Literature, History, and Culture of Israel 1

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SEBK 610 Introduction to Hebrew BibleFall 2014Wednesdays 6:00-8:50 Genadendal

Deborah Appler (o) 610-861-1523; (h) 484-542-0662 (Fax) 610-861-1569 applerd@moravian.edu Office hours TBD or by appointment or drop on by.

Course Description: The Old Testament/Hebrew Bible is both formative for Christianity and Judaism and used as a guide by many people of faith to understand their relationship with God and with humanity. Therefore as clergy, educators, counselors and faith community leaders it is vital to have a grasp of its content, its varied interpretations and the many ways this text can be integrated into individual ministries. The goal of this required introductory course is to provide the historical, cultural and religious contexts behind the Hebrew Bible (the Torah, Prophets, and Writings)a text whose creation, interpretation and transmission takes place over many generations and represents a multiplicity of voices. It explores how these living and Sacred texts continue to shape communities of faith today within many social locations. Students will be introduced to critical tools and interpretive approaches (including gender, sexuality, ethnicity, race, economics, ability, age, agrarian) that will strengthen their skills for preaching, community ministry, counseling, and further academics and teaching in a diverse and multicultural world. By the end of the course you should be able to: Understand and analyze many of the historical, literary and theological traditions of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Critically research and interpret a text or Old Testament issue using exegetical methods. Based on your conclusions you will create a resource that can be used in ministry (retreat, liturgy, sermon, class, artwork or music, community outreach program, etc.). Articulate some ways that the HB/OT functions in Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and in other parts of modern culture. Acquire technological tools through use of the ipad and other modes internet mediaReflect critically on readings from various social locations Recognize the possibilities presented in the Hebrew Bible for personal and corporate formative spiritual development both inside and outside your denominational/faith tradition. Appreciate the importance of collaboration through group discussion, presentation, and peer feedback.Required Texts: (YOU CAN BUY MOST OF THESE ON IPAD IN KINDLE, IBOOKS, NOOK) Introduction to Hebrew Bible 2014 Class IBook (free and updated each Sunday) Douglas Knight and Amy-Jill Levine. The Meaning of the Bible: What the Jewish Scriptures and Christian Old Testament Can Teach Us. Harper One, 2011. ISBN-13: 978-0061121753 $17.28 Bruce Birch, Brueggemann, Fretheim, Peterson. A Theological Introduction to the Old Testament. 2nd edition. Abingdon, 2005. ISBN-13: 978-0687066766 $26.46 (There is a Kindle version too) Curtiss Paul DeYoung, et. al. eds, The peoples' companion to the Bible. Fortress, 2010. 978-0800697020 $26.00 Olive Tree software for ipad and buy another version that you use.Recommended: Gale Yee. Judges and Methods. New Approaches in Biblical Studies. Fortress, 2nd Ed. 2007. 978-0800638580 OR: Carolyn Sharp. Wrestling the Scripture. Fortress, 2010, 978-0664230678 $17A Note about the Readings The extra readings can be found on ATLA or in the Google drive and are comprised of a multitude of exegetical approaches from differing social locations. I hope that all of you chose to read outside of your comfort zone at times just to taste something different. Keep in mind that, though the syllabus looks overwhelming, you do not have to read every article listed You must read everything at the top of the date and then choose one extra article. Feel free to bring me something that I have not assigned and you find to be interesting and relevant to the topic of the day. Have a wonderful time reading and learning!!!!!EVERY WEEK you should open up the class Ibook. There will be extra material that will be integrated into the classroom and on your own. Bear with me, I am new to this .

Learning Assessments:AssignmentDue Date% of grade

Social Location Reflection exerciseSeptember 3rd 10

Weekly Journal/Comprehensive Exam(10 entries @ 2.5) Each week during the semester25

Class Participation During the 13 wks of class5

Group PresentationSign-up- through semester 10

Exegesis Paper and project Process Reflection Paper on chosen text Bibleworks Exercise Proposal and annotated bibliography Final Paper Due Project connected with paperOctober 15th October 22nd November 5th December 3rd December 10th 10552010

NOTE: Papers MUST be in by the due datea half a grade will be taken off for every late day. At the end of the semester the final due date is final!!! Also, papers must be turned in on the google drive. NO EXCEPTIONS!

5% Class Participation:Please Remember to bring ipad to every class Everyone will be expected to have read the assigned material and to participate in class and internet discussions and/or exercises. A knowledge of both the readings and your ability to actively engage with the material will enhance your participation grade. Your presence is valued and required therefore, let me know if an emergency prevents you from attending class asap. Each class missed without an excellent reason will drop your participation grade 5%. You will be graded on participation on the following as agreed to by faculty: Attendance: missing 3 classes without excellent reasons and without consulting the instructor will lead to an F in the class. Effective participation (effective meaning more than just talking a lot. At times a frequent contributor lowers the level of conversation rather than raising it, if he or she is mainly talking to hear himself/herself speak. In comparison, one who speaks seldom but with insight and knowledge can be a much more effective contributor.) Showing knowledge of the readings Showing insight into the topics being discussed Showing focus on what others are saying and not just talking about own ideas; genuinely engaging others instead of simply proclaiming ones own ideas Respecting faculty and peers (see student handbook for behavior standards) Proper use of computer and cell phone or other communication devices (computers and phones should only be used to take notes and do class related searches). Recording in Class: Students are not permitted to record a class, or any part of a class, by any means without prior express authorization of the faculty member. Unauthorized recording may be deemed a violation of the Student Code of Conduct. Meetings: Each student will meet with me at least once this semester for around 15-20 minutes. Some of what can happen in this meeting: Discussions on the material; individual help on the writing projects; Guidance through a projectthis time is mandatory and will be tailored to fit the needs of each student. You are responsible for making the appointment.

25%Journal/Progressive Comprehensive Exam (@ 2.5 points each):Each student will reflect critically and personally on the readings of the week, class discussion, an insight that you gain from the biblical text, and challenges and questions that were raised for you in the context of the question that is asked each week. I want these journals to enable you to explore your own attitudes, experiences, and feelings around biblical texts and, at the same time, demonstrate your engagement with the course material. Journal entries should be no longer than 2 pages (500 typed words) and must be submitted on Wednesdays by 6:00 on the Google drive or full credit will not be given. Points will be earned based on the entrys engagement with the course material as you answer the weekly question. As you write each week also relate your observations and the material to your particular ministry. For MAPC students: How might your reading and understanding of the biblical texts this week impact affect your practice of being with clients/counselees? Even if you have not taken a practicum or internship, try to hypothesize about how you are changing and how your comfort level with difference may impact you in counseling. For MDiv: How do these questions impact your preaching, teaching, pastoral care and/or outreach in your faith community? For MATS: How might your understanding of the material impact your understanding of the Hebrew Bible and how might this be applied to your future goals? (like interfaith dialogue or graduate school preparation). I will try to grade these entries every week so it is important to be up to date. A minimum of 10 journal entries are expected @2.5 points each beginning September 3rd (you can skip 2 weeks but EVERYONE must turn in either September 3rds question or September 10th ). Remember- this is a semester long exam in lieu of a Comprehensive final in December. Take it seriously! Also, TRY NOT TO QUOTE MATERIAL but put things in your own words and cite the source/author. I am interested in seeing how you engage with the material. I want these to be readable, but they dont have to be as polished as the final paper and project.

10%Social Location Reflection Paper (4-5 pages double space)Read the following: DeYoung et. al., ed. Peoples Companion for the Bible, Minneapolis: Fortress, 2010, xxix-xxxii (on Google drive) and read something about how your denomination or faith tradition regards the Hebrew Bible (check your denominations website or doctrines). Then write a reflection paper that discusses what social, cultural, and theological factors shape how you read the Hebrew Bible. You will not be able to answer all of the questions but make certain to focus on the most important factors that shape your social location and readings. Also, make certain to include what role the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament plays in your faith tradition or denomination.Note: if the Hebrew Bible is not part of your theological formation, your preconceptions or beliefs will still have an impact on how you read texts this semester. DUE SEPT 3

10%Group Presentation (no more than 5 and no less than 3 in a group and 30 minutes total- presentation and questions). Each group will sign up for a week and consult with the instructor to choose a biblical topic, text, or issue appropriate for the assigned day. First each group should present some of the interpretive issues associated with the topic and then provide a solid example of how this material can be relevant for today. Feel free to use technology that you are learning to enhance your presentation. A sign up sheet will be placed in the Google Drive and a grading rubric will soon follow. Grades will be based on peer and instructor feedback. We will begin presentations September 17th .

50%Exegesis Paper and Project Process: Write a10 page interpretation (exegesis) paper (double spaced) on a text or topic from the Hebrew Bible.Consider what question(s) you would like to ask the text as you work through your interpretation. These papers will combine the scholarly tools of biblical criticism and academic research with the so-what questionhow might this research apply to your academic/ministry/counseling situation? You should select a short passage of the text (a.k.a. pericope) or focus one of the major themes presented throughout the semester (e.g. theodicy and suffering, violence, interfaith dialogue and the Bible, etc.) For those of you who are in the MACC program, your secondary sources might be counselors/biblical scholars who have applied counseling theory (psychoanalytic theory, trauma studies, systems, etc.) so you can feel free to integrate what you have learned in your program with biblical texts and I can guide you to other resources. Still, you will be expected to read the biblical texts carefully.MATS students: if there is a text or concept that connects with your MATS thesis or project, feel free to make that the focus of your paper.MDiv Students: your research can go into many directions so think of something that would be helpful to your future ministry.Everyone MUST discuss his/her paper topic with me in advance. All papers must show evidence of a close reading of primary texts and an integration of secondary sources. At least 8 secondary sources must be used along with the primary source (the Hebrew Bible). The papers should be a minimum of 10 double-spaced pages long.Since many of you do not work with the Hebrew language, make certain to include at least one or two commentaries that consider translational issues (Old Testament Library; Anchor Bible; New Interpreters Bible). We will meet at least once to discuss your particular paper proposal (after the text is chosen and before the thesis statement is turned in). Deadlines for this paper are as follows:

Step 1:10% Preliminary Reflection paper on the chosen text: (3-4 double space)Closely read your text or a text related to your topic and pay attention to things that pop out for youwords, symbols, images or theologies. Think about what you might want to explore in this text. What interests you about the text? What surprises you or disturbs you? How might you interpret the text? You do not need to answer these questions but these are questions to get you started. DO NOT CONSULT SOURCES AS YOU WRITE THIS PAPER. DUE October 15th Because you are not consulting sources, there will be no bibliography or footnotes. These are your thoughts alone.Step 2:5% Bibleworks exerciseI will be teaching you how to use the program, Bibleworks that serves as a helpful concordance, interlinear resource and translation aid for studying the Bible. This tool will be used throughout your Bible courses at Moravian and we want to make sure that you understand how to use it. You will receive an exercise that will walk you through the program and I will set up extra time to work with groups of students who need further help. There are designated computers in the computer room that have this software on them. More information to come. This exercise will be in the IBOOK. Due October 22nd Step 3:5% Research Proposal/annotated bibliography that should include the following: A 2-3 paragraph statement of the question that you want to explore in your research/interpretation/exegesis paper and what you hope to argue. Make certain that you look a couple of things up on BibleWorks. I will be teaching you how to use Bibleworks and place a sentence or two about what you have learned from your search into the proposal. Turn in an annotated preliminary bibliography that contains 5 sources that you will use to exegete your text. These bibliographies must be properly formatted in the style that you use in your program. See instructions for an annotated bibliography on Google drive. November 5th Step 4:20% Interpretation/Exegesis Paper (see above) due Dec 3rd Step 5:10%Project that connects directly with the paperthe So What? Put together something that could help in your ministry (like a counseling resource, a sermon, liturgy, piece of art, retreat, story, play, you tube clip, creative podcast, song) or do something in the community and connect it to your biblical text (POWER and other organizations in the community would love to have you volunteer, etc.). What I want as a final product: A 1-2 page commentary/explanation on how the project embodies the Hebrew text or issue that you researched. A very detailed outline or finished product of the project or a detailed reflection on your community work and its relationship to the Bible. I want some substance to the project. Again, we will talk about this individually. MAKE IT FUN!!!! Due December 10th.

Course Outline:August 27 Introduction/Authority of Scripture/CanonReadings:Knight and Levine, Intro and ch 2Birch et. al, ch 1 (somewhat review)DeYoung et. al., ed. Peoples Companion for the Bible, Minneaopolis: Fortress, 2010, xxix-xxxii Class Ibook on ipadHoward Cox. The Pentateuch. History or Story? University Press, 2005, 1-20 (textual issues)Further Reading:Beal, Timothy. What Would Jesus Read? The Rise and Fall of the Bible. Boston: Mariner Books, 2011, 85-110.

Torah/PentateuchOrigins. Creation and the Birth of HumanitySept 3Origins of Life: God the creator and Recreator Introduction to Primeval History (Genesis 111) Adam and Eve; Cain and Abel and the Flood Introduction to exegesis (textual)Readings:Genesis 1-11Knight and Levine chapter 7 Birch et.al., chapter 2Gafney, Wil. Reading the Bible Responsibly, The Africana Bible. Reading Israels Scriptures From Africa and the African Diaspora. Ed Hugh Page, ed. Fortress, 2010, 45-51.The Peoples Bible, Introduction to the Pentateuch (Yamada, 127-131), Introduction to Genesis (Bailey 132-133)CLASS IBOOKChoose 1: Brian Brown, Higher than Angels: Adam/Aadam in Noahs Other Son: Bridging the Gap Between the Bible and the Qur an. New York: Continuum, 2007, 29-38. (Interfaith focus) Cain Hope Felder, Race, Racism, and the Biblical Narratives, Stony the Road We Trod: African American Biblical Interpretation. (C. Felder, ed.) Minneapolis:Fortress 1991, 127-145. (African American interp) Dennis Olsen, Untying the Knot? Masculinity, Violence, and the Creation-Fall Story of Genesis 2-4, 73-88 in Engaging the Bible in a Gendered World. Ed. By L. Day and C. Pressler. Louisville: WJK, 2006. (mens studies) Carol Meyers, Procreation, Productivity, and Protection: Male-Female Balance in Early Israel. JAAR L1/4, 569-93. (Archaeology, Bible) Ellen Davis. Seeing with God Israels Poem of Creation. Scripture and Agriculture. An Agrarian Reading of the Hebrew Bible. Cambridge: Cambridge, 2008, 42-65. (Environmental Approach)

*Sept 10Gods New Family(ies) Abram and Sarai, Hagar and Promise Hairy and GrabbyThe Jacob Cycle and Ishmael Of Coats and GoatsThe Joseph StoryReadings: Genesis 12-50Birch et.al. Chapter 3Levine and Knight, 231-239Laleh Bakhtiar, Torah in the Quran, Torah, Gospel, and Quran. Three Testaments. Ed. Brian Brown. Rowman and Littlefield, 2012, 417-26.Israel Finkelstein and Ami Mazar. The Quest for the Historical Israel. Debating Archaeology and the History of Early IsraelSBL, 2007, 41- 66. (archaeology) Class IBookChoose 1: Lai Ling Elizabeth Ngan. Neither Here nor There: Boundary and Identity in the Hagar Story. Ways of Being, Ways of Reading. Asian American Biblical Interpretation. Ed. J. Kuan. Chalice, 2006, 70-83 Delores Williams, Hagars Story, Sisters in the Wilderness,15-33 (womanist voice) Return to Babel. Global Perspectives on the Bible, 13-27 (global voices) Jennings, Theodore. Joseph as Sissy Boy. Jacobs Wound: Homoerotic Narrative in the Literature of Ancient Israel. New York: Continuum, 2005, 177-98. (queer reading) Avery-Peck, Alan. Midrash and Exegesis: Insights from Genesis Rabbah on the Binding of Isaac. Method Matters. Essays on the Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in Honor of David Petersen. Ed. Joel LeMon and Kent Richards. Atlanta: SBL, 2009, 441-459. (midrash) Nicole M. Simopoulos. Who Was Hagar? Mistress, Divorcee, Exile, or Exploited Worker: An Analysis of Contemporary Grassroots Readings of Genesis 16 by Caucasian, Latina, and Black South African Women, Gerald O. West (ed.), Reading Other-Wise: Socially Engaged Biblical Scholars Reading with Their Local Communities (SBLSS 62; Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2007), 63-72 (contextual criticism) Phyllis Trible. L. Russell, Unto the Thousandth Generation, Hagar, Sarah, and Their Children: Jewish, Christian and Muslim Perspectives, WJK, 2006, 1-32. (interfaith focus)

Sept 11Convocation: Jody Williams: Nobel Laureate: Johnson Hall 9:30 AM (recommended)

Sept 17Whose Land and Promise? Building Shalom Watch and Discuss the film Beyond Right and WrongReadings: Focus: Genesis 12:1-3; Gen 15, Gen 22:15-19, Gen 26, Psalm 122Brueggeman, Walter. Peace. St. Louise: Chalice Press, 2001, 1-36De Young, C. The Bible as an Instrument of Reconciliation, The Peoples Bible, 77-84.Levine and Knight, chapter 1, 3 (skim)Eliezer Schweid, The Promise of the Promised Land Reprint from Contemporary Jewish Religious Thought, edited by Arthur A. Cohen and Paul Mendes-Flohr, New York: Free Press, 1988.http://www.myjewishlearning.com/israel/Jewish_Thought/Biblical_and_Rabbinic/In_the_Bible_Prn.shtml accessed 8/24/14

Sept 24Let my People Go! Liberation and BeginningsReadings:Exodus 1-15 Knight and Levine, 239-257Birch et. al. chapter 4Brian Brown, The Foundation. Moses/Musa, Noahs Other Son, 122-132.Guest Speaker: The Rev. Dr. Bruce Birch, Dean Emeritus Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DCChoose 1: Bruce Birch. Moral Agency, Community, and the Character of God in the Hebrew Bible. Semeia 66 (January 1, 1994), 23-41 A Passover Haggadah (see in the library or online) Renita Weems. The Hebrew Women are not Like the Egyptian Women: The Ideology of Race, Gender, and Sexual Production in Exodus 1, Semeia 59 (1992) 25-34. ATLA ONLINE (womanist) Stone, Ken. Border Anxiety. Food, Sex and the Boundaries of Identity. Practicing Safer Texts. Food, Sex and Bible in Queer Perspective. London: T&T Clark, 2005, 46-67 (queer reading) Cheryl Kirk-Duggan, Let my people go! Threads of Exodus in African American Narratives. Yet with a Steady Beat, ed. R. Bailey Atlanta, Georgia : Society of Biblical Literature, 2003, 123-144 Jacqueline Grey, Threes a Crowd. Pentecostalism, Hermeneutics, and the Old Testament. Eugene, Oregon: Pickwick Publications, 2011, 36-61. (Pentecostal reading)

Oct 1The Law as a Gift (And a Burden) and the HolyReadings: Exodus 20:19-23:33, Leviticus 12-26, Numbers 5, Deut 17-26Birch et. al. Chapter 5Knight and Levine, chs 6, 10Extra Reading:Richard Freidman and Dolansky, The Bible Now. Homosexualty, Abortion,Women, Death Penalty, Earth. Oxford, 2011, 1-40.Miller, Patrick, Introduction to Israelite Religion, NIB volume 1

Oct 8Fall Break: Enjoy!!! (and get ahead!!)Neviim: The Prophetic WitnessOct 15Settlement of the Land and Violence What do we do with biblical violence?!!Readings:Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel 1-15 (skim)Focus texts: Joshua 1-12; Judges 2-5; 13-16; 19-21; 1 Sam 7-15Knight and Levine, ch. 9Birch et al. Chapter 6Choose 1: Andrea Smith. Dismantling the Masters Tools with the Masters House: Native Feminist Liberation Theologies. Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion 22.2 (2006) 85-121 (feminist/postcolonial) Eric Seibert. The Violence of Scripture. Overcoming the Old Testaments Troubling Legacy. Fortress, 2012, 95-128 (violence) Robert Warrior, Canaanites, Cowboys, and Indians. Union Seminary Quarterly Review 59 no 1-2 (2005), p 1-8. (postcolonial) Gale Yee, Judges 17-21 and the Dismembered Body in Judges and Method. Fortress, 2007, 138-160. (ideological criticism) Davidson, Steed V. Gazing (at) native women: Rahab and Jael in Imperializing and Postcolonial Discourses. Postcolonialism and the Hebrew Bible. Atlanta: SBL, 2013, 69-92 (postcolonial) Edelman, The Disappearance of Mrs. God Google docs (archaeology) Dever, William. Did God Have a Wife?: Archaeology and Folk Religion in Ancient Israel. Eerdmans, 2005, 178-208 (archaeology)Oct 22 The United Kingdom: David and Solomon David the Hunk- and awesome king? Solomon: How wise is he?! Ableness, abuse of power and the BibleReadings:1 Samuel 16- 2 Samuel 24; 1 Kings 1-11 (skim)Focus Texts: 1 Sam 16-2 Sam 1; 2 Sam 9-20; 1 Kings 1-11Knight and Levine, Ch. 11Birch et al, Chapter 7Choose 1: Appler, Deborah, Creating Safe Sanctuaries: Reading King Davids Last Days through the Lens of Elder Abuse, In Process. (Pastoral Care) Jeremy Schipper, Disability Studies and the Hebrew Bible: Figuring Mephibosheth in the David Story. T&T Clark, 2009, 29-60. (Ability) Esther Mombo. Rape, the Invisible Crime, The Quaker Bible Reader. Earlham School of Theology, 2006, 83-103. (gender violence) Nancy Bowen. Women, Violence, and the Bible. Ed. Linda Day and C. Pressler. Reading the Bible in a Gendered World. St Louis: WJK, 2006, 186-199 (gender violence). Bosworth, David A. Faith and Resilience. King Davids Reaction to the death of Bathshebas First Born. Catholic Biblical Quarterly 73, no. 4 (October 1, 2011), 691-707. (pastoral care) Stone, Ken.1 and 2 Samuel, QueerBible commentary, p 195-221. London : SCM, 2006, 195-221. (Queer interpretation)

Oct 29The Tale of Two Kingdoms The Fall of the United Kingdom The North and the Omrides The South and Judahite kingsReadings:1 Kings 12:12 Kings 17:41; 2 Chronicles 10:12 Chron 28:27Birch et.al. Chapter 8Israel Finkelstein. The Forgotten Kingdom: The Archaeology and History of Northern Israel. Atlanta: SBL, 2013, 83-113, 153-158.Choose 1: Miguel de la Torre. Trails of Hope and Terror: Testimonies on Immigration. Maryknoll: Orbis, 2009, 139-186. Deborah Appler, From Queen to Cuisine. Food Imagery in the Jezebel Narrative, Semeia 86 (1999), 55-71 (gender/ideological) Leslie Hoppe, There Shall be no Poor Among You. Poverty in the Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2004, 42-67. Danna Nolan Fewell, The Gift, The Children of Israel. Reading the Bible for the Sake of Our Children, Nashville: Abingdon 2003, 85-104 Hens-Piazza, Gina. Nameless, Blameless, and Without Shame. Two Cannibal Mothers Before a King. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2003, 77-94.

Nov 5Prophecy, Josiahs Reform and the Fall 8th Century Prophets Josiahs Reform? Fall of JudahReadings:Amos; Hosea; Micah; Isaiah 1-39 (choose two of these) Knight and Levine, ch 13Birch et.al Chapter 9Wayne G. Rollins and Andrew Kille, ed. Psychological Insight into the Bible. Texts and Readings Eerdmans, 2007, 17-21. 214-218, 236-38Choose one: Phyllis Bird, To Play the Harlot: An Inquiry into an Old Testament Metaphor, Missing Persons and Mistaken Identities. Women and Gender in Ancient Israel. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1997, 219-238 Wonsuk Ma, Until the Spirit Comes. The Spirit of God in the Book of Isaiah. Sheffield, 1999, 158-204 Leonora Tubbs Tisdale, Prophetic Preaching. A Pastoral Approach. WJK, 2010, 1-20 Renita Weems. Battered Love. Marriage, Sex, Violence in the Hebrew Prophets. Minneapolis, Fortress, 1995, 35-67. Uriah Kim. Decolonizing Josiah: Toward a Postcolonial Reading of the Deuteronomistic History. Sheffield Phoenix, 2006, Pages TBD. Brueggeman, Walter. Psychological Criticism: Exploring the Self in the Text. Method Matters, 213-232.Nov 12Show me the Way to Go Home: The Exile and After Exilic Prophets: 2nd Isaiah; Jeremiah Ezekiel 3rd IsaiahReadings:(choose2) Isaiah 40-66; Jeremiah; Ezekiel; Habakkuk, Obadiah, Lamentations , JoelBirch et.al. Chapter10Cullar, Gregory. Voices of Marginality. Exile and Return in Second Isaiah 40-55 and the Mexican Immigrant Experience. New York: Peter Lang, 2008, 64-96.Choose 1: Billingham, Val. Some Ecological Perspectives on Jeremiah and Exile. Colloquium 45/1 (May 1, 2013), 17-30. Gunther Wittenburg, To Build or to Plant (Jer 1:10): The Message of Jeremiah as a Source of Hope for the Exilic Community and its Relevance for Community Building in South Africa, Journal of the Theology of South Africa 112 (2002), 57-67. ATLA James H Costen, How Can These Bones Live? Ezekiel 37, Journal of the Interdenominational Theological Center 24 (1996-7), 51-65 (LIBRARY) Andiach, Pablo. Latin American Approaches: A Liberationist Reading of the Day of the Lord Tradition in Joel. Method Matters, 423-440. Suzanne Scholz, Resisting the Rapist. Sacred Witness, Fortress Press, 179-208. Ee Kan Kim, Outcry: Its Context in Biblical Theology, Interpretation 42 (1988), 229-39 Daniel Smith Christopher, Jeremiah as Prophet of Non-violent Resistence: [Jer 29], JSOT 43 (1989), 95-107 Jean-Pierre Ruiz, Symbolism of the Street: Reading Prophecy as Performance. Ezekiel 12:1-16, Readings from the Edges. The Bible and People on the Move. Orbis, 2011, 71-82

Kethubim: Sing the Lords Song in a Foreign LandNov 19Give Me Something to Sing About Rebuilding Jerusalem Dancing with the Persians Readings:Ezra and Nehemiah; Ruth; Esther, Jonah; Song of Songs, Psalms (Read Ezra or Nehemiah and choose one from Ruth, Esther, Jonah, or Song of Songs)Knight and Levine, ch. 12Birch et.al. ch 12Walter Brueggemann. The Psalms and the Life of Faith. A Suggested Typology of Function. Soundings in the Theology of the Psalms, ed. R. Jacobson. Fortress, 2010, 1-26.Choose 1: Jean-Pierre Ruiz, They Could not Speak the Language of Judah. Readings from the Edges. The Bible and People on the Move. Orbis, 2011, 100-114 Raheb, Viola, Women in Contemporary Palestinian Society. A Contextual Reading of the Book of Ruth, Feminist Interpretation of the Bible and the Hermeneutics of Liberation. Ed. by Sylvia Schroer and S. Bietenhard. New York, Continuum, 2004. Google drive Clines, David, The Book of Psalms, Where Men are Men. On the Gender of Hebrew Poetry, Google drive McKinlay, Judith. Reading Rahab and Ruth. Reframing Her. Biblical Women in Postcolonial Focus. Sheffield, Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2004, 37-56. Laura Donaldson, The Sign of Orpah: Reading Ruth Through Native Eyes. Masenya, Madipoane (ngwana Mphahlele), Their Hermeneutics was Strange! Ours is Necessity! Rereading Vashti as African-South African Women. In Her MastersTools? Feminist and Postcolonial Engagements of Historical-Critical Discourse, edited by Caroline Vander Stichele and Todd Penner, 179-194. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2005. Brian Brown, Women who have Names, Noahs Other Son, 143-52. Daniel Smith Christopher. Biblical Theology of Exile. Fortress Press, 2002., 27-74Nov 26No Class, Thanksgiving

Dec 3Wise ones and Seers Wisdom- Proverbs, Qoheleth; Job Apocalyptic Literature; Daniel/Revelation Where is God when it hurts? TheodicyReadings:Proverbs and Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes); Job; Daniel (choose 2 and skim)Knight and Levine, ch 14Birch et.al. Chapter 11Choose 1: Madipoane Masenya, Proverbs 31:10-31 in a South African Context: A Reading for the Liberation of African (Northern Sotho) Women, Semeia 78 (1997), 55-68 (ATLA ONLINE) Claudia Camp, Wise and Strange: An Interpretation of the Female Imagery in Proverbs in Light of Trickster Mythology, Semeia 42 (1988), 14-36 ATLA ONLINE Deborah Appler, Digging in the Claws. Daniel 4 and the Predatory Nature of Empire in The Crucial Nature of the Persian and Hellenistic Periods: Essays in Honor of D. A. Knight. T & T Clark, 2012, 121-36. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, from Latin American Perspective (Elsa Tamez); African (Franois Kabasele Lumbala); Asian (Choan-Seng Song), in Return to Babel. Global Perspectives on the Bible. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1999, 75-94 Sarojini Nadar. Barak God and Die!: Women, HIV, and a Theology of Suffering. Voices from the Margins, ed. Sugirtharaja, Fortress, 2006, 189-204. Seow, C. L. Jobs Wife, 141-152 in Engaging the Bible in a Gendered World. Ed. By L. Day and C. Pressler. Louisville: WJK, 2006. Amy Jill Levine, Bearing False Witness. Common errors made aboutEarly Judaism, The Jewish Annotated New Testament, ed. Levine and Brettler. Oxford: Oxford, 2011, 501-4 Mark Brettler, The New Testament Between the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and the Rabbinical Literature, The Jewish Annotated New Testament, 504-6.

Teaching Philosophy: Deadlines: I understand that emergencies crop up making it difficult to meet deadlines. I want to be sensitive to your needs, but also wish to remind you that deadlines exist to enhance the learning process in the classroom. Late projects will be penalized unless an emergency, illness, or unforeseen crisis occurs in your life and you clear it with me. This syllabus is subject to negotiation but only with your input. ONLY IN EXTREME PRE-APPROVED CIRCUMSTANCES WILL INCOMPLETES BE GRANTED!! (see student handbook) NOTHING will be accepted past midnight May Friday Dec 13)

Cheating, plagiarism, disruptive classroom behavior and all that other ugly stuff: I encourage you to study in groups with other students, as well as to do additional research on your own. There is a wealth of material available about the Hebrew Bible. You may use any books, websites (not all are good!!), and other resources to facilitate your learning. However, all work you turn in must be your own. When citing someone elses idea, please use proper documentation (see Bedford Handbook or Turrabien). Please consult the student handbook for more information concerning what constitutes plagiarism. There are severe consequences for such activities and I do take this seriously. There is no excuse for ignoranceif you have questions on citing sources, check with the writing center.

Moravian Colleges Academic & Disability Support Office is responsible for serving otherwise qualified students with disabilities, as one of its many functions. Moravian College adheres to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 in ensuring accessibility of its programs and services. The Assistant Director of Academic & Disability Support is responsible for assisting the College in providing reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities enrolled in the Colleges courses, and serves as a resource for other College departments in regards to serving individuals with disabilities as needed. If you require any information in an alternative format, please contact Ms. Laurie M. Roth, M.Ed. Phone:610--861--1410.Fax: 610625-7935 email:disabilitysupport@moravian.eduFor further information, see the Student Handbook.

Note on Papers, Journals, and Assignments: I want all papers turned in via GOOGLE DOCUMENTS- no Blackboard, email, or hard copies. Blackboard will be used for grades and announcements. I understand that electronics can malfunction from time to time, however, materials reaching me on time is your responsibility. My Expectations for all papers---I want:1. A clear thesis statement that lays out the primary issue including the position that will be argued throughout the paper.Support for this position through a good integration of biblical and secondary source material (commentaries, articles, books). Make certain that the paper has NO LESS THAN 10 refereed articles, books. Limit your web sources to 2 websites (scholarly ones and ATLA or online journals dont count)2. Use of the Hebrew text or multiple translations of the text.3. A paper well-cited but not over-quoted. Consult the Bedford Handbook to help you paraphrase and cite.4. I prefer footnotes over endnotes.5. Sources that are peer reviewed. Be wary of websites and pay attention to the website set up for our class on the Reeves library page.6. A well-written paper with careful attention to grammar, sentence structure, flow of argument, use of footnotes and bibliographical notation (APA or Chicago)

In order to give a more diverse reading of the Hebrew Bible, I wish to provide options for articles that bring different voices to the conversation. The following are far from exhaustive and I invite you to find something else that you might wish to read instead.

The following is how we will conduct dialogue in the classroom:RESPECTFUL COMMUNICATION GUIDELINE: (by Eric Law and Kaleidoscope Institute)

R = take Responsibility for what you say and feel without blaming others

E = use Empathetic listening

S = be Sensitive to differences in communication styles

P = Ponder what you hear and feel before you speak

E = Examine your own assumptions and perceptions

C = keep Confidentiality

T = Trust ambiguity because we are not here to debate who is right or wrong(from The Bush was Burning but not Consumed by Eric H. Law. Used with permission.

Taken from http://www.kscopeinstitute.org/2007-02_Kaleidoscope_Newsletter.pdf

MUTUAL INVITATION:A Process we will use along the way to open up a chance for everyone to talk. This tool was shared with us by Stacy Kitahata and Valerie Norwood 1. The first in the group shares and then invites another person to share.2. The one invited can choose to share, pass for now (if not ready) and pass (if choose not to share. If one who passes changes his or her mind, he or she can let the group know). 3. No matter what choice is chosen, the invited person now invites someone who has not shared the opportunity to share.4. Once everyone in the group has had an opportunity to share, group members can continue to discuss the issue.From Eric Law, The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb and tool shared by Stacy Kitahata and Valerie Norwood. Used with Permission