{"id":876,"date":"2013-05-28T13:50:57","date_gmt":"2013-05-28T17:50:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/?page_id=876"},"modified":"2013-05-28T13:50:57","modified_gmt":"2013-05-28T17:50:57","slug":"course-syllabus-rewriting-the-book-of-genesis","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/course-materials\/rels-3000\/rewriting-the-book-of-genesis\/course-syllabus-rewriting-the-book-of-genesis\/","title":{"rendered":"Course Syllabus: Rewriting the Book of Genesis"},"content":{"rendered":"

RELS 4020\/5000
\nRewriting the Book of Genesis
\nMW 5:00-6:15
\nDr. John C. Reeves
\n204B Macy
\nOffice hours: MTW 2:00-3:15; or by appointment
\njcreeves@uncc.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018\u2026 a myth is made up of all its variants \u2026.\u2019 \u2014 Claude L\u00e9vi-Strauss, “The Structural Study of Myth,” in his Structural Anthropology<\/em> (New York, 1963; repr., Garden City, N.Y.: Anchor Books, 1967), 213.<\/p>\n

\u2018All literary works … are \u201crewritten,\u201d if only unconsciously, by the societies which read them; indeed, there is no reading of a work which is not also a \u201cre-writing\u201d.\u2019 \u2013 Terry Eagleton, Literary Theory: An Introduction<\/em> (2d ed.; Minneapolis: The University of Minnesota Press, 1996), 11.<\/p>\n

Course Description<\/h3>\n

An overview and comparative study of a broad variety of Jewish, Christian, gnostic, and Muslim literary traditions surrounding characters and narrative events featured in the biblical book of Genesis.\u00a0The texts which we will examine encompass approximately 1800 years from the putative sources of the biblical book itself to medieval works like the Zohar and the Syriac language world chronicle of Bar Hebraeus.\u00a0Careful consideration will also be given to the cultural issues surrounding the generation (or preservation?) of canonically extraneous lore and legendry pertaining to Genesis.<\/p>\n

Texts<\/h3>\n

The following textbooks are required for this course:<\/p>\n

James L. Kugel, The Bible As It Was<\/em> (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1997).<\/p>\n

M. A. S. Abdel Haleem, The Qur\u2019an: A New Translation<\/em> (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004).<\/p>\n

G\u00e9za Verm\u00e8s, The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English<\/em> (7th ed.; New York: Penguin, 2012).<\/p>\n

Naturally a course focusing upon the biblical book of Genesis will necessitate some interaction on both the instructor\u2019s and students\u2019 parts with its canonical form as well.\u00a0Many students may already own Bibles, or at least have ready access to multiple translations either online or in Atkins Library, and you are perfectly welcome (within certain limits) to use them.\u00a0Should you however be in need of an accessible \u2018default\u2019 translation, I have asked the bookstore to make available the following edition, which is a recommended<\/span> purchase for this course:<\/p>\n

Tanakh, The Holy Scriptures: The New JPS Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text<\/em> (Philadelphia & Jerusalem: The Jewish Publication Society, 1985).<\/p>\n

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

Course Requirements<\/h3>\n

a. Take-home written exercises<\/em>.\u00a0An indeterminate number of written exercises will be prepared and submitted for in-class discussion and out-of-class evaluation.\u00a0These exercises will vary in length from a minimum of one (1) to a maximum of five (5) typewritten or electronically printed pages.\u00a0All of these exercises will be announced and explained by the instructor during the course of or at the conclusion of a class meeting.\u00a0The instructor\u2019s evaluation of the student\u2019s collective written exercise performance (using a scale \u221a+ = A-; \u221a = C+; \u221a- = D) will comprise 40% of the course grade.<\/p>\n

b. Research project<\/em>.\u00a0 One (1) formal research project to be presented in written form (no less than 15 typed pages and no more than 20, exclusive of notes and list of sources) that focuses either upon a particular character (e.g., Laban) or upon a particular narrative event (e.g., Jacob\u2019s dream at Bethel) that attracts a significant degree of elaboration in one or more \u2018rewritten versions\u2019 of Genesis.\u00a0Characters or events which are scheduled for formal treatment in class (see Rough Outline below) are ineligible for such selection.\u00a0An initial written pr\u00e9cis of the paper, coupled with a brief oral report to the class, is due Wednesday, October 31.\u00a0The final draft of the paper and its formal presentation orally to the class falls due the final day of class (i.e., Wednesday, December 5).\u00a0The research project and its component parts (pr\u00e9cis, final draft, and two oral presentations) account for 40% of the final course grade.<\/p>\n

c. Individual involvement<\/em>.\u00a0 Almost perfect attendance (see below) is an essential requirement for this course.\u00a0Each class meeting builds upon the knowledge gained during previous meetings.\u00a0Moreover, in-class discussion and analysis comprises a significant portion of every class meeting.\u00a0Preparation for every class usually involves the completion of a series of assigned readings and\/or written assignment(s).\u00a0Students are expected to contribute in an informed manner to the public analysis and discussion of any assigned topic, and the instructor reserves the right to administer occasional unannounced \u2018pop-quizzes\u2019 should he deem the situation so warrants (grades for such quizzes are averaged with those of the take-home exercises).\u00a0The instructor\u2019s assessment of one\u2019s attendance, class preparation, and informed oral contributions will constitute 20% of the final course grade.<\/p>\n

d.\u00a0 Zakhor<\/em> (Remember!): Mastery of the assigned readings and diligent class attendance are necessary prerequisites for the successful completion of this course.\u00a0Each student is responsible for all lectures, class discussions, assignments, and announcements, whether or not he\/she is present when they occur.<\/p>\n

**In addition to fulfilling the aforementioned requirements, students taking this course for graduate credit<\/span> will compile an analytical portfolio of their extracurricular (i.e., beyond that required for undergraduates) readings in the subject matter of this course.\u00a0Items eligible for such treatment include the articles or books identified later in this syllabus, bibliographical notices discovered during the course of these readings, and material uncovered during ongoing research for one\u2019s project.\u00a0Entries (consisting of formal bibliographic citation, brief summary, and evaluative analysis for each separate item) will be submitted to the instructor in written form at biweekly intervals, beginning the first week of September.\u00a0Acquisition of special expertise in a particular topic may result in one or more oral presentations in lieu of biweekly submissions.<\/p>\n

Miscellaneous information<\/h3>\n

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

91-100\u00a0A = demonstrable mastery of material; can creatively synthesize<\/p>\n

81-90\u00a0 B\u00a0 =\u00a0some demonstrable proficiency in control of material & analysis<\/p>\n

71-80\u00a0C\u00a0=\u00a0satisfactory performance of assignments; little or no analysis<\/p>\n

61-70\u00a0D\u00a0=\u00a0 inadequate and\/or faulty understanding of material<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 0-60\u00a0F =\u00a0unacceptable work<\/p>\n

The grading scale used for graduate students is:\u00a0<\/p>\n

91-95+\u00a0A\u00a0=\u00a0demonstrable mastery of material\u2014outstanding performance<\/p>\n

81-90\u00a0\u00a0B\u00a0 =\u00a0\u00a0satisfactory performance of assignments<\/p>\n

71-80\u00a0 C\u00a0 =\u00a0inadequate and\/or faulty understanding of material<\/p>\n

\u00a0 0-70\u00a0 U\u00a0 =\u00a0unacceptable graduate-level work<\/p>\n

b. One of the requirements of this course is to complete the work of the course on time.\u00a0 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 and\/or printer failures, the state of your love life, your obligations to other courses, or general malaise over the state of the world. 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. If you haven\u2019t learned yet, you had better learn now to work under the conditions of the world as it is. Therefore<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

1) All missed quizzes, unwritten papers, and neglected exercises will be averaged as a 0 in the computation of the course grade. There is no such thing as a \u2018make-up pop quiz.\u2019\u00a0No exceptions will be considered or granted.<\/p>\n

2) All papers and written exercises are due on the dates scheduled in the syllabus, or on the date announced by the instructor in class (usually, the next class meeting).\u00a0\u2018Late\u2019 submissions of papers (not homework exercises \u2013 see below) bear the following penalties: one day late\/one letter grade; two days late\/two letter grades; three or more days late\/F.\u00a0Please note: these \u2018days\u2019 are calendar days, not class meeting days.\u00a0For accounting purposes, letter grades bear the following values: A=95; A-=92; B=85; C+=78; C=75; D=65; F=30.\u00a0A paper or written exercise that is not typed automatically receives the grade F, as do those typed papers which violate the required parameters or which the instructor deems physically unacceptable and\/or grammatically incomprehensible.<\/p>\n

3) Homework exercises are due on the date announced by the instructor in class. Since we will normally discuss these exercises together in class on that date, it would clearly be unfair to those who submitted their work on time for me to accept \u2018late\u2019 work from those who were privy to our in-class discussion.\u00a0Hence I will not accept \u2018late\u2019 homework submissions (even from those physically absent during our discussion); however, \u2018early\u2019 submissions are always welcome and will receive full credit.<\/p>\n

4) Attendance at class meetings will be monitored by the instructor.\u00a0 One or two absences are somewhat understandable, three (3) is the limit of tolerability.\u00a0Each successive absence lowers the Individual Involvement component of your assessment by one letter grade; seven (7) or more earns an automatic F in that component.\u00a0Please note that the instructor does not distinguish \u2018excused\u2019 from \u2018unexcused\u2019 absences.\u00a0Unsanctioned late arrivals and early departures will be tallied as absences.<\/p>\n

5) Policy regarding Audits: the instructor expects auditors (whether formally enrolled as such or not) to meet the same attendance, preparation, and oral participation standards as those students who are taking the course for credit.\u00a0The instructor does not expect auditors to prepare and submit any written assignments.<\/p>\n

c. Assistance and solicitation of criticism is your right as a member of the class.\u00a0It is not a privilege to be granted or withheld.\u00a0Do not hesitate to request it nor wait too late in the course for it to be of help.<\/p>\n

Rough Course Outline<\/h3>\n

1. Introduction: Learning about the pertinent issues<\/p>\n

a. publication, scripturalization, canonization<\/p>\n

b. Genesis as \u2018scripture\u2019<\/p>\n

c. the problematic notion of \u2018rewritten scripture\u2019<\/p>\n

d. folktale analysis<\/p>\n

2. A brief survey of \u2018rewritten forms\u2019 of Genesis, with some assessment\/testing of their utility<\/p>\n

a. compositional and expositional formats within rabbinic tradition<\/p>\n

b. the Dead Sea Scrolls<\/p>\n

c. Jewish apocryphal and pseudepigraphical sources<\/p>\n

d. \u2018gnostic\u2019 counter-narratives to Genesis<\/p>\n

e. Christian \u2018historiography\u2019 and the Cave of Treasures<\/em> cycle<\/p>\n

f. the Qur\u2019\u0101n, Muslim \u2018historiography,\u2019 and the qisas al-anbiy\u0101\u2019<\/em> traditions<\/p>\n

3. Selected case studies for intensive study<\/p>\n

a. Satan\/Samael\/Ibl\u012bs (no specific Genesis lemma\/\/Q 2:30-39; 7:11-27; 15:26-50; 38:71-85)<\/p>\n

b. Cain and Abel (Gen 4:1-16\/\/Q 5:27-34)<\/p>\n

c. the \u2018sons of God\u2019 and the \u2018daughters of man\u2019 (Gen 6:1-4\/\/Q 2:101-103)<\/p>\n

d. the anonymous wife of Noah (Gen 6:18; 7:7; 8:18\/\/Q 65:10)<\/p>\n

e. Abraham in Ur and Harr\u0101n (Gen 11:27-32\/\/Q 6:74-84; 19:41-50; 21:51-73; 26:69-86; 29:16-27; 37:83-98; 43:26-27; 60:4)<\/p>\n

g. Nimrod (Gen 10:8-10\/\/ (?) Q 41:15-16; 46:21-25; 51:41-42; 54:18-21; 69:6-8)<\/p>\n

h. Joseph and the wife of Potiphar (Gen 39:1-23\/\/Q 12:21-34)<\/p>\n

4. Concluding remarks and reflections<\/p>\n

Supplemental Bibliography for Rewriting the Book of Genesis<\/h3>\n

In response to student requests for recommendations regarding useful and enlightening discussions of certain topics, themes, and personalities that are presented in class and\/or readings, I offer the following suggestions for further study at the student\u2019s leisure.\u00a0I confine myself to materials which I myself have used with profit and which are currently available at Atkins Library.<\/p>\n

It is often helpful for the student to begin with appropriate articles in the standard Bible dictionaries.\u00a0The most up to date are The New Interpreter\u2019s Dictionary of the Bible<\/em> (5 vols.; ed. Katherine Doob Sakenfeld; Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2006-09) and The Anchor Bible Dictionary<\/em> (6 vols.; New York: Doubleday, 1992).\u00a0 Dated but still reliable are The Interpreters\u2019 Dictionary of the Bible<\/em> (4 vols.) and its Supplementary Volume<\/em> (ed. George A. Buttrick; Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1962 & 1976), and the Harper\u2019s Bible Dictionary<\/em> (ed. Paul J. Achtemeier; San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985).\u00a0 Highly recommended are the relevant articles in the new Encyclopaedia Judaica<\/em> (22 vols.; Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA\/Thomson Gale, 2007), the Encyclopaedia of Islam<\/em> (2d ed.; 11 vols.; Leiden: Brill, 1954-2002), the Encyclopaedia of the Qur\u2019\u0101n<\/em> (6 vols.; ed. Jane Dammen McAuliffe; Leiden: Brill, 2001-06), and The Qur\u2019\u0101n: An Encyclopedia<\/em> (ed. Oliver Leaman; London and New York: Routledge, 2006).<\/p>\n

Traditional Commentaries and Midrashim (English\u00a0only)<\/h3>\n

Chumash with Targum Onkelos, Haphtaroth, and Rashi\u2019s Commentary<\/em> (5 vols.; ed. A[braham]. M[aurice]. Silbermann and M[orris]. Rosenbaum; repr. Jerusalem: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1985).\u00a0 Only the biblical text and Rashi are translated into English.<\/p>\n

Israel Drazin, Targum Onkelos to Genesis<\/em> (Hoboken, N.J.: Ktav Publishing House, 1998).<\/p>\n

Bernard Grossfeld, Targum Onkelos to Genesis<\/em> (The Aramaic Bible 6; Wilmington, Del.: Michael Glazier, 1988).<\/p>\n

Martin McNamara, Targum Neofiti I: Genesis<\/em> (The Aramaic Bible 1A; Collegeville, Md.: The Liturgical Press, 1992).<\/p>\n

Michael Maher, Targum Pseudo-Jonathan: Genesis<\/em> (The Aramaic Bible 1B; Collegeville, Md.: The Liturgical Press, 1992).<\/p>\n

Midrash Rabbah<\/em> (5 vols.; ed. and trans. H[arry]. Freedman and Maurice Simon; repr. London and New York: Soncino Press, 1977).\u00a0 The first volume translates Genesis Rabbah<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Jacob Neusner, Genesis Rabbah, the Judaic Commentary to the Book of Genesis: A New American Translation<\/em> (3 vols.; Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1985).<\/p>\n

Pirk\u00ea de Rabbi Eliezer<\/em> (trans. Gerald Friedlander; repr. New York: Sepher-Hermon Press, 1981).<\/p>\n

Ramban (= Nachmanides), Commentary on the Torah<\/em> (5 vols.; trans. Charles B. Chavel; New York: Shilo Publishing House, 1971-76).<\/p>\n

The Zohar<\/em> (5 vols.; trans. Harry Sperling and Maurice Simon; repr. London: Soncino Press, 1973).<\/p>\n

The Zohar = [Sefer ha-Zohar]<\/em> (7 vols. to date; trans. Daniel C. Matt; Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2004-\u00a0 ).<\/p>\n

Modern Critical Commentaries to Genesis<\/h3>\n

Umberto Cassuto, A Commentary on the Book of Genesis<\/em> (2 vols.; Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1961).\u00a0 Regrettably unfinished; extends only to around Genesis 12.<\/p>\n

Herman Gunkel, Genesis<\/em> (3d ed.; G\u00f6ttingen, 1910; Eng. trans. Mark E. Biddle, Macon: Mercer University Press, 1997).<\/p>\n

Gerhard von Rad, Genesis: A Commentary<\/em> (rev. ed.; Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1972).<\/p>\n

Nahum M. Sarna, The JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis\/Bereshit<\/em> (Philadelphia, New York, and Jerusalem: The Jewish Publication Society, 1989).<\/p>\n

John Skinner, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Genesis<\/em> (ICC; Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1910).<\/p>\n

Ephraim A. Speiser, Genesis: Introduction, Translation, and Notes<\/em> (Anchor Bible 1; Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1964).<\/p>\n

Claus Westermann, Genesis 1-11; 12-36; 37-50<\/em> (3 vols.; Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1984-86).<\/p>\n

Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha Resources<\/h3>\n

Gary A. Anderson and Michael E. Stone (eds.), A Synopsis of the Books of Adam and Eve<\/em> (2d rev. ed.; Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1999).<\/p>\n

R. H. Charles (ed.), The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament in English<\/em> (2 vols.; Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913).<\/p>\n

James H. Charlesworth (ed.), The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha<\/em> (2 vols.; Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1983-85).<\/p>\n

______, The Pseudepigrapha and Modern Research, With A Supplement<\/em> (Chico, Calif.: Scholars Press, 1981).<\/p>\n

John C. Reeves (ed.), Tracing the Threads: Studies in the Vitality of Jewish Pseudepigrapha<\/em> (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1994).<\/p>\n

H. F. D. Sparks, ed., The Apocryphal Old Testament<\/em> (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1984).<\/p>\n

Michael E. Stone, ed., Armenian Apocrypha Relating to Adam and Eve<\/em> (SVTP 14; Leiden: Brill, 1996).<\/p>\n

______, A History of the Literature of Adam and Eve<\/em> (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1992).<\/p>\n

Michael E. Stone and Theodore A. Bergren (eds.), Biblical Figures Outside the Bible<\/em> (Harrisburg, Pa.: Trinity Press International, 1998).\u00a0 Relevant articles on Adam\/Eve, Seth, Enosh, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Melchizedek, Levi, and Joseph.<\/p>\n

Dead Sea Scrolls Resources<\/h3>\n

Moshe J. Bernstein, \u201cContours of Genesis Interpretation at Qumran: Contents, Context, and Nomenclature,\u201d in Studies in Ancient Midrash<\/em> (ed. James L. Kugel; [Cambridge, Mass.]: Harvard University Center for Jewish Studies, 2001), 57-85.<\/p>\n

Florentino Garc\u00eda Mart\u00ednez, The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated: The Qumran Scrolls in English<\/em> (2d ed.; Leiden and Grand Rapids, Mich.: Brill and Eerdmans, 1996).<\/p>\n

Dorothy M. Peters, Noah Traditions in the Dead Sea Scrolls: Conversations and Controversies of Antiquity<\/em> (Leiden: Brill, 2009).<\/p>\n

Classical and Syro-Mesopotamian Gnostic Resources<\/h3>\n

Jean Doresse, The Secret Books of the Egyptian Gnostics<\/em> (repr. New York: AMS Press, 1970).<\/p>\n

Werner Foerster, Gnosis: A Selection of Gnostic Texts<\/em> (2 vols.; Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972).\u00a0 Volume 1 features patristic testimonies to classical gnosis; volume 2 has translations of Coptic and, more importantly, Mandaic sources.<\/p>\n

John C. Reeves, Heralds of That Good Realm: Syro-Mesopotamian Gnosis and Jewish Traditions<\/em> (Leiden: Brill, 1996).\u00a0 A plethora of traditions pertaining to Adam, Seth, Enosh, Enoch, and Shem.<\/p>\n

James M. Robinson (ed.), The Nag Hammadi Library in English<\/em> (3d rev. ed.; San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988).<\/p>\n

Kurt Rudolph, Gnosis: The Nature and History of Gnosticism<\/em> (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1983).<\/p>\n

Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Traditions Pertaining to Genesis Figures and Events<\/h3>\n

Philip S. Alexander, \u201cJewish Tradition in Early Islam: The Case of Enoch\/Idr\u012bs,\u201d in Studies in Islamic and Middle Eastern Texts and Traditions in Memory of Norman Calder<\/em> (ed. G. R. Hawting, et al.; JSSSup 12; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000), 11-29.<\/p>\n

Gary A. Anderson, \u201cThe Exaltation of Adam and the Fall of Satan,\u201d Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy<\/em> 6 (1997): 105-34.<\/p>\n

Carol Bakhos, Ishmael on the Border: Rabbinic Portrayals of the First Arab<\/em> (Albany: State University of New York Press, 2006).<\/p>\n

Shosh Ben-Ari, \u201cThe Stories about Abraham in Islam: A Geographical Approach,\u201d Arabica<\/em> 54 (2007): 526-53.<\/p>\n

Marc S. Bernstein, Stories of Joseph: Narrative Migrations Between Judaism and Islam<\/em> (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2006).<\/p>\n

Leigh N. B. Chipman, \u201cMythic Aspects of the Process of Adam\u2019s Creation in Judaism and Islam,\u201d Studia Islamica<\/em> 93 (2001): 5-25.<\/p>\n

______, \u201cAdam and the Angels: An Examination of Mythic Elements in Islamic Sources,\u201d Arabica<\/em> 49 (2002): 429-55.<\/p>\n

Reuven Firestone, \u201cComparative Studies in Bible and Qur\u2019\u0101n: A Fresh Look at Genesis 22 in Light of Sura 37,\u201d in Judaism and Islam: Boundaries, Communication and Interaction: Studies in Honor of William M. Brinner<\/em> (ed. Benjamin H. Hary, et al.; Leiden: Brill, 2000), 169-84.<\/p>\n

______, Journeys in Holy Lands: The Evolution of the Abraham-Ishmael Story in Islamic Exegesis<\/em> (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1990).<\/p>\n

Stephen Gero, \u201cThe Legend of the Fourth Son of Noah,\u201d Harvard Theological Review<\/em> 73 (1980): 321-30.<\/p>\n

Louis Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews<\/em> (7 vols.; Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 1909-38).\u00a0 A very useful resource for investigating the aggadic development of biblical characters and events.<\/p>\n

David M. Goldenberg, The Curse of Ham: Race and Slavery in Early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam<\/em> (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003).<\/p>\n

Shalom Goldman, The Wiles of Women\/The Wiles of Men: Joseph and Potiphar\u2019s Wife in Ancient Near Eastern, Jewish, and Islamic Folklore<\/em> (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1995).<\/p>\n

Robert Graves and Raphael Patai, Hebrew Myths: The Book of Genesis<\/em> (repr. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1966).\u00a0 Use this work with caution; Patai was sometimes unable to restrain Graves\u2019s flights of fancy.<\/p>\n

Etan Kohlberg, \u201cSome Sh\u012b\u2018\u012b Views of the Antediluvian World,\u201d Studia Islamica<\/em> 52 (1980): 41-66.<\/p>\n

James L. Kugel, The Ladder of Jacob: Ancient Interpretations of the Biblical Story of Jacob and His Children<\/em> (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2006).<\/p>\n

______, Traditions of the Bible: A Guide to the Bible As It Was at the Start of the Common Era<\/em> (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1998).\u00a0 The expanded \u2018scholarly\u2019 version of The Bible As It Was<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Joshua Levinson, \u201cDialogical Reading in the Rabbinic Exegetical Narrative,\u201d Poetics Today<\/em> 25 (2004): 497-528.<\/p>\n

Shari L. Lowin, The Making of a Forefather: Abraham in Islamic and Jewish Exegetical Narratives<\/em> (Leiden: Brill, 2006).<\/p>\n

Tilman Nagel, \u201cKisas al-anbiy\u0101\u2019,\u201d Encyclopaedia of Islam<\/em>2<\/sup> (Leiden: Brill, 1960-2002), 5:180-81.<\/p>\n

John C. Reeves, ed., Bible and Qur\u2019\u0101n: Essays in Scriptural Intertextuality<\/em> (Atlanta\/Leiden: Society of Biblical Literature\/Brill, 2003).<\/p>\n

Gabriel Said Reynolds, The Qur\u2019\u0101n and Its Biblical Subtext<\/em> (London & New York: Routledge, 2010).\u00a0 Must be used with caution.<\/p>\n

Franz Rosenthal, The History of al-Tabar\u012b, Volume I: General Introduction and From the Creation to the Flood<\/em> (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1989).\u00a0 Stops with the introduction of Noah; Atkins unfortunately does not own Volume II (translated by William M. Brinner) which continues with the remaining Genesis characters.<\/p>\n

Jeffrey L. Rubenstein, \u201cThe Exegetical Narrative: New Directions,\u201d Jewish Quarterly Review<\/em> 99 (2009): 88-106.<\/p>\n

Haim Schwarzbaum, \u201cProlegomenon,\u201d in Moses Gaster, The Chronicles of Jerahmeel<\/em> (New York: Ktav Publishing House, 1971), 1-124.\u00a0 A rich bibliographical resource.<\/p>\n

Shalom Spiegel, The Last Trial: On the Legends and Lore of the Command to Abraham to Offer Isaac as a Sacrifice, The Akedah<\/em> (trans. Judah Goldin; New York: Pantheon Books, 1967).<\/p>\n

Michael E. Stone, Aryeh Amihay, and Vered Hillel, eds., Noah and his Book(s)<\/em> (SBLEJL 28; Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2010).<\/p>\n

Georges Vajda, \u201cIsr\u0101\u2019\u012bliyy\u0101t,\u201d EI<\/em>2<\/sup> 4:211.<\/p>\n

Marilyn R. Waldman, \u201cNew Approaches to \u2018Biblical\u2019 Materials in the Qur\u2019\u0101n,\u201d Muslim World<\/em> 75 (1985): 1-16.<\/p>\n

Brannon M. Wheeler, Prophets in the Quran<\/em> (London & New York: Continuum, 2002).<\/p>\n

Folklore Studies Pertinent to Genesis Tales<\/h3>\n

Antti A. Aarne and Stith Thompson, The Types of the Folktale: A Classification and Bibliography<\/em> (Helsinki: Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia, 1961).<\/p>\n

William Bascom, \u201cThe Forms of Folklore: Prose Narratives,\u201d Journal of American Folklore<\/em> 78 (1965): 3-20.<\/p>\n

Dan Ben-Amos, ed., Folktales of the Jews<\/em> (3 vols. to date; Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2006-\u00a0 ).<\/p>\n

Micha Joseph Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisrael: Classical Jewish Folktales<\/em> (3 vols.; trans. I. M. Lask; Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana University Press, 1976).<\/p>\n

Alan Dundes, Holy Writ as Oral Lit: The Bible as Folklore<\/em> (Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 1999).<\/p>\n

James George Frazer, Folk-lore in the Old Testament: Studies in Comparative Religion, Legend and Law<\/em> (3 vols.; London: Macmillan & Co., 1918).<\/p>\n

Theodor H. Gaster, Myth, Legend, and Custom in the Old Testament<\/em> (New York: Harper & Row, 1969).\u00a0 An updating of Frazer\u2019s classic work.<\/p>\n

Hermann Gunkel, The Folktale in the Old Testament<\/em> (trans. Michael D. Rutter; Sheffield: Almond Press, 1987).<\/p>\n

______, The Legends of Genesis<\/em> (trans. W. H. Carruth; Chicago: Open Court, 1901).\u00a0 A translation of the \u2018Introduction\u2019 to his magisterial commentary on Genesis.<\/p>\n

Heda Jason, \u201cStudy of Israelite and Jewish Oral and Folk Literature: Problems and Issues,\u201d Asian Folklore Studies<\/em> 49 (1990): 69-108.<\/p>\n

Heda Jason and Aharon Kempinski, \u201cHow Old Are Folktales?\u201d Fabula<\/em> 22 (1981): 1-27.<\/p>\n

Susan Niditch, Folklore and the Hebrew Bible<\/em> (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993).<\/p>\n

______, Oral World and Written Word: Ancient Israelite Literature<\/em> (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1996).<\/p>\n

______, A Prelude to Biblical Folklore: Underdogs and Tricksters<\/em> (San Francisco, 1987; repr., Urbana, Ill.: University of Illinois Press, 2000).<\/p>\n

Axel Olrik, \u201cEpic Laws of Folk Narrative,\u201d in The Study of Folklore<\/em> (ed. Alan Dundes; Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1965), 129-41; also in International Folkloristics: Classic Contributions by the Founders of Folklore<\/em> (ed. Alan Dundes; Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 1999), 83-97.<\/p>\n

______, Principles for Oral Narrative Research<\/em> (trans. Kirsten Wolf and Jody Jensen; Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana University Press, 1992).\u00a0 See especially his Appendix A \u2018The Patriarchal History of Israel\u2019 (pp. 116-33).<\/p>\n

V[ladimir]. Propp, Morphology of the Folktale<\/em> (trans. Laurence Scott; Austin: University of Texas Press, 1968).<\/p>\n

Howard Schwartz, Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism<\/em> (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004).<\/p>\n

Stith Thompson, The Folktale<\/em> (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1977).<\/p>\n

______, Motif-Index of Folk-Literature<\/em> (6 vols.; Copenhagen: Rosenkilde & Bagger, 1955-58).<\/p>\n

Francis Lee Utley, \u201cThe Bible of the Folk,\u201d California Folklore Quarterly<\/em> 4 (1945): 1-17.<\/p>\n

Eli Yassif, The Hebrew Folktale: History, Genre, Meaning<\/em> (Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1999).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

RELS 4020\/5000 Rewriting the Book of Genesis MW 5:00-6:15 Dr. John C. Reeves 204B Macy Office hours: MTW 2:00-3:15; or by appointment jcreeves@uncc.edu \u2018\u2026 a myth is made up of all its variants \u2026.\u2019 \u2014 Claude L\u00e9vi-Strauss, “The Structural Study of Myth,” in his Structural Anthropology (New York, 1963; repr., Garden City, N.Y.: Anchor Books, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":454,"featured_media":0,"parent":75,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-876","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P3kl1F-e8","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/876","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/454"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=876"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/876\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":878,"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/876\/revisions\/878"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/75"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=876"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}