Biblical Heritage I
1. Slect one of the following prophetic books that we will not be able to cover (fully) in class:
Ezra
Nehemiah
Daniel
Joel
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
2. Write a five-page (double spaced) paper in which you describe the author, the historical situation during the time of the prophet, the historical situation at the time of composition (may well be different from the time of the prophet himself), and the basic message(s) of the book you have chosen
3. Make use of these basic research materials (all in any major library) to begin your study:
-Jerome Biblical Commentary
-Anchor Bible Dictionary
-New Interpreter?s Dictionary of the Bible
(NOTE: The above are all very scholarly, balanced, and respected works. If you start reading something from another source that deviates too far from what these or Anderson says (yes Anderson!) you may be getting into something a bit off-base strange. Be careful what you use ?it is not all equally valid or usable just because it is in the library.
4. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES may you use internet websites for your research. The internet is chock full of poor materials on the Bible; every religious nut has his or her say on their own website with no scholarly controls. Using computer search engines to look up library books or articles is, of course, allowed.
5. Cite (footnote) your sources whenever you borrow an idea or quote, and provide a bibliography at the end of the paper. Method of citation is up to you, though it must be adequate and consistent.
6. Write as though you are to present this material to your class peers who know little or nothing about the prophetic book in question.
USE THE FOLLOWING BOOKS:
(Besides sources that you can find in any major library)
Understanding the old testament 5th edition Bernhard Anderson with Steven Bishop and Judith Newman
The New Oxford Annotated Bible Fully revised 4th edition