability should inform the instructor at the close of the first class meeting or as soon as possible. If you are not registered with Disability Services, the instructor will refer you to the Student Support Services office for consultation regarding documentation of your disability and eligibility for accommodations under the ADA/504. In order to receive accommodations, eligible students must provide each instructor with a Faculty Accommodation Form from Disability Services. Students must return the completed and signed form to the Disability Services office on the 3rd floor of the Connell Student Center. Students with a documented disability who do not wish to use accommodations are strongly encouraged to register with Disability Services and complete a Faculty Accommodation Form each semester. For further information please contact Disability Services at 301-2778 or visit the website at http://www.mercer.edu/stu_support/swd.htm.

SCHEDULE OF READINGS, ASSIGNMENTS, AND EXAMS: Each class session will have a particular focus. In preparation for lectures and discussions students should read the assigned biblical texts and articles from the MDOB. Optional MDOB articles are noted in [brackets].

Jan 8    A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

Jan 10    BIBLICAL CRITICISM
Primary Sources:
MDOB: Bible; Interpretation, History of; Old Testament; Sociology of the Old Testament

January 11 is last day for Late Registration; Drop/Add

Jan 15    PENTATEUCHAL CRITICISM
Primary Sources: Genesis 1-3
MDOB: Oral Tradition; Source Criticism; Sources of the Pentateuch

Jan 17    GENESIS 1-11: CREATION, FALL, AND GRACE
Primary Sources: Genesis 1-4; 6-9; 11
MDOB: Creation; Flood; Genesis, Book of

Jan 22    GENESIS 12-15: THE PATRIARCHAL NARRATIVS: ABRAHAM AND ISAAC
Primary Sources: Genesis 12-15; 17-19; 21-22; 24
MDOB: Abraham, Bethel, Birthright; Circumcision

Jan 24   GENESIS 26-50: THE PATRIARCHAL NARRATIVES: JACOB AND JOSEPH
Primary Sources: Genesis 32-33; 37; 39-45
MDOB: Egypt, Esau, Jacob, Joseph

Jan 29    Fishbowl 1: Women in the Patriarchal Narratives
Primary Sources: Genesis 16-18; 21
MDOB: Feminist Hermeneutics; Hagar; Sarah; Women in the Old Testament

Jan 31    EXODUS AND NUMBERS
Primary Sources: Exodus 1-4; 11-12; 32; Numbers 13-14; 32-33
MDOB: Exodus; Exodus, Book of; Moses; Numbers, Book of; Sinai [Passover; Signs and Wonders]

Feb 5    APPROACHES TO ISRAELITE LAW
Primary Sources: Exodus19-20; Leviticus 17-26
MDOB: Covenant; Ethics in the Old Testament; Law in the Old Testament; Leviticus, Book of; Torah

Feb 7    DEUTERONOMY
Primary Sources: Deuteronomy 1-6; 29-34
MDOB: Deuteronomy, Book of

Feb 12    JOSHUA, JUDGES, AND THE SETTLEMENT OF CANAAN
Primary Sources: Joshua 1, 6, 24; Judges 2, 4-5; 13-16
MDOB: Conquest of Canaan; Deuteronomist/Deuteronomistic Historian; Holy War; Joshua, Book of; Judges, Book of [Amphictyony, Confederacy]

Feb 14    1 SAMUEL: SAUL AND THE RISE OF DAVID
Primary Sources: 1 Samuel 9-12; 15-18; 24; 26-27; 31
MDOB: Samuel; Samuel, Books of First and Second; Saul

Feb 19   FIRST EXAM

Feb 21    2 SAMUEL: DAVID'S REIGN
Primary Sources:  2 Samuel 1-3; 5-7; 11-12; 24
MDOB: David; Jerusalem; Samuel, Books of First and Second; United Monarchy

Feb 26    1-2 KINGS: SOLOMON AND THE DIVIDED KINGDOM
Primary Sources: 1 Kings 1-3; 6; 10-12; 16:29-19:21; 2 Kings 21-25
MDOB: Elijah; Israel, Kingdom of; Judah, Kingdom of; Kings, Books of First and Second; Solomon

Feb 28    THE PROPHETIC TRADITION
Primary Sources: Amos 1-4; 5:18-24; Hosea 1-3; 9-12
MDOB: Amos; Amos, Book of; Hosea; Hosea, Book of; Prophet

Mar 3-7  SPRING BREAK

Mar 11    THE BOOK OF ISAIAH
Primary Sources: Isaiah 1:1-2:5; 5-11; 35; 40; 52:13-53:12; 65-66
MDOB: Isaiah; Isaiah, Book of [Suffering in the Old Testament]

Mar 13    THE EXILE
Primary Sources: 2 Kings 24-25; Psalm 137; Jeremiah 27-29; Lamentations 1; Obadiah
MDOB: Babylonian Empire; Exile

Mar 18    THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH
Primary Sources: Jeremiah 1-2; 6-7; 18-20; 26-28; 31-32
MDOB: Jeremiah; Jeremiah, Book of

Mar 20    POST-EXILIC PROPHETS
Primary Sources: Haggai 1-2; Zechariah 1; 3-4; 6; 9; Malachi 1-4
MDOB: Haggai; Book of; Zechariah; Book of; Zephaniah, Book of

Last Day for Course Withdrawal

Mar 25    FISHBOWL 2: Jews and Gentiles
Primary Sources: Jonah 1-4
MDOB: Assyria; Gentile/Gentiles in the Old Testament; Jonah, Book of

Mar 27    THE PSALMS
Primary Sources: Psalms 1; 8; 19; 22-24; 27; 42; 46; 51; 61; 73; 90; 100; 121; 148
MDOB: Asaph; Hallelujah; Poetry; Psalms, Book of; Worship in the Old Testament [Music/Musical Instruments]

Apr 1    THE WISDOM TRADITION
Primary Sources: Job 1-3; 9-10; 19; 28; 32-33; 38-39; 42; Proverbs 1; 9-10; 25
MDOB: Job; Job, Book of; Proverbs, Book of; Wisdom in the Old Testament; Wisdom Literature

Apr 3    THE FESTIVAL SCROLLS: ESTHER, SONG OF SONGS, AND RUTH
Primary Sources: Esther 1-7; Song 1-3; Ruth 1-4
MDOB: Esther, Book of; Ruth, Book of; Song of Songs

Apr 8    THE FESTIVAL SCROLLS: LAMENTATIONS AND ECCLESIASTES
Primary Sources: Lamentations 1-5; Ecclesiastes 1; 3-4; 7; 12
MDOB: Ecclesiastes, Book of; Lamentations, Book of

Apr 10    SECOND EXAM

Apr 15    FISHBOWL 3: REBUILDING THE NATION
Primary Sources: Nehemiah 8-11
MDOB: Assembly, Great; Ezra, Book of; Nehemiah, Book of; Synagogue [Chronicles, First and Second]

Apr 17    THE BOOK OF DANIEL AND THE APOCALYPTIC TRADITION
Primary Sources: Daniel 1-3; 5-7; 9-12
MDOB: Apocalyptic Literature; Daniel, Book of

Apr 22    THE APOCRYPHA: THE REST OF THE STORY
Primary Sources: Additions to Daniel (Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Jews, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon); 1 Maccabees 1-2; Psalm 151; Prayer of Manasseh
MDOB: Apocalyptic Literature; Canon; Maccabees; Septuagint; Susanna [Dedication, Feast of; Maccabees, First; Maccabees, Second]

Apr 24    THE APOCRYPHA: LATER WISDOM LITERATURE
Primary Sources: Wisdom 1-5; Sirach 1, 32-33; 38; 44-46
MDOB: Alexander; Hellenistic World; Sirach; Wisdom Literature

May 2   FINAL EXAM 2:00-5:00