Course Description

The Hebrew Bible (referred to by Christians as the Old Testament) is one of the foundational books of both western and world culture, and serves as the basis for Judaism and Christianity. This course will pursue close readings of selected biblical stories, acquaint students with critical methods for the study of the Bible, and situate the Hebrew Bible within the literature and culture of the ancient Near East. The focus will be primarily literary, stressing issues such as style, compositional history, plot, and characterization. Finally, students will be introduced to basic methods of scriptural interpretation among modern literary critics. All texts will be read in English translation.

Objectives

After completing this course students should have

1. become familiar with the contents of the books that make up the Old Testament;
2. the basic skills necessary for reading the Old Testament effectively, as well as a knowledge of the resources available for this task;
3. developed an awareness of the literary, cultural, geographical, political, and historical context of the ancient Near East as background to understanding the Old Testament;
4. an acquaintance with the history of the interpretation of the Old Testament, including current issues in Old Testament scholarship.

Contact Info

Course:  English 271 (Fall 2006)
Section:  001 (02393)
Meeting times:  MWF 9:00-9:50 a.m.
Classroom:  TPC 101

Instructor:  Anthony Ubelhor
Office:  1322 Patterson Office Tower
Office Hours:  MW, 1:45-2:45 p.m, 4:45-5:15 p.m. (or by appointment)
Phone:  (859) 257-6993 or (859) 257-7008
E-mail:  Anthony.Ubelhor@uky.edu
Home page:  http://ubelhor.home.mindspring.com/