Daniel J. Dyke, Associate Professor
Office: (513) 244-8475
Home: (513) 471-6432 -- (513) 244-6055
dan.dyke@goodnews.net)
Cincinnati Bible College, Fall 1999

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1. COURSE RATIONALE
2. COURSE THEME
3. COURSE DESCRIPTION
4. COURSE OBJECTIVES
5. TEXTBOOKS
6. AGENDA
7. EVALUATION AND GRADING PROCEDURES
8. TAKING QUIZZES
9. TAKING TESTS
10. LATE WORK
11. COURSE PROCEDURES
12. GRADE SCALE
13. CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR
14. DRESS CODE
15. LEGAL MATTERS

What separates Christianity and Judaism from other religions is that their primary emphasis is on a transcendent God who reveals himself in historical events. The central concepts of religion are not mythical, theoretical, mystical, or even legal, but the mighty acts that God has done in history which objectively reveal His person, character, and will.

That the Old Testament is a historically oriented work can be seen in the fact that fifteen of its books are devoted to telling the history of God's dealings with man. From this it is obvious, even to the casual observer, that history is an important aspect of Biblical religion. Christianity proclaims that this ancient story continued to unfold in the lives of Jesus and his disciples and would continue to unfold even in the lives of those believers in later generations. This course is designed to help the student understand the earliest stages of this historical process of which of which he finds himself a part.

COURSE THEME

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will survey the Old Testament history that is contained in Genesis - II Kings. The student will be introduced to this history along with the geography, religions, culture, and archaeology of the area in which the story took place. The major points of theology that emerge through this historical process of God revealing Himself will be introduced. This is the foundational course for all other courses in the Old Testament area.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this course the student who has applied himself should . . .

1. know the outline of Israel's history from creation to the crossing of the Red Sea. To demonstrate his mastery of this material the student should be able to . . .

 
1. draw a time line chart with the major periods, events, and personalities in their proper Near Eastern context.
2. locate on a map of the Old Testament the geographical location of the major cities, empires, countries, districts, bodies of water, and peoples.
3. trace the movement of the people of God as they made their earthly journey during the various stages of history.
4. explain the theological significance of not only the overall story, but of each period and event as well. In doing this, events such as the creation, fall of man into sin, call of Abraham, and the Exodus, the choosing of David to be king, and the Babylonian Exile will take on new significance.
5. identify the major characters of the Old Testament story and what is was that either made them pleasing or displeasing to God.

1. know how the faith of Israel was similar to and different from the beliefs of her neighbors. The student should see . . .

 
1. that there were common elements to the religions of the region. These elements included religious concepts and terminology.
2. that there were radical conceptual differences between the religions of the area and that these differences were a major cause of the struggle that permeates the Old Testament.
3. that there were distinctive elements to the Israelite faith.

 
2. see how his faith is a continuation of that revealed in the Old Testament. His perception would be that the story of his life is a part of a much larger story of God's dealing with men.

Textbooks are not an option, but a necessity for the completion of this course. The value of a textbook transcends the immediate needs of a course in that it should become an invaluable part of a Christian's library.

Required Texts

Wood, Leon. A Survey of Israel's History. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986.
Cleave, Richard. The Holy Land Satellite Atlas. Cyprus: Rohr Productions, 1994.

AGENDA

I. Weeks 1-3: Introduction

A Christian View of History
The World of the Old Testament

Genesis 1-11 and Man's Earliest Ages
Patriarchal Narratives: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
Sojourn and Exodus
Sinai: The Mountain of God
Wandering in the Wilderness
Conquest of the Land of Promise
In the Days of the Judging of the Judges
Samuel: Judge, Prophet, Priest, King Maker, Barrel Rider
Saul: "It just may be a lunatic you are looking for."
David: "A man after God's own heart"
Solomon: "He had a thousand reasons to be depressed!"
Civil War: Jeroboam tears Rehoboam's Kingdom to Pieces
Cooperation: Jezebel's Folk vs. Elijah & Elisha
Syrian Domination: Let Hazael and Ben Hadad Kick You Around!
The Golden Age: A Vanishing Middle Class
Decline: "Bad news, Assyrian chariots are coming and you do want to be left out!"
Hezekiah's Revival, Isaiah, and the Assyrian Crisis
Manasseh's Apostasy:
Josiah's Revival
Josiah's Sons
The Babylonian Captivity

EVALUATION AND GRADING PROCEDURES

1. Three tests will be administered to measure a student's mastery of the history and theological issues associated with each period of the history. The student will be tested on the lectures. The three tests roughly correspond to the three sections of the Agenda.

2. The student is responsible to master the ten stories listed below. The student should demonstrate on the quiz that he has understood the story and read the textbook for theological and historical background.   A lecture will be given by Mr. Riggs during the first week of classes.  The student may come at designated times to the professor's office and take a quiz on these stories

  1.  The Temptation of Adam and Eve
  2.  The Sacrifice of Isaac
  3.  Jacob and His Uncle Laban
  4.  The Golden Calf Incident
  5.  Korah's Rebellion
  6.  The Sin of Achan
  7.  Ehud the Left Handed
  8.  Samuel's Call
  9.  Saul and the Witch of Endor
10.  The Destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar

The final test may be taken on the Friday preceding final test week or at any time that Mr. Dyke has a scheduled test for an Old Testament History class.

When a student takes a test the following must be done:

1. Print his name on the title page and on the first page of the bluebook.
2. Leave upon completion of the test.
3. Keep all test results and papers until the he receives his final grade.

LATE WORK

The penalty that is assessed for late work will be based upon the reason for the tardiness, the importance of the assignment, and any other circumstances that might have bearing on the matter. Usually the maximum grade that will be given after a semester is complete is C-.

COURSE PROCEDURES

Because of the size of the class and the complexity of the material, this course will be primarily a lecture course. The professor will supplement the lectures with slide presentations, overhead transparencies, and handouts. On several occasion guest lecturers will be used to give presentations on special topics.

GRADE SCALE

The following grade scale will be used to determine the student's grade:

CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR

Anything that distracts others or detracts from the learning experience is forbidden. Common sense would indicate that this includes . . .

1. Reading newspapers, magazines, or mail
2. Listening to music
3. Talking
4. Intentionally making noise

Attention is usually not paid to what a student wears, BUT if what you wear is against the school rules then it is against the rules. What I allow in my class is not necessarily what is allowed in someone else's class. Dress each day according to the strictest dress code of the day, which would include the hallway. In both hot and cold weather I do allow shorts. More important than what we wear is how we wear it.

LEGAL MATTERS

1.    The tests and assignments listed may be modified in the sense that the professor may choose to change the due date or cancel the assignment or test completely.
2.    No assignment will be added unless it is voluntary and for extra credit.
3.    The professor does not guarantee that all listed topics will be covered.
4.    Papers will be returned at the professor's discretion.
5.    Final tests will not be returned.
6.    If a grade is to be contested, it must be done before 5:00 P.M. on the Friday of the first week of the Fall semester of the 1999-2000 academic year.