THE SCROLLS AND THE SCRIPTURES: THE BIBLE AS ARTIFACT: WHO WROTE IT AND HOW WAS IT PRESERVED?
The Dead Sea Scrolls and Evangelical Ministries to New Religions Conference Workshop
U- GS 300B & GS 1001B
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
5001 N. Oak Trafficway
Kansas City, MO 64118
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Course Number: GS 1001B Section: 01 Title: DSS Workshop
Term: Spring Year: 2010 Credit: 2 hours
Class Meetings: April 1–3 Time: Begins April 1 at 7:00 PM Location: MBTS
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Stephen J. Andrews, Ph.D.
Professor of Old Testament, Hebrew and Archaeology
Director of PhD Program
Director, Morton-Seats Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology
Office Telephone: 816-414-3773 Office: Koehn Meyers 113
Fax Number: 816-414-3740 Email: sandrews@mbts.edu
Home Telephone: 816-415-4621 Web: http://www.oldtestamentprof.com/
Faculty Secretary: Mindy Akright Fellow: Julie Harrison
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COURSE DESCRIPTION
An evangelical analysis of the impact of the Dead Sea Scrolls and recent archaeological discoveries on the way the Church understands the reliability of the texts of the Bible including especially those texts proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Through workshop lectures, papers, and exams in this class:
- The student will study the significance of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls on the issue of the reliability of Scripture.
- The student will recognize the importance of the biblical texts proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus.
- The student will understand the central significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls for Judaism and the Jewish background of the New Testament and Christianity.
- The student will recognize the essential implications of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls on Jesus and Christianity.
TEXTBOOKS
Students are expected to bring their Bible to each class session. Any English translation will be acceptable, and students are encouraged to bring several different versions.
Required Reading: (Please note: Students are not obligated to purchase these books through the links below, but by doing so they will help the Old Testament Prof blog on which this page is posted.)
- Evans, Craig A. Holman QuickSource Guide to the Dead Sea Scrolls. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2010. $14.99. ISBN13: 9780805448528.
- Evans, Craig A. and N. T. Wright. Jesus, the Final Days: What Really Happened. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2009. $14.95. ISBN13: 9780664233594.
- Jones, Timothy P. Misquoting Truth: A Guide to the Fallacies of Bart Ehrman’s “Misquoting Jesus”. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2007. $15.00. ISBN-13: 9780830834471.
Recommended Reading/Selected Bibliography: (Ctrl+Click on the links for more information)
- Abegg, Martin G., Peter W. Flint, and Eugene C. Ulrich. The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible: The Oldest Known Bible. 1st ed. San Francisco, CA: HarperSanFrancisco, 1999. $23.99. ISBN-13: 9780060600648.
- VanderKam, James C. The Dead Sea Scrolls Today. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1994. $19.00. ISBN-13: 9780802807366.
- VanderKam, James C., and Peter W. Flint. The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls: Their Significance for Understanding the Bible, Judaism, Jesus, and Christianity. 1st paperback ed. San Francisco, CA: HarperOne, 2004. $23.95. ISBN-13: 9780060684655.
- Wise, Michael, Martin Abegg, Jr. and Edward Cook. The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation, rev. and updated ed. New York: HarperOne, 2005. $24.99. ISBN-13: 9780060766627.
REQUIREMENTS FOR CREDIT
- Each student will be responsible for attending the opening debate on Thursday Night April 1, 7:00-9:00 PM, between Dr. Bart Ehrman and Dr. Craig Evans on “The Risen Christ: The Biblical Accounts of the Resurrection – Are They Reliable.”
Each student will be responsible for uploading to the Student Portal a written 2-3 page Debate Summary Paper. The deadline for this paper is April 30, 2010. The summary should include an explanation of the topics covered in the debate, the salient points raised by each debater, the types of arguments and rebuttals offered by each debater, and the student’s personal opinion about who “won” the debate and why. The summary will follow Turabian 7th edition style (with the following exceptions: 1” margins, Times Roman 12 pt font, double-spaced, footnotes [if necessary], and Microsoft Word or PDF format).
It is recommended that the student take careful notes during the debate with the summary requirements noted above in mind. However, the Debate Summary Paper must contain more than these notes alone. The summary should show careful reflection and interaction on the part of the student with the issues of the debate. An example of a Debate Summary will be uploaded to the Course Document section of the Student Portal. The Debate Summary Paper counts for 25% of the grade.
- Each student will be expected to attend a total of nine (9) of the papers/presentations given at The Scrolls and The Scriptures and the Evangelical Ministries to New Religions workshops on Friday and Saturday, April 1-2. Six (6) of the papers/presentations must be from The Scrolls and The Scriptures conference (see http://www.oldtestamentprof.com for the conference schedule) and three (3) of the presentations must be from the EMNR workshop (for the workshop schedule see http://www.emnr.org/conference.html).
Please note: the EMNR workshop presentations will only be held on Friday, April 2. The Scrolls and The Scriptures conference will be held on Friday and Saturday April 2-3.
Each student will be responsible for uploading to the Student Portal one written 10-12 page Papers/Presentations Report covering the total of nine (9) papers/presentations attended. The deadline for this report is April 30, 2010. Number the nine sections of the paper chronologically according to the paper or presentation attended, and list the paper title or presentation title and the presenter for each session. Also list whether the paper was a part of the Dead Sea Scrolls conference or the EMNR workshop. Each section will include an explanation of the topics covered in the paper/presentation, the salient points raised by each presenter, and the student’s personal reflection on the paper or presentation. The summary will follow Turabian 7th edition style (with the following exceptions: 1” margins, Times Roman 12 pt font, double-spaced, and Microsoft Word or PDF format). It is recommended that the student take careful notes during the paper/presentation. The report should show careful reflection and interaction on the part of the student with the issues of each paper or presentation. An example of the Paper/Presentation Report will be uploaded to the Course Document section of the Student Portal. The Paper/Presentation Report counts for 25% of the grade.
- Each student will be expected to read the three required textbooks listed above. Students will be expected to upload to the Student Portal a Textbook Reading Report listing the total amount of textbook pages read. The deadline for this report is June 1, 2010 (or May 17, 2010 for graduating seniors). An example of this report will be uploaded to the Course Document section of the Student Portal. The Textbook Reading Report will account for 25% of the grade.
- Each student will produce and upload to the Student Portal a Book Review on one (1) of the required textbooks listed above. The deadline for this review is June 1, 2010 (or May 17, 2010 for graduating seniors).The book review must be 9-10 typewritten pages in length (including title page) and follow Turabian 7th edition style (with the following exceptions: 1” margins, Times Roman 12 pt font, double-spaced, and Microsoft Word or PDF format). The review must describe the contents of the book, the credentials of the author(s), the purpose and goal of the book, an explanation of how the book relates to the broader study of the Dead Sea Scrolls or the Resurrection, and two or three examples from the book that helped the student to understand these issues better. An example of a book review will be uploaded to the Course Document section of the Student Portal. The Book Review will account for 25% of the grade.
- To assist Midwestern in the ongoing assessment of student learning and achievement, students are asked to complete the confidential, internet-based assessment of their course(s). The confidentiality of student responses is ensured through a system that permits faculty to view only the summary data of each class (i.e., individual student responses are flagged for tracking purposes only and cannot be identified nor are they available to faculty). Course assessment(s) are normally made available beginning with the last two weeks of the semester or term. Students must complete the online course assessment after the end of the semester or term and before being able to retrieve the grade(s) for their course(s). Students who do not have internet access may obtain access and/or assistance in Midwestern’s Library. Students having difficulty accessing their online course information should contact Information Technology department at helpdesk@mbts.edu.
- Course grades will be computed on the basis of the following percentages:
Debate Summary Paper 25%
Paper/Presentation Report 25%
Textbook Reading Report 25%
Book Review 25%
GRADING SCALE
The following numerical grading scale will be employed for this course:
A 97-100 B+ 90-93 C+ 82-84 D+ 73-75
A- 94-96 B 87-89 C 78-81 D 69-72
B- 85-86 C- 76-77 D- 65-68
The GPA System adopted by MBTS is:
A 4.0 B- 2.7 D+ 1.3
A- 3.7 C+ 2.3. D 1.0
B+ 3.3 C 2.0 D- 0.7
B 3.0 C- 1.7 F 0.00
ASSIGNMENT DUE DATES
Assignments must be uploaded to the student portal by the following dates:
Debate Summary Paper April 30, 2010
Paper/Presentation Report April 30, 2010
Textbook Reading Report June 1, 2010 (May 17 for graduating seniors)
Book Review June 1, 2010 (May 17 for graduating seniors)
GENERAL INFORMATION
1. Disabilities
Students seeking effective auxiliary aids for a current documented disability need to conform to Seminary policies and procedures as listed in the MidwesternStudents with Disabilities Information Brochure available in the Student Development Office. Students are responsible for contacting the Student Development Office for verification and recommendations for any disability case. The Student Development Office will then recommend to the professor any necessary effective auxiliary aids.
2. Plagiarism
Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Plagiarism is employing another individual’s words or ideas in ways that make it appear as if they are your own words or ideas. Sources of words and ideas must be cited. Assignments in which plagiarism is confirmed will receive an automatic zero (0) without the opportunity of make-up. The offending student will be reported to the Dean for disciplinary action.
3. Late Work
All work must be turned on the dates noted above. Work turned in late will suffer a one-grade reduction. Unforeseeable circumstances do occur and students may request an extension during the semester. Grace in the matter will be at the discretion of the professor. Students who have not turned in work after the final exam, and are not qualified to receive an incomplete, will fail the course.
4. Cell Phones and Pagers
Cell phones and pagers should be turned off or set to silent signal during the workshop. Regular infractions of this request may result in a penalization of grades.
5. English as a Second Language
Students whose native language is not English are required to pass the TOEFL exam (see MBTS catalog, p. 15) with a satisfactory score prior to admission. Students in this class are expected to possess an adequate facility with written and spoken English.