1. HOME
  2. NEWS
  3. RCAST Report
  4. Intensive Lecture Course on The Hebrew Bible: Topics in Modern Research Lecturer: Dr. Naphtali

Intensive Lecture Course on The Hebrew Bible: Topics in Modern Research Lecturer: Dr. Naphtali

  • Information

October 14, 2021

Division of Religion and Global Security at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST) , the University of Tokyo launches an intensive lecture course on the Hebrew Bible, inviting Dr. Naphtali Shmuel Meshel of Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Course Description

This course is intended for the Japanese academic audience who is interested, among others, in the religion(s) of ancient Israelites, Judaism and comparative religion. It aims to introduce students to the Hebrew Bible ("Old Testament") in its ancient Near Eastern setting. Key concepts often associated with the Hebrew Bible, such as God, damnation, sin, and history, will be scrutinized through a careful reading of a selection of Biblical texts including the Creation and Garden of Eden narratives in Genesis, the laws of Leviticus, the prophecies of Ezekiel and the poetry of Song of Songs. Particular attention will be paid to questions of authorship—possible dating, social setting, and original audiences; and to transformations that the texts underwent through a continuous process of transmission and interpretation.

NOTE

The course is an introductory-intermediate course; no previous knowledge of the subject is expected or assumed. Course Description

Objectives

By the end of the semester, students should

  • Be able to offer a clear account of the general contents of each of the books of the Hebrew Bible
  • Gain an understanding of the ways in which the Biblical texts were formed and transmitted
  • Have a clear understanding of the main historical processes that shaped the Israelite communities in the first millennium B.C.E.
  • Attain an understanding of key concepts reflected in the books of the Hebrew Bible
  • Hone their skills as close readers and as critical thinkers

Books

The primary text used in the course is the Hebrew Bible (in English translation) according to the following two editions:

*NOAB
The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version With The Apocrypha (Fully Revised Fourth Edition; ed. Michael D. Coogan; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010

*JSB
The Jewish Study Bible (ed. Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004).

Students may consult one of the Japanese translations.

Required reading and further (optional) reading
All Biblical texts are required reading. Other titles listed are optional

Course Schedule

Day One: Echoes from the Past (February 6, 2022, Sun)
[1]
From Faint Echo to Heroic Cycle (9:45-10:45)
Judges 13–16; 1 Samuel 17
[2]
Forbidden Fruit: Reading and Misreading the Bible (11:00-12:00)
Genesis 1–4
Additional reading:
1.
“Enuma eliš”
2.
“Adapa”
Recommended literature:
1.
Bernard M. Levinson, “The Seductions of the Garden and the Genesis of Hemeneutics as Critique” in “The Right Chorale”: Studies in Biblical Law and Interpretation (Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2011).
[3]
The Splitting of the Sea Monsters (13:00-14:00)
Isaiah 27:1; 51:9–12; Habakkuk 3; Psalm 74:12–17; Job 7:12; 26:1–14
Additional reading:
1.
“Illuyanka”
2.
“The Ugaritic Ba‘al Cycle”
Recommended literature:
1.
Jon D. Levenson, “The Basic Idea of Israelite Religion?” in: Creation and the Persistence of Evil: The Jewish Drama of Divine Omnipotence (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1988) 3–13, 66–77.
[4]
Primordial Texts Preserved (14:15-15:15)
Exodus 14–15; Judges 4–5; Genesis 6–9 ; Ezekiel 28:1–19
Additional reading:
1.
Book of Judith, Chapters 7–12
2.
“Gilgamesh Tablet 11” (ed. A. R. George)
3.
“Atraḫasis”
Recommended literature:
1.
Kugel, How to Read the Bible, 227–231; 390–396.
2.
Jeffrey H. Tigay, “On Evaluating Claims of Literary Borrowing,” in The Tablet and the Scroll: Near Eastern Studies in Honor of William W. Hallo (ed. Mark E. Cohen, Daniel C. Snell and David B. Weisberg; Bethesda, MD: CDL, 1993) 250–5.
3.
James L. Kugel, How to Read the Bible (New York: Free Press, 2007) 1–44.
Day Two: The Pentateuch (February 7. 2022, Mon)
[5]
Law (9:45-10:45)
Exod 21–24, Deuteronomy 12–26
Additional reading:
1.
“Mesopotamian Laws”, “Hittite Laws”
2.
“Hittite Laws” (ed. Harry A. Hoffner)
Recommended literature:
1.
Kugel 2007, 261–279; 286–295.
2.
Rolf Rendtorff, The Old Testament: An Introduction, 88–94.
3.
Moshe Greenberg, “Some Postulates of Biblical Criminal Law,” in Studies in the Bible and Jewish Thought (Philadelphia: JPS, 1995) 25–41.
[6]
The System of Sacrifice (11:00-12:00)
Leviticus 1–10, 16–17 Num 15, 28–29
Additional reading:
1.
“The Babylonian New Year Festival”
2.
“Ritual and Cult at Ugarit”
Recommended literature:
1.
Jacob Milgrom, “Israel’s Sanctuary: The Priestly ‘Picture of Dorian Gray’”, Revue Biblique 83 (1976) 390–99.
2.
Nancy Jay, Throughout Your Generations Forever: Sacrifice, Religion, and Paternity (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992).
3.
Menachem Haran, Temples and Temple-Service in Ancient Israel: An Inquiry into the Character of Cult Phenomena and the Historical Setting of the Priestly School (Oxford: Clarendon, 1978).
[7]
The System of Purity and Impurity (13:00-14:00)
Leviticus 11–15, 17–20, Deuteronomy 14
Additional reading:
1.
“Hittite Birth Rituals”
Recommended literature:
1.
Jacob Milgrom, “Ethics and Ritual: The Foundations of the Biblical Dietary Laws”, in: Religion and Law: Biblical-Judaic and Islamic Perspectives (ed. E. Firmage et al.; Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1990) 159–191.
2.
Mary Douglas, “The Abominations of Leviticus,” Purity and Danger: An Analysis of Concepts of Pollution and Taboo (London: Routledge, 22002) 41–57.
3.
David Tabb Stewart, “Does the Priestly Purity Code Domesticate Women?” in Perspectives on Purity and Purification in the Bible (ed. Baruch J. Schwartz et al. , New York: T & T Clark, 2008) 65–76.
[8]
Which God Wrote the Bible? (14:15-15:15)
Numbers 11–12, 1 Kings 8
Additional reading:
1.
“YHWH and his Ashera”
Recommended literature:
1.
Kugel 2007, 108–118; 297–316; 335–363; 417–435.
2.
Israel Knohl, “Two Aspects of the Tent of Meeting”, in: Tehillah le-Moshe (ed. Mordechai Cogan, Barry L. Eichler and Jeffrey H. Tigay; Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1997) 73–79.
3.
From: Benjamin Sommer, The Bodies of God and the World of Ancient Israel (Cambridge: University Press, 2009).
Day Three: Historiography and Prophets (February 8, 2022, Tue)
[1]
King David (9:45-10:45)
1 Sam 16–2 Sam 24
Additional reading:
1.
“Hittite Historical Texts” (ed. Chavalas)
Recommended literature:
1.
Kugel, How to Read the Bible, 409–416.
2.
Richard Elliott Friedman, Who Wrote the Bible? (New York: HarperCollins, 1997).
3.
Emanuel Tov, “The Composition of 1 Samuel 16–18 in the Light of the Septuagint Version”, in: Empirical Models for Biblical Criticism (ed. Jeffery H. Tigay; Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 1985) 97–127.
[2]
Josiah’s Reform (11:00-12:00)
1 Kings 12–2 Kings 23
Additional reading:
1.
“Damascus Document”
Recommended literature:
1.
Kugel, 520–537.
2.
Leo Strauss, “Persecution and the Art of Writing”, in: Persecution and the Art of Writing (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1988) 22–37.
3.
Moshe Weinfeld, Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomic School (Oxford: Clarendon, 1972).
[3]
Prophecy (13:00-14:00)
1 Kings 16:29–2 Kings 13; Isaiah 1–12; 40–55
Recommended literature:
1.
Frank Kermode, “Hoti’s Business: Why are Narratives Obscure?” in: The Genesis of Secrecy: On the Interpretation of Narrative (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1979) 23–47.
2.
Alexander Rofé, The Prophetical Stories: The Narratives about the Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, Their Literary Types and History (Jerusalem: Magnes, 1988).
3.
Alexander Rofé, “Prophecy and Apocalyptic,” in Introduction to the Literature of the Hebrew Bible (Jerusalem: Simor, 2009) 402–410.
4.
From: Martti Nissinen, Prophets and Prophecy in the Ancient Near East (Writings from the Ancient World 12; Atlanta: SBL, 2003).
[4]
Ezekiel: Priest and Prophet (14:15-15:15)
Ezekiel 1–3; 14; 17; 20–24; 37–39
Additional reading:
1.
Pesher Habakkuk
Recommended reading:
1.
Moshe Greenberg, “Ezekiel 17: A Holistic Interpretation”, Journal of the American Oriental Society 103 (1983) 149–154.
2.
John S. Bergsma and Scott W. Hahn, “What Laws Were Not Good? A Canonical Approach to the Theological Problem of Ezekiel 20:25–26,” with Scott W. Hahn, Journal of Biblical Literature 123 (2004) 201–18.
3.
Baruch J. Schwartz, “Ezekiel’s Dim View of Israel’s Restoration” in The Book of Ezekiel: Theological and Anthropological Perspectives (ed. Margaret S. Odell and John T. Strong; Atlanta: SBL, 2000) 43–67.
4.
Johann P. Arnason, S. N. Eisenstadt, and Björn Wittrock (eds.), Axial Civilizations and World History (Jerusalem Studies in Religion and Culture 4; Leiden: Brill, 2005).
Day Four: Scribes and Poets (February 9, 2022, Wed)
[5]
Wisdom Literature (9:45-10:45)
Ecclesiastes 1–12; Proverbs 19–23; Job 1–15; 38–42
Additional Reading:
1.
“Amenemope”
Recommended Reading:
1.
Kugel, How to Read the Bible, 506–514; 636–643.
2.
Michael V. Fox, “Frame Narrative and Composition in the Book of Qohelet”, Hebrew Union College Annual 48 (1977) 83–106.
3.
Rudolf Otto, The Idea of the Holy: An Inquiry Into the Non-Rational Factor in the Idea of the Divine and Its Relation to the Rational (trans. John W. Harvey; New York: Oxford University Press, 1970).
4.
Rofé, 513–605.
[6]
Song of Songs (11:00-12:00)
Song of Songs 1–8
Additional recommended reading:
1.
“Egyptian Love Poetry”
Recommended literature:
1.
Kugel ,How to Read the Bible, 514–518.
2.
Jorge Luis Borges, Jorge Luis Borges, ‘Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote’
3.
Anselm Hagedorn “On Foxes and Vineyards: Greek Perspectives on the Song of Songs”, Vetus Testamentum 53 (2003) 337–352.
[7]
Psalms (13:00-14:00)
Psalms 1–3, 8, 10–11, 14–15, 18–24, 29, 42–45, 51, 53, 68, 78–84, 90–100, 104, 106, 110, 120–150
Recommended literature:
1.
Kugel 2007, 459–473.
2.
From: Jan Assmann, Of God and Gods: Egypt, Israel, and the Rise of Monotheism (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2008).
3.
Rendtorff, The Old Testament, 99–105 (beginning with par. 2, “We learn…”); 246–250.
[8]
Scribal Activity in Yehud (14:15-15:15)
From: Ezra and Nehemiah
Additional reading:
1.
“Elephantine Documents”
Recommended literature:
1.
Alexander Rofé, “Late Historiography,” in Introduction to the Literature of the Hebrew Bible (Jerusalem: Simor, 2009) 70–p. 97 par. 2
2.
Sarah Japhet, The Ideology of the Book of Chronicles and Its Place in Biblical Thought (Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns: 2009) 150–176.
  • Dr. Naphtali Meshel

    Dr. Naphtali Meshel

  • Dr. Naphtali Meshel joined the Department of Bible and the Department of Comparative Religion at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2016. His research focuses on the Hebrew Bible in its ancient Near Eastern contexts, and on its early interpreters. Within the broader study of religion, he has a particular interest in Sanskrit literature. His first book, “The Grammar of Sacrifice”, examines the ancient intuition that sacrificial rituals, like languages, are governed by “grammars.” His research interests include ancient models for the “science of ritual”; systems of pollution and purification; and mechanisms of double entendre in Wisdom Literature. He previously taught at the Moscow State University for the Humanities and at Princeton University. He is currently Chair of the Department of Comparative Religion.

Related Links

Research Seminar Series on the Hebrew Bible and Judaism byDr. Naphtali Meshel and His Research TeamOpen a new window

page top