The City of Jerusalem in History and Biblical Theology University of Notre Dame – Summer Session 2014 (July 7-25) Bradley C
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THEO 60170: The City of Jerusalem in History and Biblical Theology University of Notre Dame – Summer Session 2014 (July 7-25) Bradley C. Gregory ([email protected]) Introduction This course will examine the history of the city of Jerusalem through the biblical period and how that history gave rise to different theological ideas about the city. Topics will include the relationship of Jerusalem to David and his dynasty, the connection of Jerusalem to worship (sacred space, the temple, the Psalms), the role of Jerusalem in the development of biblical law, the importance of sieges and attacks on the city, the role of Jerusalem in prophetic eschatology, and the understanding of Jerusalem by Jesus and the New Testament authors. Some attention will also be given to how sacred space and the holy land have been understood in Christian theology. Conceptually, the course is structured around 7 “turning points” in the history of Jerusalem: (1) David’s conquest of Jerusalem (classes 1-2) (2) Solomon’s construction of the temple (classes 3 and 5) (3) The Assyrian siege of 701 BCE (class 4 and 5) (4) King Josiah’s reform in 621 BCE (class 6) (5) The destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon in 586 BCE and the Babylonian exile (classes 7-9) (6) The Maccabean crisis in 167-164 BCE (classes 10-11) (7) Jesus’s ministry and the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE (classes 12-14) Required Texts A good study Bible (HarperCollins, Catholic Study Bible, Oxford Study Bible) Leslie Hoppe, The Holy City: Jerusalem in the Theology of the Old Testament (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 2000; ISBN 0-8146-5081-3) Jon Levenson, Sinai & Zion: An Entry into the Jewish Bible (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1985; ISBN 0-06-254828-X) James Pritchard, HarperCollins Atlas of Bible History (San Francisco, HarperCollins, 2008; ISBN: 9780061451959) Other readings, marked with an asterisk, will be available on e-reserves. Course Requirements 1. Regular Attendance and Participation (10%) – Class periods will be mostly instructor led, with a mixture of lecture and seminar-style discussion. In order to participate fully students must have done the assigned reading and have it “under control” (if you need to brush up on the background of a reading from the Bible, read the short introduction in your Study Bible). This portion of the grade will be directly dependent on your demonstration that you have read the material thoughtfully and can speak intelligently about it. Therefore it is imperative that students have excellent attendance and arrive prepared and on time. Part of this preparation includes bringing your Study Bible to class. 2. Daily Response Papers (25%) – For each class period other than #1, 8, and 15, students will provide a ½ page (single spaced) response to a question provided by the instructor at the end of the previous class period. These response papers will involve thoughtful engagement with the reading assignments and will serve as a starting point for discussion. 3. Exams (30% each) – There will be two exams. These will be all essays. While mastery of data will be important, it will not be sufficient. You will need to show both nuanced comprehension and dexterous facility with the concepts and theological themes covered. Grades will be assigned on the following scale: 87% B+ 77% C+ 65% D 93% A 83% B 73% C >65% F 90% A- 80% B- 70% C- Schedule and Assignments Date Topic Assigned Reading 1 Introduction/Historical Hoppe, Holy City, 1-22 Monday Overview/ Geography Pritchard, Atlas, 10-19, 44-49, 62-71 (48) July 7 /Jerusalem before Israel 2 David and Zion 2 Samuel 1-10 Tuesday Pritchard, Atlas, 74-87 July 8 *Cline, Jerusalem Besieged, 11-32 Levenson, Sinai & Zion, pp. 89-101 (46) 3 Solomon and the Temple 1 Kings 1-8 Wednesday Psalms and Sacred Space *Monson, “Temple of Solomon: Heart of July 9 Jerusalem,” 1-22 Levenson, Sinai & Zion, 102-45. (63) 4 Hezekiah and 701 BCE 2 Kings 17-20, Isaiah 2-12 Thursday Isaiah’s Interpretation of 701 Pritchard, Atlas, 100-115 July 10 *Miller & Hayes, A History of Ancient Israel & Judah, 400-421 Hoppe, Holy City, 57-71 (50) 5 Jerusalem in the Psalms Psalms 15, 24, 29, 42-49, 93, 96-98 Friday Hoppe, Holy City, 23-41 July 11 Levenson, Sinai & Zion, 145-76 (49) 6 Jerusalem and the Development 2 Kings 21-23; Exodus 12 & 20:22-26; Monday of Biblical Law Deuteronomy 6, 12, & 16 July 14 Pritchard, Atlas, 116-121 Hoppe, Holy City, 43-56 Pilgrimage Festivals Levenson, Sinai & Zion, 176-84 *Gordon, “Marching to Zion,” 81-98 (44) 7 Fall of Jerusalem to Babylon 2 Kings 24-25; Habakkuk; Jeremiah 21, 25-28 Tuesday Pritchard, Atlas, 122-123 July 15 Hoppe, Holy City, 73-98 *Ackroyd, Exile and Restoration, 17-31 (41) 8 Exam #1 Wednesday Jerusalem in Ezekiel *Renz, “The Use of the Zion Tradition in July 16 Ezekiel,” 77-103 (26) 9 Jerusalem in Isaiah 40-55 Isaiah 40-55 Thursday Hoppe, Holy City, 99-110 July 17 Ezra 1-6, Zechariah 1-8 Pritchard, Atlas, 124-125 Restoration/Second Temple: Hoppe, Holy City, 111-126 Rebirth of Jerusalem *Gowan, Eschatology in the OT, 4-20 (45) 10 Jerusalem and OT eschatology Hoppe, Holy City, 127-150 Friday The Maccabean Crisis Pritchard, Atlas, 128-139 July 18 *Hayes & Mandell, The Jewish People in Classical Antiquity, 60-78 (52) 11 The Hasmoneans 1 Maccabees 1-9, 2 Maccabees 3-7, Daniel 7- Monday Apocalyptic 12 July 21 *Hayes & Mandell, The Jewish People in Classical Antiquity, 84-100 Hoppe, Holy City, 151-162 *Harrington, Maccabean Revolt, 17-35 (46) 12 Jerusalem under Rome/Herod Mark Tuesday the Great Pritchard, Atlas, 142-157 July 22 Jesus and Jerusalem *Wright, Jesus and the Victory of God, 489- 520 (46) 13 Jesus and Jerusalem (cont’d) *Wright, “Jerusalem in the New Testament,” Wednesday 53-77 July 23 *Wilken, The Land Called Holy, 46-64 (42) 14 70 CE, Judaism and Christianity Pritchard, Atlas, 170-179 Thursday *Dunn, Jews and Christians: The Parting of July 24 the Ways, 1-25 *Reed, “Parting of the Ways,” 1029-1031 (37) 15 Exam #2 July 25 Concluding Reflections .