{"id":928,"date":"2013-05-29T13:28:20","date_gmt":"2013-05-29T17:28:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/?page_id=928"},"modified":"2013-05-29T13:28:20","modified_gmt":"2013-05-29T17:28:20","slug":"syllabus-fall-2008","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/course-materials\/rels-3090\/readings-in-primary-texts-adv-bib-hebrew-i\/syllabus-fall-2008\/","title":{"rendered":"Syllabus Fall 2008"},"content":{"rendered":"

RELS 3090
\nAdvanced Biblical Hebrew I*
\nR 3:30-6:20
\nDr. John C. Reeves
\n204B Macy
\nOffice hours: T 5:00-6:00; R 2:30-3:30; or by appointment
\njcreeves@uncc.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

*This specific course requires as its minimum prerequisite: (1) the successful completion at UNC Charlotte of \u2018Introduction to Biblical Hebrew I\u2019 and \u2018II\u2019; or (2) an equivalent sequence of introductory biblical Hebrew courses at another institution of higher learning; i.e., amounting to two semesters, three quarters, or one year; or (3) the verbal permission of the instructor.<\/p>\n

Course Description<\/h3>\n

A critical reading and translation of biblical, non-biblical, and postbiblical Hebrew prose and poetic texts.\u00a0We will concentrate during the fall semester on (1) the Book of Isaiah; and (2) Numbers 19-36, with occasional attention given (where relevant) to alternative intrabiblical (or even extrabiblical) renditions of the assigned readings (e.g., from Exodus, Kings, or Chronicles), pertinent material in the early versions (primarily Targum, but also Septuagint and Peshitta), Qumran and medieval manuscripts, rabbinic midrash, and the medieval commentaries (Rashi, Ibn Ezra, et al.).<\/p>\n

Required Textbooks<\/h3>\n

Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia<\/em> (ed. K. Elliger, et al.; Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelstiftung, 1977), or later reprints of this edition.\u00a0 Alternatively, one may use the relevant portions of the Miqra\u2019ot gedolot<\/em> or just about any other Hebrew language edition (e.g., Koren; Kittel; Letteris) provided there is no western translation adjacent or in near proximity to the Masoretic Text.<\/p>\n

F. Brown, S. R. Driver, & C. A. Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament<\/em> (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1907).\u00a0 Numerous reprints.<\/p>\n

Recommended purchases<\/span>: Moreover, you will also find on the bookstore shelves two recommended titles for optional purchase which are useful tools for improving your grasp of biblical Hebrew grammar and vocabulary:<\/p>\n

W. Gesenius, E. Kautzsch, and A. E. Cowley, Gesenius\u2019 Hebrew Grammar<\/em> (2d ed.; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1910).\u00a0 Numerous reprints.\u00a0This is the standard English-language reference grammar for biblical Hebrew.\u00a0If you intend to be a student of biblical Hebrew philology, you will need to own and frequently study this book.<\/p>\n

George M. Landes, Building Your Biblical Hebrew Vocabulary<\/em> (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2001).<\/p>\n

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

Course Requirements<\/h3>\n

a. Diligent attendance and preparation<\/em>.\u00a0Almost perfect attendance is an essential requirement for this course.\u00a0Each class session builds upon the knowledge gained and skills acquired during previous meetings. Moreover, oral recitation and group study\/discussion comprises practically the entirety of every class session.\u00a0The instructor\u2019s assessment of one\u2019s attendance, class preparation, oral recitation, and verbal contribution to class discussions constitutes 100% of the final course grade for undergraduates; 80% of that grade for post-baccalaureates and graduates.<\/p>\n

b. Seminar papers<\/em> (Graduates and post-baccalaureates only!<\/em>).\u00a0 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.\u00a0Individual students may be asked to initiate and guide our discussions.\u00a0The readings will come from the bibliography of articles provided below.\u00a0In addition to their oral contributions, graduate and post-baccalaureate students will prepare and submit a written seminar paper that concisely summarizes and critiques the major points of each assigned article or essay.\u00a0Maximum length of the seminar paper will be two (2) pages.\u00a0The instructor\u2019s assessment of the seminar papers accounts for the final 20% of the course grade for graduate and post-baccalaureate students.<\/p>\n

c. Final class<\/em>.\u00a0A required final class for all enrolled students will be held on the date and at the time officially mandated for the final examination for this course by the UNC Charlotte administration.\u00a0 Further details regarding the class will be provided later in the semester.<\/p>\n

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

Miscellaneous Information<\/h3>\n

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

91-95+\u00a0\u00a0A\u00a0=\u00a0demonstrable mastery of material; can creatively synthesize<\/p>\n

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

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

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

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

Moreover, a 0-70 evaluation for graduate students = U.<\/p>\n

b. One of the requirements of this course is to complete the work of the course on time.\u00a0Sometimes 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.\u00a0The 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.\u00a0If 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 assignments are due at their announced dates and times.\u00a0In other words (and please note well!), there will be NO MAKEUP OPPORTUNITIES scheduled.\u00a0All missed assignments (these include weekly oral recitations!) will be averaged as a 0 in the computation of the course grade.\u00a0No exceptions will be considered or granted.<\/p>\n

2) For accounting purposes, letter grades bear the following values: A=95; A-=92; B=85; C+=78; C=75; D=65; F,U=30.\u00a0Seminar papers are assessed according to the following formulae: \u221a+ = A; \u221a = B; \u221a- = U.\u00a0An untyped seminar paper automatically receives the grade U, as do those typed submissions which violate the required parameters or which the instructor deems physically unacceptable and\/or grammatically incomprehensible.<\/p>\n

3) Since your diligent physical participation is critical for the success of this course, attendance at class meetings will be monitored by the instructor.\u00a0One absence is regrettable; two absences are the limit of tolerability.\u00a0Three (3) or more absences will result in an automatic F for the course.\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

4) 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. The Cuneiform Studies Laboratory (located in Macy 216) houses a number of lexical and grammatical aids (both print and electronic) for the close study of biblical and postbiblical Hebrew.\u00a0Please consult with the instructor for access to this learning resource and the regulations regarding its use.<\/p>\n

d. Assistance and solicitation of criticism is your right as a member of the class.\u00a0It is not a privilege to be granted or withheld.\u00a0 Do not hesitate to request it nor wait too late in the course for it to be of help.<\/p>\n

Hebrew Language and Lore Bibliography<\/h3>\n

David H. Aaron, \u201cJudaism\u2019s Holy Language,\u201d in Approaches to Ancient Judaism, New Series: Volume Sixteen<\/em> (ed. Jacob Neusner; Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1999), 49-107.<\/p>\n

David Goodblatt, \u201cConstructing Jewish Nationalism: The Hebrew Language,\u201d in his Elements of Ancient Jewish Nationalism<\/em> (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006), 49-70.<\/p>\n

J. A. Emerton, \u201cThe Problem of Vernacular Hebrew in the First Century A.D. and the Language of Jesus,\u201d Journal of Theological Studies<\/em> n.s. 24 (1973): 1-23.<\/p>\n

Jehoshua M. Grintz, \u201cHebrew as the Spoken and Written Language in the Last Days of the Second Temple,\u201d Journal of Biblical Literature<\/em> (= JBL<\/em>) 79 (1960): 32-47.<\/p>\n

Avi Hurvitz, \u201cThe Historical Quest for Ancient Israel and the Linguistic Evidence of the Hebrew Bible: Some Methodological Observations,\u201d Vetus Testamentum<\/em> 47 (1997): 301-15.<\/p>\n

Paul Kahle, \u201cThe Masoretic Text of the Bible and the Pronunciation of Hebrew,\u201d Journal of Jewish Studies<\/em> (= JJS<\/em>) 7 (1956): 133-53.<\/p>\n

Chaim Rabin, \u201cThe Historical Background of Qumran Hebrew,\u201d Scripta Hierosolymitana<\/em> 4 (1958): 144-61.<\/p>\n

Milka Rubin, \u201cThe Language of Creation or the Primordial Language: A Case of Cultural Polemics in Antiquity,\u201d JJS<\/em> 49 (1998): 306-33.<\/p>\n

William M. Schniedewind, \u201cQumran Hebrew as an Antilanguage,\u201d JBL<\/em> 118 (1999): 235-52.<\/p>\n

Seth Schwartz, \u201cLanguage, Power and Identity in Ancient Palestine,\u201d Past and Present<\/em> 148 (1995): 3-47.<\/p>\n

David Stern, \u201cThe First Jewish Books and the Early History of Jewish Reading,\u201d Jewish Quarterly Review<\/em> 98 (2008): 163-202.<\/p>\n

Emanuel Tov, \u201cHebrew Biblical Manuscripts from the Judaean Desert: Their Contribution to Textual Criticism,\u201d JJS<\/em> 39 (1988): 5-37.<\/p>\n

Edward Ullendorff, \u201cIs Biblical Hebrew a Language?\u201d Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies<\/em> 34 (1971): 241-55.<\/p>\n

Steve Weitzman, \u201cWhy did the Qumran Community Write in Hebrew?\u201d Journal of the American Oriental Society<\/em> 119 (1999): 35-45.<\/p>\n

Some Supplemental Bibliography for Assessing the Books of Isaiah and Numbers (not all of which are necessarily available in Atkins Library)<\/h3>\n

Photos of 1QIsaa<\/sup> can be accessed here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Reliable modern historical-critical commentaries on Isaiah and Numbers are:<\/p>\n

Klaus Baltzer, Deutero-Isaiah: A Commentary on Isaiah 40-55<\/em> (trans. Margaret Kohl; Minneapolis: Fortress, 2001).<\/p>\n

Joseph Blenkinsopp, Isaiah 1-39: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary<\/em> (Anchor Bible 19; New York: Doubleday, 2000).<\/p>\n

______, Isaiah 40-55: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary<\/em> (Anchor Bible 19A; New York: Doubleday, 2002).<\/p>\n

______, Isaiah 56-66: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary<\/em> (Anchor Bible 19B; New York: Doubleday, 2003).<\/p>\n

John Goldingay and David Payne, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Isaiah 40-55<\/em> (2 vols.; London & New York: T. & T. Clark, 2006).<\/p>\n

George Buchanan Gray, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Numbers<\/em> (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1903).<\/p>\n

______, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Isaiah, I-XXXIX<\/em> (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1912).<\/p>\n

Otto Kaiser, Isaiah 1-12: A Commentary<\/em> (trans. John Bowden; 2d ed.; Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1983).<\/p>\n

______, Isaiah 13-39: A Commentary<\/em> (trans. R. A. Wilson; Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1974).<\/p>\n

Rolf P. Knierim and George W. Coats, Numbers<\/em> (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2005).<\/p>\n

Baruch A. Levine, Numbers 1-20: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary<\/em> (Anchor Bible 4; New York: Doubleday, 1993).<\/p>\n

______, Numbers 21-36: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary<\/em> (Anchor Bible 4A; New York: Doubleday, 2000).<\/p>\n

Jacob Licht, Perush \u2018al sefer Ba-midbar<\/em> (3 vols.; Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1984-95).<\/p>\n

Jacob Milgrom, Numbers: The Traditional Hebrew Text with the New JPS Translation<\/em> (JPS Torah Commentary; Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1990).<\/p>\n

Martin Noth, Numbers: A Commentary<\/em> (trans. James D. Martin; Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1968).<\/p>\n

Marvin A. Sweeney, Isaiah 1-39: With an Introduction to Prophetic Literature<\/em> (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996).<\/p>\n

Hans Wildberger, Isaiah: A Commentary<\/em> (trans. Thomas H. Trapp; 2 vols.; Minneapolis: Fortress, 1991-\u00a0 ).<\/p>\n

H. G. M. Williamson, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Isaiah 1-27<\/em> (3 vols.; London & New York: T. & T. Clark, 2006).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

RELS 3090 Advanced Biblical Hebrew I* R 3:30-6:20 Dr. John C. Reeves 204B Macy Office hours: T 5:00-6:00; R 2:30-3:30; or by appointment jcreeves@uncc.edu *This specific course requires as its minimum prerequisite: (1) the successful completion at UNC Charlotte of \u2018Introduction to Biblical Hebrew I\u2019 and \u2018II\u2019; or (2) an equivalent sequence of introductory biblical […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":454,"featured_media":0,"parent":83,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-928","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P3kl1F-eY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/928","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=928"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/928\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":929,"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/928\/revisions\/929"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/83"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}