UNIT 1:  HEBREW BEGINNINGS

Genesis
            Creation and Fall
            The Torah
            Primeval history
            Archaeology and the Promised Land
            Patriarchs and matriarchs

Test 1:  review program

UNIT 2:  FROM EGYPT TO ISRAEL

Exodus and Sinai
            Escape from Egypt
            Covenant at Sinai
            Law and ritual
            Forty years in the Sinai wilderness 

The Promised Land
            Joshua and the Canaanites
            The Judges

Test 2:  review program

UNIT 3:  KINGS AND PROPHETS

The Golden Age
            Samuel, Saul, David, and Solomon
            The earliest prophets
            Amos and Hosea
            Isaiah and Micah

The End of an Era
            The fall of Jerusalem
            The Babylonian exile

Test 3:  review program

 UNIT 4:  WRITINGS AFTER THE EXILE

Return from exile 
            Jerusalem and the Torah
            Hymns and wisdom

Profiles in courage
            Heroes under foreign rulers

Final exam:  review program

TEXTBOOKS

The HarperCollins Study Bible:  New Revised Standard Version. 
            New York:  HarperCollins, 1993.

Coogan, Michael D. The Old Testament:  A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures.
            New York:  Oxford University Press, 2006.

& Please bring your Bible to class each day, so that you can relate the information from the lectures and discussions to appropriate sections of the readings. Y

GOALS AND REQUIREMENTS

              Goal 1:  to develop foundations for interpreting the Old Testament.  I'll help you learn what leading biblical scholars have discovered about the historical and literary backgrounds of the Old Testament.  You'll be able to locate and describe key places on maps of the Middle East.  You'll memorize the order of the Old Testament books‑‑a list which will help you to find your way around the Bible all your life.  You'll gain the most from the course if you bring your Bible to class each day and look up the passages that we're studying.  You'll explore some key issues and find that usually there isn't just one "right" interpretation.  I'll help you to look at the rich variety of biblical ideas and identify methods for understanding what they meant in the Old Testament period.

            Goal 2:  to see the Old Testament as a living book, relevant to people today.  It's important for you to interact with key ideas in the text.  You'll share your thoughts, in logs on three passages.   

            Goal 3:  to use study time effectively.  You'll understand the Old Testament best if you spend at least an hour in study before each class.  I recommend the following schedule.  Before class, read through your lecture notes for the previous session and the material in the Bible and the textbook which goes beyond that lecture.  Soon after the class session, put your notes on the lecture in a clear form that you can use later.  You may want to store them on a computer disk so that you can revise them easily, filling in gaps or making corrections.  Study carefully the sections of the Bible and the textbook related to your lecture notes, so that you have a thorough understanding.

            For each unit, I have developed a computer review of some of the main persons and events that we’ve studied during the unit.  I recommend going through the unit review before each test.  You may use any computer; simply click on the appropriate link in the schedule above, or go to my Home Page, which has links to all the review programs.  If you have any questions, please call me at extension 6150, email your questions to fkellogg@ehc.edu, or come by my office, which is just across the hall from Wiley Auditorium.  I enjoy discussing biblical questions!

            Goal 4:  to participate in the class fully. 

              Attendance.  I value faithful attendance highly, as an indication of your commitment to the course goals, so any unexcused absences not made up (after the first) will result in a significant lowering of your participation grade.  On rare occasions you may have to miss class.  Please get someone's notes, study the assigned reading, and ask me about anything that needs explanation.  I want you to keep up with the rest of the group in your understanding. 

             Extra credit.  If you really want to boost your class participation grade, here’s how.  You may find one or more lyceum events this semester which help you to understand the Old Testament.  You may watch a full-length video relevant to the Old Testament.  You may interpret the Old Testament by teaching a Sunday School class, leading a Bible study, or speaking to a group. You may be involved in a community service project with religious implications.  If you want me to consider awarding extra credit for any such activity, write a short paper of a paragraph or two, showing how it relates to Religion 131. 

            Goal 5:  to make the best of a system of evaluation which is thorough, accurate, and fair.  My grading scale is:  A = 90‑99;  B = 80‑89; C = 70‑79; D = 60‑69; F = below 60.  Here's how I'll calculate your course average:  2/5 from the best two of the three tests, 1/5 from the final exam, 1/5 from the quality and timeliness of your three logs, and 1/5 from class participation.

            Goal 6:  to share the task.  In my opinion, the Bible is the most interesting book in the world!  I will enjoy sharing with you my insights and learning from you new ways of looking at passages in the Old Testament.  We can work together in learning a lot from this ageless text which has meant so much to Jews and Christians!

If you would like, you can send me e-mail: fkellogg@ehc.edu

To look at one of my other syllabi, go to my Home Page.

To review a unit in the Old Testament course, go directly to one of the following:

    Unit 1, Hebrew beginnings
    Unit 2, The land of Israel
    Unit 3, The prophets
    Unit 4, Writings after the Exile

If you prefer, you may return to the Emory & Henry College Home Page.

Last updated:  August 08, 2007