Northern Seminary OT 302 THE FORMER PROPHETS Summer 2017 Tuesday, July 11 – Saturday, July 15, 2017

Jason Gile, Ph.D. Affiliate Professor of Old Testament [email protected]

WORK TO BE COMPLETED BY JULY 10 Students will submit a learning workbook for the first 10 “modules” listed in the course outline and the preaching assignment by July 10. See details below.

WORK TO BE COMPLETED AFTER THE INTENSIVE WEEK Three 4-page papers are due July 24, July 31, and August 7. The learning workbook for the last five modules are due August 21.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will acquaint students with the history, theology, and critical study of the Former Prophets of the Hebrew Bible: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. The focus is the proper interpretation of its message to Israel and its abiding significance for the church.

OBJECTIVES

After this course students will be able to:

1. demonstrate a basic understanding of the history and theology of the Former Prophets of the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings.

2. reflect on the Old Testament as an ancient document and its implications for interpretation.

3. understand the goals and methods of biblical historiography in its ancient context.

4. be familiar with the literary and artistic qualities of biblical narrative.

5. summarize the issues associated with writing a modern history of Israel.

6. understand how the exile and restoration of Israel serve as background for understanding the life and work of Jesus Christ.

REQUIRED TEXTS

1. Goheen, Michael W. A Light to the Nations: The Missional Church and the Biblical Story. Baker, 2011. 242 pages. $22.99. ISBN 0801031419.

2. Leuchter, Mark A. and David T. Lamb, The Historical Writings: Introducing Israel’s Historical Literature. Fortress, 2016. 672 pages. $49.00. ISBN 0800699505.

3. Arnold, Bill T. and H. G. M. Williamson. Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books. InterVarsity, 2005. 1084 pages. $60.00. ISBN 0830817824. (Abbreviated DOTHB in the course schedule)

4. Dutcher-Walls, Patricia. Reading the Historical Books: A Student’s Guide to Engaging the Biblical Text. Baker, 2014. 172 pages. $21.99. ISBN 0801048656.

5. Routledge, Robin. Old Testament Theology: A Thematic Approach. InterVarsity, 2009. 384 pages. $32.00. ISBN 0830828966.

6. Wright, Christopher J. H. Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament. 2nd ed. InterVarsity, 2014. 288 pages. $18.00. ISBN 978-0830823598.

7. Wright, Christopher J. H. How to Preach and Teach the Old Testament for All Its Worth. Zondervan, 2016. 288 pages. $18.99. ISBN 0310524644.

Topical Readings Provided by Professor (See below)

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1. Readings: Students are expected to prepare for each session by reading the assigned pages on time as indicated in the course schedule, including the biblical texts (prior reading does not substitute) and the secondary readings.

2. Learning Workbook: Students will write answers to learning questions for the 15 “modules” listed below in the course outline.

3. Preaching Assignment: Drawing from three sources provided by the professor, students will write a list of 6-10 “to-do’s” and “not-to-do’s” when preaching and teaching OT narratives. Each point should have a couple sentences of explanation. Assignment should be minimum 1 full page and maximum two pages (single spaced with one space between each item of the list). Due July 10. The three sources are:

Christopher Wright, How to Preach, 119-36 [18] Carol Kaminski, “Preaching from the Historical Books” [9] PDF John and Kim Walton, Bible Story Handbook, [18] PDF

4. Papers: Students will write three 4-page papers. Further instructions including bibliography will be distributed in class.

a. Describe the conventions of biblical history writing and their relevance for biblical interpretation. Due Monday July 24.

b. Write a letter to someone wrestling with the ethical problem of the annihilation of the Canaanites. Guide them through the theological issues in a way that ultimately affirms Christian faith. Due Monday July 31.

c. Describe the theology of Davidic kingship in the Old Testament. Due Monday Aug 7.

Papers should be double-spaced with one-inch margins, using 12-point Times font. Use footnotes, not endnotes. Students must follow the style guidelines found in Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (8th ed.; University of Chicago Press, 2013). Please contact me early in the course if you have questions about what is expected.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Due to the condensed nature of an intensive course, students may not miss more than a half day of class.

STUDENT EVALUATION

15% Paper #1 15% Paper #2 15% Paper #3 10% Preaching Assignment 45% Learning Workbook

GRADING SCALE

A = 100-95 A- = 94-90 B+ = 89-87 B = 86-83 B- = 82-80 C+ = 79-77 C = 76-73 C- = 72-70 D+ = 69-67 D = 66-63 D- = 62-60 F = 59 and below

COURSE OUTLINE AND SCHEDULE

DAY 1 (TUESDAY): WRITING HISTORY

Module 1: The Deuteronomistic History Optional Intro: PDF: Hill & Walton, “Intro to Historical Books,” 169–71 [3] Topical Reading: Leuchter & Lamb 10-23 [14] DOTHB, “Deuteronomistic History” [10] PDF: Noth, Deuteronomistic History, 20-30 [11] = 35 pp

Module 2: Poetics of Biblical Narrative Topical Reading: PDF: Berlin, Poetics and Interpretation, 13–22, 135–41 [17] Dutcher-Walls, ch. 2 [32] = 49 pp

FOR PAPER #1: Conventions of Ancient History Writing Optional Intro: PDF: Hill & Walton, “Intro to Historical Books” PDF 172–75 [4] Leuchter & Lamb 4-10 [7] Topical Reading: Dutcher-Walls, viii-xx, 1–7, 103-9, 133-61 [56] PDF: Walton, “Understanding the Past: Historiography” [21] = 68 pp

DAY 2 (WEDNESDAY): JOSHUA & JUDGES

Module 3: Book of Joshua: The Conquest of the Land Bible Reading: Joshua 1-24 Content Reading: Leuchter & Lamb 21-32, 43-54, 59-72, 88-91 [37] Topical Reading: Tamez, “Bible and the Five Hundred Years of Conquest” [14] = 51 pp

Module 4: Historicity of the Conquest Topical Reading: Leuchter & Lamb 32-43 [21] Shanks, “The Biblical Minimalists” [11] = 32 pp

For Paper #2: The Ethical Problem of the Canaanites Wright, “What about the Canaanites?” 86-108 [23] Leuchter & Lamb 55-58 [4] = 27 pp

Module 5: Book of Judges Bible Reading: Judges 1–21 Content Reading: Leuchter & Lamb 93-132 (skip section 2.3) = 38 pp

Module 6: Feminist Interpretation of Judges Bible Reading: Judges 11, 19 Topical Reading: Trible, “Feminist Hermeneutics” [6] Masenya, “Without a Voice,” [10] = 16 pp

DAY 3 (THURSDAY): BOOK OF SAMUEL / KINGSHIP

Module 7: The Desire for a King Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 1–15 Missional Story: Goheen 54-60 [7] Intro to the Book: Leuchter & Lamb 163-67, 184-881 [10] Kingship: Leuchter & Lamb 211-18 [8] Routledge 225-33 [8] PDF: Hamilton 230-43 (Pro and Anti-Monarchy) [14] = 47 pp

Module 8: Saul and David Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 16–31, 2 Samuel 1–24 Topics: Characters of Saul & David, Rise of David, Jerusalem [videos], David’s Sin [5.6], Succession Narrative, Tel Dan Stela [3.1] Content Reading: Leuchter & Lamb 188-92, 218-48 [36] DOTHB, “Zion Traditions” 1019-1024 (skip 3.3) [6] = 42 pp

For Paper #2: Theology of Kingship Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 7 Topical Reading: Routledge 233-37 [5] (Davidic Covenant) DOTHB, “Davidic Covenant” [6] PDF: Johnston, “God’s Covenant Promise to David” [17] PDF: Johnston, “Royal Psalms” (Ps 2,110,132), 75-83,91-105 [24] = 52 pp *Leuchter & Lamb on Davidic covenant = 232-34 [3]

Module 9: King Solomon Bible Reading: 1 Kings 1-11 Topics: Book of Kings Intro, Solomon, Temple Content Reading: Leuchter & Lamb 251-60, 322-31 [20] Topical Reading: DOTHB, “Solomon’s Temple” [7] = 38 pp

1 Skip: §2.2-2.3 (168-84) on sources & redaction of Samuel DAY 4 (FRIDAY): BOOK OF KINGS / JUDGMENT

Module 10: The Kings of Israel & Judah: History and Theology Bible Reading: 1 Kings 12-22, 2 Kings 1-17 History: Leuchter & Lamb, 260-71 (§2.1-2.3), 284-290 (§3.1-3.2), 295-308 (§3.4–3.6) [33] DOTHB, “Assyrian Period,” 462-69 (§2-5) [8] Theology: PDF: Cross, Canaanite Myth, 274-89 [16] = 57 pp

Module 11: The Last Years of Judah: Judgment & Crisis Bible Reading: 2 Kings 18-25 Content Reading: Leuchter & Lamb 347-58 [13] Topical Reading: Goheen 60-66 [7] DOTHB, “Assyrian Period,” 469-76 (§6-8) [8] DOTHB, “Babylonian Period” 478–85 [8] DOTHB, “Zion Traditions” 1024-25 (§3.3) [2] Bateman on Psalm 89, pages 88-91 [4] = 42 pp

Module 12: The “Ending” of the Old Testament: Restoration of Israel? Bible Reading: Ezra 1–3, 9; Nehemiah 1, 9, 13 Topical Reading: Goheen 66–73 [8] Routledge 261-76 [16] = 24 pp

DAY 5 (SATURDAY): ISRAEL’S MESSIAH-KING

Module 13: The Messiah in the Old Testament Routledge 276–98 [23] C. Wright, How to Preach, 26-33, 52-60 [17] PDF: Fitzmyer, The One Who Is to Come, 33-55 [23] = 63 pp

Module 14: Jesus: Suffering Messiah? Topical Reading: C. Wright, Knowing Jesus, chapter 4 [42] PDF: N.T. Wright, “Crucified Messiah” [22] = 64 pp

Module 15: Jesus & Israel’s Mission Topical Reading: C. Wright, Knowing Jesus, chapter 3 [31] C. Wright, How to Preach, 46-51 [6] Goheen 75-88, 191-99 [23] = 60 pp Pro Tip: Read the rest of Goheen’s Light to the Nations in your spare time

TOPICAL READINGS (Listed according to the Course Schedule)

Hill, Andrew E. and John H. Walton. “Introduction to the Historical Books.” Pages 169-71 in A Survey of the Old Testament. 2nd edition. Zondervan, 2000.

Noth, Martin. “The Central Theological Ideas.” Pages 20-30 in Reconsidering Israel and Judah: Recent Studies on the Deuteronomistic History. Sources for Biblical and Theological Study 8. Edited by Gary N. Knoppers and J. Gordon McConville. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 2000. Repr. from pages 89-99, 141-42 in The Deuteronomistic History. JSOTSup 15. Sheffield Press, 1981.

Berlin, Adele. Pages 13–22, 135–41 in Poetics and Interpretation of Biblical Narrative. Eisenbrauns, 1994.

Hill, Andrew E. and John H. Walton. “Introduction to the Historical Books.” Pages 172-75 in A Survey of the Old Testament. 2nd edition. Zondervan, 2000.

Walton, John H. “Understanding the Past: Historiography.” Pages 217-38 in Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible. Baker, 2006.

Tamez, Elsa. “The Bible and the Five Hundred Years of Conquest.” Pages 13–26 in Voices from the Margin: Interpreting the Bible in the Third World. Edited by R. S. Sugirtharajah. 3rd ed. Orbis, 2006.

Wright, Christopher J. H. “What about the Canaanites?” Pages 86-96 in The God I Don’t Understand: Reflections on Tough Questions of Faith. Zondervan, 2008.

Shanks, Hershel. “The Biblical Minimalists: Expunging Ancient Israel's Past.” Bible Review 13 (1997): 32-39, 50-52. Available online: http://www.basarchive.org.

Trible, Phyllis. “Feminist Hermeneutics and Biblical Studies,” Christian Century Feb. 3-10 (1982): 116-18. Available online: http://www.religion-online.org/ showarticle.asp?title=1281.

Masenya, Madipoane. “Without a Voice, With a Violated Body: Re-Reading Judges 19 to Challenge Gender Violence in Sacred Texts.” Missionalia 40 (2012): 205–16.

Hamilton, Victor P. Pages 230–43 in Handbook on the Historical Books: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah, Esther. Baker, 2001.

Johnston, Gordon H. “Messianic Trajectories in God’s Covenant Promise to David.” Pages 59– 74 in Jesus the Messiah: Tracing the Promises, Expectations, and Coming of Israel’s King. Edited by Herbert W. Bateman IV, Darrell L. Bock, and Gordon H. Johnston. Kregel, 2012.

Johnston, Gordon H. “Messianic Trajectories in the Royal Psalms.” Pages 75–105 in Jesus the Messiah: Tracing the Promises, Expectations, and Coming of Israel’s King. Edited by Herbert W. Bateman IV, Darrell L. Bock, and Gordon H. Johnston. Kregel, 2012.

Cross, Frank Moore. Pages 274–89 in Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic: Essays in the History of the Religion of Israel. Harvard University Press, 1973.

Fitzmyer, Joseph A. Pages 33-55 in The One Who Is to Come. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2007.

Wright, N.T. “Crucified Messiah.” Pages 74-95 in The Challenge of Jesus: Rediscovering Who Jesus Was and Is. 2nd edition. InterVarsity, 2015.

READINGS FOR PREACHING ASSIGNMENT

Kaminski, Carol M. “Preaching from the Historical Books.” Pages 57–65 in Preaching the Old Testament. Edited by Scott M. Gibson. Baker, 2006.

Walton, John H. and Kim E. Walton, The Bible Story Handbook: A Resource for Teaching 175 Stories from the Bible. Crossway, 2010.

PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is the act of passing off as one’s own the words or ideas of someone else without providing proper acknowledgment or documentation. Plagiarism may include, but is not limited to, the following:

Submitting as one’s own material copied, borrowed, or purchased from some other source. This includes, but is not limited to, downloading term papers from the internet, purchasing a paper from a “term paper mill,” reproducing parts or all of an article or book section, copying another student’s paper, and so on.

Copying verbatim or taking ideas from a source without providing documentation (i.e., footnote or quotation marks).

Copying verbatim or taking ideas from a source and providing fraudulent or misleading documentation.

Copying verbatim from a source without using quotation marks or a block quotation. When copied material is not properly identified with quotation marks, readers are led to believe that the material is the writer’s own words, when in fact it is someone else’s, which is the essence of plagiarism. Providing a footnote after copied material without using quotation marks is not adequate documentation and constitutes plagiarism.

Paraphrasing material that is too close to the original, whether documented properly or not. A paraphrase is unacceptable if it merely changes a few words or transposes phrases or sentences in the original source, but retains the bulk of the text as it originally appeared.

Since plagiarism is a form of claiming for ourselves what belongs to another, it constitutes an infringement on someone else’s intellectual property and is a form of stealing. It is a very serious violation of Christian ethics and raises profound questions about fitness for Christian ministry. The seminary takes these matters extremely seriously and will take disciplinary action against those who engage in plagiarism.

It is sometimes difficult to know whether or how to acknowledge and document certain kinds of material. When in doubt, consult Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 8th ed., 2013, especially those sections dealing with using quotations and footnotes. Students are expected to know and follow the guidelines in Turabian. Ignorance of them is no excuse. POLICIES FOR ALL MASTERS CLASSES

NOTE: All communications from the seminary will go to your seminary email account. Contact All Covered at (877) 224-8911 if you need help forwarding your seminary email address to your personal email address.

As a seminary community we hold integrity/hospitality as core values. Individuals are able to do their best work and thinking when their peers are fully present and engaged. We expect each person to both participate in class and carefully listen to others with the belief that everyone’s contribution is equally important. Therefore, the following policies have been established in order to provide clarity in regard to attendance expectations and relationships in the classroom.

Diploma/Certificate Student Course Requirements The amount of work required of Diploma/Certificate students will be at the discretion of the professor. Students will be responsible for contacting the professor about what assignments are required.

Class Attendance Policy It is expected that students will attend and participate in all class sessions. Failure to attend at least 80% of class sessions is grounds for automatic failure. A professor may set other more strict attendance expectations for a given course. Students are always expected to communicate with a professor in advance if they will be absent. Attendance expectations are higher for online, intensive courses, and integrative seminar (see syllabus for specific requirements).

Class Tardiness Policy The third time a student is late to the start of class, it will be counted as a class absence. It is also expected that students will return from a break by the time specified by the professor.

Food in the Classroom Drinks are welcome in the classroom. Food should only be consumed in the student commons and the breakroom. Please limit eating to before, after or during breaks from class.

Late Work Policy If a student cannot complete the work for a course by the due date listed on the syllabus, they must submit a “Request for a Grade of Incomplete” form to the Registrar by 4:30 of the last day of the term. The form must be signed by the instructor and Dean of Students. The professor may set stipulations and grade reductions. In the absence of a formal request form, the student will receive a grade based upon work completed by the last day of the term.

Turabian Format All papers, including footnotes and bibliography, must be submitted in the correct format according to Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 8th ed., 2013.

Plagiarism Plagiarism is the act of passing off as one’s own the words or ideas of someone else without providing proper acknowledgement or documentation. See the “Academic Honesty Policy” in the Seminary Catalog for more information on plagiarism and how to avoid it.

Electronic Format Unless otherwise specified by the professor, all work submitted electronically must be in a Word document format (.doc, .docx).

Technology Use in the Classroom Unless it is directly tied to note-taking or research for the class, students are expected to refrain from using cell phones, laptops, or other electronic devices during class.

Course Evaluation in Moodle Students must complete an online course evaluation using the seminary Moodle system at http://moodle.seminary.edu. The evaluation will be open at the end of the course. If you need assistance connecting to Moodle or accessing the evaluation, please send an email to [email protected].