Choose one biblical passage (set of verses / paragraph / chapter) that we have studied in class and explain in your own words what you learned about it in this course.

Your paper should be 400-500 words, which is the equivalent of about 3-4 paragraphs.

Your paper must include:

(1) A title including the passage you chose. You must include the book, chapter, and verses.  Do not provide the quotation itself unless it is only one or two specific verses.

(2) A discussion of the meaning, in plain English, of the text you chose.  This should be the brief. The goal of this paper is not to just summarize a passage.  But you must briefly show that you are able to do a brief summary and that you understand the passage.

(3) This is the most important part: An academic analysis of the passage.  In class lecture and readings, we cover a variety of types of analysis.  Analysis means going beyond just what the text says and working on how the text came to be written, and what it meant to its authors, audiences, and later readers of the Bible.  Your paper does not have to include all of the analysis you encountered in class and in your reading about the passage you chose, but you must include, in your own words, some analysis of the passage.  An excellent paper will also describe the kind of analysis this is and why it’s important.

(4) A statement of why you chose this passage to discuss.  This is where your own personal ideas, opinions, and reflections come in.

Draw only on course materials (assigned readings, class sessions and handouts, and anything on Canvas). No outside sources or material, including anything from the internet, may be used. Rely exclusively on course material.

Your grade will be based on the following three criteria:

Accurately and clearly communicating information and ideas about the Hebrew Bible and its analysis, learned from course materials.
Following all directions above.
Academic writing style, including proper spelling, grammar, capitalization, structure, and style. For help with this, please visit the Academic Enhancement CenterLinks to an external site. before submitting your paper.
Important Formatting Instructions:

Biblical passages should be referred to by their book, chapter, and verse.  For example:

Genesis 4:14.

2 Kings 12:5.

Modern scholarship should be referred to with a footnote including the author, title, and page number.  For example:

John Collins, A Short Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, 55.

The second time you refer to the same text, you may use a shortened citation in the footnote, such as this:

Collins, Introduction, 55.

Essays should be typed, double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12 pt. font with 1 inch (standard) margins.  Essays must have a heading including your name, the date, the course, and the instructors name.