**Updated and corrected Jan 10th, 2012

General Resources

• Points of Focus
• A Timeline of Early Jewish and Christian History (beta)
• Good Journals for the Study of Early Judaism
• A Diagram of the Jewish Year
• Deciphering References in the Dead Sea Scrolls
• The New English Translation of the Septuagint (NETS)

Week 1: Introduction

• An Ancient Jewish Prayer
• Slides
• Sousanna 6-7

Week 2: The Maccabean Crisis and Its Aftermath

• Reading
• Josephus, JW book 1
• 1 Maccabees (A)
• 2 Maccabees 2-8 (A)
• VanderKam
• Reading Questions
• Sousanna 9-12

Week 3: Life Under Rome and Life in the Diaspora

• Reading
• Josephus, JW book 2 (1-83, 94-119, 162-
  203, 223-344, 388-416, 449-498, 647-654)
  (W)
• Philo, Embassy to Gaius 114-161 (Ph vol. X)
• VanderKam
• Reading Questions
• Sousanna 13, 19

Week 4: Apocalyptic Literature: Justice and the Future

• Reading
• 1 Enoch 6-36 (P vol. 1)
• 1 Enoch 45-57 (P vol. 1)
• 4 Ezra (2 Esdras) 3:1-5:20; 7; 11-13 (A)
• VanderKam
• Reading Questions
• Sousanna 28-30

Week 5: Psalms, Hymns, and Prayers: What Did Jews Say
to God?

• Reading
• The Eighteen Beneditions or Amidah (handout here)
• Psalms of Solomon 3, 9, 17, 18 (P vol 2)
• Hymns of the Community (1QHa) viii.16-37, ix.1-39 (DSS)
• VanderKam
• Reading Questions
• Sousanna 31-33

Week 6: Re-Written Bible and Biblical Interpretation

• Reading
• Jubilees 1-15 (P vol. 2)
• Pesher Commentary on Habakkuk (1QpHab) vii-xiii (DSS)
• VanderKam
• Reading Questions
• Sousanna 34-35
• Hillel's 7 Rules for Biblical Interpretation

Week 7: The Law and its Observance

• Reading
• the Damascus Document x.10-xii.18 (DSS)
• Letter of Aristeas 121-171 (P vol. 2)
• Mishnah tractate Aboth 1; 3.14-17; Yadaim
  4.6-7; Shabbath 1-2 (M)
• VanderKam
• Reading Questions
• Sousanna 36-38

Week 8: Divine Wisdom

• Reading
• Wisdom of Solomon (A)
• Ben Sira (Ecclesiasticus) 1-15; 34:9-36:17; 38-51 (A)
• VanderKam
• Reading Questions
• Sousanna 39-41

Week 9: The Qumran Community

• Reading
• Josephus, JW 2.119-161
• Community Rule (1QS; Serek ha-Yahad) (DSS)
• Damascus Document (CD) i-viii (DSS)
• War Scroll (1QM) (i-iii, v, x, xviii-xix) (DSS)
• VanderKam
• Reading Questions
• Sousanna 44, 48, 51
• Some Key Qumran Scrolls
• A Timeline of the Qumran Community

Week 10: Reading Week (No Class)

Week 11: Folk Tales and Hero Stories

• Reading
• Tobit (A)
• Judith (A)
• Reading Questions
• Sousanna 52-53

Week 12: Essay Presentations

• No new reading
• Sousanna 54-56

Week 13: Essay Presentations

• No new reading
• Sousanna 57-59

Week 14: Filling the Gap

• No new reading
• Sousanna 60-63