REL 228: History and Culture of the Ancient Near East, Spring 2000.
Syllabus. RJDKnauth
MWF 10:15-11:20. Office D-320, tel:
321-4298(GAYT), 326-3822 (h)
Email:
knauth@lycoming.edu
Note:
the following was the syllabus used in spring 2000.
Expect major changes in the structure of the course for spring 2001.
The primary purpose of this course is to explore the history and culture
of the ancient Near East, focusing on Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Syria-Palestine
(the “fertile crescent”), with emphasis on its cultural legacy - both as the
cultural context for the birth of the Judaeo-Christian religious tradition and
as highly influential to modern society more generally.
Considerable attention will be given to primary sources (Kramer and
Pritchard) and archaeological contributions (with slide illustrations).
Most weeks will include a student-led discussion session, beginning in Wk
3. Weekly quizzes and reflection
paragraphs will provide extra incentive to do the reading, so as to be prepared
to participate actively in the discussion sessions.
Texts:
History Begins at Sumer:
Thirty-nine Firsts in Recorded History, S.N. Kramer
The
Ancient Near East: An Anthology of Texts and Pictures
(Vol. 1), ed. J.B. Pritchard
The
Ancient Near East: A History (2nd
ed.), W.W. Hallo and W.K. Simpson
Course
Requirements:
1)
Attendance and informed participation (readings having been completed) at all
class sessions will be expected (worth 10% of the final grade).
The attendance policy for this course is that there are no excused
absences without a written note from a doctor or parent/guardian regarding a
serious family or medical emergency (e.g. requiring hospitalization).
Each set of 3 absences lowers your final grade by 1%.
2)
Weekly
Quizzes on the readings for that week (worth 10% of the final grade) will take
place at the beginning of class each Wednesday as listed in this syllabus, so be
sure to complete the readings by Wednesday of each week.
Of 11 quizzes, the lowest grade will be dropped from the average.
3)
Weekly
Reflection Paragraphs (typed,
worth 10% of the final grade) on the assigned sets of readings from Kramer will
be collected each Friday in class, and will be the basis for class discussion on
that day. If participation is
scanty, then the discussion leader is authorized to call on students at random.
Of the 12 sets (2 in wk 5, none in wks 1, 7 and 14), students may opt to skip 2
of their choice, making 10 total.
4)
Students wishing to make up for absences or missed quizzes may submit Outline Summaries of the assigned readings for that week.
5)
There will be a Midterm
(Fri-2/25, worth 20% of the grade) and Final
(2 hours, worth 30% of the grade). Review
sheets will be handed out in advance.
6)
Students will team up to be responsible for Leading
a Discussion Session on a set of cultural “firsts” from Kramer.
Students will sign up for their week on Monday, Jan. 17th.
Students may structure the class however they wish, and will also turn in
a short Write-up (approx. 6 pgs) of
the relevant issues, background, and biblical and modern parallels. Presentation
and write-up will be worth 20% of the grade.
Schedule
of Readings:
Wk 1:
M (Jan. 10)- Introduction.
W (Jan. 12)- Hallo ch. 1: ANE
history through the Stone Age (up to 3100 BCE).
Slides.
F (Jan. 14)- Kramer Intro, Appendix B, ch. 1-3: Writing and
Schools. Slides.
Wk 2:
M (Jan. 17)- Simpson ch. 7: Intro
to Egyptian History. *Sign up for Leading
Discussion!*
W (Jan. 19)- Overview of History, Politics of “Fertile Crescent,”
Egyptian Religion. *Quiz 1.
F (Jan. 21)- Discussion on Kramer ch. 4-6: Politics.
*1st
Reflection Paragraph (RP) due (typed!).
Wk 3:
M (Jan. 24)- Hallo ch. 2: Mesopotamian Early Bronze Age (3100-2100 BCE). Writing invented!
W (Jan. 26)- Ziggurats (cf Gen. 11).
Ur III Dynasty.
Law:
Pritchard pp. 133-166, Exod. 20-23.*Quiz 2.
F (Jan. 28)- Discussion on Kramer ch. 7-9: Law and Justice.
*2nd RP due.
Wk 4:
M (Jan. 31)- Simpson ch. 8: Egyptian Early Dynastic Period (3050-2715 BCE).
W (Feb. 2)- Ecology of the Fertile Crescent, influence on Religion.
Pritchard pp. 1-5. *Quiz 3.
F (Feb. 4)- Discussion on Kramer ch. 10-12: Farming and
Medicine. *3rd RP due.
Wk 5:
M (Feb. 7)- Simpson ch. 9: Egyptian Old Kingdom, 1st
Intermediate Period (2715-2205 BCE).
The
Pyramid Age! Read Pritchard pp.
234-237.
W (Feb. 9)- Discussion on Kramer ch. 13-15: Philosophy. *Quiz 4. **4th
RP due.
F (Feb. 11)- Discussion on Kramer ch. 16-18: Wisdom.
**5th RP due.
Wk 6:
M (Feb. 14)- Hallo ch. 3: Mesopotamian Middle Bronze Age (2100-1600
[1550] BCE).
Old
Babylonian period! Read Pritchard
pp. 31-74, 80-85, 92-132, 260-262.
W (Feb. 16)- Read Genesis 1-12. Biblical origins, patriarchs.
*Quiz 5.
F (Feb. 18)- Discuss Kramer ch. 19-21, Biblical
Parallels: Paradise, Flood, Resurrection. *6th RP.
Wk 7:
M (Feb. 21)- Simpson ch. 10: Egyptian Middle Kingdom, 2nd
Intermediate (2205-1550 BCE).
Joseph and the Hyksos.
Gen. 37, 39-50. Pritchard pp. 5-27, 225-226, 252-257.
W (Feb. 23)- Review for
Midterm.
F (Feb. 25)- Midterm
Exam (worth 20% of final grade).
Spring
Break!!! Enjoy your week!
Wk 8:
M (Mar. 6)- Hallo ch. 4: Mesopotamian Late Bronze Age (1600 [1550]-1200 BCE).
W (Mar. 8)- Discuss Midterm. Pritchard pp. 76-80. Slides.
*Quiz 6.
F (Mar. 10)- Discussion on Kramer ch. 22-24: Heroic Age.
*7th RP due.
Wk 9:
M (Mar. 13)- Simpson ch. 11: Egyptian New Kingdom (1550-1075 BCE).
Exod.
1-15, Judges. Biblical exodus, conquest, Philistines, tribal league.
W (Mar. 15)- Pritchard pp. 85-86, 173-187, 226-231, 257-259, 262-277.
*Quiz 7.
F (Mar. 17)- Discussion on Kramer ch. 25-27: Golden Age.
*8th RP due.
Wk 10:
M (Mar. 20)- Simpson ch. 12: Egyptian Saite Dynasty (1075-653 BCE).
W (Mar. 22)- Pritchard pp.
237-243, 245-249. *Quiz 8.
F (Mar. 24)- Discussion on Kramer ch. 28-30: Societal Ideals
and Failings. *9th RP
due.
Wk 11:
M (Mar. 27)- Hallo ch. 5: Mesopotamian Iron Age and Persian Period
(1200-333 BCE).
W (Mar. 29)- Pritchard pp.
188-208. Slides.
*Quiz 9.
F (Mar. 31)- Discuss Kramer ch. 31-33: Literary Imagery, Sex Symbolism. *10th
RP due.
Wk 12:
M (Apr. 3)- Iron Age Syria/Palestine: a bit of Biblical History (skim 1-2 Kings).
W (Apr. 5)- Pritchard
pp. 209-214. Slides. *Quiz 10.
F (Apr. 7)- Discussion on Kramer ch. 34-36: Mothers.
*11th RP due.
Wk 13:
M (Apr. 10)- Hallo ch. 6: Survey of Mesopotamian Culture.
W (Apr. 12)- Pritchard pp.
231-233, 244-245, 250-252. *Quiz
11.
F (Apr. 14)- Discussion on Kramer ch. 37-39: Elegies and Fish.
*12th RP due.
Wk 14:
M (Apr. 17)- Discussion on Kramer Appendix A: Mapping.
*Hand out review sheets.*
W (Apr. 19)- Review for final exam.
F (Apr. 21)- Good Friday – No Class. Happy Passover! Happy Easter!
A two-hour Final
Exam, covering the entire course, will follow during Exam Period
(worth 20% of
final grade).
A
Note on Workload:
College courses require preparation – on average three hours of
preparation for every one hour in class. At
Lycoming College the standard is 10 hours of preparation time per week per
course, not including class time. This
is more than a full-time job! However,
given the high amount you pay for your education, you will not get out of it
what you deserve unless you put in the time and do the preparation.
A
Note on Academic Dishonesty:
Academic Dishonesty is a serious offense at Lycoming College and in this
class. Academic Dishonesty includes
failing to give credit to sources used (otherwise known as Plagiarism).
This would include copying material from books, articles, web sites or
another student’s work without citing your source, whether on a formal paper
or a short assignment. You are
allowed to discuss assignments together, but when it comes to writing out your
answers, you must do your own work and use your own words.
If I receive two reflection paragraphs, outline summaries or write-ups
containing substantially identical wording, BOTH will receive a “0.” If I
receive assignments containing substantial amounts of material copied from any
source (other students’ papers, books, articles, web sites, etc.) without
proper citation and credit being given, that student will receive a “0” on
the project and will be reported to the Dean.
According to school policy, a second infraction of this type in any
course at Lycoming College will result in automatic expulsion from the school.
If you do not clearly understand what this means or what plagiarism is,
please come and talk to me about it and I will be glad to explain.