"The Old Testament is vast, complex, and beautiful. Its language and theology welcome the novice and the expert—and somewhere in between rests the PhD student. This portion of Scripture invites the clarity, energy, and focus of students to come and discover its riches. To be sure, the first testament, as it’s sometimes called, doesn’t need doctoral students, but rather it’s churches, schools, and the public at large that benefit from men and women giving careful attention to this often neglect section of Holy Scripture. Knowledge is a good gift that should be received and enjoyed. This isn’t as cerebral as it may seem, however.
Study of the Old Testament won’t leave the student unchanged. As the proper subject of Scripture is God, engagement with the Old Testament should prompt both prayer and praise of the living God. The PhD, thus, is no mere intellectual exercise, but forms our character and curates certain habits of the heart."
Dr. Ethan Jones, Associate Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew
This seminar explores the major theories about the nature of Hebrew poetry, with the aim of identifying the driving mechanism(s) behind this rich literary form. It also deals in depth with several selected poetic texts, with the aim of applying the principles learned to the interpretation of such texts. As such, the seminar has both a theoretical and a practical component, and a goal of full and proper exegesis of poetic texts is constantly kept in view.
"History" comes in many guises. The term refers to bare facts or events, as well as to various forms of the record of such facts or events. "Historiography" (or "history writing") generally refers to the latter: the record of events. This course covers (1) general historiography and philosophies of history, (2) ancient Near Eastern historiography, and (3) biblical (OT) historiography. It addresses such questions as an author’s view or philosophy of history, his purpose in writing, and how well he executes that purpose via his use of sources, selectivity, point of view, and literary artistry.
This seminar focuses on advanced studies in Hebrew syntax and lexicography, Historical Hebrew Grammar, and textual criticism. The seminar will consider fundamental issues that underlie the current research regarding Hebrew language and linguistics, especially as it relates to exegesis. Study will include reading large swaths of the Hebrew Masoretic Text, as well as the presentation of original research concerning Hebrew language and linguistics.
