1. General Observations

 

Honesty Policy:  All academic work must meet the standards contained in ÒA Culture of Honesty.Ó All students are responsible to inform themselves about those standards before performing any academic work.
 
This Syllabus:  The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary.
 
Expectations: You are expected to come to class. You are expected to be on time. You are expected to turn off your cell phones etc. during class. You are expected to complete the assigned readings in preparation for class. You are expected to participate in class, to be respectful of others and to refrain from unduly dominating class discussion.

 

2. Course Description

 

A study of the political, social and religious contexts of the New Testament writings with special reference to Early Judaism

 

3. Objectives

 

To learn about the world(s) of the New Testament with special reference to political history, society and culture, Greco-Roman religion and philosophy, and key features of Early Judaism and Christianity; to become familiar with primary sources outside the New Testament; to read texts with a view to their standpoints and biases

 

3. Texts and Resources (Required)

 

Harding, Mark, ed. Early Christian Life and Thought in Social Context: A Reader. New York: T & T Clark, 2003. [= H]

 

Grabbe, Lester L. An Introduction to First-Century Judaism: Jewish Religion and History in the Second Temple Period. London: Continuum International, 1996 [G]

 

Nickelsburg, George W.E., and James C. VanderKam. 1 Enoch. A New Translation. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2004 [NV]

 

4. Time, Place and Office Hours

 

The course will meet from 9.05am-9.55am on MWF in room 219A (Peabody). My office hours are from 10am-11.30am on Wednesdays in Room 216B (Peabody). If you intend to stop by at this time or wish to arrange another time to meet, please contact me at wcoppins@uga.edu.

 

5. Format:

 

The course will be based around a mixture of brief lectures, small group discussions and class discussions. The lectures will take their basic structure from Mark HardingÕs book Early Christian Life and Thought in Social Context. For each class, students will be expected to study the relevant section(s) from Harding. 

 

6. Course Requirements:

 

10%     Attendance (see below, page 3)

10%     Book Review of L. GrabbeÕs An Introduction to First-Century Judaism (1996).

20%     Exam 1 (H 1-108)                  

18%     Exam 2 (H 109-207)              

20%     Research Paper on the Son of Man in 1 Enoch 37-37

22%     Final exam (H 208-330)         

7. Key Dates

 

Aug 17-20:      Drop for undergraduate level courses                         

Aug 17-21:      Add for undergraduate level courses

Aug 17-24:      Drop for graduate level courses

Aug 17-25:      Add for graduate level courses

 

Sept 2              Rough Draft of Book Review Due

Sept 14                        Grabbe Book Review Due (10%)

Sept 23                        Exam 1 (20%)

Oct 5                2-3 Pages of Notes on 1 Enoch 37-71 Due

Oct 26              Exam 2 (18%)

Nov 2               Rough Draft of Research Paper Due

Nov 30                        Research Paper Due

Dec 14             Final Exam (22%): Monday, 8-11am

 

8. Your Book Review (for all papers, see handout on formatting guidelines that I will email you)

 

Write a 5-7 page review of Grabbe, Lester L. An Introduction to First-Century Judaism: Jewish Religion and History in the Second Temple Period. London: Continuum International, 1996.

 

Your review should contain a mixture of description and analysis. While much of the review may consist of presenting or describing what Grabbe says, you should include at least some analysis of his work, which raises questions, highlights potential weaknesses or advances independent arguments.

 

9 Your Research Paper (see also the Bibliography and Format Handouts [email])

 

Write an 10-13 page paper on 1 Enoch 37-71 with special reference to its main figure

* See Handout for Format Requirements. See preliminary bibliography handout for resources.

 

a) Notes on Primary Text: Read 1 Enoch 37-71 (Nickelsburg/VanderKam, 50-95) and email me a 1-3 page document of notes on what you have read; give special attention to what is said about the main figure, e.g., the terms used to speak of him, the functions attributed to him etc.

* 10 Pages off final paper grade if you miss the deadline for handing in your notes (Oct 5)

 

b) First Draft: Write a 6-10 page rough draft of your paper on 1 Enoch 37-71 with reference to the literature listed on your bibliographical handout, breaking down your argument as follows:                I. Introduction (ca. ½ page; write last); II. General discussion of 1 Enoch 37-71 (ca. 2-3 pages);       III. Discussion of what is said about the main figure: here you may wish to give attention to issues such as the terminology used for him, the various Biblical figures and scriptures that the author draws upon, and his function and identity in the work (ca. 2-4 pages); IV. Discussion of the date of 1 Enoch 37-71 and its relation to the New Testament (ca. 1-2 pages); Conclusion (ca. ½ page; write last).

* 10 Pages off final paper grade if you miss the rough draft deadline (Nov 2)

 

c) Final Draft: Write the final draft of your 10-13 page paper on 1 Enoch 37-71 with reference to some (the more the merrier) of the additional literature listed on your bibliographical handout.

* 5 points off for every day the paper is late (due Nov 30)

 

 

 

Attendance and Participation Policy

 

The UGA attendance policy (http://bulletin.uga.edu/bulletin/ind/attendance.html) states that Òstudents are expected to attend classes regularly. A student who incurs an excessive number of absences may be withdrawn from a class at the discretion of the professor.

 

If you have more than 15 unexcused absences, you will be withdrawn from the class.

 

An excused absence is one that is unavoidable for emergency or pressing reasons e.g., incapacitating illness, death in one's immediate or close family or of someone close to the student.  (Sleeping late, hangovers, and studying for exams are not accepted as excused absences.). Job (or other) interviews also do not constitute an excused absence, though I may view them as such in some cases. Doctor and dental appointments may or may not be excusable. Consult the instructor prior to the absence, if at all possible; if this is not possible, then consult the instructor as soon as possible after the fact. Attendance at weddings, baptisms, bar or bat mitzvahs, etc. are not normally excusable absences. But, again, consult the instructor.

 

1) Attendance is required and classroom participation is strongly encouraged.

2) Unless you obtain permission, you may not leave before class is dismissed

3) If you come in after I have closed the door you will be marked ÒlateÓ; if you are late three times, this will be counted as an absence. If you arrive after I have called role, you will marked Òextra lateÓ; if you are extra late two times, this will be counted as an absence.

4. Participation will be taken into account if your grade is borderline.

 

Attendance Scale

 

0                                  100%

1                                  99

2                                  97

3                                  95

4                                  90

5                                  85

6                                  80

7                                  75

8                                  70

9                                  60        

10                                 50

11                                 40

12                                 30

13                                 20

14                                 10

15                                 0                     

+ 15                              WF

 

MAKE UP EXAMS

 

You are expected to be present for all exams. If you miss an exam without a valid excuse, then you may or may not be permitted to make it up. If you are permitted to make it up, then you will automatically lose 10 points for missing the exam. If you miss an exam for a valid reason (see above), then you will either be permitted to make it up or greater weight shall be assigned to another exam or to your final exam.

Class Schedule

 

H = Harding, Mark, ed. Early Christian Life and Thought in Social Context: A Reader.

 

G = Grabbe: An Introduction to First-Century Judaism (1996)

 

1. Aug 17 (M): Introduction: Expectations/Objectives/Format                                                 1(3)

 

-- Aug 17-20: Drop for undergraduate level courses

-- Aug 17-21: Add for undergraduate level courses

-- Aug 17-24: Drop for graduate level courses

-- Aug 17-25: Add for graduate level courses

 

2. Aug 19 (W): Historical Overview: Grabbe article, Israel From the Rise of Hellenism to 70 CE [ER]

 

3. Aug 21 (F): H 5-9 [1.1-1.2]                                                 4

 

4. Aug 24 (M): H 9-16 [1.3-1.5]                                             7                                                          2(3)

 

-- Aug 22: First of Ramadan

 

5. Aug 26 (W): H 16-22 [1.6]                                      7

 

6. Aug 28 (F): H 23-38 [1.7-1.9]                                             15

 

7. Aug 31 (M): H 38-44 [1.10-1.11]                           7                                                          3(3)

 

8. Sept 2 (W): H 44-52 [1.12]                                      9

    Rough Draft of Book Review Due

 

9.  Sept 4 (F): H 56-62 [2.1-2.3]                                  7

 

-- Sept 7: No Class (Labor Day)                                                                                                           4(2)

 

10. Sept 9 (W): 62-70 [2.4-2.5]                                               8                     

 

11. Sept 11 (F): 70-75 [2.6]                                         5

 

12. Sept 14 (M): 75-81 [2.7-2.8]                                             6                                                          5(3)

      Book Review Due

 

13. Sept 16 (W): 81-88 [2.9-2.11]                               7

 

14. Sept 18 (F): 88-96 [2.12-2.13]                              8                                             

 

15. Sept 21 (M): 96-103 [2.14-2.16]                           7                                                          6(3)

 

16. Sept 23 (W): Exam 1 [H 1-108]

 

 

 

 

17. Sept 25 (F): H 109-112 [3.1]                                             4                                             

 

18. Sept 28 (M): H 112-117 [3.2-3.3]                         5                                                          7(3)      Yom Kippur

 

19. Sept 30 (W): 117-127 [3.4-3.6]                             10

 

20. Oct 2 (F): H 129-143 [4.0-4.1]                              14

     

21. Oct 5 (M): H 129-143 [4.1]                                               14                                                        8(3)

      2-3 pages of notes on 1 Enoch 37-71 Due

 

22. Oct 7 (W): H 143-153 [4.2-4.3]                             10

 

-- Midpoint of the Semester

 

23. Oct 9 (F): H 153-159 [4.4]                                                6

 

24. Oct 12 (M):            159-163 [4.5]                                      5                                                          9(3)

   

25. Oct 14 (W): H 163-171 [4.6-4.8]                           8                     

 

26. Oct 16 (F): H 175-181 [5.1]                                              6

 

27. Oct 19 (M): H 181-191 [5.2-5.4]                           10                                                        10(3)

  

28. Oct 21 (W): H 194-203 [6.0-6.2]                           9

 

-- Oct 22: WITHDRAWAL DEADLINE

 

29. Oct 23 (F): H 203-207 [6.3-6.5]                            4

 

30. Oct 26 (M): Exam 2 [H 109-207]                                                                                                11(2)

 

31. Oct 28 (W): H 208-211 [7.0-7.1]                           4

 

-- Oct 30: Fall Break

 

32. Nov 2 (M): H 211-216 [7.2]                                              5                                                          12(3)  

      Rough Draft of Research Paper Due

 

33. Nov 4 (W): H 216-220 [7.3-7.4]                           4

 

34. Nov 6 (F): H 220-224 [7.5]                                               4

 

35. Nov 9 (M): H 224-231 [7.6]                                              6                                                          13(3)

 

36. Nov 11 (W): H 231-238 [7.7-7.8]                         7

      Veterans Day

     

37. Nov 13 (F): H 238-249 [7.9-7.11]                         11

 

38. Nov 16 (M): H 249-256 [7.12-7.13]                                 7                                                          14(3)

 

39. Nov 18 (W): H 256-267                                        11

 

40. Nov 20 (F): H 273-284 [8.0-8.5]                           11

      Last Day of Class Prior to Thanksgiving Break

 

-- Nov 23-27: Thanksgiving                                                                                                    15(0)

 

41. Nov 30 (M): H 284-291                                        (7)                                                       16(3)

      Research Paper Due

 

42. Dec 2 (W): H 291-299                                           (8)

 

43. Dec 4 (F): H 299-308                                            (9)

 

44. Dec 7 (M): H 309-324                                           (15)                                                     17(2)

 

45. Dec 8 (Tu): H 325-330                                          (5)

      Friday Class Schedule in Effect

 

46. Dec 14 (Mon): 8-11am Final Exam (H 273-330)