WESTERN SEMINARY

Portland, Oregon

OT Law in its Ancient Near Eastern Background

OTS 661M

 

Summer 2003

Instructor: Jan Verbruggen, Ph.D.

e-mail: jverbruggen@westernseminary.edu

 

Syllabus

 

Course Description

This course is an exegetical study of the legal portions of the Pentateuch, focusing mainly on the Decalogue and the Covenant Code (Ex. 20:22-23:19).  In this course, we will carefully examine the various moral and civil laws, with the aim to understand the nature, function and the Ancient Near Eastern environment in which these laws were formulated.  This is a seminar class, in which the teacher will guide the discussion and the exegesis process, but which requires the student to come well prepared to class in order to participate in class discussion.  Ancient laws from other Ancient Near Eastern law codes will be examined as to the parallel thought, phraseology and purpose, in so far it can be discerned, and will read these texts in translation and transcription.  Some class time will be used by the teacher as lecture time, during which time he will introduce the nature and extent of the legal material, and lead the discussion of the different views of interpretation of certain laws.  This class will also discuss the relevance of Old Testament laws for the New Testament Christian. A major part of the students' preparation will be in studying various law cases.

This course can only be taken by students in the Th.M. program, or by special permission from the Th.M. program director

Textbooks

Martha T. Roth, Law collections from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor, Scholars Press

Raymond Westbrook, Property & the Family in Biblical Law, Sheffield (since this last book is out of print, the instructor will place a personal copy in the library for the use of the students)

All the other reading materials from the reading list will be put on hold in the library.

Course Objectives

Global Objective

At the end of the semester, the students will become familiar with the different legal cases, legal codes and legal phraseology.  The student will have read widely in the various literature, books and journal articles concerning ancient law, to be familiar concerning the different viewpoints on how to view the Covenant Code and the Decalogue.  The students will be able to discuss or present a reasoned and well articulated view of the function and value of the law code in Israelite society as presented in the Hebrew Bible. 

Learning Objectives

  • The students will have acquainted him/herself with the various law codes of the Ancient Near East.
  • The students will be able to discuss the value of these law codes for the present day believer.
  • The students will have gained a deeper understanding of the issues involved in a number of legal cases represented in the Covenant Code. 
  • Express an opinion concerning the degree to which Old Testament regulations provide ethical guidance for the New Testament believer.
  • The student will be able to interpret and find underlying ethical and/or religious principles in Old Testament moral and civil regulations.
  • Offer an apologetic for precepts in Old Testament Law which some find morally offensive: Holy War, slavery, treatment of women, and the like.
  • Show more sensitivity in the area of moral and ethical issues of the sort which these regulations raise and seek to address.

Requirements

This class will meet for 4 days, from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm.  (there will be a lunch break between 12:30-1:10; 

Students will be responsible for the following:

  1. Regular class attendance and participation based on careful reading of the textbooks,  and articles described in your reading list.   
  2. The student will read through the covenant code 3x, and the Codex of Hammurabi 1x. 
  3. The student will pick one of the law cases and do a full study on it.  The student should attempt to do such a thorough job that his paper is worthy to be considered for publication. (= to an A grade)  The paper needs to be according to the format of JETS. (see vol 44, 1 (pp. 153-177) 
  4. Since this is a seminar class, no final exam will be given

Course Procedures

The teacher will present the major framework of each hour of class, and direct the discussion and reading of the text.  The students will have to have read the appropriate reading material for that hour.  A detailed reading list will be available to the students at least by the 1st of June, 2003.  Active participation and attendance in class is expected and will make part of the grade 

Grading Scale

Reading

25 %

Term paper

50 %

Class participation

25 %

 

A+

A

A-  

B+

B

B-

C+

C

C-

D+

D

D-

99-100  

95-98%  

94-93%

92-91%

90-88%

87-86%

85-84%

83-81% 

80-79%

78-77% 

76-74% 

73-70%

To receive audit credit, you must attend at least 80% of the class sessions.

Class Sessions and Assignments

See the separate reading list, and study questions.