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English / History 15A
A Literary & Historical Study of the Old Testament
Texts
- The New Oxford Annotated Bible, 3rd College Edition, NRSV
- An Introduction to the Bible, 7th edition, by Hauer & Young
- Old Testament Readings (red booklet)
Brief Course Description
The De Anza College course catalog gives an accurate and concise account of our course: "Critical examination of the Old Testament and related writings, from a literary and historical point of view, with particular attention given to recent biblical scholarship." The dominant mode of instruction is lecture, with some time also given to small group discussion, textual analysis, expository writing, and relevant media.
Expanded Description/Objectives
This course is an introduction to the Hebrew Bible, commonly called the Old Testament. An anthology of diverse literary texts produced over a period of approximately 1,000 years in the history of ancient Israel, the Bible is the most widely read book in the world. In our study we will sample each of the three major sections of the Hebrew Bible within its historical context, noting the divisions and genres of literature that make up the range of biblical expression. In so doing, we will develop an appreciation for the Bible's impact upon the development of western culture and its continuing influence in our world, including contemporary religion, law and government, the environmental crisis, art, music, literature, and popular culture.
Assignments
Reading assignments in this course come in three flavors: (1) samples from the Bible itself; (2) relevant chapters from our textbook, An Introduction to the Bible; and (3) selected articles compiled in the red course booklet Old Testament Readings. Reading assignments are to be completed before the course meeting for which they are assigned (see Old Testament Study Schedule for dates and assignments). The course is divided into three units of study based upon the three major parts of the Hebrew Bible. At the end of each unit there will be an objective, short-answer exam on that unit only; there is no comprehensive final exam. In addition, you will write one short paper (2-3 pages) in response to an article from Old Testament Readings during each of the three units, for a total of three Response Papers. The final written component of the course is a term paper of 4-6 pages on a topic suggested by Chapter 16 of our textbook.
Policies This Course Is Not About You: The Bible is a sacred book, and we will treat it with the respect that sacred books deserve. But in this class we do not approach the Bible in the same way that you would in a religious setting, where the aims are personal application, spiritual formation, and moral instruction. The academic discipline of biblical studies in public higher education has a two hundred year history in the colleges and universities of Europe, the United States, and beyond. This is not a Bible Study of the kind you might encounter in a church or synagogue. The interests and purposes of this course are mainly intellectual in nature. The focus here is primarily on literature and history, not doctrine. The topic of your belief (or unbelief), however deeply felt, is largely irrelevant here. Therefore, kindly refrain from imposing your personal religious views upon your professor and your classmates. Such expressions are inappropriate to this setting. For the most part, this class does not focus on what you think the Bible means. For that matter, it doesn’t even focus on what your professor thinks it means. Rather, our study this quarter focuses on the theories and discoveries of modern biblical scholars, historians, literary critics, archaeologists, geographers, linguists, theologians, and artists.
Dominant Mode of Instruction: With the exception of small group interactions around the Response Papers, this class is taught in the manner of the European university, which is to say that it is primarily lecture. If you have questions regarding the course reading or lecture materials, they may be addressed, time permitting, at the end of the lecture.
Cell Phones: Please silence all cell phones and pagers while in class. For obvious educational reasons (not to mention common courtesy), you may not text-message during our class time. If you need to take an emergency call, please walk outside to do so.
Attendance: Our class begins promptly at 6:00pm and continues until 7:40pm, with a 10 minute break commonly taken after the lecture, around 7:00pm. I expect you to be on time and to attend every class session for the entire session, except in cases of serious illness or emergency. I reserve the right to drop students who miss more than three class sessions. I also reserve the right to penalize habitually tardy students by deducting points from their test scores.
Academic Status: This is a graded, transfer-level course in either history or literature. You may enroll for credit in one but not both. However, if you are taking this class for personal enrichment and aren’t concerned with academic requirements or grades and such, you are welcome here! You may want to enroll on a Pass/Fail basis, in which case you need only earn a minimum of 70 points to receive course credit. Please fill out the proper form in the Admissions & Records office as soon as possible.
Academic Integrity: Plagiarism and cheating include copying someone else’s test or homework, lifting sentences from someone else without quoting (whether the source is published or not) and any small or large act of academic forgery in the work that you submit as your own effort in this class. The penalty is, at minimum, a “0” on that assignment, and it could result in an “F” in the course. Read the college policy on plagiarism in “College Policies” section of the Catalogue (available online at http://www.deanza.edu/publications/catalog/) for further information about plagiarism and its consequences.
There is an extra credit assignment of five possible points, available during the third unit of the course only (one per customer). To request the assignment, email the professor and write in the subject line: "15A extra credit request." The assignment will be sent to you by return email. Deadline for extra credit is the same day as the final exam (see Old Testament Study Schedule for date). No late requests will be honored.
Grading
Assignments & Point Values
Exam #1: Torah - 25 points possible
Exam #2: Nevi'im - 25 points possible
Exam #3: Kethuvim - 25 points possible
Response Papers: 3 x 5 = 15 points possible
Term Paper: 10 points possible
Final Grade Tallies
A+ 98 - 100
A 93 - 97
A- 90 - 92
B+ 87 - 89
B 83 - 86
B- 80 - 82
C+ 77 - 79
C 70 - 76
D+ 67 - 69
D 63 - 66
D- 60 - 62
F 0 - 59
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