{"id":1680,"date":"2020-08-18T16:34:45","date_gmt":"2020-08-18T20:34:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/?page_id=1680"},"modified":"2020-08-24T14:38:25","modified_gmt":"2020-08-24T18:38:25","slug":"course-syllabus-for-jewish-aramaic","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/course-materials\/rels-6000-readings-in-jewish-aramaic\/course-syllabus-for-jewish-aramaic\/","title":{"rendered":"Course syllabus for Jewish Aramaic"},"content":{"rendered":"

RELS 6000
\nReadings in Jewish Aramaic
\nR 2:30-5:15
\nDr. John C. Reeves
\nMacy 204B
\nOffice hours: by appointment only
\njcreeves@uncc.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

Course description<\/strong>: This course provides an introduction to the Aramaic language for those graduate students who are already reasonably conversant with the linguistic structures of biblical Hebrew.[1]<\/a>\u00a0 We will learn the basic principles of Aramaic grammar, vocabulary, and syntax while simultaneously reading and translating Aramaic texts drawn from the Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Jewish epigraphic inscriptions, and rabbinic literature.<\/p>\n

Required textbooks<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

Frederick E. Greenspahn, An Introduction to Aramaic<\/em> (2d ed.; Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2003).<\/p>\n

K. Elliger, et al., eds., Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia<\/em> (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelstiftung, 1977).<\/p>\n

Marcus Jastrow, A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature<\/em> (reprinted, New York: Judaica Press, 1980).\u00a0 It is available online here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Most Aramaic texts will be reproduced and distributed as needed by the instructor from the following works:<\/p>\n

Klaus Beyer, Die aram\u00e4ischen Texte vom Toten Meer<\/em> (G\u00f6ttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1984).<\/p>\n

Gustaf Dalman, ed., Aram\u00e4ische Dialektproben<\/em> (Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs, 1896).<\/p>\n

Adalbertus Merx, ed., Chrestomathia Targumica<\/em> (Berlin: H. Reuther, 1888).<\/p>\n

Jul. Henr. Petermann, ed., Brevis Linguae Chaldaicae<\/em> (2d ed.; Berlin: G. Eichler, 1872).<\/p>\n

Hermann L. Strack, Grammatik des biblisch-aram\u00e4ischen<\/em> (6th<\/sup> ed.; M\u00fcnchen: C. H. Beck, 1921).<\/p>\n

Recommended purchases: (* = not available at UNC Charlotte bookstore)<\/strong><\/p>\n

*Franz Rosenthal, A Grammar of Biblical Aramaic<\/em> (Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, 1961), or later reprints.\u00a0 I can provide you with an electronic copy of this resource.<\/p>\n

*Joseph A. Fitzmyer & Daniel J. Harrington, A Manual of Palestinian Aramaic Texts<\/em> (Rome: Biblical Institute Press, 1978).<\/p>\n

*Michael Sokoloff, A Dictionary of Jewish Palestinian Aramaic<\/em> (2d ed.; Ramat-Gan: Bar Ilan University Press, 2002).<\/p>\n

Supplementary readings and\/or exercises will be assigned or distributed by the instructor as needed.<\/p>\n

Course requirements<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

a. Diligent attendance<\/em>. Almost perfect attendance is an essential requirement for this course<\/u>. Each class session builds upon the knowledge gained and skills acquired during previous meetings.\u00a0 Moreover, oral recitation and discussion of assigned readings comprises a significant portion of almost every class session; if you are not present to recite or otherwise participate, a value of 0 for this portion of your grade is the inevitable result.\u00a0 The instructor\u2019s assessment of one\u2019s attendance, class preparation, homework exercises,[2]<\/a> performance on quizzes (should such be required), and oral recitation will constitute 100% of the final course grade.<\/p>\n

b. Critical discussions<\/em>. Almost every week during a portion of the class period students will orally expound and collectively discuss the content of at least one secondary article or essay that has been previously assigned by the instructor. Individual students may be asked to present and guide our discussions. The readings will initially come from the bibliography of articles listed below. The instructor\u2019s evaluation of the student\u2019s contributions to these assignments will be factored into the class preparation component of the final course grade.<\/p>\n

c. Each student is responsible for all lectures, class discussions, assignments, and announcements, whether or not he\/she is present when they occur.<\/p>\n

d. It is the policy of UNC Charlotte for the Fall 2020 semester that as a condition of on-campus enrollment, all students are required to engage in safe behaviors to avoid the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Such behaviors specifically include the requirement that all students properly wear CDC-compliant face coverings <\/a>while in buildings including in this classroom. Students are permitted to remove face coverings in the classroom only when I explicitly grant permission to do so (such as while asking a question, participating in class discussion, or giving a presentation) and while at an appropriate physical distance from others. Failure to comply with this policy in this classroom may result in dismissal from the current class session. If a student refuses to follow this policy, s\/he will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity for charges under the\u00a0Code of Student Responsibility<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Miscellaneous information<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

a. The grading scale used in this course is as follows:<\/p>\n

91-100\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A<\/p>\n

81-90\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 B<\/p>\n

71-80\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 C<\/p>\n

\u00a0 0-70\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 U<\/p>\n

b. One of the requirements of this course is to complete the work of the course on time. Sometimes there are legitimate reasons for late work\u2014an illness or other emergency. \u2018Emergency,\u2019 however, does not include your social involvements, travel plans, job schedule, disk, wi-fi, and\/or printer failures, the state of your love life, your obligations to other courses, or general malaise over the state of the world.\u00a0 The world has been in a mess as long as anyone can remember, and most of the world\u2019s work is done by people whose lives are a mass of futility and discontent.\u00a0 If you haven\u2019t learned yet, you had better learn now to work under the conditions of the world as it is.\u00a0 Therefore:<\/p>\n

1) All assignments are due at their announced dates and times.\u00a0 In other words (and please note well!), there will be NO MAKEUP OPPORTUNITIES scheduled.\u00a0 All missed assignments (these include weekly oral recitations!) will be averaged as a 0 in the computation of the course grade.\u00a0 No exceptions will be considered or granted.<\/p>\n

2) Written homework exercises must be typed, double-spaced, and submitted by email to me in either Microsoft Word or Adobe format prior to the start of the class for which they have been assigned.\u00a0 No physical copies of homework will be accepted or returned.\u00a0 Written homework exercises are assessed according to the following formulae: \u221a+ = A (roughly 5 or fewer errors); \u221a = B (roughly 6-20 errors); \u221a- = U (more than 20 errors and\/or incomplete work).<\/p>\n

3) For accounting purposes, letter grades bear the following values: A=95; B=85; C=75; U=35.<\/p>\n

4) Since your diligent physical participation is critical for the success of this course, attendance at class meetings will be monitored by the instructor.\u00a0 One absence is regrettable; two absences are the limit of tolerability.\u00a0 Three (3) or more absences will result in an automatic U for the course<\/u>.\u00a0 Please note that the instructor does not distinguish \u2018excused\u2019 from \u2018unexcused\u2019 absences.\u00a0 Unsanctioned late arrivals and early departures will be tallied as absences.<\/p>\n

c. For absences related to COVID-19, please adhere to the following:<\/p>\n