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HU Credits:
4
Degree/Cycle:
1st degree (Bachelor)
Responsible Department:
Bible
Semester:
Yearly
Teaching Languages:
Hebrew
Campus:
Mt. Scopus
Course/Module Coordinator:
Prof. Nili Wazana
Coordinator Office Hours:
by appointment
Teaching Staff:
Prof. Nili Wazana
Course/Module description:
"Reading in the Book of Joshua" is a workshop for studying a historiographical biblical text ("Text Year A" in the Department of Bible). During the course, we will learn the tools for analyzing the text: textual, linguistic, interpretive, literary, geographical, historical, and ideological, and we will learn to evaluate the Book of Joshua and its place in the Bible. Among the questions we will address in the course: How is the fulfillment of the promise of the land described? What is 'herem' (ban)? What is the relationship between conquest and settlement according to the Book of Joshua? Is the Book of Joshua a reliable historical source for the early period of Israelite settlement in the land?
Course/Module aims:
To become familiar with the contents of the Book of Joshua;
To learn to read, analyze, and understand the Book of Joshua;
To acquire tools for analyzing historiographical texts in the Bible;
To understand how the Book of Joshua can be used as a possible historical source for the early settlement period of the people of Israel in the Land of Israel.
Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
To distinguish between different literary layers in a biblical historiographical text;
To become familiar with and use the following terms: Deuteronomistic editing, etiology, cyclical/repetitive motifs, herem (ban), Septuagint, literary insertion;
To use the following tools: concordance, BHS (Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia), biblical dictionaries, commentaries; literary comparison between different biblical texts.
Attendance requirements(%):
80
Teaching arrangement and method of instruction:
Discussion and dialogue on the issues that arise from the scriptures, in light of prior preparation.
Course/Module Content:
God's words of encouragement to Joshua (Joshua 1)
The story of Rahab and the spies in Jericho (Joshua 2; 6)
The conquest of Jericho and the ban (herem)
The story of the conquest of Ai: failure and success
The story of the altar at Shechem
The story of the Gibeonites
The war against the southern coalition (Joshua 10)
The summaries of the conquest (Joshua 10; 11)
The failures of the conquest: the land that remains (Joshua 13)
The conquest and settlement according to the second half of the Book of Joshua (Joshua 14–21)
Required Reading:
See the Hebrew section
Additional Reading Material:
see the Hebrew section
Grading Scheme :
Written Exam % 50
Essay / Project / Final Assignment / Referat 40 %
Mid-terms exams 10 %
Additional information:
At the beginning of the course, a proficiency test on the Book of Joshua will be held (10% of the grade).
In the middle of the course (before the semester break), a homework assignment will be submitted (40% of the grade).
At the end of the course, a final exam will take place (50% of the grade).
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