{"id":942,"date":"2013-05-29T14:36:00","date_gmt":"2013-05-29T18:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/?page_id=942"},"modified":"2013-05-29T14:36:00","modified_gmt":"2013-05-29T18:36:00","slug":"syllabus-spring-2009","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/course-materials\/rels-3090\/readings-in-primary-texts-adv-bib-hebrew-ii\/syllabus-spring-2009\/","title":{"rendered":"Syllabus Spring 2009"},"content":{"rendered":"

RELS 3090
\nAdvanced Biblical Hebrew II*
\nR 3:30-6:20
\nDr. John C. Reeves
\n204B Macy
\nOffice hours: W 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 spring semester on a series of texts which have import for reconstructing the mythological dimensions of ancient Israelite literature.\u00a0As per our custom, we will also give attention (where relevant) to alternative intrabiblical (or even extrabiblical) renditions of the assigned readings, pertinent material in the early versions (primarily Targum, but also Septuagint, Vulgate, 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.\u00a0Moreover, 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+\u00a0A\u00a0=\u00a0demonstrable mastery of material; can creatively synthesize<\/p>\n

81-90\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B = some demonstrable proficiency in control of material & analysis<\/p>\n

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

61-70\u00a0\u00a0 D\u00a0=\u00a0inadequate and\/or faulty understanding of material<\/p>\n

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

Moreover, note that a grade of C for post-baccalaureate and graduate students signifies an \u2018inadequate and\/or faulty understanding of material\u2019 and that 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. If you haven\u2019t learned yet, you had better learn now to work under the conditions of the world as it is.\u00a0Therefore<\/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. No exceptions will be considered or granted.<\/p>\n

2) For accounting purposes, letter grades bear the following values: A=95; A-=92; B+=88; B=85; B-=82; C+=78; C=75; C-=72; D=65; F,U=30,35.\u00a0Seminar papers are assessed according to the following formulae: \u221a+ = A; \u221a = B; \u221a- = C.\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. Three (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. It 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

Bibliography of Articles for Discussion<\/h3>\n

Alan Cooper, \u201cPsalm 24:7-10: Mythology and Exegesis,\u201d Journal of Biblical Literature<\/em> (= JBL<\/em>) 102 (1983): 37-60.<\/p>\n

Frank Moore Cross, Jr., \u201cYahweh and the God of the Patriarchs,\u201d Harvard Theological Review<\/em> (= HTR<\/em>) 55 (1962): 225-59.<\/p>\n

William G. Dever, \u201cAsherah, Consort of Yahweh? \u00a0New Evidence from Kuntillet \u2018Ajr\u00fbd,\u201d Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research<\/em> (= BASOR<\/em>) 255 (1984): 21-37.<\/p>\n

______, \u201c\u2018Will the Real Israel Please Stand Up?\u2019 Part II: Archaeology and the Religions of Israel,\u201d BASOR<\/em> 298 (1995): 37-58.<\/p>\n

J. A. Emerton, \u201c\u2018Yahweh and his Asherah\u2019: The Goddess or her Symbol?\u201d Vetus Testamentum<\/em> 49 (1999): 315-37.<\/p>\n

Michael Fishbane, \u201c\u2018The Holy One Sits and Roars\u2019: Mythopoesis and the Midrashic Imagination,\u201d in The Midrashic Imagination: Jewish Exegesis, Thought, and History<\/em> (ed. Michael Fishbane; Albany: State University of New York Press, 1993), 60-77.<\/p>\n

Theodor H. Gaster, \u201cPsalm 29,\u201d Jewish Quarterly Review<\/em> (= JQR<\/em>) 37 (1946-47): 55-65.<\/p>\n

Ithamar Gruenwald, \u201cGod the \u2018Stone\/Rock\u2019: Myth, Idolatry, and Cultic Fetishism in Ancient Israel,\u201d Journal of Religion<\/em> 76 (1996): 428-49.<\/p>\n

Ronald S. Hendel, \u201cOf Demigods and the Deluge: Toward an Interpretation of Genesis 6:1-4,\u201d JBL<\/em> 106 (1987): 13-26.<\/p>\n

Delbert R. Hillers, \u201cAnalyzing the Abominable: Our Understanding of Canaanite Religion,\u201d JQR<\/em> 75 (1984-85): 253-69.<\/p>\n

Howard M. Jackson, \u201cThe Origins and Development of Shi\u2018ur Qomah Revelation in Jewish Mysticism,\u201d Journal for the Study of Judaism<\/em> (= JSJ<\/em>) 31 (2000): 373-415.<\/p>\n

Menahem Kister, \u201cSome Early Jewish and Christian Exegetical Problems and the Dynamics of Monotheism,\u201d JSJ<\/em> 37 (2006): 548-93.<\/p>\n

Julian Morgenstern, \u201cThe Mythological Background of Psalm 82,\u201d Hebrew Union College Annual<\/em> (= HUCA<\/em>) 14 (1939): 29-126.<\/p>\n

______, \u201cThe Sources of the Creation Story \u2013 Gen 1:1-2:4,\u201d American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures<\/em> 36 (1920): 169-212.<\/p>\n

Jeffrey L. Rubenstein, \u201cFrom Mythic Motifs to Sustained Myth: The Revision of Rabbinic Traditions in Medieval Midrashim,\u201d HTR<\/em> 69 (1996): 131-59.<\/p>\n

Matitiahu Tsevat, \u201cGod and the Gods in Assembly: An Interpretation of Psalm 82,\u201d HUCA<\/em> 40-41 (1969-70): 123-37.<\/p>\n

For a lengthier Supplemental Bibliography of Resources pertinent to the study of \u2018Bible and myth,\u2019 see my course syllabus for the spring 2009 edition of RELS 6602 Seminar in the Religion of Ancient Israel.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

RELS 3090 Advanced Biblical Hebrew II* R 3:30-6:20 Dr. John C. Reeves 204B Macy Office hours: W 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":86,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-942","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P3kl1F-fc","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/942","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=942"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/942\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":943,"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/942\/revisions\/943"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/86"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/john-reeves\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}