Course details

Name: ENGL - 330

Title: THE HEBREW BIBLE-OLD TESTAMENT AS LITERATURE

Section: 01

Semester: Spring - 2014

Credits: 3

Description:
The Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) is a main source text not only for two major religions – Judaism and Christianity – but also for world literature. It is a collection of diverse writings composed and edited over a period of nearly a thousand years, but in some ways it speaks to itself as a unified whole. This class will introduce a variety of approaches to reading the Hebrew Bible in translation in order to account for its extraordinary richness and variety. Primarily we will read it as a work of literature, but we will also explore the historical background to the writing of the Bible. There is no expectation that students taking this course will have had prior experience with the Hebrew Bible. Students of all faiths or of no faith whatsoever are welcome. Requirements include two 5-7 page papers, short assignments, a mid-term exam, and a final exam. Required books include The Jewish Study Bible (Oxford University Press, 2003); Robert Alter, Genesis: Translation and Commentary (Norton, 1996); Robert Alter, The David Story: Translation and Commentary (Norton, 1999); and Richard Elliott Friedman, Who Wrote the Bible? (HarperSanFrancisco, 1997).

Last updated on By Behlman Lee (behlmanl)

Schedule: Wednesday,Friday From 10:00 am To 11:15 am

Graduation requirements:

  • Any Literature (1e)
  • ()
  • ()
  • International Issues (3a)
  • Women and Gender Studies (3c)

Teaching Faculty: Behlman Lee (behlmanl)

Is course canceled: No