Shaw University Divinity School
(High Point NC Campus)
OTS 501 ONL
Survey of the Old Testament
Fall 2011
100% ONLINE
Welcome!
We envision Shaw University Divinity School students to be committed, mature,
engaged learners. You have chosen to serve Christ and the Church by preparing
yourself spiritually and intellectually for ministry. This class will invite you to
consider how God speaks to us through the Old Testament.
INSTRUCTOR
OFFICE HOURS
Dr. Andrew M. Mbuvi
1301 Lincoln Dr.
Off. # 144
ambuvi@shawu.edu
Off. Tel: 336-886-4974 ext. 6603
Tuesdays 9:00am -5:00 pm
Saturday 2:00-2:30pm and 5-5:30pm
(Other days and times by appointment
only!)
Email is the best way to contact me!
DIVINITY SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT
Shaw University Divinity School provides Christian theological education dedicated to the
preparation of clergy and laity for clinical, pastoral, and teaching/research ministry professions.
The Divinity School is committed to the development of a research institute whose focus is
leadership in the “practice of ministry’ in the African American community, particularly in the
African American church.
M.DIV MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Master of Divinity degree is to prepare persons for ordained ministry, for
chaplaincy, general pastoral and religious leadership responsibilities in congregations and other
settings, and to prepare some students for admission to advanced programs oriented to theological
research and teaching. The purpose is consistent with the mission of Shaw University Divinity
School; the Master of Divinity program focuses on leadership in the “practice of ministry,”
particularly in the African American church.
MRE MISSION STATEMENT
OTS 501 Fall 2011 page 1 of 15
The mission of the Master of Religious Education degree is to equip persons for competent
leadership in Christian Education to serve congregational ministries and other religious
institutions. This purpose is consistent with the mission of Shaw University Divinity School; the
Master of Religious Education program focuses on leadership in the “practice of ministry,”
particularly in the African American Church.
Course Description
The focus of this course is learning the content of all the books of the Old Testament. Students will
take regular quizzes on the content of the books. Students will also be introduced to the history of
ancient Israel and some of the critical methods employed in studying the text.
Program Goals
MRE Program Goals
1. to equip students with the capacity
for critical and constructive
theological reflection regarding the
content and processes of
educational ministry;
2. to help students understand the
educational, social, and behavioral
sciences that undergird
educational practice, as well as the
cultural contexts in which
educational ministry occurs;
3. to assist students with personal
growth and spiritual maturity; and
4. to provides skills in teaching and
in design, administration, and
assessment of educational
programming.
MDiv Program Goals
1. to provide students with an intellectual
atmosphere
and
a
comprehensive,
discriminating understanding of our religious
heritage;
2. to enhance student training for Christian
ministry, mindful of global, and diverse cross
cultural, and non-American Christianities, and
interaction with other faith traditions;
3. to support students' development in the
personal and spiritual capacities necessary for
pastoral and religious leadership, advancing
growth in personal faith, emotional maturity,
moral integrity, and public witness;
4. to expand programmatic activities, services,
and academic programming to enhance
student capacity for ministerial and public
leadership.
Institutional Strategic Goals and Program Learning Outcomes
Institutional
Strategic Goals (ISG)
2)Improving the intellectual atmosphere
and academic performance of students
Linkage to M.Div
Program Learning
Outcomes
(PLO statement
number(s) that
correspond to or support
the ISG)
Linkage to MRE Program
Learning Outcomes
(PLO statement number(s)
that correspond to or
support the ISG)
1, 2
1, 2
OTS 501 Fall 2011 page 2 of 15
Institutional
Strategic Goals (ISG)
4) Enhancing current and new academic
programs to ensure consistency in
quality and scope.
8) Providing a rigorous and high quality
graduate program through which
students may attain advanced knowledge
and skills to succeed in their chosen
fields of specialization
Linkage to M.Div
Program Learning
Outcomes
(PLO statement
number(s) that
correspond to or support
the ISG)
Linkage to MRE Program
Learning Outcomes
(PLO statement number(s)
that correspond to or
support the ISG)
2, 4
2, 4
1, 3, 4
1, 3, 4
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the completion of
this course, students
will be able to:
1. Familiarity with the
OT background worlds.
2. be able to identify the
different OT books in
chronological order.
3. be able to identify the
different content and
context of OT books.
4. Identify the major
dates of the major
events in the OT
5. Articulate the effect of
the exposure of ancient
Near Eastern literature
in understanding the OT
6. identify the structure,
themes, and major
critical issues of at least
four books in the OT
7. demonstrate
Assessment of
Student Learning
Outcomes
(Assessment
Tools)
Exam Questions,
Reflection Papers
Linkage to MDiv
Program
Learning
Outcomes
Linkage to MRE
Program
Learning
Outcomes
1, 2
2, 3
Exam Questions,
Reflection Papers
1, 2
Exam Questions,
Reflection Papers
1, 2
Exam Questions,
Reflection Papers
1, 2,3
2, 3
2, 3
2, 3
1, 2, 3
2, 3
4
1
1, 2, 3, 4
2, 3, 4
Exam Questions,
Reflection Paper
Exam Questions,
Reflection Papers
OTS 501 Fall 2011 page 3 of 15
competence in
identifying, on a Near
Eastern map, important
geographical locations
mentioned in the OT
Exam Questions/
Maps
Texts books
Required Texts
Achtemeier, Paul, Ed. HarperCollins Bible Dictionary. Rev. Ed. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1996.
LaSor, William, David Hubbard, and Frederick Bush. Old Testament Survey. 2nd Ed. Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1996.
Pritchard, James. HarperCollins Concise Bible Atlas. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1997.
Society of Biblical Literature. HarperCollins Study Bible NRSV. Rev. Ed. San Francisco:
HarperCollins, 2006.
If this is your first course in Biblical Studies, then you should add the following book:
Brown, Michael Joseph. What They Don’t Tell You: A Survivor’s Guide to Biblical Studies.
Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2000.
NRSV HarperCollins Study Bible is recommended for this class. In addition to the required
Bible, there are other good Study Bibles available. In the NRSV, the New Interpreter’s Study
Bible and the New Oxford Annotated Bible are both good choices. In the NIV Zondervan’s
NIV Study Bible is the best choice.
Do not use the Authorized Version (King James Version) the Amplified Bible, or
paraphrased Bible as your primary Bible for this class.
OTS 501 Fall 2011 page 4 of 15
Moodle
This class is 100% online and will use Moodle for all course interactions, and so you must
have access to a computer to be able to take the class. You can connect to the Moodle site
through the University’s website www.shawuniversity.edu. All the quizzes, the final exam
and assignments to be submitted, will be administered through this site. Please make
yourselves familiar with it.
Specific Competencies
By the end of the course, a student should:
1.
be able to list the books of the Old Testament in canonical order;
2.
be able to identify at least five major dates in Israel’s history;
3.
be able to identify the structure, themes, and major critical issues of at least four
books in the Old Testament, at least one from each part of the canon;
4.
given an outline map of Afro-Asia, be able to identify major regions: Mesopotamia,
Egypt, and Syro-Palestine; and
5.
be able to identify the differences in groupings between the Palestinian and
Alexandrian canons.
Participation
Students are expected to participate in the class by login into the Moodle site for the class
at least every 72 hours. If you go more than 72 hrs without login in, the program is set to
log you off and you would have to contact the professor to let you back into the class. Any
assignment missed for this reason will NOT be redone.
Every week, the professor will be available at certain hours of the day to chat with students
online using the chat feature on Moodle. All you have to do is sign into Moodle, click on the
“chat” button and if the professor is signed in you should be able to chat like you would in
“Instant Messaging” (IM).
Assignments
Weekly Quizzes: Those go up every Wednesday and stay up for a week starting Sept 7th.
Each quiz will close 15 minutes after being opened (You cannot stop and star later).
Make sure you complete your quiz before it shuts down or you will have an error message
and it will NOT record your score. Save and close the quiz after finishing it and you
automatically get your grade and access to all your answers.
For each quiz, all the readings are listed and class notes are included in Moodle to be read
the week before the quiz goes up. That way the material is covered just before one does the
quiz.
OTS 501 Fall 2011 page 5 of 15
The practice quiz is already up and can be attempted as many times as one wishes. This will
give you an idea of the how to spend the time and what style of questions to expect.
The final exam will cover essentially the same ground that the quizzes covered (but not
limited to that) and will be at least a 2 hrs.
Late assignments
Unless previously excused by the Professor, NO LATE WORK IS ACCEPTED! While
emergencies do occur (in which case each will be dealt on a case-by-case basis) please
inform the professor if you anticipate problems in getting your work in on time, BEFORE
IT HAPPENS!
Plagiarism
This is taken quite seriously at Shaw University. The University Handbook states that first
offense in plagiarism will result in an “F” in that assignment, and/or the class. A report
will also be filed in the dean’s office. A repeated instance of plagiarism will result in
suspension and/or expulsion from the course, (and also possibly from the University).
I have attached an explanation in your class documents on Moodle that explains what
entails plagiarism, including specific examples. Please read this carefully and always
follow its warning closely when writing your papers.
Honor Pledge
All assignments are to be submitted with the following honor pledge and your signature.
I affirm that the content of this assignment is my own work. Nothing in this work is copied
from a textbook, other book or online source, or another student except where permitted and
properly documented. I understand that if I violate this affirmation I will receive a failing
grade on this assignment and possibly in the class.
Signed____________________
M.Div./M.R.E. Assignments
This course focuses on basic content, structure, and themes of the books of the Old
Testament. Because this knowledge is foundational for both degrees, this course will not
distinguish between the two degrees in assignments.
OTS 501 Fall 2011 page 6 of 15
Grading
1. Introductory Forum and Discussions
Each student will log into Moodle and go to Forums where they will write a short
biography of themselves and their interest in the Old Testament. Other Forums may be
introduced throughout the semester.
Weight:
5%
2. Weekly Quizzes
Every week, after the first, a quiz will be posted on Moodle. The quizzes will cover the
material in the assigned biblical readings. There will be a total of 11 quizzes given, but
only the top 9 grades will be used to compute the quiz average. The quizzes will appear
every Wednesday and be up for ONE week and then automatically go off the next
Wednesday. During the week, you can do the quiz at your own convenience. However, you
must complete the quiz in one sitting since it is timed and will shut down automatically
after the assigned time elapses, whether you have finished or not. You cannot stop and
start later. So make sure you have about 30 minutes free before starting the quiz.
Dates:
Weight:
Each week Wednesday beginning September 7
50%
3. Geography and History Project
Details of the assignment are given at the end of the syllabus. Students use maps of Israel
and Afro-Asia to answer also answer five questions about the history of ancient Israel.
Start this assignment as early as possible.
Date:
Weight:
Oct. 8
20%
4. Final Exam
A comprehensive final exam will be given covering the ground covered by the quizzes and
more. It will be available online on Blackboard from Wednesday Nov 30 to Monday Dec. 5.
Date:
Weight:
Dec. 5
25%
GRADING SCALE
The following grading scale will be used for all assignments:
OTS 501 Fall 2011 page 7 of 15
A
B
C
D
F
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
below 60
I
An incomplete is given only when extraordinary circumstances (extended illness,
death in the family, etc.) prevent a passing student from completing all the assignments
before the end of the semester. An incomplete must be made up before the end of the
following semester, or the grade will automatically change to F, and the course must be
repeated. Please note: Any student who receives an incomplete, regardless of the reason,
will not be able to receive an A in the course. The highest grade possible for a student who
receives an incomplete will be a B.
All written assignments should conform to the guidelines in the Divinity School’s
“Guidelines for Written Assignments,” available in the Divinity School Office. The following
criteria will be used in evaluating all written assignments.
A
Indicates the student has significantly exceeded the minimum expectations for the
assignment. The student has consulted the relevant scholars and has consistently entered
into dialogue with these scholars, offering his/her critique of the relevant sources. All the
required parts of the assignment are present, and the written presentation is consistently
above average, with no errors in spelling or grammar.
B
Indicates the student has exceeded the minimum expectations for the assignment.
The student has consulted relevant scholars and has entered into dialogue with most of
them, offering his/her critique of the sources. All the required parts of the assignment are
present, and the written presentation is above average, with no errors in spelling or
grammar.
C
Indicates the student has met the minimum expectations for the assignment. The
student has consulted relevant scholars and has represented their views well, at least
occasionally
OTS 501 Fall 2011 page 8 of 15
offering a critique of the sources. The required parts of the assignment are present,
and the written presentation is acceptable, with minimal errors in spelling or
grammar.
D
Indicates the student has not met the minimum expectations for the
assignment in one or more of the following ways: significant critical scholarship is
not consulted; significant segments of the assignment are missing or inadequate; or
the written presentation is inadequate in grammar, spelling, or format.
F
Indicates the work is not acceptable for graduate-level study.
Class Schedule
Date
Aug.
20-27
Topic/Assigned Readings
Assignments
Introduction to OT, The
Read: Genesis; OTS, 3-51; HCBD articles on
Pentateuch,
Genesis, Pentateuch, Texts, Versions,
Manuscripts.
Aug. 27 Intro: Genesis, Exodus
Read: Introduction OTS, Genesis and
- Sept 3
Exodus in HBCD
Sept.
Leviticus, Numbers
Read: Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers; OTS,
3 - 10
Labor Day Weekend!
52-110; HCBD articles on Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers.
Sept.
Deuteronomy, The
Read: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges; OTS
10- 17
Prophets, Joshua, Judges
111-164; HCBD articles on Deuteronomy,
Joshua, Judges, Prophet, Prophetess.
Sept.
Samuel, Kings
Read: Samuel, Kings; OTS, 165-220; HCBD
17-24
articles on Samuel, Kings.
Sept. 24 Amos, Hosea, Micah
Read: Amos, Hosea, Micah; OTS, 221-275;
- Oct 1
HCBD articles on Amos, Hosea, Micah,
Poetry.
Oct.
Isaiah, Zephaniah, Nahum, Read: Isaiah, Zephaniah, Nahum,
1-8
Habakkuk
Habakkuk; OTS, 276-327; HCBD articles on
Isaiah, Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk.
Oct.
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Obadiah, Geography and History Project Due
8 - 15
Joel
Read: Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Obadiah, Joel;
OTS, 328-380; HCBD articles on Jeremiah,
Ezekiel, Obadiah, Joel.
Oct.
Jonah, Haggai, Zechariah,
Read: Jonah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi;
15 -22
Malachi
OTS, 381-422; HCBD articles on Jonah,
Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.
Oct.
The Writings, Psalms
Read: Psalms; OTS, 425-446; HCBD
22 – 29
articles on Psalms, Temple, Worship.
Oct. 29 Proverbs, Job
Read: Proverbs, Job; OTS, 447-496; HCBD
– Nov 5
articles on Proverbs, Job, Wisdom.
Nov.
Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Read: Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Ruth,
5 - 12
Ruth, Lamentations, Esther Lamentations, Esther; OTS, 497-541; HCBD
articles on Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs,
OTS 501 Fall 2011 Page 9 of 15
Ruth, Lamentations, Esther, the Rest of the
Book of.
Read: Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah, Daniel;
OTS, 542-582; HCBD articles on Chronicles,
Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel.
Nov.
12 -19
Chronicles, EzraNehemiah, Daniel
Nov.
19 - 26
Nov 31
- Dec 3
Happy Thanksgiving!
Final Exam
Comprehensive Final Exam
Select Annotated Bibliography
Introductions
Anderson, Bernhard W. Steven Bishop, and Judith Newman. Understanding the Old
Testament. Fifth Edition. New York: Prentice Hall, 2006. The standard
undergraduate textbook for Old Testament introduction. Excellent
bibliographies, pictures, maps, resources, and index. A valuable addition to
students’ libraries.
Birch, Bruce, Walter Brueggemann, Terence Fretheim, and David Petersen. A
Theological Introduction to the Old Testament. Second Edition. Nashville:
Abingdon Press, 2005. A very good introduction to the theological themes
and issues in the Old Testament. The material is arranged chronologically.
Brueggemann, Walter. Introduction to the Old Testament: The Canon and Christian
Imagination. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003. An excellent
introduction that focuses on the theology of each book of the Old Testament,
arranged according to the Palestinian Canon. Highly recommended.
Gottwald, The Hebrew Bible: A Socio-Literary Introduction. Philadelphia: Fortress
Press, 1985. Thorough, with special attention to the cultural history and
sociology of Israel.
Knight, Douglas, and Gene M. Tucker, Eds. The Hebrew Bible and Its Modern
Interpreters. Chico, California: Scholars Press, 1985. A very good,
comprehensive examination of the history of scholarship on the Hebrew
Bible. Even though it is over twenty years old now, it is one of the best
summaries of critical scholarship available.
History and Archaeology of Israel and Judah
Bright, John. A History of Israel. Fourth Edition. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox
Press, 2000. Reflects the views of the American School of OT history.
Mazar, Amihai. Archaeology of the Land of the Bible: 10,000-586 BCE. Anchor Bible
Reference Library. New York: Doubleday, 1990. A very good,
comprehensive examination of archaeological data. It looks at all aspects of
material culture, and avoids the older tendency to look only at monuments
and large-scale building.
Miller, J. Maxwell, and John H. Hayes. A History of Ancient Israel and Judah.
Philadelphia: Westminster, 1986. From the perspective of the “German
OTS 501 Fall 2011 Page 10 of 15
School,” painstaking historical analysis of OT in light of ancient Near Eastern
and archaeological research.
Bible Dictionaries
Freedman, D.N., Ed. The Anchor Bible Dictionary. New York: Doubleday, 1992. The
most up-to-date and thorough dictionary available, although it is heavily
weighted toward historical and archaeological issues.
Buttrick, G.A. Ed. The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press,
1962; Supplementary Volume, 1976. Although now somewhat dated, it is full
of useful information on almost any topic of biblical study. The
Supplementary Volume provides updated articles on key issues. A new
version will come out starting in 2008.
Freedman, D. N., ed. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans
Publishing Co., 2000. A recent and thorough one-volume Bible dictionary.
Ancient Near Eastern Texts
Pritchard, James B. Ed. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament.
Third Edition. Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1969. The standard
collection of the writings of Israel’s neighbors. It is used so often that it is
frequently simply abbreviated, ANET. Valuable in spite of the “King James”
language of the translations.
Pritchard, James B. Ed. The Ancient Near East in Pictures Relating to the Old
Testament, Second Ed. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1969. This is a
paperback, shorter version of ANET. It contains a wealth of objects and
images from the ANE.
Matthews, Victor H. and Don C. Benjamin, Jr. Eds. Old Testament Parallels: Laws and
Stories from the Ancient Near East. New York: Paulist Press, 1991. More
readable translations than Pritchard and the most affordable and useful
collection for your personal library.
Pentateuch
Blenkinsopp, Joseph. The Pentateuch: An Introduction to the First Five Books of the
Bible. Anchor Bible Reference Library. New York: Doubleday, 1992. An
excellent introduction to the critical issues that have dominated scholarly
debate for two hundred years.
Fretheim, Terence. The Pentateuch. Interpreting Biblical Texts. Nashville:
Abingdon, 1996. An excellent, readable introduction to the books of the
Pentateuch that focuses on literary and theological issues.
Former and Latter Prophets and Prophecy
Blenkinsopp, Joseph. A History of Prophecy in Israel. Louisville: Westminster John
Knox Press, 1996. A comprehensive survey of critical issues on prophecy and
the prophetic books. Blenkinsopp focuses on the historical context of the
prophets.
OTS 501 Fall 2011 Page 11 of 15
Emmerson, Grace. Prophets and Poets. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1997. A brief
text oriented to a general audience that focuses on the theological issues in
the prophetic books.
Heschel, Abraham J. The Prophets. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1975. An old
resource, written by a Jewish scholar. However, Heschel’s insights into the
psychology of prophecy continues to be very influential.
Nelson, Richard D. The Historical Books. Interpreting Biblical Texts. Nashville:
Abingdon, 1998. A very good, brief, readable examination of the literary and
theological issues raised by the Former Prophets along with Chronicles and
Ezra-Nehemiah. Nelson also offers a helpful examination of the differences
between these books and what we commonly refer to as “history.”
Weems, Renita. Battered Love: Marriage, Sex, and Violence in the Hebrew Prophets.
Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995. Although this is not a comprehensive
examination of prophecy, it is an excellent examination of a specific
theological issue in three prophetic books: Hosea, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.
Wilson, Robert R. Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel. Minneapolis: Fortress
Press, 1980. An attempt to distinguish Israel’s prophets by their social
settings, Wilson’s study is very interesting, but only partly successful.
The Writings and Wisdom Literature
Clifford, Richard J. The Wisdom Literature. Interpreting Biblical Texts. Nashville:
Abingdon, 1998. An excellent, brief introduction to the Wisdom books that
focuses on theological issues.
Cook, Stephen L. The Apocalyptic Literature. Interpreting Biblical Texts. Nashville:
Abingdon, 2003. Although this contains a lot of material on interTestamental and New Testament literature, Cook also offers a very helpful
approach to reading Apocalyptic, including Daniel.
Crenshaw, James L. Old Testament Wisdom. Louisville: Westminster John Knox
Press, 1998. One of the best, most comprehensive studies of the Wisdom
Literature, focusing on its relationship to Israel’s faith and its ancient context.
Rad, Gerhard von. Wisdom In Israel. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1972. An older
resource, but still very useful.
Resources for non-Eurocentric Interpretation
Brown, Michael Joseph. Blackening of the Bible. Harrisburg, PA.: Trinity Press
International, 2004. An excellent, comprehensive survey of the major
scholars and issues in African American interpretation.
Felder, Cain Hope. Troubling Biblical Waters. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1989.
-------------------------. Stony The Road We Trod. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1991.
These two books present an excellent overview of the issues and concerns in
African American biblical interpretation.
Ukpong, Justin. Reading the Bible in the Global Village. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2002. A
collection of essays from non-Western biblical scholars given at a meeting in
Cape Town, South Africa. The essays give a very good picture of issues in
biblical interpretation from Asian and African perspectives.
OTS 501 Fall 2011 Page 12 of 15
Bailey, Randall. Yet With a Steady Beat. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2003.
A volume that continues the work begun in Stony the Road We Trod.
Weems, Renita. Just A Sister Away. New York: Warner Books, 2005. An excellent
example of Womanist biblical interpretation.
OTS 501 Fall 2011 Page 13 of 15
Geography and History Library Project
Resources
This is a project that requires you to do some work in the library. Books are
available in the Divinity School Library, and also at many college libraries and even
many public libraries, that will be of use to you in this assignment. The following
resources will be of significant help in completing this assignment. You can find the
full bibliographic reference for the books in the bibliography in the syllabus.
Textbooks:
Old Testament Survey, esp. chapters 12, 13, 14, 15, 48, 49, and 50
HarperCollins Atlas of Bible History
HarperCollins Bible Dictionary
Other Texts:
Anchor Bible Dictionary, esp. articles on "Israel, History of," "King and
Kingship," "Mesopotamia, History of," "Egypt, History of"
John Bright, History of Israel, 4th Edition
Amihai Mazar, Archaeology of the Land of the Bible Oxford Bible Atlas
(If you can't find Mazar, look for one of the following: Yohanan Aharoni,
The Archaeology of the Land of Israel; W. F. Albright, The Archaeology
of Palestine; or Kathleen Kenyon, Archeology in the Holy Land.)
Class Notes:
History of Israel, Parts 1, 2, 3
Joshua
Judges
Questions
Answer each of the following questions using the resources listed above. Each
answer should be approximately 2 pages (typed, double-spaced).
1. What are the major geographical regions of ancient Israel (see OTS, ch. 48)? What
are the geographical characteristics of each of these regions? Who were the primary
inhabitants of each region (i.e. Philistines, Israelites, Edomites, etc.)? Using the atlas
and textbook, name at least three major cities in each of these regions.
2. What were the major empires in Afro-Asia during the period of Israel’s existence
as a nation (that is, from about 1250 BC to about 587 BC)? Where were they located
in relationship to the nation of Israel? Which major rivers were associated with each
of these powers? During what periods were each of these powers active?
3. Why was the land of Israel a battleground among the major empires of Afro-Asia?
What strategies did Israel, Judah, and the smaller states in the region employ to deal
with the major powers? Were any of these strategies successful? How did the major
empires affect the politics and faith of Israel and Judah?
OTS 501 Fall 2011 Page 14 of 15
4. Why is the settlement of Israel in the Land of Canaan a complicated matter as far
as historians are concerned? What three major theories have been advanced to
explain Israel’s settlement in Canaan? What kind of evidence does each theory
employ? What are the most significant problems with each of these theories?
5. What factors led to the establishment of the monarchy under Saul? As the
monarchy grew in power after David and Solomon under later kings, how did it
affect Israel’s social structure, economy, and faith? What criteria does the biblical
text use to evaluate the kings of Israel and Judah? How does this differ from the way
historians view the kings?
Note: Syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the professor, without prior notice.
OTS 501 Fall 2011 Page 15 of 15
AMM082111