BLST 111 Old Testament Literature - Briercrest College and Seminary

Author: Don Taylor, M.Div., D.Th. Ph.D.
Copyright © 2010
BLST 111 Old Testament Literature
Course Description
This course provides an overview of the Old Testament, emphasizing its theological,
historical, and literary dimensions.
Course Textbooks
Hill, Andrew E. and John H. Walton. A Survey of the Old Testament. 3d ed. Grand Rapids,
MI: Zondervan, 2009.
Quick Reference Format Guide, 2009/10. Briercrest College.
Students must have a Bible in any modern translation (NIV, NRSV, NASB, NKJV, etc.)
open whenever they work on this course, since it is the course’s primary source.
Course Objectives
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to
Identify and appreciate the various literary styles employed in the Old Testament and the
interpretive issues involved in comprehending their message.
Conceptualize a historical framework of the Old Testament and place various portions of
scripture within their literary and historical setting.
Perceive the geographical setting of the Old Testament and the major political entities and
powers that influenced Israel’s history.
Recognize the complexities of interpreting the Old Testament in its parts and as a whole.
Understand the relationship between the Old and New Testaments and the resulting
interpretive realities this creates.
Use basic tools for Bible exegesis for personal study and for the purposes of teaching,
counseling, and bearing witness to others.
2010-02-24

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Course Assignments
Reading
Bible and Textbook Reading
Students are to complete the Bible reading relative to each unit of the course notes, filling
out the Bible Reading chart as they read. A copy of that chart can be found in the
appendix of the course notes and also online on The Fridge under “Course Specific
Resources.” (Instructions for signing on to The Fridge are included inside the front
pocket of the course notes binder.) Students are also to read the Hill & Walton textbook
using the study guide in the appendix (and online on The Fridge). This assignment is
meant mainly as an exercise in learning to take notes from a source, so the notes should
be seen first as the student’s own learning resource.
A digital copy of 1) the Bible Reading chart and 2) notes on the Hill & Walton textbook
using the questions in the study guide is to be submitted for grading upon completion.
This work is to be submitted (as directed in the tutorial at dl.briercrest.ca/eass.html) at the
same time as the preliminary work for the research paper.
Course grade value: 10%
Course notes
Embedded in the course notes in the binder are directions in shaded boxes, most of them
sending students to the biblical text to explore issues and questions before going on to
read what follows: the instructor’s reflections on the same topics. Students are strongly
encouraged to use this learning strategy for their own benefit. The answers to these
questions are not to be submitted for grading; the notes that result will be immediately
useful as study notes for the final exam, but they are of greatest long term value as the
student’s own learning resource.
Writing Projects
All writing projects are to be completed according to the format specified in the
Briercrest College Format Guide (available, with other valuable resources and tutorials,
on the DL Resources web page at dl.briercrest.ca).
Introductory Assignment
Within six weeks of registering for the course, students will submit a checklist to show
that they have worked through the course notes and supplementary (video) resources for
Unit 1. (This is the only assignment to be submitted on paper.) Instructions and the
checklist are provided in Unit 1 of the course notes.
Course grade value: 10%

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Paper on the Life and Faith of Gideon
Students are to write a three-page spiritual biography of Gideon. The biblical account
(Judges 6-8) is the primary resource, so the main task is to read carefully the account of
his judgeship and evaluate his faith and performance as a judge, but students will also be
asked to evaluate the claims made in one scholarly article. The focus of the paper should
be on specific incidents and what they suggest about Gideon’s faith or lack thereof.
Further details, including bibliographical information for the specified article and
instructions on how to access it on the ATLA online database, are provided in the
Learning Strategies at the beginning of Unit 2. Course grade value: 15%
Paper on one of the Minor Prophets
Students will research and write a three-page paper on one minor prophet (Hosea,
Amos, or Micah): his life and his writings. The paper should consider both the setting in
which the prophet worked and the overall message of his book. It should also identify the
central theme(s) of his work and back up that claim with evidence from the biblical text.
The paper will show evidence of engagement with scholarly resources for study of the
Bible, some of which are noted in the detailed description of the assignment in the
Learning Strategies at the beginning of Unit 4. Course grade value: 15%
Research Paper
This assignment, a paper on Psalm 78, is to be submitted in two parts. The first
submission consists of 1) a paragraph describing what the student will argue and how,
concluding with a provisional one-sentence thesis statement, 2) a brief working outline of
the paper (main points and sub-points), and 3) a list of at least five scholarly resources
(articles and books), with a line or two for each explaining how this resource will help the
student make the argument. Further details are provided in the Learning Strategies at the
beginning of Unit 5. Course grade value: 10%
Using the instructor’s feedback on Part 1, students will write a five-page exegetical
paper on Psalm 78. This is an academic, not a devotional, paper, so it must demonstrate
careful engagement with the biblical text with the help of at least five scholarly resources,
and it must be submitted as specified in the Briercrest College Format Guide. Further
directions and resources are provided in Unit 5. Course grade value: 20%

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Final Examination
The final exam assesses familiarity with content presented in the course notes (not the
textbook) and related Bible readings. It is expected that students will be able to recall all
the significant events and people within the Bible readings, but not the minute details. To
prepare for the exam, students ought to review especially the exercises and questions
embedded in the course notes.
1. Write out the books of the Old Testament in correct order and with accurate
spelling.
2. Reproduce the events chart of the OT
3. Know the key dates associated with those events, and label a map of the Ancient
Near East.
4. Pay attention to new ideas and vocabulary mentioned in the course material (as it
may be on the exam) such as: chiastic structure, etiology, primogeniture, frame
narrative, synonymous, antithetic, or synthetic parallelism.
Course grade value: 20%
Assignments and Grade Distribution
Introductory assignment* 10%
Paper on the life & faith of Gideon 15%
Paper on one of the Minor Prophets 15%
Report on Bible and textbook reading† 10%
Research paper on Psalm 78: preliminary work† 10%
Research paper: final draft 20%
Final examination 20%
*This assignment is due within six weeks of registering for the course.
†These two assignments should be submitted together.

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Course Contents
Unit One – The Pentateuch
Lesson 1 – Introduction to the Old Testament
Lesson 2 – Genesis 1 & Creation
Lesson 3 – The Fall & Flood
Lesson 4 – The Patriarchs
Lesson 5 – The Exodus
Lesson 6 – Living with a Holy God
Lesson 7 – Wisdom & Righteousness
Unit Two – The Land-Conquest & Settlement
Lesson 8 – Taking the Land
Lesson 9 – The Judges
Lesson 10 – Kingship
Unit Three – The United Monarchy
Lesson 11 – Saul
Lesson 12 – David
Lesson 13 – The Davidic Covenant
Lesson 14 – Solomon
Unit Four – The Divided Kingdom
Lesson 15 – Introduction to the Prophets
Lesson 16 – The Northern Kingdom
Lesson 17 – The Southern Kingdom
Lesson 18 – Anticipated Exile: Ezekiel & Zephaniah
Unit Five – Exile & Post-Exile
Lesson 19 – Introduction to the Psalms
Lesson 20 – Post-Exilic Israel
Lesson 21 – The Transition to the New Testament World

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SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
Old Testament General Works
Alexander, D., ed. Eerdman's Handbook to the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1973.
Alter, Robert. The Art of Biblical Narrative. New York: Basic Books, 1981.
Anderson, Bernhard W. Understanding the Old Testament. 4 th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall, 1998.
Archer, Gleason. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction. Chicago, IL: Moody, 1994.
Blair, Edward P. The Illustrated Bible Handbook. Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1987.
Cate, Robert L. An Introduction to the Historical Books of the Old Testament. Nashville, TN:
Broadman & Holman, 1994.
Dyrness, William. Themes in Old Testament Theology. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity,
1977.
Geisler, Norman L. and William E. Nix. A General Introduction to the Bible. Chicago,
IL:Moody Press, 1986.
Hauer, Christian E. and William A. Young. An Introduction to the Bible. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1998.
Hill, Andrew E. and John H. Walton. A Survey of the Old Testament. 3 rd ed. Grand Rapids,
MI: Zondervan, 2009.
Kitchen, K. A. On the Reliability of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2003.
Mazar, Benjamin. Biblical Israel: State and People. Jerusalem: Magnes, 1992.
Merrill, Eugene H. Kingdom of Priests. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1997.
Nelson's Complete Book of Bible Maps & Charts. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1993.
Shanks, Hershel, ed. Ancient Israel. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995.
Tullock, John H. The Old Testament Story. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall,
1997.
Wood, Leon. A Survey of Israel's History. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1985.
Pentateuch General Works
Amit, Yairah. Reading Biblical Narratives: Literary Criticism and the Hebrew Bible.
Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 2001.
Bar-Efrat, Shimon. Narrative Art in the Bible. Sheffield: Almond, 1989.
Barton, John. Reading the Old Testament: Method in Biblical Study. Rev. ed. Louisville,
KY: Westminster John Knox, 1996.

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Berlin, Adele. Poetics and Interpretation of Biblical Narrative. Winona Lake, IN:
Eisenbrauns, 1994.
Blenkinsopp, Joseph. The Pentateuch: An Introduction to the First Five Books of the Bible.
Toronto, ON: Doubleday, 1992.
Clines, David, J. A. The Theme of the Pentateuch. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 1997.
Cohen, H. Hirsch. The Drunkenness of Noah. Tuscaloosa, AL: University of Alabama Press,
1974.
Fokkelman, J. P. Reading Biblical Narrative: An Introductory Guide. Louisville, KY:
Westminster, 1999.
Fretheim, Terence E. The Pentateuch. Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1996.
Gaebelein, Frank E., gen. ed. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 2. Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan, 1990.
Hamilton, Victor P. Handbook on the Pentateuch. Grand Rapids. MI: Baker, 1982.
LaHaye, Timothy and John David Morris. The Ark on Ararat. Nashville, TN: Thomas
Nelson, 1976.
Livingston, G. Herbert. The Pentateuch in Its Cultural Environment. 2 d ed. Grand Rapids,
MI: Baker, 1987.
Merrill, Eugene H. Kingdom of Priests: A History of Old Testament Israel. Grand Rapids,
MI: Baker, 1987.
Nagle, D. Brendan. The Ancient World: A Social and Cultural History. 5 th ed. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002.
Sailhamer, John H. Pentateuch as Narrative. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992.
Sternberg, Meir. The Poetics of Biblical Narrative: Ideological Literature and the Drama of
Reading. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1985.
Tullock, John H. The Old Testament Story. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1997.
Wenham, Gordon J. Genesis 1-15. Word Biblical Commentary. Waco, TX: Word, 1987.
Whybray, R. Norman. Introduction to the Pentateuch. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1995.
Wolf, Herbert. An Introduction to the Old Testament Pentateuch. Chicago, IL: Moody, 1991.
Old Testament Historical Books - General Works
Bandstra, Barry. Reading the Old Testament: Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. 3 rd ed.
Belmont, CA:Wadsworth, 2004.
Brueggemann, Walter. Theology of the Old Testament: Testimony, Dispute, Advocacy.
Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 1997.
Cate, Robert L. An Introduction to the Historical Books of the Old Testament. Nashville, TN:
Broadman & Holman, 1994.

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Childs, Brevard S. Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture. Philadelphia, PA:
Fortress, 1979.
Dempster, Stephen G. Dominion and Dynasty: A Biblical Theology of the Hebrew Bible.
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2003.
Harrison, R. K. Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1969.
________. Old Testament Times. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1970.
Hill, Andrew E. and John H. Walton. A Survey of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan, 1991.
Hoerth, Alfred J., Gerald L. Mattingly, and Edwin M. Yamauchi, eds. Peoples of the Old
Testament World. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1994.
Howard, David M., Jr. An Introduction to the Old Testament Historical Books. Chicago, IL:
Moody, 1993.
Isserlin, B. S. J. The Israelites. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 1998.
Mazar, Benjamin. Biblical Israel: State and People. Jerusalem: Magnes, 1992.
Merrill, Eugene H. Kingdom of Priests. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1987.
Provan, Iain, V. Philips Long, and Tremper Longman, III. A Biblical History of Israel.
Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2003.
Shanks, Hershel. Ancient Israel. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1988.
Stiebing, William H., Jr. Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture. New York: Longman,
2003.
Wisdom Literature – General Works
Alexander, T. D., et al., eds. New Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity, 2000. (See especially the articles “Job,” “Proverbs,” “Ecclesiastes,”
“Wisdom,” “Lamentations,” “Song of Songs,” and “Psalms.”)
Anderson, Bernhard. Out of the Depths: The Psalms Speak to Us Today. Philadelphia, PA:
Westminster, 1974.
Ballard, Wayne and Dennis Tucker, eds. An Introduction to Wisdom Literature (Marvin Tate
Festschrift). Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 2000.
Brown, William. Character in Crisis: A Fresh Approach to the Wisdom Literature of the Old
Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1996.
Clifford, Richard J. Proverbs. The Old Testament Library. Louisville, KY: Westminster John
Knox, 1999.
Crenshaw, James, ed. Theodicy in the Old Testament. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress, 1983.
__________. Old Testament Wisdom: An Introduction. Louisville, KY: Westminster John
Knox, 1998.
__________. The Psalms: An Introduction. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001.

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Curtis, Edward and John Brugaletta. Discovering the Way of Wisdom: Spirituality in the
Wisdom Literature. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 2004.
Dillard, Raymond and Tremper Longman. An Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994. (See especially the articles on “Proverbs,” “Job,”
“Ecclesiastes,” “Lamentations,” “Song of Solomon,” and “Psalms.”)
Estes, Daniel. Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
Academic, 2005.
Freedman, David Noel, ed. The Anchor Bible Dictionary. 5 volumes. New York: Doubleday,
1992. (See especially the articles “Proverbs, Book of,” “Job, Book of,” “Ecclesiastes,
Book of,” “Lamentations, Book of,” “Song of Songs, Book of,” “Psalms, Book of,”
“Wisdom (Old Testament).”)
Longman, Tremper. How to Read the Psalms. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1988.
__________. How to Read Proverbs. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2002.
Mays, James. The Lord Reigns: A Theological Handbook to the Psalms. Louisville, KY:
Westminster John Knox, 1994.
McCann, J. C. A Theological Introduction to the Book of Psalms: The Psalms as Torah.
Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1993.
Miller, Patrick. Interpreting the Psalms. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress, 1986.
Murphy, Roland. The Tree of Life: An Exploration of Biblical Wisdom Literature. Grand
Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1996.
Ryken, Leland and Tremper Longman, III, eds. A Complete Literary Guide to the Bible.
Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1993. (See especially the articles “Proverbs,” “Job,”
“Ecclesiastes,” “Lamentations,” “Song of Solomon,” and “Psalms.”)
VanGemeren, Willem, ed. New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and
Exegesis. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1997. (See the articles in the “Topical
Dictionary” in Vol. 4: “Job, Theology of,” “Proverbs, Theology of” “Ecclesiastes,
Theology of,” “Lamentations, Theology of,” “Song of Songs, Theology of,” “Psalms,
Theology of,” and “Wisdom.”)
Prophets – General Works
Baker, David W. Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah: An Introduction and Commentary. TOTC.
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1988.
Brueggemann, Walter. Hopeful Imagination: Prophetic Voices in Exile. Philadelphia, PA:
Fortress, 1986.
Clements, Ronald. Old Testament Prophecy. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 1986.
Freeman, Hobart E. An Introduction to the Old Testament Prophets. Chicago, IL: Moody,
1968.

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Gordon, R. P. ‘This Place is Too Small for Us’: The Israelite Prophets in Recent
Scholarship. Sources for Biblical and Theological Study 5. Winona Lake, IN:
Eisenbrauns, 1995.
Gowan, Donald. Theology of the Prophetic Books: The Death and Resurrection of Israel.
Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 1998.
Heschel, Abraham. The Prophets. New York: Harper & Row, 1962.
Holladay, William. Unbounded by Time: Isaiah Still Speaks. Cambridge, MA: Cowley, 2002.
Lang, Judith. They Looked at God: The Great Prophets and Their Relation to Christ.
London: New City, 2006.
Matthews, Victor. The Social World of the Hebrew Prophets. Peabody, MA: Hendricks,
2001.
von Rad, Gerhard. The Message of the Old Testament Prophets. Trans. D. G. M. Stalker.
Vol. 2, Old Testament Theology. London: SCM, 1968.
Zimmerli, Walther. The Fiery Throne: The Prophets and Old Testament Theology. Fortress
Classics in Biblical Studies. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 2003.