Course objectives and requirements

• Discuss knowledgeably the times, lands, people, and institutions of the Old Testament.
• Describe how the following shaped Israel's understanding of the identity of God and the identity of Israel:
  • the covenants with Abraham, Moses, and David
  • the concept of salvation history
  • the Exodus and the Exile
  • the prophetic movement
  • wisdom literature
• Analyze the effect of Israel's faith on her history and vice versa.
• Clarify the different perspectives of Israel's priests, prophets, and sages.
• Distinguish the components of Israel's worship.
• Outline the historical development of the nation and the faith of Israel.

Attendance. You are expected to attend every class. In the event of an emergency, make every effort to contact me prior to the absence. Any missed work, including group discussion, must be made up outside of class time. In no case will any student who has missed more than 25% of class (i.e., eight classes) be able to pass the course.

Concept quizzes (10% of your final grade) The reading assignments listed in the schedule are to be completed before the session for which they are assigned. Starting with the second week of class, you will take a total of 10 one-question quizzes over the assigned reading to assess your understanding of the materials for the session. If you have an excused absence, you may make up a missed concept quiz by turning in a single-spaced page of notes on the assigned readings.

Small group leadership (45%) You will have the opportunity to lead a small group discussion on three preassigned topics. A schedule of topics will be presented at the first class meeting. You may sign up for your three choices at that time. At each of these assigned sessions you will lead your group members in a discussion of the materials under study. (See list of discussion questions.) Your notes for these discussions must be typed, grammatically correct, thorough, and orderly, with no misspellings. You will address the three questions provided and will also add at least four questions of your own (i.e., not from the notes of former students) and your responses. These questions should lead to discussion, not to one-word responses. After each of the seven questions and responses, leave sufficient space to write in additional information which may surface during the discussion. In all cases in which you type out direct quotes from a printed source or the internet, you must place the quote within quotation marks and give a reference, using the APA Manual format. On the last page of your notes, list the references you have used to do your research. You must have at least two sources additional to the NIV Study Bible to get full credit. You will be graded on your understanding of the materials as evidenced in your notes and on form (grammar, spelling, etc.) These three assignments are each worth 15% of your final grade.

Discussion (24%) All students are expected to prepare for and participate in the small group discussions. Your participation in each of the discussions led by other group members will account for 2% of your final grade, for a total of 24%. If you have an excused absence for a group discussion, you may obtain points by submitting answers to the (three) discussion questions for the session you missed.

Written exams (21%) Three exams will be given. The first exam will cover OT history through the period of the Judges. The second exam will cover the monarchy to 597 B.C. The third exam will cover the exilic period to the restoration. Each exam will count for 7% of your final grade. While concept quizzes deal exclusively with weekly reading assignments, the exams will include questions over materials discussed in class. For this reason, you should take notes; if you miss a class, get notes from a classmate.

Alternative credit (7% available) As a substitute for one exam, you may submit one of the following projects. This assignment may not be used as extra credit or substitute for anything other than an exam.

• Archeology assignment. This may be accessed only through the internet.
• Construction assignment. You may build a model of a building, gate, city, chariot, or musical instrument mentioned in the OT. Please verify this project with the professor before beginning to work on it.
• Biographical narrative. You may prepare and present a biographical narrative (monologue) as one of the characters appearing in the OT narrative. Students who wish to present a dramatic skitwith other students may work in groups no larger than four persons. Please verify this project with the professor before beginning to work on it.

Grading policy

Classroom policies

Respect Because the university classroom is a place designed for the free exchange of ideas, we will frequently encounter the opinions of others which may seem novel and, occasionally, outlandish. We must show respect for one another in all circumstances. I will show respect for you by not belittling or ignoring you. You will show respect for me by listening during lectures and not interrupting. We will show respect for one another by exhibiting patience and courtesy. We will show respect for our institutions (military and university) by not eating in the classroom and by leaving the room clean at the end of each session.

Student rightsYour rights as a student have been outlined in the current WBU catalogue. If you feel that your rights have been infringed upon in this class, please inform me or the director of the Hawaii center (Dr. Steven Reid). If you have a disability which will require particular attention on my part, you must inform me as soon as possible.

Discussion questions

Please note that not all of the following discussion questions will be assigned.

Schedule for Winter 2000

Note that all reading assignments should be completed prior to the session in which they are discussed. There will be no class on Jan 17 as this is a holiday. Sessions which have an asterisk (*) are group discussion days.

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