368-The
Bible in the Middle Ages
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Department of Hebrew and Semitic Studies
Fall 2005
M-W
Dr. E. Alfonso
1340 Van Hise
Hall
E-mail: mealfonso@wisc.edu
Office hours: M-W
Course
description and goals:
This course aims to
study the
uses of the Bible in Medieval Judaism, focusing on the different Jewish
approaches to the biblical text. Over the course of the semester, we
will analyze
the rise of two main Jewish schools of biblical interpretation in
In addition to
the
interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, we will also consider the making of
Bibles
as objects and will learn about their illumination, materials and
manuscripts.
Whereas this
course is
mainly concerned with the Hebrew Bible in the Middle Ages, attention will be constantly
paid to the Bible as a point
of encounter and dis-encounter between religions: Judaism, Christianity
and
(occasionally) Islam.
The course is
mainly
intended for undergraduates. No knowledge of Hebrew or previous
background in
biblical studies is required.
Attendance
Policy and Requirements:
-Regular attendance, engagement in the class and completion of readings are essential for a successful course. After 3 absences, one half grade per class missed will be deducted from the final grade.
-
-Mid-term in class exam (date: M, October 31) and final exam (on the date scheduled by the University).
-One movie critique (two-three double-spaced pages). Due date: M, November 28.
-Assignments completed later than their scheduled dates will received lower grades. Assignments turned in one week after their scheduled date will not be accepted.
-Grading will be as follows: Participation in class: 10%; exams: 60%; paper: 20%; movie critiques: 20%.
Plagiarism
Policy:
Cases of academic misconduct will be reported to the dean and dealt with according to University Policy on plagiarism. Students are encouraged to get familiar with that policy on the following web page: http://www.wisc.edu/students/amsum.htm.
Books:
The Bible. Although several versions of the Bible
can be found on line (check: http://rosetta.reltech.org/ECanon/ECanon.html;
http://www.bible.org) it is highly
recommended
to have a copy of the book at hand. The JPS edition of the Tanakh,* or the NRSV (
*Tanakh. A New Translation of the Holy Scriptures According to the Traditional Hebrew Text. Philadelphia-Jerusalem: 1985, 19992.
** The
Bowley,
James E. Living Traditions of the Bible:
Scripture in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Practice.
Course
packet: Available at Bob’s Copy Shop (
In addition to the course packet, some readings may be put in electronic reserve as the semester goes on. To view materials in the electronic-reserve format log to MyUW portal: http://my.wisc.edu/portal, click on your Academic tab. Notice that in your list of current courses, those with library reserves available contain a link for “library/reserve.” Click that link to go to your reserves.
Bibliography:
Reference
sources:
Encyclopaedia Judaica.
Catholic
Encyclopedia on
line: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/
Guide to
medieval terms on
line: http://orb.rhodes.edu/Medieval_Terms.html
Historical
context:
L.B. Glick, Abraham’s
Heirs: Jews
and Christians in medieval
C. W. Hollister, Medieval
(These two books will be put on reserve in College Library).
Sources and interpretation:
G.W.H. Lampe (ed.).
The
J. Rogerson (ed.).
The
M. Saebo (ed.). Hebrew
Bible. Old
Testament. The History of Its
Interpretation.
1/2 The Middle Ages.
B. Smalley. The Study of the Bible in the Middle Ages. Notre Dame: 1964.
General surveys on medieval biblical interpretation:
M.A. Fishbane.
“Jewish biblical exegesis: Presuppositions and
principles” in F.E.
Greenspahn (ed.), Scripture in the Jewish
and Christian traditions.
J. Gómez. “How
the Bible
is Read in the Christian Tradition”. New
Interpreters' Bible.
E.L.
Greenstein. “Medieval Bible Commentaries” in B.W.
Holtz (ed.) Back to the Sources. Reading the Classic
Jewish Texts.
E.I.J.
Rosenthal. “The
study of the Bible in Medieval Judaism” in G.W.H. Lampe (ed.).
The
M.A. Signer. “How the
Bible is
Read in the Jewish Tradition”. New
Interpreters' Bible.
Course Outline
W, September 7: General
introduction and orientation to the course:
Reading, requirements, basic terminology and chronology.
THE
SOURCES
M, September 12: The making of the Hebrew
Bible.
R, September 14:
Inter-Testamental literature.
M, September 19: The making of the New
Testament.
LATE ANTIQUITY/EARLY
MIDDLE AGES
W,
September 21: The concept of interpretation in the Jewish tradition
I: Survey
M,
September 26: The
concept of interpretation in the Jewish tradition
II:
Midrash
W, September 28: Interpretation in Early
Christian
Literature.
I:
Survey
M, October 3: Slide show: Bible Illumination in the
Early Middle Ages
No reading assigned
HIGH MIDDLE AGES 11th-12th
CENTURIES
The making of the Sephardic tradition
W, October 5: Sepharad: The role of the
Bible in
Medieval Sephardic culture.
M, October 10: The
The Making of
the Ashkenazi Tradition (11th-12th
cc.)
W, October
12: Ashkenaz: The role of the Bible in the Ashkenazi tradition.
M,
October 17: Rashi
W, October
19: Christianity: Exegesis-The Bible as an artifact
M,
October 24: Jewish/Christian contacts/ in the 12th
c.
W,
October 26: Movie
M, October 31: Mid-Term Exam
W,
November 2: The Bible and Medieval Literature.
LATE
MIDDLE AGES 13th and 14th CENTURIES
M, November 7: Allegory in the Jewish
tradition.
W, November 9: Rational hermeneutics:
Maimonides /
Gersonides
M, November 14: Rational hermeneutics: Thomas Aquinas
W, November 16: Kabbalistic approach: The Zohar
M, November 21: 13th/14th
c.
Christian Interpretation: Thomas Aquinas
W, November 23: Judeo/Christian
polemics: The disputation at
M, November 28: Movie
W, November 30: The Sephardic tradition of Bible illumination (Slide Show)
Optional reading: Course Reader, pp. 248-258
M,
December 5: The Ashkenazi tradition of Bible
illumination (Slide Show)
No
reading assigned
W, December 7: 13th
century Christian Bibles (Slide Show)
M, December 12: 13th to 15th century Christian Bibles
W, December 14: Translations into the
Vernacular: La Biblia
de Alba
No reading assigned
If you have trouble accessing this page, contact: Chris Dargis (cadargis@wisc.edu)
Latest revision date: 8/24/2005 (cad)