Tony Burke

—York University, 2010/2011 —

GRADES TO DATE (Updated April 15, 2011)

Image: A Torah scroll with pointer.

Instructors:
Tony Burke
E-mail: tburke@yorku.ca
Phone: (416) 736-2100 ext. 22329

Tony S. L. Michael
E-mail: tmichael@yorku.ca

Time and Location: Tuesday 7-10 pm, TEL 0014
Office Hours: Tuesday 5-6 pm, McLaughlin College 036

1. Course description:
This course offers a survey of much of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the Christian Bible (New Testament). We begin with a discussion of pre-Israelite religion (i.e., a reconstruction of religion in Palestine before the composition of the Hebrew Bible) and its parallels in Mesopotamian and Egyptian religious practices and texts. Then, we move through the texts of the Hebrew Bible from Genesis to Daniel, discussing each text’s origins, themes, aims and parallels in ancient literature. In the second term we begin an examination of the New Testament noting, again, each text’s origins, themes, aims and parallels in other literature of the time. The parallel literature examined in the course will include Mesopotamian texts (e.g., Enuma Elish, Gilgamesh), Egyptian texts (Hymn to Ra, Egyptian Love Songs), early Jewish literature (rabbinic texts, the Dead Sea Scrolls), Greco-Roman stories (Birth of Augustus, Life of Apollonios of Tyana), and apocryphal/non-canonical Christian material (Gospel of Mary, Gospel of Thomas). Throughout the course we will note the historical context of each of the writings, and how ideas and imagery develop over time, from one text/location to another. Students taking the course will finish having a firm grasp of how the Bible is approached in the Humanities and a sound knowledge of fundamental writings that continue to influence Western culture.

2. Course objectives:
The course is taught from the perspective of contemporary scholarship, using historical and literary analysis to shed light on the development of biblical thought. Students should come away from the course with a much clearer understanding of biblical material, its social and historical contexts, and contemporary discussions involving biblical concepts and positions. This course is for students who wish to explore the world of the Bible critically, taking into account its historical development and its literary perspective. It is especially for those who love to inquire, explore, question and probe. It is not for those individuals whose major interest is in defending a faith position already held or who primarily wish to witness to other students about the truth of their own personal religion. Students who will be at home in this course will be interested in looking at the circumstances under which the texts of the Bible were produced, noting its different points of view and differing emphases. Such students will discover issues and points of view that were thrashed out over the course of time on such major issues as how to conduct life, life’s priorities, the nature of deity, human destiny large questions about which thoughtful people reflect, argue and disagree. Such students will revel in the way in which different traditions have evolved that are reflected in the texts and will appreciate the different forms of Judaisms and Christianities as they sought to develop their respective identities in a pluralistic world. For students willing to inquire critically and do the assigned reading for each class, this course represents an exciting, challenging voyage of discovery.

3. Required Texts:

Christian E. Hauer and William A. Young, An Introduction to the Bible: A Journey into Three Worlds. [H&Y] 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2008.

New Revised Standard Version, The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha [NOAB], College Edition. M. Coogan et al (eds.). Oxford University Press, 2001 (another Bible is also acceptable but it must be the New Revised Standard Version).

4. Methods of Evaluation:

A. Academic Integrity: York University is very concerned about the increase in student plagiarism. As heinous a crime as plagiarism is, sometimes it is perpetrated in ignorance. The university has set up an on-line tutorial to help students recognize acts of plagiarism. You are required to complete this tutorial found on the following web site: http://www.yorku.ca/tutorial/academic_integrity/ (select “For Students”). No assignments will be returned to you until you do so. Upon completion print off the results of the quiz and hand it in September 28 (only results with a score of 100% will be accepted). There is no grade value for this assignment.

B. OT Map quiz (Sept. 28). Grade Value: 5%
Learning about the creation of the Hebrew Bible necessitates knowledge of the land that forms the background of its stories. Click HERE for a list of geographic sites and HERE for a practice map. Students can learn their locations from H&Y and the maps found at the back of NOAB. SPELLING WILL COUNT IN GRADING. The map quiz takes place in the first 15 minutes of class. WARNING: there will be one sitting only for this quiz, with one exception: students with compelling reasons (medical concerns, family emergencies) will be allowed to write on another date.

C. NT Map quiz (Jan. 18) Grade Value: 5%
List of geographic sites available HERE and a practice map available HERE. Students can learn their locations from H&Y and the maps found at the back of NOAB. SPELLING WILL COUNT IN GRADING. The map quiz takes place in the first 15 minutes of class. WARNING: there will be one sitting only for this quiz, with one exception: students with compelling reasons (medical concerns, family emergencies) will be allowed to write on another date.

D. Tutorial Assignments. Grade Value: 10%
Generally each class will follow the following format: hour one is the lecture, hour two is the tutorial and hour three is a combination of going over the tutorial assignment and, if necessary, presentation of new material. Tutorial questions are included in the syllabus with any corrections posted on the website. During the tutorial hour, the class will be broken into small cells (four-five students maximum). This arrangement is intended to allow the students to discuss the material together in order to get more fully acquainted with the primary texts. Since each student will have already done the assigned reading and prepared something BEFORE CLASS, discussion in the tutorials should not be difficult. The tutorial time will be to focus on primary texts and specific inquiries into those texts. Each student is expected to come to every class with about a one-two page well conceived response to the tutorial question(s). These MUST BE laser printed or photo-copied in order to show that it was done BEFORE and NOT DURING the tutorial; handwritten work is NOT accepted. During the discussion period the instructors will go around the room, taking note of (1) student attendance during the entire tutorial (2) positive participation during the tutorial session, and (3) that to the degree that the tutorial assignment has been completed properly and with due diligence. Your tutorial grade will be calculated based on these three factors.

E. In-class Quizzes (six dates). Grade value: 25% (5% each; best five out of six counted).
On six occasions, students will write a small test on the previous few weeks’ material. These tests will take place in the first 30 minutes of each class. No additional time will be given to latecomers. Content will be based on readings, lectures and tutorial discussion. IMPORTANT: There are no make-up tests under any circumstances. Death in the family, illnesses, business trips and vacations count as a missed test. Miss a test and it is thrown out — Miss two tests and one is a grade of zero.

F. First term test (to take place in the Winter examination period) Grade value: 20%.
Additional information will be provided closer to the time of the test.

G. Second term in-class test (March 29) Grade value: 20%. This test will cover term two material only. Additional information will be provided closer to the time of the test.

H. Second term reflection paper (Mar. 15) Grade value: 15%
According to scholarship, the New Testament canonical texts (all 27 of them) represent many different views on the purpose and mission of one Jesus of Nazareth. Submit a five-page paper (typed and double-spaced) on the academic value of examining these disparate texts from more than one perspective (such as a feminist, ecumenical, gay or liberation theological perspective). Feminism (the belief that women have the same equal rights as men) can offer an alternative perspective than traditional male exegesis. Ecumenical interest deals with finding ways of uniting disparate communities of Christians. Gay interests are about finding ways of legitimating a non-heterosexual life-style within the practice and belief systems of Christianity. Liberation theologians address the concerns of the poor and the oppressed and seek a Christian interpretation that speaks directly to them. Essentially, then, how does looking at the text from multiple perspectives  (feminist, ecumenical, gay or liberationist) help us to understand the texts better? How can it hinder us? What are the advantages and disadvantages of such analysis? An ideal paper will feature a short introduction (roughly half a page) outlining the purpose of the paper, an overview of one of the viewpoints listed above (roughly 2 pages, drawing upon well-documented outside sources and providing examples of key biblical passages used by proponents of the viewpoint), a discussion of the value of the viewpoint and in general the value of reading the Bible through more than one perspective (roughly 2 pages and considering the questions offered above), and a brief conclusion summing up your argument (roughly half a page). The essay must conform to the guidelines described on the style sheet available HERE. To ensure conformity to the style sheet, no paper will be accepted without the style sheet attached. The paper must also be submitted to Turnitin.com.

TURNITIN.COM INSTRUCTIONS
For an overview of this service and the University’s policies regarding Turnitin.com, please see:http://www.yorku.ca/academicintegrity/students/TurnitinStudents.htm It is very simple to use. Go to www.turnitin.com for instructions on how to create a user profile. You can use whatever email address you wish but it must be a working one since you will receive emails over the course of the year. It is recommended that you NOT use internet email accounts (e.g., Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.). You create your own password so make it easy to remember. You will also require the following information to sign in initially.
Class ID: 3787985 Password: bible

5. Important Dates
September 26: Last date to enroll without permission of instructor
October 29: Last date to enroll with permission of instructor
February 11: Last date to drop course without receiving a grade

6. Miscellaneous

Style: the syllabus and textbook refer to the Biblical books by their standard abbreviations (e.g., Gen. = Genesis). You will find these listed in the opening pages of the textbook.

Missing papers: AK/HUMA 1850 is a large course. It is possible that papers may go missing. It is your responsibility to keep a hard copy of all written work submitted for the course.

7. Class Schedule
Please come to class having read the assigned primary and secondary readings and having consulted the on-line resources. Do not forget the assigned question(s) for tutorial. A lecture outline for each week’s class will be posted on-line by Monday morning of each week. It is your responsibility to print your own copy of the outline and bring it to class.

Featured lecturer: TB = Tony Burke, TM = Tony Michael

Sept. 14: Introductions (Tony B and Tony M)
After class today please read: H&Y: chs. 1 and 2.

Sept 21: Genesis (Tony B)
LECTURE OUTLINE; CHARTS
Read for today: H&Y: ch. 3; Gen. 1-22, 37-47, 50; “Hymn to Ra”; “Stories of Gilgamesh.”
On-line Resources: To learn more about Mesopotamian civilization visit: http://www.faculty.fairfield.edu/jmac/meso/meso.htm.
Tutorial Preparation: There is much we can learn about the Bible from reading contemporaneous literature (i.e., texts written by the biblical authors’ neighbours). It is possible that some biblical texts were inspired by this literature. What parallels do you see between the stories of Genesis 1-4, 6-9 and the two texts listed above? What do you make of these parallels (i.e., why are these texts so similar? what effect do such similarities have on your view of the origins of the biblical stories?).

Sept. 28: The Exodus (Tony B)
Read for today: H&Y: ch. 4; Ex. 1-14, 19-23, 32-34; Num. 12; “Annals of Sargon I”; “Code of Hammurabi.”
LECTURE OUTLINE
** OT Map Quiz during first 15 minutes of class **
On-line Resources: A recent made-for-TV documentary produced by James Cameron seeks to prove the historicity of the Exodus. See trailer at The Exodus Decoded.
Tutorial Preparation: Christians and Jews often debate the applicability of certain laws delivered by Moses on Mt. Sinai. In general, they consider some laws still binding but others are not. Read the material about holy war in Deut 20-21. How do you feel about the method of holy war advocated in the text? Should wars still be fought this way? Why or why not? What about the treatment of rebellious sons in Deut. 21:18-21? Should this be common practice? How does/should one determine which laws are binding and which are not? If time permits, we will discuss also the stories of Moses and the Cushite (Num 12) and the Rebellion of Korah (Num 16). What do you find troubling in these stories? NOTE: Academic Integrity Assignment Due Today.

Oct. 5: The Conquest of Canaan and the Early Monarchic Period (Tony M)
LECTURE OUTLINE
Read for today: H&Y: ch. 5 (pp. 99-109); Jos. 1-10, 23-24; Jg. 1-4, 9, 13-16 (compare Jos. 10:40-42 with Jg. ch.1); 1 Sam. 1-3; 8-12, 15.
** Pentateuch  Quiz during first 30 minutes of class **
On-line Resources: The existence of King David, Israel’s most famous and decorated king, is called into question by scholars who have been labeled “minimalists” by their critics. What is biblical minimalism? Essentially, its position is that the Bible is not reliable for reconstructing history; only archeological evidence is worthwhile empirical evidence for biblical events and figures. Find out more about minimalism at http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/article_history_reid.html and determine for yourself whether the Bible accurately portrays history.
Tutorial Preparation: Read Jg. 13-16 The Saga of Samson. I would argue that Samson is a fool. He shames his people by his relations with strange women who manipulate him. Why does the Saga of Samson celebrate a fool?
A. If you disagree with the above position then explain what kind of person IS being celebrated if not a fool and offer evidence from the biblical text in support of your opinion. Do not give your personal theology as evidence but rather show how the author of the text conveys this. What is there within these four chapters that proves to you that Samson was not a fool?
B. If you agree, then offer evidence in support of this conclusion and answer the question “Why does the Saga of Samson celebrate a fool?”. Be sure to cite references from the reading in support of your opinion.
C. Either way, you need to read the stories very carefully and maybe two or three times in order to understand why it was written as it was written.
D. The point of this exercise is for you to demonstrate that you have read the text very carefully and can construct a response based on the reading and not read in to the text what it cannot support.

Oct. 12 Reading Week ~ No class

Oct. 19: The Bible in Moral Debate (Tony B and Tony M)
LECTURE OUTLINE
Read for Today: review Gen 1-9; Lev. 18-21; Munhall, “Inspiration” (from The Fundamentals); Intelligent Design Debate (watch the two video segments and/or read the transcript)
Tutorial Preparation: Today’s class will feature a discussion and debate on the perspective of Biblical Literalism (i.e., “fundamentalism”). There will be no tutorial period but students expected to complete the assigned readings and are encouraged to participate in the debate.

Oct. 26: The Rise and Fall of Israel (Tony M)
LECTURE OUTLINE
Read for today: H&Y: ch. 5 (pp. 109-124); 1 Sam. 16-19, 31; 2 Sam. 1-7, 11-17, 20, 24; 1 Kgs. 1, 3, 5-13, 16-22; 2 Kgs. 17-25; Dt. 12.
On-Line Resources: Over the centuries there have been numerous Jewish (and even non-Jewish) figures who claim to be the messiah promised in Hebrew scripture. Could you be the messiah? Take this test to determine if you have a messiah complex.
Tutorial Preparation: Read 1 Kgs. 8-8 The Dedication Prayer of King Solomon. Concentrate on Solomon’s temple dedication prayer in 1 Kings 8:22-9:9 but do not neglect what precedes and what follows.
A. Note who is involved in the dedication, how it unfolds in terms of the ceremony and the elements of worship.
B. What do you see in the contents of the prayer that surprise you given the context of the prayer?
C. Are there references to things or events that Solomon, the builder of Israel’s first magnificent temple, could not have or simply would not have said?
D. Isolate expressions or sentences that you find strange in a dedicatory prayer for something that was suppose to be the greatest moment in Israelite history.
E. As a historical, literary critic, when would you say the prayer, or at least parts of it were most likely written?

Nov. 2: The Prophets (Tony M)
LECTURE OUTLINE
Read for today: H&Y: ch. 6; Am.; Is. 7-9, 11, 40-41, 42:1-4, 49:1-6, 50:4-11, 52:13-53:12; Jer. 1-3, 31; Ezek. 1-5.
On-Line Resources: In antiquity, a prophet was a person who had direct communication with God. God spoke through the prophet to criticize the behaviour of people in the prophet’s own day. Today, many think a prophet is a person who can predict the future. Visit the Prophets and Prophecy page for a compendium of prophecies from a variety of times and cultures (including what is going to happen in 2012!).
Tutorial Preparation: Isaiah was one of four OT prophets who operated during the eighth century B.C.E. While Amos and Hosea concentrated their labours on the Northern Kingdom, Micah and Isaiah dealt with the Southern Kingdom. Read carefully chapter seven of Isaiah and do not ignore the information in the footnotes. Paraphrase in your own words what is happening at this time.
A. Who are the important people in this incident?
B. What is their relationship to each other?
C. Why are they interacting at this time?
D. Why does Isaiah make an appearance?
E. Why does he give a sign and what does the sign mean in the context of the story? Interpret the sign in terms of its original situation.

Nov. 9: Poetry and Songs (Tony M)
LECTURE OUTLINE
Read for today: H&Y: ch. 7 (pp. 151-164); Ps. 2, 8, 13, 44, 45, 78, 79, 105, 110, Songs 1-4; “Egyptian Love Songs” and “Hymn to the Aton”.
** Deuteronomic History and Prophets  Quiz during first 30 minutes of class **
On-Line Resources: As we learned in today’s readings, the Psalms were originally intended to be sung to music but the actual music for the Psalms no longer exists. Nevertheless, many Jews and Christians over the centuries have set the Psalms to music. To hear the well-known psalm “The Lord is My Shepherd” (Ps. 23) sung in Hebrew visit http://audios.dtison.net/dtison/hebrew/psalms/index.php.
Tutorial Preparation: The bible demonstrates how the ancient Israelites often told their stories in song and poetry. One story that is repeated is the story of the ten plagues against Egypt. Here they are according to the Exodus account.

1. Ex 7:14-25
2. Ex 8:1-15
3. Ex 8:16-19
4. Ex 8:20-32
5. Ex 9:1-7
6. Ex 9:8-12
7. Ex 9:13-35
8. Ex 10:1-20
9. Ex 10:21-29
10. Ex 11:1-12:36

1. Compare and contrast the Exodus narrative with the two Psalm accounts of the plagues (Ps. 78:44-51 and Ps. 105:28-36). Read the entire psalms as well in order to understand the context.
2. Note the number of plagues in all three and the order in which they occur. Who is responsible for each plague according to each version? How are they accomplished? (Hint: pay attention to the verbs!)
3. Pay particular attention to the various details of each plague, such as who or what was affected (e.g., human, vegetation, animal).
4. Can you explain why they are not all in agreement and why that appears not to be an issue for the bible editors?

Nov. 16: The Way of Wisdom: Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes (Tony B)
LECTURE OUTLINE
Read for today: H&Y: ch. 8; Pr. 1-8, 22-24, 31; Ec. 1-5, 12; “Teachings of Amen-Em-Ope”; Job 1-7, 28, 38-42; “Poem of the Righteous Sufferer.”
On-Line Resources: Proverbs can be found from all over the world, not only in Palestine and Egypt. For a look at some wisdom from a variety of cultures visit http://cogweb.ucla.edu/Discourse/Proverbs/Miscellaneous.html.
Tutorial Preparation: The wisdom literature poses some difficult questions about the place of evil in the world. Before this period it was widely believed that the good were rewarded by God and the wicked cursed (thus the theme of the Deuteronomic History: Israel must have done something wicked to have been cursed by God and sent into exile). What is the position on evil according to the writer of Job? (i.e., why is Job, a good man, cursed? does he arrive at a satisfactory answer to the question?) Also, read closely chs. 38-42. How does God respond to Job’s doubts? Do you see any inconsistencies between this response and the “epilogue” in ch. 42:7-17? (i.e., does the restoration of Job’s prosperity seem out of place here?).

Nov. 23: No class (conference)

Nov. 30: Return from Exile (Tony M)
Read for today: H&Y: ch. 9 (pp. 184-190); “Decree of Cyrus”; Ezra; Neh.; Isa. 58-60, I Chron. 13-17, 22, 28-29, 2 Chron. 1-5.
LECTURE OUTLINE AND TUTORIAL ASSIGNMENT AID
** Wisdom and Poetry Quiz during first 30 minutes of class **
On-Line Resources: Upon returning from Babylon, the rebuilding of Solomon’s Temple began. This new temple is known as the Second Temple. At first the temple was rather humble in appearance but it received a major facelift under the king Herod the Great in the first century BCE. For a look at Herod’s renovated temple see the panoramic view of a model housed at the Holyland Hotel and a virtual reconstruction.
Tutorial Preparation: With the return from captivity realized, the Israelites (now calling themselves Judahites) set about rebuilding their temple and their lives under Persian domination. This new order affected how they wrote and in some cases rewrote their “history”. Compare the Davidic promise of 2 Sam. 7:8-17 with the rewritten version of 1 Chron. 17:7-14 and note the specific changes in the “Thus says the LORD of hosts” promise to David. Try to explain the significance of these differences why they were necessary.

Dec. 7: Hellenistic Judaism (Tony B)
LECTURE OUTLINE

Read for today: H&Y: ch. 9 (pp. 190-197), review pp. 142-143 on Ezekiel; Ez. 37-39; read ahead to pp. 199-203; Dan. 1-7, 12; 1 Maccabees 1-3 (from the Apocrypha).
On-line resources: For more information on apocalypticism in both Jewish and Christian thought, visit: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/apocalypse/.
Tutorial Preparation: there is much speculation about the identity of the final beast of Daniel 7:7-12 (see also 7:23-26). Search the internet for information on interpretation of this beast. Report on three of these interpretations (and provide URLs for all three). Do you find any of these interpretations compelling (i.e., convincing)? Why or why not? How might a biblical scholar respond to these interpretations (i.e., would she/he agree with the interpretation? why or why not?).

TERM 2

Jan. 4: Jewish Life and Literature: 200 BCE-100 CE (Tony M)
LECTURE OUTLINE

Read for today: H&Y: ch. 10; The Community Rule; Letter of Aristeas; Tractate Aboth chs. 1-3.
On-line resources: discover more about the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Library of Congress exhibition site and at the Shrine of the Book.
Tutorial Preparation: The Letter of Aristeas is an example of Hellenistic Jewish pseudepigrapha. It narrates the Greek translation of the Torah by seventy-two Jews sent to Egypt from Jerusalem at the request of the librarian of Alexandria, resulting in the Septuagint translation. Answer the following questions:
A. Who is Demetrius of Phalerum, what are his duties and what is his request to the king, Ptolemy, of Egypt? (Verses 9-11)
B. What is the condition of many Jews in Egypt and what does the author of this letter propose to the king, Ptolemy? (Verses 12-20)
C. What was the purpose of Ptolemy’s decree? (Verses 22-25)
D. What does Ptolemy suggest ought to be done in a letter to the High Priest of Jerusalem, Eleazar and how does Eleazar respond? (Verses 35-46)
E. When the author journeyed to Jerusalem and meets Eliazar performing his High Priest duties how does he describe him? (Verses 96-99)
F. How does the author describe the seventy-two men assigned to work on the translation? (Verses 120-122)
G. What does the author learn concerning the Lawgiver (Moses) and these men’s lives as Jews? (Verses 139-142; 152-159)
H. How does Ptolemy receive these Jews when they arrive in Alexandria, Egypt? (Verses 172-175)
I. At a banquet the king asks a series of questions (Verses 187-199) and then concludes what about his guests? (Verse 200)
J. After several more banquets each with a series of questions (Verses 203-292), how does the king finally praise and reward them? (Verse 293-294)
K. What does the author add in support of these remarkable question-and-answer sessions? (Verses 295-300)
L. How long did it take for to translate the Torah from Hebrew into Greek? (Verses 301-307)
M. What did the public acceptance of this translation involve and what precautions were made to ensure the preservation of it? (Verses 308-311)
N. Who thinks any of this is historical? Why not?

Jan. 11: The Synoptic Problem and the Gospel of Mark (Tony M)
LECTURE OUTLINE

Read for today: H&Y: ch. 12 (pp. 244-252); Gospel of Mark.
On-line resources: Several years ago PBS produced a series called “From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians.” To accompany the series, PBS set up a web site with some useful articles and resources. You can visit the site at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/.
Tutorial Preparation:
A. Read Mk 3:5, 6:5, 10:16, 21, 40, 13:32, chs. 14-15. What general impression do you get about Jesus from these verses?
B. Read Mk 1:1, 11, 21-28, 2:5-12, 9:7, 15:39. What general impression do you get about Jesus from these texts?
C. Compare Mk 1:2-3 with Old Testament books Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3. What remains the same in Mark’s citation of the Old Testament? What differences are there in wording or in the meaning of words?
D. Read Mk 4:10-12, 41, 5:43. What common theme do you find in these texts?
E. Over all, then, how does Mark present Jesus? How does he present him as powerful? As limited and human? In what does Mark leave Jesus as a great mystery?

Jan. 18: Matthew and Luke (Tony M)
LECTURE OUTLINE

Read for today: H&Y: ch. 12 (pp. 252-258); Gospel of Matthew; Gospel of Luke.
** NT Map Quiz during first 15 minutes of class **
On-line resources: Our lecture today will include a discussion of anti-Jewish material in Matthew. Jewish/Christian conflict actually went both ways, with Jews hurling their own slanders against Christians. For a look at some possible anti-Christian statements in the Talmud, visit http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/talmud.html.
Tutorial Preparation: Read and compare the story of the Healing of the Leper as given in all three synoptic gospels – Mark 1:40-45; Matthew 8:1-4 and Luke 5:12-16. What details are the same? What details are different? What significance can you find in these and other details? Can you suggest why both Matthew and Luke makes the changes that they do? Why were they not content to leave it as first recorded by Mark?

Jan. 25: John (Tony M)
LECTURE OUTLINE
Read for today: H&Y: ch. 12 (pp. 258-268); Gospel of John.
** Synoptic Gospels Quiz during first 30 minutes of class **
On-line Resources: What was life like for Jesus in first-century Nazareth? Visit www.nazarethvillage.com and find out.
Tutorial Preparation: Read carefully the story of the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1-44).
A. How do the people who converse with Jesus come across to you as a reader?
B. How does Jesus come across in his dialogue with them?
C. What is a typical feature of the dialogue that Jesus has both with the woman and with his own disciples?
D. How do these conversations compare with the one Jesus had back in chapter 3:1-21 with Nicodemus?<
E. In terms of words expressed, how does the Jesus of John compare with the Jesus of the Synoptic gospels?
F. What do you notice about content, volume and vocabulary in John that is not evident in the Synoptics?
G. What do you think of this Jesus in John’s Gospel?

Feb. 1: Jesus, Gnostic Gospels, and The DaVinci Code: The New Testament Apocrypha (Tony B)
LECTURE OUTLINE

Read for today: H&Y:ch. 15 (pp. 329-331); Dan Brown, The DaVinci Code; Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Thomas; Gospel of Mary, Gospel of Philip (included in today’s lecture notes).
On-line resources: today’s lesson discusses the proliferation of writings about Jesus in the second-century (the so-called Christian “Apocrypha”). To learn more about these texts (and read them yourself) see http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/.
Tutorial Preparation: Read the Gospel of Thomas. What does the text say about Jesus’ origins? What does the text say about how to achieve salvation (i.e., the afterlife/immortality)? What does Jesus say about practicing the Jewish law (Sabbath, fasting, circumcision, etc.)? Based on your answers to these questions, do you feel that Thomas’ Jesus is consistent or inconsistent with the Jesus of the NT gospels?

Feb. 8: The Historical Jesus of Nazareth (Tony B and Tony M)
LECTURE OUTLINE
Read for today: H&Y: ch. 11.
On-line resources: Today’s lecture illustrates that there were many interpretations of Jesus’ life and death. Even today Jesus continues to be presented in new and even bizarre ways. For an amusing take on modern uses of Jesus’ image check out http://www.jesusoftheweek.com. Warning: may offend some. For images of sites from the world of Jesus visit http://www.holylandphotos.org/. Enter in the search line any of the locations from the map on p. 20 of the textbook (e.g., Capernaum, the Decapolis) or check out their collections.
Tutorial Preparation: Today’s class will feature a discussion and debate on the Historical Jesus. There will be no tutorial period but students are expected to complete the assigned readings and are encouraged to participate in the debate.

Feb. 15: Acts (Tony B)
LECTURE OUTLINE
Read for today: H&Y: ch. 13; Acts.
** Quiz on John, New Testament Apocrypha, and Historical Jesus during first 30 minutes of class **
On-line resources: one of the most interesting (if not also important) archeological finds of recent years has been the ossuary (bone box) of Jesus’ brother James. To see the box and read some articles on its discovery, significance, and authenticity see http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/james-bone-box.html.
Tutorial Preparation: The book of Acts features not one, not two, but three different accounts of Paul’s “conversion” (9:1-31, 22:1-21 and 26:1-23). What are the differences between the three accounts? How could one explain why they do not agree?

Feb. 22: Reading Week ~ No class

Mar. 1: Paul (Tony B)
LECTURE OUTLINE
Read for today: H&Y: ch. 14 (pp. 287-304); Acts 9; Gal.; 1 Thess; 1 Cor.
On-Line Resources: Paul traveled through Palestine, Asia Minor, Greece, and even to Rome to preach his “gospel.” To follow in the footsteps of Paul on his missionary journeys visit http://www.abrock.com/Greece-Turkey/FootstepsIntro.html.
Tutorial Preparation: Galatians 3:28 is haled by Christians as an unequivocal statement of equality. Contrast this statement with 1 Corinthians 14:33-36 and Ephesians 6:1-9. How can these statements be reconciled? Does Paul advocate equality or does he support patriarchy and slavery?

Mar. 8: Pseudo-Paul and the Pastoral Epistles (Tony B)
LECTURE OUTLINE
Read for today: H&Y: ch. 14 (pp. 305-307), ch. 15 (pp. 310-317); 1 Tim., Tit., Col., Acts of Paul and Thecla (up to II, 43 only).
On-Line Resources: In today’s toy market, action figures are big business (just ask Todd McFarlane, the creator of Spawn). So why should the Bible be left out? To view some real Biblical figures visit http://www.trainupachild.com/, or for a more satirical look at a variety of religious action figures try http://www.jesuschristsuperstore.net/.
Tutorial Preparation: Compare the roles given to women in 1 Tim. and Tit. with the Acts of Paul and Thecla. Some scholars have made the claim that 1 Tim. and Tit. are a reaction to the Acts. Do you see evidence of this?

Mar. 15: Feminist Biblical Criticism (Tony M)
Read for today: Fiorenza.
** Paul  Quiz during first 30 minutes of class **
On-line Resources: Today’s lecture and readings on the Pastoral Epistles feature a discussion about the roles of women in early Christianity. For an informative introduction to the topic visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/first/women.html.
** Reflection paper due today **

Mar. 22: Revelation (Tony B)
LECTURE OUTLINE
Read for today: H&Y:ch. 15 (pp. 325-329); Rev.
On-line resources: Revelation has been continually interpreted over the centuries in light of current events. One modern example of this practice is Jack van Impe’s television show “This Week in Bible Prophecy.” To learn more about it visit http://www.jvim.com/. While there, view the latest episode of the show.
Tutorial Preparation: We will spend tonight’s tutorial time discussing the final test. Be sure to come prepared with any questions you might have.

March 29: Final test (in-class)
POSSIBLE FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS