RELS 3000
Rewriting the Book of Genesis
TR 11:00-12:20 
Dr. John C. Reeves 
108A Macy 
Office hours: MW 1:00-2:00; or by appointment 
jcreeves@uncc.edu 

" ... a myth is made up of all its variants ...." -- Claude Lévi-Strauss

Course description: An overview and comparative study of a broad variety of Jewish, Christian, gnostic, and Muslim literary traditions surrounding the characters and narrative events featured in the biblical book of Genesis. The texts which we will examine encompass approximately 1800 years from the putative sources of the biblical book itself to the Zohar and Bar Hebraeus. Consideration will also be given to the cultural issues surrounding the generation (or preservation?) of canonically extraneous lore and legendry pertaining to Genesis.

Texts: The following textbooks are required for this course:

James L. Kugel, The Bible As It Was (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1999).

The Apocryphal Old Testament (ed. H.F.D. Sparks; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1984).

G. Vermes, The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English (New York: Penguin USA, 1998).

B. Layton, The Gnostic Scriptures (New York: Doubleday, 1987).

The Qur’an (trans. M.H. Shakir; Elmhurst, NY: Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, Inc., 1999).

Naturally a course focusing upon the biblical book of Genesis will necessitate some interaction on both the instructor’s and students’ parts with its canonical form as well. Many students may already own Bibles, or at least have ready access to multiple translations either on-line or in Atkins Library, and you are perfectly welcome (within certain limits) to use them. Should you however be in need of an accessible ‘default’ translation, I have asked the bookstore to make available the following edition, which is a recommended purchase for this course:

Tanakh, The Holy Scriptures: The New JPS Translation According to the Traditional Hebrew Text (Philadelphia & Jerusalem: The Jewish Publication Society, 1985).

Often supplementary readings will be assigned and/or distributed by the instructor as needed.

Course requirements:

a. Research project. One (1) formal research project to be presented in written form (approximately 12-15 pages, exclusive of notes and list of sources) that focuses either upon a particular character (e.g., the wife of Noah) or upon a particular narrative event (e.g., Jacob’s dream at Bethel) that attracts a significant degree of elaboration in one or more ‘rewritten versions’ of Genesis. Characters or events which receive formal treatment in class (see Rough Outline below) are ineligible for such selection. An initial written précis of the paper, coupled with a brief oral report to the class, is due Tuesday, November 6 (and Thursday, November 8, if necessary). The final draft of the paper and its formal presentation orally to the class falls due the final week of class (i.e., December 4 and 6). The research project and its component parts (précis, final draft, and two oral presentations) account for 60% of the final course grade.

b. Take-home written exercises. An indeterminate number of written exercises will be prepared and submitted for in-class discussion and out-of-class evaluation. These exercises will vary in length from a minimum of one (1) to a maximum of five (5) typewritten or electronically printed pages. All of these exercises will be announced by the instructor during the course of or at the conclusion of a class meeting. The instructor’s evaluation of the student’s collective written exercise performance will comprise 30% of the course grade.

c. Individual involvement. Almost perfect attendance (see below) is an essential requirement for this course. Each class meeting builds upon the knowledge gained during previous meetings. Moreover, in-class discussion and analysis comprises a significant portion of every class meeting. Preparation for every class usually involves the completion of a series of assigned readings and/or written assignment(s). Students are expected to contribute in an informed manner to the public analysis and discussion of any assigned topic, and the instructor reserves the right to administer occasional unannounced ‘pop-quizzes’ should he deem the situation so warrants (grades for such quizzes are averaged with those of the take-home exercises). The instructor’s assessment of one’s attendance, class preparation, and informed oral contributions will constitute 10% of the final course grade.

d. Zakhor (Remember!): Mastery of the assigned readings and diligent class attendance are necessary prerequisites for the successful completion of this course. Each student is responsible for all lectures, class discussions, assignments, and announcements, whether or not he/she is present when they occur.

Miscellaneous information:

a. The grading scale used in this course is as follows:

91-100	A	demonstrable mastery of material; can creatively synthesize
81-90	B	some demonstrable proficiency in control of material & analysis
71-80	C	satisfactory performance of assignments; little or no analysis
61-70	D	inadequate and/or faulty understanding of material
0-60	F	unacceptable work

b. One of the requirements of this course is to complete the work of the course on time. Sometimes there are legitimate reasons for late work—an illness or other emergency. ‘Emergency,’ however, does not include your social involvements, travel plans, job schedule, disk and/or printer failures, the state of your love life, your obligations to other courses, or general malaise over the state of the world. The world has been in a mess as long as anyone can remember, and most of the world’s work is done by people whose lives are a mass of futility and discontent. If you haven’t learned yet, you had better learn now to work under the conditions of the world as it is. Therefore:

1) All missed quizzes, unwritten papers, and unsubmitted exercises will be averaged as a 0 in the computation of the course grade. There is no such thing as a ‘make-up pop quiz.’ No exceptions will be considered or granted.

2) All papers and written exercises are due on the dates scheduled in the syllabus, or on the date announced by the instructor in class (usually, the next class meeting). ‘Late’ submissions bear the following penalties: one day late/one letter grade; two days late/two letter grades; three or more days late/F. Please note: these ‘days’ are calendar days, not class meeting days. For accounting purposes, letter grades bear the following values: A=95; B=85; C=75; D=65; F=30. An untyped paper or written exercise automatically receives the grade F, as do those typed papers which violate the required parameters or which the instructor deems physically unacceptable and/or grammatically incomprehensible.

3) Attendance at class meetings will be monitored by the instructor. One or two absences are somewhat understandable, three (3) is the limit of tolerability. Each successive absence lowers the Individual Involvement component of your assessment by one letter grade; seven (7) or more earns an automatic F in that component. Please note that the instructor does not distinguish ‘excused’ from ‘unexcused’ absences. Unsanctioned late arrivals and early departures will be tallied as absences.

c. Assistance and solicitation of criticism is your right as a member of the class. It is not a privilege to be granted or withheld. Do not hesitate to request it nor wait too late in the course for it to be of help.

In response to student requests for recommendations regarding useful and enlightening discussions of certain topics, themes, and personalities that are presented in class and/or readings, I offer the following suggestions for further study at the student’s leisure. I confine myself to materials which I myself have used with profit and which are currently available at Atkins Library.

It is often helpful for the student to begin with appropriate articles in the standard Bible dictionaries. The latest and best is The Anchor Bible Dictionary (6 vols.; New York: Doubleday, 1992). Also reliable are The Interpreters’ Dictionary of the Bible (4 vols.) and its Supplementary Volume (ed. George A. Buttrick; Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1962 & 1976), and the Harper’s Bible Dictionary (ed. Paul J. Achtemeier; San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985). Highly recommended are the relevant articles in the Encyclopaedia Judaica (16 vols.; Jerusalem: Keter, 1971) and the Encyclopaedia of Islam (2d ed.; 10 vols.; Leiden: Brill, 1960- ).

Traditional Commentaries and Midrashim (I give English translations only)

Chumash with Targum Onkelos, Haphtaroth, and Rashi’s Commentary (5 vols.; ed. A.M. Silbermann and M. Rosenbaum; repr. Jerusalem: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1985). Only the biblical text and Rashi are translated into English.

Israel Drazin, Targum Onkelos to Genesis (Hoboken, NJ: Ktav Publishing House, 1998).

Martin McNamara, Targum Neofiti I: Genesis (The Aramaic Bible 1A; Collegeville, MD: The Liturgical Press, 1992).

Michael Maher, Targum Pseudo-Jonathan: Genesis (The Aramaic Bible 1B; Collegeville, MD: The Liturgical Press, 1992).

Midrash Rabbah (5 vols.; ed. and trans. H. Freedman and M. Simon; repr. London and New York: Soncino Press, 1977). The first volume translates Genesis Rabbah.

J. Neusner, Genesis Rabbah, the Judaic Commentary to the Book of Genesis: A New American Translation (3 vols.; Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1985).

Pirkê de Rabbi Eliezer (trans. G. Friedlander; repr. New York: Sepher-Hermon Press, 1981).

Ramban (= Nachmanides), Commentary on the Torah (5 vols.; trans. C.B. Chavel; New York: Shilo Publishing House, 1971-76).

The Zohar (5 vols.; trans. H. Sperling and M. Simon; repr. London: Soncino Press, 1973).

Modern Critical Commentaries to Genesis

U. Cassuto, A Commentary on the Book of Genesis (2 vols.; Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1961). Regrettably unfinished; extends only to around Genesis 12.

H. Gunkel, Genesis (3d ed.; Göttingen, 1910; Eng. trans. M.E. Biddle, Macon: Mercer University Press, 1997).

Gerhard von Rad, Genesis: A Commentary (rev. ed.; Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1972).

N.M. Sarna, The JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis/Bereshit (Philadelphia, New York, and Jerusalem: The Jewish Publication Society, 1989).

J. Skinner, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Genesis (ICC; Edinburgh: T.&T. Clark, 1910).

E.A. Speiser, Genesis: Introduction, Translation, and Notes (Anchor Bible 1; Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1964).

C. Westermann, Genesis 1-11; 12-36; 37-50 (3 vols.; Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1984-86).

Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha Resources

G.A. Anderson and M.E. Stone (eds.), A Synopsis of the Books of Adam and Eve (2d rev. ed.; Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1999).

R.H. Charles (ed.), The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament in English (2 vols.; Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1913).

J.H. Charlesworth (ed.), The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (2 vols.; Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1983-85).

______, The Pseudepigrapha and Modern Research, With A Supplement (Chico, CA: Scholars Press, 1981).

J.C. Reeves (ed.), Tracing the Threads: Studies in the Vitality of Jewish Pseudepigrapha (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1994).

M.E. Stone, A History of the Literature of Adam and Eve (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1992).

M.E. Stone and T.A. Bergren (eds.), Biblical Figures Outside the Bible (Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 1998). Relevant articles on Adam/Eve, Seth, Enosh, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Melchizedek, Levi, and Joseph.

Dead Sea Scrolls Resources

F. García Martínez, The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated: The Qumran Scrolls in English (2d ed.; Leiden and Grand Rapids, MI: Brill and Eerdmans, 1996).

M. Wise, M. Abegg, Jr., and E. Cook, The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1996).

Classical and Syro-Mesopotamian Gnostic Resources

J. Doresse, The Secret Books of the Egyptian Gnostics (repr. New York: AMS Press, 1970).

W. Foerster, Gnosis: A Selection of Gnostic Texts (2 vols.; Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972). Volume 1 features patristic testimonies to classical gnosis; volume 2 has translations of Coptic and, more importantly, Mandaic sources.

J.C. Reeves, Heralds of That Good Realm: Syro-Mesopotamian Gnosis and Jewish Traditions (Leiden: Brill, 1996). For a plethora of traditions pertaining to Adam, Seth, Enosh, Enoch, and Shem.

J.M. Robinson (ed.), The Nag Hammadi Library in English (3d rev. ed.; San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988).

K. Rudolph, Gnosis: The Nature and History of Gnosticism (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1983).