Hebrew Bible
Course of Study Description
The Hebrew Bible (HB) course of study seeks to introduce students to a wide range of methods for the study of the Hebrew Bible. These include not only classical historical-critical approaches but also more recently developed social-scientific, literary, and iconographic methods. Students are also encouraged to develop interdisciplinary expertise in any of a number of related fields that will enhance their study of the Hebrew Bible and related literatures.
In addition to its focus on the Hebrew Bible itself, the course of study supports several cognate areas of study:
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the history of ancient Israelite religion and culture within the larger ancient Near Eastern environment;
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the development of Early Judaism in the Second Temple period;
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the history of interpretation of the Bible in the Jewish and Christian traditions; and
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the theological significance of the Hebrew Bible for Jewish, Christian, and secular contexts.
Students may also pursue dual preparation in Hebrew Bible
and Jewish Hermeneutics.
Plan of Study
General Requirements
Students are required to take twelve seminars (including language courses and directed readings) during the first two years of residency. The seminar in Critical Methods in Exegesis and the Hebrew Bible is required. Upon matriculation students are expected to be proficient in biblical Hebrew and Greek. An examination in Hebrew must be passed before the beginning of the second year of study. Students are also required to demonstrate proficiency in Aramaic and at least one other Semitic language through examination or course work during the first two years of residency.
Language Study
Classical Biblical and Postbiblical Hebrew. Exegetical courses in Biblical Hebrew are offered each semester, with courses in Postbiblical Hebrew and Hebrew language and linguistics offered on a rotating basis.
Aramaic. Aramaic language instruction is offered on a rotating basis, with courses focusing either on Biblical or Targumic Aramaic.
Other Semitic and non Semitic Languages. In addition to Aramaic, students are required to take at least one and preferably two other Semitic languages, usually Ugaritic and Akkadian. Additional Semitic languages are also available, either through course work or as independent studies, e.g., Syriac, Ethiopic, and Northwest Semitic inscriptions (including Phoenician and the Transjordanian dialects). Middle Egyptian is available upon request.
Modern Languages. Students must demonstrate proficiency in one modern research language before the beginning of the first year of course work and in a second before the beginning of the second year. Unless special circumstances warrant, it is expected that these languages will include German, French, or modern Hebrew.
Preliminary Examinations
All students must qualify for candidacy by taking four preliminary examinations.
Core Examinations
All students must take two core examinations
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Critical Issues in the Books and Traditions of the Hebrew Bible, and
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Critical Methods in the Study of the Hebrew Bible.
The Critical Methods examination is closely related to the seminar on Critical Methods in Exegesis of the Hebrew Bible. The Critical Issues examination is not keyed to a seminar but assesses knowledge concerning the major corpora of biblical scholarship. The current bibliographies for these two core examinations can be found here.
Special Area Examinations
In addition to the two core examinations, students take two special area examinations, one inside the Hebrew Bible proper and the other outside it. Together, these two special area examinations allow students to focus on areas of particular interest and research. Bibliography, questions, and examination format are worked out between the student and her or his
examiner(s). The inside examination concerns the Hebrew Bible and is typically related to a student's emerging dissertation interests. The outside examination concerns a content area outside of the disciplinary area of Hebrew Bible proper. The examiner may be a faculty member from Hebrew (if, for example, the outside examination is in some field of ancient Near Eastern studies or Early Judaism), but in most cases the examiner will be someone form outside the Hebrew Bible course of study.
Special Requirements
A hallmark of the Hebrew Bible course of study, and of the GDR as a whole, is interdisciplinarity. All students are expected to develop interdisciplinary competencies. These may be developed in closely related fields (e.g., New Testament, Rabbinic Judaism) or they may be developed in different departments or courses of study in the GDR and/or the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences that support a student's research work (e.g., anthropology, philosophy, history, classics, linguistics, comparative literature, ethics, and theology). A minimum of two seminars or their equivalent must be taken outside the Hebrew Bible offerings and a minimum of one of the preliminary examinations must be outside of Hebrew Bible proper. Additionally, the course of s
tudy normally expects at least one outside reader on each doctoral committee.
Selected Courses
RLR 720 Akkadian
RLR 721 Ugaritic
RLR 722 Advanced Hebrew
RLR 723 Aramaic
RLR 724 Syriac
RLR 773 Methodological seminars: Critical Methods in Exegesis of the Hebrew Bible.
RLR 774 Seminars in the History of Interpretation: Biblical Interpretation in Christian Tradition (with New Testament/Historical Studies), Classical Jewish Hermeneutics, Targumim.
RLR 771 Hebrew Bible Theology: Old Testament Theology; Warfare in the Hebrew Bible; Repentan
ce in the Hebrew Bible; Accommodation, Resistance, Rebellion: Jews in the Persian and Hellenistic Empires; Israelite Religion in its Ancient Near Eastern Context; Dead Sea Scrolls.
Recent Dissertations
Recent dissertation and placement information:
2002
Kathryn Muller Lopez, "The Divine Council Scene in Second Temple Literature." Placement: Campbell University
Mark Roberts Roncace, "Of Prophets and Kings: A Narratological and Intertextual Analysis of Jeremiah 37:1-40:6." Placement: Wingate University
Peter Lawrence Trudinger, "The Psalms of the Tamid Service." Placement: Adelaise College of Divinity
2003
Ann Louise Fritschel, "Women and Magic in the Hebrew Bible." Placement: Wartburg Theological Seminary
Brad E. Kelle, "Hosea 2: Metaphor and Rhetoric in Historical Perspective." Placement: Point Loma Nazarene University
2004
David Scott Casson, "The Mountain Shall Be Most Holy: Metaphoric Mountains in Ezekiel's Rhetoric." P
lacement: Sandia Presbyterian Church
Daniel Bruce Mathewson, "Death and Desymbolization in the Book of Job." Placement: Wofford College
Megan Bishop Moore, "Philosophy and Practice in Writing a History of Ancient Israel." Placement: Wake Forest University
Timothy James Sandoval, "The Discourse of Wealth and Poverty in the Book of Proverbs." Placement: Chicago Theological Seminary
2005
David Garber, "Trauma, History, and Survival in Ezekiel 1-24." Placement: McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University
Susan Haddox, "Metaphor and Masculinity in Hosea." Placement: Mount Union College
Wallace Hartsfield, "An Ethical Function of Deception and Other Forms of Intrigue in the Jacore Cycle." Placement: The Interdenominational Theological Center
2006
Amy Cottrill, "Language, Power and Identity in the Lament Psalms of the Individual." Placement: Birmingham-Southern College
Armin Siedlecki, "Negotiating Identity: The Portrayal of Foreigners in Ezra-Nehemiah." Placement: Emory University
2007
Joel LeMon, "The Iconography of Yahweh's Winged Form in the Psalms." Placement: Emory University
Nickie Stripe, "Wrestling with God, Self, and Other: Three Psychological Readings of Jacob at the Jabbok."
2008
Christopher Hays, "I Set Before you Death and Life: The Rhetoric of Death in First Isaiah." Placement: Fuller Theological Seminary
Amy Merrill Willis, "Loose Ends: Dissonance and the Drama of Divine Sovereignty in the Book of Daniel." Placement: Gonzaga University
Phillip Sherman, "Translating the Tower: Genesis 11 and Ancient Jewish Interpretation." Placement: Maryville College
