Jonathan Kaplan

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

Please check back for updates.

This seminar involves a close examination of the biblical idea of Jubilee as expressed in Leviticus and other biblical texts. Students will employ a wide range of methods in our study of this concept including, but not limited to, history, philology, literary theory, poetics, history of interpretation, and linguistics.

This course entails reading the Writings in Hebrew (except 1 and 2 Chronicles), reading approximately 30 pages of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia per week. In addition, students will be introduced to methods for textual criticism and current critical discussions about the interrelationship of Masoretic Text, the Septuagint, Vulgate, Peshitta, Dead Sea Scrolls, and other relevant texts.

Jerusalem has been described famously as a golden bowl full of scorpions. As this proverb suggests, Jerusalem has not only been regarded as a treasure but also as something that is difficult to possess. This course surveys the often-tumultuous religious, political, and cultural history of Jerusalem over three millennia and examines its role as a symbolic focus for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This course examines literary evidence, artifacts, architecture, geography, and iconography in order to explore the development of the city and how its sacred space and symbolic significance have been shaped by history.

The figure of Moses looms large in biblical tradition, in the religions that revere him (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), and in Western thought. In this section of the Bible and its Interpreters, we will examine the figure of Moses in the Bible (with a focus on Exodus and Deuteronomy), the various roles he plays in the biblical tradition including prophet, priest, king, and legislator, and the reception of Moses in Second Temple Judaism (Philo, Dead Sea Scrolls), Christianity, Rabbinic Judaism, and Islam. The later part of the course will explore the way this variegated tradition has been used to inform Western thought through reading selections from representative works such as Machiavelli’s The Prince, Baruch Spinoza’s Theological-Political Treatise, and Sigmund Freud’s Moses and Monotheism. We will conclude our study of Moses by examining how Moses has been portrayed in American history.

Jerusalem has been described famously as a golden bowl full of scorpions. As this proverb suggests, Jerusalem has not only been regarded as a treasure but also as something that is difficult to possess. This course surveys the often-tumultuous religious, political, and cultural history of Jerusalem over three millennia and examines its role as a symbolic focus for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The course examines literary evidence, artifacts, architecture, geography, and iconography in order to explore the development of the city and how its sacred space and symbolic significance have been shaped by history.

Please check back for updates.

For almost seventy years, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls has influenced significantly our understanding of Second Temple Judaism, the formation of the Bible, and the origins of the religious movements of Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism. This course presents an in-depth study of the Dead Sea Scrolls in order to understand better the development of law, interpretation, ritual, messianism, apocalypticism, and prayer in the late Second Temple period. This course will include discussion of the archaeology of the Qumran community, textual production and transmission in antiquity, scribal practices in antiquity, and pseudonymous authorship.

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

Abraham and Abrahamic Religions

 The biblical character Abraham is considered to be the father of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam by each religion’s adherents. How did Abraham become “Father Abraham?” Why does each of these three communities claim to be the people of Abraham exclusively? The primary aims of this course are to explore how Abraham is presented in the book of Genesis and how each of these religions transforms Abraham into a key figure of their tradition. After examining the figures of Abraham, his wife Sarah, and his sons Ishmael and Isaac in Genesis 12–25, the remainder of the course will consist of exploring how Judaism, Christianity, and Islam each retell the story of Abraham and his family. We will take note of the interpretive strategies employed by each tradition as it utilizes the story of Abraham in constructing a communal narrative of chosenness. Some attention will be paid to how participants in contemporary inter-religious dialogue approach the figure of Abraham. This course requires no prior exposure to biblical literature or Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Dead Sea Scrolls

For almost seventy years, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls has influenced significantly our understanding of Second Temple Judaism, the formation of the Bible, and the origins of the religious movements of Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism. This course presents an in-depth study of the Dead Sea Scrolls in order to understand better the development of law, interpretation, ritual, messianism, apocalypticism, and prayer in the late Second Temple period. This course will include discussion of the archaeology of the Qumran community, textual production and transmission in antiquity, scribal practices in antiquity, and pseudonymous authorship.

Description

The figure of Moses looms large in biblical tradition, in the religions that revere him (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), and in Western thought. In this course, we will begin by examining the figure of Moses in the Bible (with a focus on Exodus and Deuteronomy) and the various roles he plays in the biblical tradition including prophet, priest, king, and legislator. We will then turn to examine the reception of Moses in Second Temple Judaism (Philo, Dead Sea Scrolls), Christianity, Rabbinic Judaism, and Islam. The later part of the course will explore the way this variegated tradition has been used to inform Western thought through reading selections from representative works such as Baruch Spinoza’s Theological-Political Treatise and Sigmund Freud’s Moses and Monotheism. We will conclude our study of Moses by examining how Moses has been portrayed in American history and by evaluating the descriptions of Moses in High School Social Studies textbooks.

Texts

• The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha (Augmented Fourth Edition, 2010).
• Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, “They Say / I Say”: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing.
• Lynne Truss, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation.
• Roy Peter Clarke, Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer.
• Readings from Philo, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Rabbinic Literature, Qur’anic Literature, Baruch Spinoza, and others will be posted on Canvas.

Grading

• Attendance (10%)
• Participation (20%)
• Five Reading Response Papers (15%)
• Class Presentation (15%)
• Rough Draft of Final Term Paper (20%)
• Revised Final Draft of Final Term Paper (20%)

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

Course Description

For almost seventy years, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls has influenced significantly our understanding of Second Temple Judaism, the formation of the Bible, and the origins of the religious movements of Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism. This course presents an in-depth study of the Dead Sea Scrolls in order to understand better the development of law, interpretation, ritual, messianism, apocalypticism, and prayer in the late Second Temple period. This course will include discussion of the archaeology of the Qumran community, textual production and transmission in antiquity, scribal practices in antiquity, and pseudonymous authorship.

Texts

• Davies, Philip R., George J. Brooke, and Phillip R. Callaway. The Complete World of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Revised Edition. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2002. ABBREVIATED AS DBC IN COURSE SCHEDULE

• Vermes, Geza, trans.. The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English, Revised Edition. London: Penguin, 2011. ABBREVIATED AS VERMES IN COURSE SCHEDULE

• Bible (any modern – not King James – translation is ok). Students are welcome to purchase Coogan, Michael D. et al., eds. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Augmented Fourth Edition, New Revised Standard Version, College Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. This edition is available for purchase at the Co-°©‐Op.

• Selected readings available through Blackboard. Students are required to bring a print copy of Vermes and/or the Bible to class on days on which we will be discussing selections from these works. Reading texts on a smartphone or other such small-°©‐screen device is not an acceptable way to engage ancient texts for the purposes of this class. DBC and Vermes are on reserve at the Perry-°©‐Castañeda Library.

Grading

Class attendance and participation 10%

Quality of mid‐term test 20%

Quality of two 3–4 page papers 40%

Quality of final examination 30%

Please see the graduate coordinator for more information.

Description

The figure of Moses looms large in biblical tradition, in the religions that revere him (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), and in Western thought. In this course, we will begin by examining the figure of Moses in the Bible (with a focus on Exodus and Deuteronomy) and the various roles he plays in the biblical tradition including prophet, priest, king, and legislator. We will then turn to examine the reception of Moses in Second Temple Judaism (Philo, Dead Sea Scrolls), Christianity, Rabbinic Judaism, and Islam. The later part of the course will explore the way this variegated tradition has been used to inform Western thought through reading selections from representative works such as Baruch Spinoza’s Theological-Political Treatise and Sigmund Freud’s Moses and Monotheism. We will conclude our study of Moses by examining how Moses has been portrayed in American history and by evaluating the descriptions of Moses in High School Social Studies textbooks.

Texts

• The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha (Augmented Fourth Edition, 2010).
• Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, “They Say / I Say”: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing.
• Lynne Truss, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation.
• Roy Peter Clarke, Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer.
• Readings from Philo, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Rabbinic Literature, Qur’anic Literature, Baruch Spinoza, and others will be posted on Canvas.

Grading

• Attendance (10%)
• Participation (20%)
• Five Reading Response Papers (15%)
• Class Presentation (15%)
• Rough Draft of Final Term Paper (20%)
• Revised Final Draft of Final Term Paper (20%)

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

For almost seventy years, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls has influenced significantly our understanding of Second Temple Judaism, the formation of the Bible, and the origins of the religious movements of Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism. This course presents an in-depth study of the Dead Sea Scrolls in order to understand better the development of law, interpretation, ritual, messianism, apocalypticism, and prayer in the late Second Temple period. This course will include discussion of the archaeology of the Qumran community, textual production and transmission in antiquity, scribal practices in antiquity, and pseudonymous authorship.

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

Course Description

The biblical character Abraham is considered to be the father of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam by each religion's adherents. How did Abraham become Father Abraham?  Why does each of these three communities claim to be the people of Abraham exclusively? The primary aims of this course are to explore how Abraham is presented in the book of Genesis and how each of these religions transforms Abraham into a key figure of their tradition. After examining the figures of Abraham, his wife Sarah, and his sons Ishmael and Isaac in Genesis 12-25, the remainder of the course will consist of exploring how Judaism, Christianity, and Islam each retell the story of Abraham and his family. We will take note of the interpretive strategies employed by each tradition as it utilizes the story of Abraham in constructing a communal narrative of chosenness. Some attention will be paid to how participants in contemporary inter-religious dialogue approach the figure of Abraham. This course requires no prior exposure to biblical literature or Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

 Texts and Readings

-Coogan, Michael D. et al., eds. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Augmented Fourth Edition, New Revised Standard Version, College Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.

-Levenson, Jon D. Inheriting Abraham: The Legacy of the Patriarch in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2012.

 Grading Policy

Class attendance and participation - 15%

One-page class responses - 15%

Two, Four-to-five-page ethical analysis essays - 20% each

final comparative paper - 30%.

In this seminar, doctoral students will write substantial papers on a topic related to Achaemenid Period Yehud to be distributed to all the students and faculty. One student and one faculty member will respond formally to each paper during a class session devoted to the paper.

Requirements: One 20-30 page research paper. One written response delivered orally in class.

Grading

To be determined.

For almost seventy years, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls has influenced significantly our understanding of Second Temple Judaism, the formation of the Bible, and the origins of the religious movements of Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism. This course presents an in-depth study of the Dead Sea Scrolls in order to understand better the development of law, interpretation, ritual, messianism, apocalypticism, and prayer in the late Second Temple period. This course will include discussion of the archaeology of the Qumran community, textual production and transmission in antiquity, scribal practices in antiquity, and pseudonymous authorship.

Texts

VanderKam, James C. The Dead Sea Scrolls Today. Revised Edition. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010. Vermes, Geza. The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English. London: Penguin, 1998.

Grading

Class attendance and participation 10%; Quality of midterm examination 20%; Quality of final examination 30%; Quality of two “5 page papers“ 40%.

This course will examine the issues that are current in scholarship about Achaemenid Period Yehud (Judah).Requirements:Attendance and Active ParticipationAnnotated bibiliography on a topic related to Achaemenid Period Yehud.Leadership of one session of class.Prerequisites:Two semesters of The Bible in Hebrew.

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

Course Description

The biblical character Abraham is considered to be the father of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam by each religion's adherents. How did Abraham become Father Abraham?  Why does each of these three communities claim to be the people of Abraham exclusively? The primary aims of this course are to explore how Abraham is presented in the book of Genesis and how each of these religions transforms Abraham into a key figure of their tradition. After examining the figures of Abraham, his wife Sarah, and his sons Ishmael and Isaac in Genesis 12-25, the remainder of the course will consist of exploring how Judaism, Christianity, and Islam each retell the story of Abraham and his family. We will take note of the interpretive strategies employed by each tradition as it utilizes the story of Abraham in constructing a communal narrative of chosenness. Some attention will be paid to how participants in contemporary inter-religious dialogue approach the figure of Abraham. This course requires no prior exposure to biblical literature or Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

 Texts and Readings

-Coogan, Michael D. et al., eds. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Augmented Fourth Edition, New Revised Standard Version, College Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.

-Levenson, Jon D. Inheriting Abraham: The Legacy of the Patriarch in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2012.

 Grading Policy

Class attendance and participation - 15%

One-page class responses - 15%

Two, Four-to-five-page ethical analysis essays - 20% each

final comparative paper - 30%.

For almost seventy years, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls has influenced significantly our understanding of Second Temple Judaism, the formation of the Bible, and the origins of the religious movements of Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism. This course presents an in-depth study of the Dead Sea Scrolls in order to understand better the development of law, interpretation, ritual, messianism, apocalypticism, and prayer in the late Second Temple period. This course will include discussion of the archaeology of the Qumran community, textual production and transmission in antiquity, scribal practices in antiquity, and pseudonymous authorship.

Texts

VanderKam, James C. The Dead Sea Scrolls Today. Revised Edition. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010. Vermes, Geza. The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English. London: Penguin, 1998.

Grading: 

Class attendance and participation 10%; Quality of midterm examination 20%; Quality of final examination 30%; Quality of two “5 page papers“ 40%.

The corpus of Aramaic texts among the Dead Sea Scrolls comprises a broad cross section of Second Temple Jewish literary production including the Genesis Apocryphon, a Targum to Job, 1 Enoch, Tobit, Daniel, and the Aramaic Levi Document. In this course, we will explore this textual cluster (approximately 130–150 manuscripts) through close examination of the varieties of textual production and interpretation in Second Temple Judaism such as “Rewritten Bible,” translation, intertextuality, allusion, and pseudepigraphy.Prerequisite: Two years of Classical or three years of Modern Hebrew as well as one semester of any dialect of Aramaic (or permission of instructor).

Texts

Muraoka, T. A Grammar of Qumran Aramaic. ANE Studies Supplement Series 38. Louvan: Peeters, 2011.

Grading

Class Participation 40%Language Examination 20%Final 20 page paper 40%

This seminar involves a close examination of the biblical book Song of Songs. Students will employ a wide range of methods in our study of these works including, but not limited to, history, philology, literary theory, poetics, history of interpretation, linguistics, and art history.

Textbooks 

Exum, J. Cheryl. Song of Songs. OTL. Louisville, Ky.: WJKP.Murphy, Roland.

The Song of Songs. Hermeneia. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.Pope, Marvin H.

Song of Songs. Anchor Bible 7C. New Haven: Yale University Press.

The Signature Course (UGS 302 and 303) introduces first-year students to the university’s academic community through the exploration of new interests. The Signature Course is your opportunity to engage in college-level thinking and learning.

The biblical character Abraham is considered to be the father of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam by each religion's adherents. How did Abraham become  Father Abraham?  Why does each of these three communities claim to be the people of Abraham exclusively? The primary aims of this course are to explore how Abraham is presented in the book of Genesis and how each of these religions transforms Abraham into a key figure of their tradition. After examining the figures of Abraham, his wife Sarah, and his sons Ishmael and Isaac in Genesis 12–25, the remainder of the course will consist of exploring how Judaism, Christianity, and Islam each retell the story of Abraham and his family. We will take note of the interpretive strategies employed by each tradition as it utilizes the story of Abraham in constructing a communal narrative of chosenness. Some attention will be paid to how participants in contemporary inter-religious dialogue approach the figure of Abraham. This course requires no prior exposure to biblical literature or Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Texts

Coogan, Michael D. et al., eds. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with theApocrypha, Augmented Fourth Edition, New Revised Standard Version, College Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Levenson, Jon D. Inheriting Abraham: The Legacy of the Patriarch in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2012.

Grading

Class attendance and participation - 15%,One-page class responses - 15%, Four-to-five-page textual analysis - 20%, Midterm Exam - 20%, Final Exam - 30%

In a series of four courses, all Hebrew Bible/Ancient Near East graduate students will read the Hebrew Bible in its entirety, in Hebrew (and the small amount of Aramaic that also appears).  This schedule amounts to approximately 30 pages of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia each week.  In addition, each professor will stress some element of Biblical Hebrew or the Hebrew Bible, e.g., historical grammar or syntax. Conducted in English. 

Texts

To be determined.

Grading & Requirements

Class participation: 50%

Research paper: 50%

For almost seventy years, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls has influenced significantly our understanding of Second Temple Judaism, the formation of the Bible, and the origins of the religious movements of Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism. This course presents an in-depth study of the Dead Sea Scrolls in order to understand better the development of law, interpretation, ritual, messianism, apocalypticism, and prayer in the late Second Temple period. This course will include discussion of the archaeology of the Qumran community, textual production and transmission in antiquity, scribal practices in antiquity, and pseudonymous authorship.

Texts

VanderKam, James C. The Dead Sea Scrolls Today. Revised Edition. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010. Vermes, Geza. The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English. London: Penguin, 1998.

Grading: 

Class attendance and participation 10%; Quality of midterm examination 20%; Quality of final examination 30%; Quality of two “5 page papers“ 40%.

Please contact the graduate coordinator for more information.

Jerusalem has been described famously as a golden bowl full of scorpions. As this proverb suggests, Jerusalem not only has been regarded as a treasure but also as something that is difficult to possess. This course surveys the often-tumultuous religious, political, and cultural history of Jerusalem over three millennia and examines the city's role as a symbolic focus for Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The course examines literary evidence, artifacts, architecture, geography, and iconography to explore the development of the city and how its sacred space and symbolic significance has been shaped by history.

Texts/Readings

Coogan, Michael D. et al., eds. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Augmented Fourth Edition, New Revised Standard Version, College Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.

The Qur'an. Any modern edition with English translation.

Bahat, Dan & Chaim T. Rubenstein. The Carta Jerusalme Atlas. Third Edition. Carta, 2011.

Cline, Eric H. Jerusalem Besieged: From Ancient Canaan to Modern Israel. Ann Arbor, Mich., 2005.

Montefiore, Simon Sebag. Jerusalem: The Biography. New York: Knopf, 2011.

Grading Policy

Three in-class, one-hour examinationas (60%)

One Cumulative, final examination (30%)

Class attendance (10%)