Old Testament - Particular questions

Teacher(s)

. SOMEBODY; Richelle Matthieu;

Language

French

Main themes

In order to achieve this end,
- a group of Old Testament texts, selected for their methodological or theological interest, will be studied;
- particular attention will be paid to the method, in order to introduce the students to critical research in biblical exegesis or theology.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	offer a scientifically accurate comment of an Old Testament text, situating its particular contribution in the general topic of the course.

Content

Theme of the course in 2020-2021 : Hezekiah’s reign between Bible and archaeology
We will study 2 Kings 18-19, with a look at the parallel section in Isaiah 36-39. These texts will be compared to the other historical sources that are available, and to the relevant archaeological data (including ancient inscriptions).

Teaching methods

The method employed in the course is the philological-historical approach, which, in this case, entails : philological analysis, redactional analysis, and historical study.

Evaluation methods

Continuous assessment :

1. Activities in preparation for the classes (to be uploaded on Moodle) and during the classes (active participation required). [30% of final grade]
2. Oral presentation of a case study consisting in the confrontation between a biblical text and archaeological data. [30% of final grade]
3. Writing a commentary of a passage in 1-2 Kings, according to the philological-historical approach. [40% of final grade]

Except for students who follow this course exclusively online, attendance at the classes is obligatory and will count in the first evaluation (item 1 above). In case of three or more unjustified absences, the course will not be validated. (The sanitary restrictions related to covid 19 may entail justified absences.)
If a student misses or fails assessment, this will result in one of the two following situations:

• It is possible that the final grade, average of the three grades, still allows the student to validate the course ;
• If not, he will need to write an essay during Q3 (third quadrimester).

Other information

Prerequisite : a course of introduction to the Old Testament ; ability to translate a Hebrew text into French or into English.

Faculty or entity

TEBI