(OT02) Serpent, Satan and the Underworld in the Hebrew Bible
An overview of the serpent character in the Eden story, the meaning of satan in the Hebrew Bible, and the divinized sinister inhabitants of Sheol in the Hebrew Bible. No required textbook.
(OT03) Foreign Deities and Their Worship in the Hebrew Bible
A survey of the major foreign gods and goddesses mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. No textbook required.
(OT04) Old Testament Divination in its Ancient Near Eastern Context
An overview of Old Testament methods (permitted and forbidden) of contacting the spiritual world and its inhabitants. Examples include necromancy, sorcery, the ephod, Urim and Thummim, and sympathetic magic. Attention is paid to ancient Near Eastern parallel material. No textbook required.
(OT05) Genesis 6:1-4 - Analysis and History of Interpretation
Analysis of Genesis 6:1-4, along with an overview of the interpretation of the passage by ancient Jewish and Christian writers. No textbook required.
New Testament
(NT01) How We Got the New Testament
An introduction to the collection and historical transmission of the text of the New Testament. Attention will focus on the canonical process, ancient scribal tasks, copying and transmission of the biblical text, and ancient and modern translation of the biblical texts. The student will be introduced to types of errors in manuscript transmission, divergent readings in manuscripts, text-critical principles of evaluating errors and divergent readings, and the history of the printed New Testament. Required Textbook: Wegner, The Journey From Texts to Translations: The Origin and Development of the Bible
(NT02) Jewish Backgrounds to the New Testament 1
An introduction to the history, literature, and religious
thought of the Second Temple ("Intertestamental") Period leading
up the the New Testament era. Required Textbook:
Scott, Jewish Background of the New Testament
(NT03) Jewish Backgrounds to the New Testament 2
A more advanced look at the Semitic background to the New Testament with an emphasis on the contribution of the Dead Sea Scrolls. No textbook required.
(NT04) Satan in 2nd Temple Judaism and the New Testament
An overview of the development of the idea of the cosmic enemy of God subsequent to the descriptions in the Hebrew Bible. No textbook required.
(NT05) The Jewish Background of John's Logos Theology 1
An in-depth investigation of the Jewish doctrine of the MEMRA (the Aramaic term for "the Word") as the backdrop for John's theology of Jesus as the Logos (the Greek term for "the Word"). Required textbook: Ronning, Jewish Targums and John's Logos Theology
(NT06) The Jewish Background of John's Logos Theology 2
A continuation of NT05. Same textbook.
Biblical Theology
(BIBTH01) Genesis 1 and Ancient Near Eastern Cosmology
An examination of Genesis 1 and its relationship to the
creation accounts and cosmological worldviews of other ancient
Near Eastern Civilizations, such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, and
Ugarit. Required textbook:
Walton, The Lost World of Genesis One
(BIBTH02) The Divine Council and Israelite Monotheism
An introduction to ancient Israelite beliefs about the relationship of Yahweh and others gods believed to be part of the unseen divine world. No required textbook.
(BIBTH03) The Israelite Conception of a Godhead
An introduction to ancient Israelite beliefs that form the backdrop to the Christian Trinitarian godhead. No required textbook.
(BIBTH04) Old Testament Cosmic Geography
An introduction to how ancient Israelites viewed the nations around them and the relationship of those nations to their gods and to Israel's God, Yahweh. No required textbook.
(BIBTH05) The Old Testament Theology of Temple and Kingship
An introduction to Israelite conceptions of sacred space,
temple cosmology, and divine kingship, with attention to ancient
Near Eastern thought illumines material in the Hebrew Bible
pertinent to these concepts. Required textbook:
Levenson, Sinai and Zion: An Entry into the Jewish Bible
(BIBTH06) The Old Testament Theology of Theodicy
An introduction the Old Testament's portrayal of God's
relationship to evil and natural disaster. Required textbook:
Levenson, Creation and the Persistence of Evil: The Jewish Drama of Divine Omnipotence
(BIBTH07) The Old Testament Theology of Salvation and Restoration
An overview of the Old Testament's salvation story involving both individuals and nations. Concepts of covenant and eschatology guide the focus of the course. No required textbook.
(BIBTH08) Jesus and the Spirit in Light of Israelite Godhead Theology
An overview of how the New Testament writers applied Israelite concepts and terms related to early conceptions of Godhead to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. No required textbook.
(BIBTH09) Israel's Divine Council Theology and the New Testament 1
An overview of how Old Testament theological concepts related to Israel's divine council worldview are interpreted and re-purposed by New Testament writers. Themes include cosmic geography, New Testament terminology for unseen divine beings, divine sonship and adoption for believers, the reclamation of the nations and defeat of their gods, and the return of the Edenic kingdom. No required textbook.
(BIBTH10) Israel's Divine Council Theology and the New Testament 2
A continuation of BIBTH09. Same textbook requirement.
Ancient Languages
(HEBR01) Beginning Biblical Hebrew
A year-long (52 weeks) intensive course on
biblical Hebrew grammar. The course involves working through the
entirety of the required textbook and therefore requires a good
deal of memorization. Students should expect to commit an
average of five hours per week to the course. Required
textbook: Futato, Beginning Biblical Hebrew
(HEBR02) Intermediate Biblical Hebrew 1
A six week modular course for those who have completed
HEBR01. The course focuses on translating and analyzing passages
in the Hebrew Bible with a goal toward gaining a sense of the
value of such analysis for interpretation of the text. Required
textbook:
Chisholm, A Workbook for Intermediate Hebrew: Grammar, Exegesis, and Commentary on Jonah and Ruth
(HEBR03) Intermediate Biblical Hebrew 2
A six week modular course for those who have completed HEBR01. This course is a continuation of HEBR02, though that course is not a prerequisite. Same textbook.
(GREEK01) Beginning Biblical Greek
A year-long (52 weeks) intensive course on
biblical Greek grammar. The course involves working through the
entirety of the required textbook and therefore requires a good
deal of memorization. Students should expect to commit an
average of five hours per week to the course. Required
textbook:
Black, Learn to Read New Testament Greek (3rd ed, 2009)
(GREEK02) Intermediate Biblical Greek 1
A six week modular course for those who have completed
GREEK01. The course focuses on translating and analyzing
passages in the Greek New Testament with a goal toward gaining a
sense of the value of such analysis for interpretation of the
text. Required
textbook:
Decker, Koine Greek Reader: Selections from the New Testament, Septuagint, and Early Christian Writers
(GREEK02) Intermediate Biblical Greek 2
A six week modular course for those who have completed GREEK01. The course is a continuation of GREEK02, though that course is not a prerequisite. Same textbook.
(ARAM01) Beginning Aramaic
A year-long (52 weeks) intensive course on
Aramaic grammar. The course involves working through the
entirety of the required textbook and therefore requires a good
deal of memorization. Students should expect to commit an
average of five hours per week to the course. Required
textbook:
Greenspahn, An Introduction to Aramaic (2nd ed)
(UGAR01) Beginning Ugaritic
A year-long (52 weeks) intensive course on
Ugaritic grammar. The course involves working through the
entirety of the required textbook and therefore requires a good
deal of memorization. Students should expect to commit an
average of five hours per week to the course. Required
textbook:
Schniedewind, A Primer of Ugaritic
(UGAR02) Intermediate Ugaritic
A year-long (52 weeks) course on
Ugaritic. The first third of the course is an intensive review
of grammatical forms at an intermediate level, along with
vocabulary from the textbook used in UGAR01. The final
two-thirds of the course involves translation exercises in
Ugaritic tablets. Students should expect to commit an
average of five hours per week to the course. Required
textbook:
Bordreuil and Pardee, A Manual of Ugaritic
(EGYP01) Beginning Egyptian Grammar
A year-long (52 weeks) intensive course on
Middle Egyptian grammar (hieroglyphs). The course involves working through the
entirety of the required textbook and therefore requires a good
deal of memorization. Students should expect to commit an
average of five hours per week to the course. Required
textbook:
Manley and Collier, How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: A Step-by-Step Guide to Teach Yourself, Revised Edition
(EGYP02) Intermediate Egyptian Grammar
A year-long (52 weeks) intensive course on
Middle Egyptian grammar (hieroglyphs) involving deeper
grammatical discussion and vocabulary memorization than EGYP01.
Translation exercises will move the student beyond the nature of
those required for EGYP01. The course involves working through the
entirety of the required textbook and therefore requires a good
deal of memorization. Students should expect to commit an
average of five hours per week to the course. Required
textbook:
Allen, Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs