Hebrew Scriptures

Exegesis Paper

due November 16, in class

 

1.     This paper is an opportunity for you to take a passage that interests you and discuss it. Choose a short passage (no more than two chapters) from Genesis-1 Samuel.


2.     Read it through several times. Develop your own questions about the passage. If it is a narrative section: who are the characters? How do they relate to each other? What seems to be the point of the story? What theological or moral lessons are being raised? what are the contrasting roles of men and women? Etc. If it is a legal section: what are the laws? what social situation do they reflect? are there moral ethical questions that the laws raise? Etc.


3.     The paper must include two sections (these may be interwoven in the actual writing of the paper, but both topics MUST be covered)


·      critical, historical approach to the passage. If it is a passage from the Torah/Pentateuch: to what source do the critics assign this passage? how does it fit in with the general critical understanding of that source? how does the source theory illuminate this passage? Do the proposals of source critics help you to understand the passage? Do they help to answer some of the questions you bring to the passage (see #2 above)?


·      your response to the passage, including


·      how you evaluate the historical-critical approach to the passage: is the source theory relevant? helpful? unbelievable? Explain why or why not. You don’t have to agree with the historical critical theory.  Explain why you agree or disagree, and put forward arguments for your position.


·      you may also bring in other ways to interpret the passage: midrashic exegesis, Christian exegesis (e.g., how the New Testament interprets this passage, how Catholic or Protestant tradition interprets it, etc.), artistic renditions, literary or poetic meditations, etc.


If you do so, thoroughly document your sources for these ways of interpreting it. Do not just rely on: "my rabbi told me";"my priest told me"; "my pastor told me", "my mother told me" -- get their sources and read them for yourself.


4.     The paper should be 6-8 pages long, typed, double space. Proofread it several times before handing it in to me, and USE THE SPELL-CHECK ON YOUR COMPUTER!! If you know that you have trouble with spelling, have a friend read it over. If you have trouble with writing papers, please come to me very soon, so I can help you.


5.     If you want to hand in a draft to show me, please do so, but give yourself plenty of lead time before the paper is due.

 

6.     Resources

These are books the Ithaca College library owns – some are on reserve, some are in the reference section of the library. Use these books to help you with the first section of the paper (historical, critical approach); you may find them useful as well in formulating your own thinking on the passage.

 

DO NOT USE THE INTERNET AS A SOURCE. It is not reliable, no one has edited the internet, anyone who feels like it can put up a web site and “express themselves” to the whole world, without knowing anything

      Commentaries

            JPS Torah commentary, Genesis-Deuteronomy (5 volumes), on reserve

                        Genesis (BS1235.3 .S325 1989)

                        Exodus (BS1245.3 .S27 1991)

                        Leviticus (BS1255.3 .L48 1989)

                        Numbers (BS1265.3 .M55 1990)

                        Deuteronomy (BS1275.3 .T54 1996)

            Torah, translation with commentary by Everett Fox (BS1223.A3 F68 1995)

Joseph Blenkinsopp, The Pentateuch: an introduction to the first five books of the Bible. (BS1235 .G8 1964)

            Genesis commentary by Claus Westermann (3 volumes) (BS1235.3 .W43213 1986)

            Genesis commentary by Gerhard von Rad (BS1235.3 .R3213 1972)

Gunkel, Hermann, 1862-1932. The legends of Genesis, the Biblical saga and history (BS1235 .G8 1964)

            Exodus commentary by Brevard Childs (BS1245.3 .C45)

            Exodus commentary by Ronald Clements (BS1243 .C55 1972)

            Deuteronomy commentary by Gerhard von Rad (BS1275.3 .R3)

            Deuteronomy commentary by Anthony Phillips (BS1275.3 .P47)

 

            Anchor Bible: Genesis (Reference BS192.2.A1 1964 .G3 vol. 1)

            Anchor Bible: Exodus (BS192.2 .A1 1964 .G3 v. 2)

            Anchor Bible: Numbers (BS1263 1964 .G3)

            Anchor Bible: Joshua (Reference BS192.2.A1 1964 .G3 vol. 6)

            Anchor Bible: Judges (Reference BS192.2.A1 1964 .G3 vol. 6A)

            Anchor Bible: 1 Samuel (Reference BS192.2.A1 1964 .G3 vol. 8)

            Anchor Bible: 2 Samuel (Reference BS192.2.A1 1964 .G3 vol. 9)

 

            Joshua (by Alberto Soggin) (BS1295.3 .S613)

            1-2 Samuel, by Robert Alter (BS1323 .A48 1999)

            Samuel (Soncino edition) (BS1323 .J48 1987)

 

On all the biblical books:

New Interpreter's Bible--articles, introduction, and commentary for biblical books (Reference BS491.2 .N48)

The Anchor Bible dictionary. (Reference BS440 .A54 1992)

 

On women in the Bible:

Ackerman, Susan. Warrior, dancer, seductress, queen: women in Judges and biblical Israel. BS1305.6.W7 A29 1998

Alice Bach, ed., Women in the Hebrew Bible

 

This page maintained by: Rebecca Lesses
Last revised December 14, 2002