Course Syllabus

 NOW THAT THE COURSE HAS STARTED, PLEASE RELY ON THE CANVAS ASSIGNMENT SITES FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE COURSE INFORMATION.

You will find a syllabus draft here. The textbooks are set, and the syllabus will let you know the topics we'll cover. The "choice" articles might change slightly between now and the start of class. At several points you have a choice of reading one or two from a list, and I might add or delete during the next weeks as I finalize the course. It's a safe bet to read the Michael Brown book (due before the start of class, and probably some of you have already read it) and anything in the Coogan book or the Benjamin and Matthews Old Testament Parallels book.

I look forward to our time together. I find the Hebrew Bible endlessly fascinating and learn something every time I teach. To practice uploading videos, I've provided a short introduction of myself and the course: YouTube Video

Required books for the course (also found on syllabus):

A Bible, either the NRSV (New Revised Standard Version) or Jewish Publication Society translation. A study bible is helpful, but any Bible is acceptable AS LONG AS IT IS ONE OF THE TWO TRANSLATIONS LISTED HERE. Oxford University Press produces several good study Bibles in both of the translations listed.

Brown, Michael Joseph. What They Don’t Tell You: A Survivor’s Guide to Biblical Studies. Louisville: Westminster JohnKnox, 2000. 978-066422208. Note: Quickly read Michael Brown’s book before our initial meeting on June 16.

 Coogan, Michael. A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament, 2^nd edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011. 978-0-19-9830114.

 Matthews, Victor Harold, and Don Carlos Benjamin. Old Testament Parallels: Laws and Stories from the Ancient Near East. Revised and expanded 3^rd edition. Mahwah, New Jersey: Paulist Press, 2007. 978-0809144358.