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Hum10a The Western Canon
Syllabus: Spring Term 2016
Prof. Reuven Kimelman Tel. X62963,
TA Sari Fein
Tuesday and Friday 9:30-10:50, office hour: Lown 208, Tues. 12:30-2, Fri. 12:30-1:30
This course is designed to introduce the student to Western classics of Antiquity on the subject of evil and human destiny. The relationship among the divine, the world, and history will be explored through the prisms of justice, suffering, and death. The focus is on the manner the formative cultures of our civilization -- the Hebrew and the Greek -- wrestled with these problems and how their various resolutions endeavored to endow human life with meaning.
Texts to be read and/or viewed: Genesis, Exodus, Iphigenia, Iliad, Oedipus, Antigone, the
Platonic dialogues - Euthrypho, Apology, Crito, and Phaedo - Job and Matthew
Jan. 15 Fri.. Introduction -- Genesis 1 (Tanach, Jewish Study Bible)
19 Tues. Gen. 2-3; N. Sarna, Understanding Genesis (UG), 1-62.
22 Fri . Gen. 4; R. Kimelman, “The Seduction of Eve,” see Women in the Hebrew Bible, ed. A. Bach, or: www.utoronto.ca/wjudaism (Summer 1998).
Start with part 2, page four, “Second Reading.”
26 Tues. Gen. 5-11; M. Fishbane, Text and Texture, 17-39 (on Latte)
29 Fri.. Gen. 12-18, Chart: Bible and ANE on Flood, UG, 63-80
Feb. 2 Tues. Gen. 19-22; UG, 81-165. First paper due
5 Fri. Gen. 37-50; UG, 211-231.
9 Tues. Exodus 1-2; Sarna, Exploring Exodus (EE), 1-37
12 Fri. Ex. 3-14, Sarna EE 38ff.
15-19 Spring vacation
23 Tues. Ex. 19-20, 32; 1 Kings 19-20; EE, pp. 130-157,
26 . Fri. midterm
29 Mon.night Aeschyles, Iphigenia, movie
March 1 Tues. Iliad 1-8, and Introduction (Fagles Translation)
4 Fri. Iliad 9-18
8 Tues. Iliad 19-24
11 Fri. Sophocles, Oedipus Rex
15 Tues. Sophocles, Oedipus Rex, movie online Antigone
18 Fri. Sophocles, Antigone,
22 Tues. Plato, Euthrypho (second paper due)
25 Fri. No Brandeis
29 Tues. Plato, Euthrypho
April 1 Fri. Plato, Apology
5 Tues. Plato, Crito
8 Fri. Phaedo
12 Tues. Job 1-14, Gordis, The Book of God and Man, 76-91
15 Fri. Job. 26-42, Gordis, The Book of God and Man, 135-156
19 Tues. Mathew
21 Thurs. Review
May Final
Sample midterm
Document answers by citing the text and if relevant course readings.
1. In what sense is Cain the moral fruit of Adam and Eve (what are the parallels and what do they mean)?
2. What is the difference in meaning between reading the episode of the Garden of Eden as a one-time historical event or as ongoing parable of the human condition? Which do you think it is and why?
3. From the point of view of literary structure and meaning how is Abraham’s argument about Sodom (Genesis 18) and Abraham’s binding of Isaac (Genesis 22) similar and dissimilar? What understanding is gained by such a comparison?
4. In what sense does the Jacob cycle of stories reflect the title of this course “Evil and Human Destiny”?
5. How is the story of Joseph structured to make moral points? What are they?
6. What are the unifying themes of Genesis?
7. What are the different themes of the plague narrative? What is the interplay between them?
How does the narrative make its point?
8. What is gained by reading Exodus 32:7-14, 30-35 in the light of Genesis 18:17-33, and I Kings 19 in the light of Exodus 32:7-14, 30-35. How does the theory of intertextuality contribute to the explication?
First paper (three and a half to four pages)
Compare Sarna, Fishbane, and Kimelman on the meaning of Genesis 1-4. Focus on three issues they all discuss such as the meaning of the snake. Explain each approach and the evidence for it. Make the case for the best interpretation of Genesis 1-4 by citing verses to support your thesis. Each position should be supported by citations followed by page number. Include an introduction and a conclusion. The introduction should state the paper’s task and your thesis. The conclusion should summarize your argument without documentation and without new material. Each paragraph should begin with a topical sentence which introduces its content. No paragraphs should exceed 2/3 of the page. Include on a separate page the first sentence of each paragraph. Make sure its reads like an outline. After reading your paper, your learning partner should append an evaluation that includes a statement of your thesis and your best and weakest argument. Do not use the word “this” or “that” if it refers to something antecedent. Always spell out what you mean. Minimize words such as thus or therefore. Do not assert a logical connection, show it.
Four-CreditCourse(with three hours of class-time per week)
Success in this4credithourcourseis based on the expectation that students will spend a minimum of 9 hours of study time per week in preparation for class (readings, papers, discussion sections, preparation for exams, etc.).
Academic Honesty:You must complete all assignments alone. In your writing, you must follow rules of attribution, meaning that you must cite all sources consulted in preparing your papers. As stated in theStudent Handbook,“Every member of the University community is expected to maintain the highest standards of academic honesty. A student shall not receive credit for work that is not the product of the student’s own effort.” Examples of penalties for a student found responsible for an infringement of academic honesty are no credit for the work in question, failure in the course, and the traditional range of conduct sanctions from disciplinary warning through permanent dismissal from the University.
Students with documented disabilities:Students with disabilities certified by the Coordinator of Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities in the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs and First Year Services will be given reasonable accommodations to complete required assignments. Disabilities that are not documented and approved by the Office of Academic Affairs will not be given accommodations.