RS620

Location: Library, L6

Course Description

This course undertakes a detailed exegetical study of messianism in the Hebrew Bible from the perspectives of historical-criticism and reception-history. The course is designed to enable students to develop their exegetical skills and to explore ways that messianic oracles have been interpreted and received in the Jewish and Christian communities.

Objectives & Class Structure

There are three objectives for each class period.

(1) To work through the exegesis of numerous passages of Hebrew Bible regarding the messiah.

(2) To read and discuss examples of Christian and Jewish interpretation of messianic texts.

(3) To articulate proper techniques and procedures for interpreting Hebrew Bible in translation.

Text Books

There is no textbook for this class. A reader with all assigned materials will be distributed in class. Each student needs to bring an English Bible to class. Any version of the Bible is acceptable with the three following exceptions: The Message, The Amplified Bible, and the New American Bible.

Assignments and Grades

Exegetical Worksheets

At the end of each class period, the instructor will distribute exegetical worksheets on the passage or passages to be covered in the next class period. (Students who miss class are responsible for contacting a class mate or the instructor about the assignment.) These worksheets are designed to develop the students' abilities to interpret Biblical texts, and should be completed before the next class period. Students will be expected to share (and/or argue) from their exegetical worksheets. The worksheets will be evaluated on the following scale:

ü+ exemplary

ü satisfactory

ü- unsatisfactory (too brief, not thoughtful enough, etc.)

0 incomplete

N. B. Late exegetical worksheets will not be accepted.

Exegetical Paper

Students will write a 10-page paper interpreting an ancient messianic text of their choice. Recommended texts will be distributed to the class on the first day. The following deadlines are important.

(1) Students need to select their passage and have it approved by the end of class on October 7 (10 points)

(2) Students need to turn in a 2-page précis of their paper on November 4. (40 points)

(3) The final paper is due at class time on December 16. (150 points)

Writing quality and style will be considered in grading the précis and paper (10%). The paper must conform to the Chicago Manual of Style/Turabian (Kate). The grade for the final paper will be reduced by 10% for every day that it is late, unless special arrangements have been made with the professor. Final papers may not be turned in after December 22.

Chief Exegetical Officer & Scribe

Each student will serve on one occasion as chief exegetical officer (CEO) and on another as scribe.

The chief exegetical officer will lead the class in the exploration and interpretation of a biblical passage, which will have been prepared by all before class. The CEO may follow the exegetical worksheet distributed by the professor, or he or she may structure the discussion as desired, so long as exegesis is emphasized.

The person serving as scribe will be responsible for leading the discussion of whatever secondary literature is assigned for the day. The scribe should strive to tease out the method and implications of the interpretation represented in the reading.

Grading Summary and Scale

TOTAL POINTS GRADE SCALE

· Paper 200 points 94-100 A

· Worksheets 400 points (50 ea.) 88-93 AB

· CEO 50 points 82-87 B

· Scribe 50 points 76-81 BC

Total 700 points 69-75 C

63-68 CD

57-62 D

Class Schedule

The following is a schedule of topics for each week of the semester. This schedule may be altered to account for the specific interests of the students or revised based on classroom progress.

· August 26 Introduction to class, Approaches to messianism,

Textual-criticism, Hermeneutics

· September 9 Texts: Genesis 3 & 49

Reading: St. Augustine (388-89 C.E.)

· September 23 Texts: Numbers 23-24

Reading: Targum Neofiti (c. 100 C.E.), Targum Onkolos (c. 250 C.E.)

· October 7 Texts: II Samuel 7; Ezekiel 34; Hosea 2-3; Amos 9; Micah 5

Reading: R. E. Clements, "Messianic Hope" (1989)

· October 21 Texts: Isaiah 7-9

Reading: John Calvin (1559), The Jewish Study Bible (2004)

· November 4 Texts: Servant Songs

Reading: Ibn Ezra (c. 1150 C.E.); Don Isaac Abarbanel (1637)

· November 18 I will be at SBL Nov. 17-21. This class is rescheduled for November 11

Texts: Zechariah

Reading: Alexander, "The King Messiah in Rabbinic Judaism" (1998)

· December 2 Texts: Zechariah cont.

Reading: none

· December 16 Texts: Student choice (Daniel 7, Psalms, Deut 18 & Mal 3)

If you have a documented disability that requires accommodation, please contact Elizabeth Watson in Learning Support Services (Student Resource Center, 206 DeRicci, 663-2281). She will work with you provide appropriate accommodation, and all information will be kept confidential.

Learning Support Services (Student Resource Center, 206 DeRicci and Sonderegger 408) provides academic support for students. Please contact Learning Support Services at 663-2281 for more information.

The following are examples of violations of standards for academic honesty and are subject to academic sanctions: submitting collaborative work as one’s own; falsifying records, achievements, or other course work; stealing course materials; submitting work previously submitted in another course (unless specifically approved by the instructor); falsifying documents or signing an instructor’s or administrator’s name to any document or form; plagiarism, or aiding another student in any of these actions.

Cheating on assignments or papers will result in zero points for that assignment or paper. (Note that this is a considerably worse grade than an F.)

Regarding plagiarism in this course, students are expected to cite all sources, written or otherwise, in the interpretive paper.