Apocalyptic Visions of Daniel (extra credit)

Read through the visions in the second half of the book of Daniel (Daniel 7-12). Is there anything here that seems key to the survival of the Jewish people? How would having the book of Daniel have helped the Jewish people go through difficult times, e.g., the time of Antiochus Epiphanes?

Malachi (extra credit)

Read all of Malachi. What is the condition of the Jewish people as he writes? What are the particular problems he addresses? How is the situation different from that addressed by earlier prophets, e.g., Isaiah and Jeremiah? What keys to Jewish survival do you see here?

Haggai and Zechariah

Skim through Haggai and/or Zechariah. Note the problems in the Jewish community that these two prophets address. How would their prophetic message have helped in rebuilding Jerusalem and in helping reforms among the Jewish people? What aspects of their teachings might have helped the Jewish people survive even after the temple was destroyed and the Jews were removed from their land again?

You may turn this into two "extra credit" blogs if you like: one entry on each book.

Nehemiah (extra credit)

Skim through Nehemiah. Note that much of this book is Nehemiah’s account of his own role in helping the rebuilding of Jerusalem and in restoring the Jewish people. Note the problems he faces. What does Nehemiah seem proud of in terms of his own record/conduct? What obstacles does he face? What seems to be his motivation?

Ezra (extra credit)

Read Ezra Ch. 1 and Ch. 3-7. What difficulties do the Jews face as they try to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple? What helps them overcome these difficulties? Note especially the role of leaders like Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Haggai, Zechariah, and Ezra himself. Also note the contrasting attitudes of Persian leaders, e.g., Cyrus and Artaxerxes.

Daniel and Job (Assignment for Thursday, April 19)

On Tuesday, April 17, we will be finishing up Jeremiah and talking about Ezekiel.  Please remember to bring with you the "choral reading" sheets from Jeremiah and Lamentations.

For Thursday, April 19, please read through my study questions on the problem of evil and then Chapters 1-5, 19 and 37-42 of the Book of Job and Chapters 1-7 and 12 of the Daniel.  Add your response to the prompt below:

Both Daniel and Job deal with the problem of evil.  If the world is the creation of an all-powerful and loving God, why is there so much evil in the world?  The two books approach the problem from different perspectives.  Pick here one verse from each book that seems to you to be particularly important either in helping explain the problem of evil or in showing how a good man should live in a world full of evil.

Proverbs (extra credit)

For extra credit, please read the first three chapters of Proverbs and skim the rest of the book. Choose a proverb or two that you think is a particularly good example of Hebrew contributions to human wisdom. Explain why you chose this proverb/these proverbs.

Ecclesiastes--Extra Credit

Because I was called for jury duty last week, we're going to have to skip some material--material I think most of you would have really liked.  One of the things we'll skip is Ecclesiastes.  If you would like, you can read that book for extra credit. Please respond to the following prompt:

For some people, Ecclesiastes is their favorite book in the entire Bible. Others wonder why it is in the Bible at all. What's your reaction? Did you find this book more or less enjoyable/valuable than the other books you've read for this class?

Synagogue visit this Thursday!

I have arranged for the class to tour Aberdeen's synagogue (B'Nai Isaac) this Thursday. Please meet me at the synagogue (202 N Kline Street, Aberdeen SD)at 9:30. If you have an 8:00 class and will arrive a bit late, please look for us in the basement of the synagogue. Walk right in.

To get to the synagogue from NSU, just go north on Kline Street. Go past Alexander Mitchell library and across the railroad tracks. You'll see the synagogue on the right hand side of the road. It's a small building on the corner of Kline and 2nd Ave. NE. It's right next to St. Mary's church: you won't miss that!

If you need a ride to the synagogue, please meet me at the north door of Dakota Hall at 9:25. I have room for seven passengers in my mini-van, and I live right be NSU anyway, so it won't be hard for me to take you to the synagogue and back to NSU.

The tour will last about an hour, so you won't have any trouble getting back to NSU in time for an 11:00 class.


Please confirm that you got the message about the synagogue visit either by adding a comment here or sending me an e-mail.  I'll try to call those who didn't confirm tomorrow morning.

Ezekiel

I am hoping to clear up enough class time so we can visit Temple B'nai Israel, so let's plan on doing *all* of Ezekiel for next time. Please read my study questions on Ezekiel. Then read Chapters 1-12, 33, and 37 of Ezekiel itself.

What do you find here that suggests that Ezekiel's message was a burden? Are there any passages that particularly well reflect hope, beauty, faith in the triumph of justice, or anything else that makes that burden worth bearing?

Jeremiah--Discussion II

Please skim through Chapters 31-44 of Jeremiah, then go back an read more closely three or four chapters that seem to you particularly interesting.  What do you see in these chapters that shows Jeremiah's message to be a burden. Is there anything here to suggest why that burden is worth bearing?

Jeremiah--Discussion I

Please read through my Jeremiah study questions and then as much as you can of the first half of Jeremiah. Be sure to read Chapters 16, 20, 23, and 28.

Suppose you are asked to help prepare an anthology of great quotations from the ancient world. There are going to be two Jeremiah quotes, and you get to one of them. Of all of Jeremiah's many quotable lines, which two would you choose? Why this line? Of the other verses suggested by students in this class so far, which would you choose for your 2nd Jeremiah quote?

If you are one of the first three or four posters, you can choose an extra quote from Jeremiah on your own rather than commenting on another poster's verse.

Isaiah--Discussion 2

Please read Isaiah 36-39 and any five chapters of your choice from Isaiah 40-66. Suppose you are asked to help prepare an anthology of great quotations from the ancient world. There are going to be two Isaiah quotes, and you get to pick one of them. Of all of Isaiah's many quotable lines, which would you choose? Why this particular line? Of the lines already suggested by other contributors to this blog (either on this thread or the Isaiah I thread) which of those lines do you think would be the best to have as the second Isaiah quote? Why?

Isaiah 1

Please read again the Amos and Isaiah study questions, and then Chapters 1-11 of Isaiah. What do you find here that suggests that Isaiah's message was a burden? Is there a passage here that particularly well reflects hope, beauty, faith in the triumph of justice, or anything else that would have made this burden worth bearing?

Amos

Please read these study guide questions on Amos and Isaiah and then all nine chapters of Amos. Choose any of the first 13 study guide questions and suggest an answer to that question here.

I would be particularly interested in your comments on Amos' use of imagery. Do you find any of Amos' images particularly effective? Particularly disturbing?

II Kings

Please read portions of II Kings for Tuesday after spring break.  Look especially at the stories of Elijah, Josiah, and Hezekiah. Does it seems to you that any of the stories in II Kings have the makings of good tragedy? Or is the II Kings account better viewed as history, biography, or prophecy rather than as tragedy?  Cite below any passages/verses you think particularly support your view.

I Kings and II Kings 1-17

Please go back to I Kings and read carefully the sections on Elisha and Ahab. We will start Thursday's class with a discussion of that material.

In addition to finishing/reviewing the above material, please read my I and II Kings study questions, and then as much as you can of II Kings 1-17 for Thursday's class.  Read especially closely the chapters on Elisha.

Does it seems to you that any of the stories in the latter part of I kings or the first part of II Kings have the makings of good tragedy? Or is the material here better viewed as history, biography, or prophecy rather than as tragedy?  Cite below any passages/verses you think particularly support your view.

I Kings

Please read my study questions on I Kings and then as much as you can of I Kings for next Tuesday. Please read especially closely the chapters on Solomon. Does it seems to you that the I Kings account of Solomon has in it the makings of a good tragedy? Or is the I kings account better viewed as history, biography, or prophecy rather than as tragedy? Cite below any passages/verses you think particularly support your view.

II Samuel

Please read my II Samuel study questions and then all of II Samuel. Choose one of the study guide questions and suggest an answer to that question below. Please try to choose a study question not already addressed by another student.

I Samuel--Session II

For Tuesday's class, please read/review I Samuel. Does this book seem to you to be best classified as history, prophecy, biography, tragedy, or something else entirely? Cite one passage/story in this book that you think particularly supports your view of this book.

I Samuel

Please read through my study questions for I Samuel and then through I Samuel itself. Which of the many episodes in this book do you find the most tragic? What is the lesson to be learned from this story? Alternatively, choose an episode/incident you find uplifting, and explain why you like this particular passage.

Please note that we are just a bit behind the syllabus schedule. My plan is to finish Judges next time and get through as much of I Samuel as possible. We will probably finish I Samuel and Start II Samuel on Tuesday next week, then finish II Samuel on Thursday. We'll then be right on track with the syllabus schedule.

Joshua and Judges

Please read through my study questions on Joshua and the Book of Judges and then read Chapters 1 and 24 of Joshua as much as you can of the book of Judges.  

Of the approximately twelve judges, which one do you find most interesting? What is heroic about this character? What (if any) are his/her "warts"? What do you think is the most important lesson to be learned from the story of that judge?  If you prefer, you can comment on Joshua rather than one of the judges.

Deuteronomy--Discussion 2

Please read through the remaining chapters of Deuteronomy. Cite here one law you think is particularly good--part of what makes Deuteronomy a fine law code. Cite also one law that you find disturbing, difficult or hard to understand--something that one might *not* (at least at first) think of as part of a particularly good law code.

Remember that there is an exam coming up next Thursday!

Deuteronomy

In Deuteronomy, as in Exodus, the writer gives us a lot of preliminary material before he gets to the actual “rules and regulations” of the law. Please read through the Deuteronomy study questions on my History 413 Web page. Then read as much of you can from Deuteronomy Chapters 1-15.

What is there in this preliminary material you find particularly, interesting, important, or worth discussing in class? In what way does this material show Deuteronomy to be a particularly fine law code or something more than just a law code?

Exodus

Please read my Exodus study questions and then Chapters 1-20 and 32-34 of Exodus.

Of the stories here, which one seems to you the most interesting or the most important? Explain how that story is particularly appropriate as an example of Torah "law," or explain how that story shows the Torah to be something more than just a law code.

Genesis 26-50 (extra credit)

Please read (or at least skim through) the stories in Genesis 25-50. Which of these stories do you find most interesting? Explain how that story is particularly appropriate as an example of Torah "law," or explain how that story shows the Torah to be something more than just a law code.

Genesis 12-25

Torah" can rightly translated as "law," but the Torah is a lot more than just rules and regulations. "Torah" might also be translated as "rule," "instruction," or "principle," and it is sometimes useful to think of the Torah as simply "the way," i.e., instruction on the way we ought to live our lives.

Please read through as much as you can of the lives of Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 11-25). In what ways do the lives of these two figures reflect "torah" in the latter sense? Cite an instance where either Sarah or Abraham seems to you a particularly good example of how we ought (or ought not) to live our lives.

A Very Good Place to Start (Genesis 1-11)

Please read my study questions on Genesis and then Genesis Chapters 1-11. Remember that I am more concerned with the quality of your reading than the quantity. Once you've read the assignment, pick out a key verse from the assigned chapters and do one (1) of the following:

1. Explain why you think this verse the key to understanding what the selection is about.
2. Explain why you think this verse is the best/most memorable in the assigned reading.
3. Explain why you think this verse is the most difficult/hard to understand in the passage.

Welcome!

How is this blog different from all other blogs? Well, for one thing, it invites you to join in the long tradition that began with the men of the Great Synagogue, continued through the periods of the Tannaim and the Amoraim, (teachers and interpreters), and continues today in churches and synagogues throughout the world. You have here the opportunity to contribute your questions and comments to an ongoing discussion of the most interesting, most important, most studied--and most often misunderstood--books ever written, the books of what Jews call the Tanak and Christians the Old Testament.

To get started, here's a test of the History 413 blog system. If you don't already have one, please create for yourself a "Blogger" account by following the instructions at http://www.blogger.com/. Be sure to create a blogger profile which includes your e-mail address. Otherwise, I can't reply directly to your post.

To make sure your e-mail address is accessible to me, please log on to your blogger account. Click "edit profile" (toward the top on the right). Then click the box that says to make your e-mail address accessible.

When you have created your blogger account and your profile, click the "comments" link below, and answer one (1) of the following questions:

1. Would you rather make comments on a blog, or write a term paper?
2. Which Old Testament figure do you identify with the most, and why?
3. Which is your favorite book of the Old Testament, and why?