MCCCD Official Course Competencies:

REL211  2006 Fall – 2009 Fall

Introduction to the Hebrew Bible

1.

Describe the changes in historical context through the biblical era. (I, II)

2.

Trace the development of the Hebrew Bible's documents and canon. (III)

3.

Identify the various genres of literature in the Hebrew Bible. (III, IV, V)

4.

Describe the place of and influences on the Hebrew language in the biblical era. (II)

5.

Describe the functions of sacred literature in the biblical era. (III, IV, V, VI)

6.

Identify important ancient translations of the Hebrew Bible. (VI)

7.

Describe the canonization and transmission process of the Hebrew Bible. (VI, VII)

8.

Describe the role of the synagogue and the Pharisaic movement in the development of biblical interpretation. (VI)

9.

Describe the Masoretic tradition and its impact on the text of the Hebrew Bible. (VI)

10.

Describe the establishment of a critical Hebrew Bible text. (VII)

11.

Describe the relationship of modern translations to the text of the Hebrew Bible. (VIII)

12.

Describe representative modern insights into the Hebrew Bible. (IX, XI)

13.

Describe the various interpretive approaches to the Hebrew Bible. (X)

MCCCD Official Course Outline:

REL211  2006 Fall – 2009 Fall

Introduction to the Hebrew Bible

I. The History of the Biblical Period (2000-63 B.C.E.)

A. Archaeological and Extrabiblical Literary Evidence

B. Pre-Abrahamic History C Exodus and Wandering

D. Hebrews, Canaanites and Invasion Theories

E. The Rise of Monarchy

F. Israel and Judah

G. Exiles of the North and the South

H. Judah under Babylon, Persia, Greece and Syria

I. The Macabbean Revolt

J. The Roman Occupation

II. The Development of the Hebrew Language

A. Hebrew and Other Semitic Languages

B. Northern and Southern Hebrew Dialects

C. Changes in Hebrew through the Biblical Period

D. Influence of Egyptian, Aramaic and Greek

E. Literary Hebrew and Spoken Hebrew

III. The Early Documents

A. The Purpose and Audience of Literature

B. The Place of the YHWH Cult

C. The Document Theory and the Authorship of the Torah

D. Early Prophetic Movements

1. Amos

2. Hosea

3. Micah

4. Isaiah

E. Biblical Poetry

IV. The Exile and Its Literature

A. Deuteronomic Tradition

1. Jeremiah

2. Deuteronomy

3. Deuteronomic History (Joshua-Judges-Samuel-Kings)

B. Exilic Prophets

1. Ezekiel

2. Habbakuk

3. Nahum

4. Zephaniah

5. Obadiah

C. The Completion of the Torah

D. Lamentations and Other Exilic Poetry

V. The Late Documents

A. The Place of Ezra and Nehemiah

B. The History of the Chronicler

C. The Writings

1. Esther

2. Daniel

3. Ruth

D. Wisdom Literature

1. Proverbs

2. Ecclesiastes

3. Job

E. Late Prophets

1. Malachi

2. Haggai

3. Joel

4. Jonah

5. Zechariah

VI. The Popularization of the Hebrew Bible

A. The Early Translations

1. Septuagint

2. Samaritan Pentateuch

3. Targums

B. The Creation and Role of the Synagogue

C. The Pharisees

D. The Dead Sea Scrolls

E. The Assumptions of the Mishnah

F. The Masoretic Tradition

1. Transmission of he Consonantal Text

2. Vocalization Systems

3. The Massorah

4. Leningradensia, Aleppo and other editions

VII. Modern Critical Editions

A. Biblia Hebraica

B. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia

C. Biblia Hebraica Quinta

VIII. Modern Translation

A. Jewish Translations

B. Protestant Translations

C. Catholic Translations

D. Other Translations

IX. Modern Understandings of Hebrew

A. Extrabiblical examples of biblical Hebrew

B. The impact of the Ugaritic texts

C. Modern philological study

X. Interpretive Approaches

A. The Bible as Divine Word

B. The Bible as History

C. The Bible as Analogy/Metaphor

D. The Bible as Literature

E. The Bible as Socio-Economic Manifesto

XI. Biblical Commentary

A. Medieval

B. Reformation

C. Modern

D. Recent Trends