Biblical Cosmogony

BIB 6212: Biblical Cosmogony: Genesis Chapters 1 and 2

Bernard Revel Graduate School

Spring 2004: B. L. Eichler  

Original Syllabus

REFERENCE LIST

I. Text Tools

Grammars:

• E. Kautzsch, Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar (translated by A. B. Cowley).
   

• P. Jouon, A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew (translated and revised by T. Muraoka).
   

• J. Blau, A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew.
   

• T. O. Lambdin, Introduction to Biblical Hebrew. 
   

• M. Greenberg, Introduction to Hebrew. 
   

• B. Davidson, The Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon. 
   

• J. J. Owens, Analytical Key to the Old Testament. 

 Dictionaries:

• W. Gesenius, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (revised by F. Brown, S. R. Driver and C. A. Briggs). Biblical verse index by B. Einspahr. 
   

• L. Kohler and W. Baumgartner, The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. 
   

• W. L. Holladay, A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament 
   

• G. J. Botterweck and H. Ringgren, Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, (translated by David B. Green).

 Concordances:

• A. Even-Shoshan, Konkordantsyah Hadashah le-Torah, Nevi‘im u-Khetuviin.
   

• S. Mandelkem, Konkordantsyah la-Tanach.

II. Commentaries

Post-Biblical:

• Targum Onkeles (M. Aberbach and B. Grossfeld, Targum Onkelos to Genesis). 
   

• M. M. Kasher, Torah Shelemah. 
   

• Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews (ed. Thackeray, Loeb Classical Library, Josephus 4, Book I i (lines 1-51) Cf. T. W. Franxman, Genesis and the ‘Jewish Antiquities” of Flavius Josephus.

 Medieval:

• Solomon ben Isaac, Commentary on the Torah (A. Berliner; C. B. Chavel). 
   

• Samuel ben Meir, Commentary on the Torah (A. Bromberg). 
   

• Abraham ibn Ezra, Commentary on the Torah (A. Weiser; L. Prijs). 
   

• Moshe ben Nachman, Commentary on the Torah (C. B. Chavel). 
   

• Isaac Abarbanel, Commentary on the Torah. 
   

• Saadya ben Joseph, Commentary on Bereshit (Y. Qapah; M. Zucker). 
   

• David Qimhi, Commentary on the Torah (M. Kammelherr). 
   

• Obadiah Sforno, Be’ur la-Torah (Z. Gotlib). 

 Modern:

• U. Cassuto, A Commentary on the Book of Genesis (tr. 1961).  (Eric: Chapter 1 in English)
   

• S. R. Driver, The Book of Genesis (12th ed., 1926). 
   

• H. Gunkel, Genesis (Handkommentar zum Alten Testament, 1901). 
   

• D.  Z. Hoffmann, Sefer Bereshit. 
   

• B. Jacob, The First Book of the Bible: Genesis. 
   

• G. von Rad, Genesis: A Commentary (rev. tr. 1972). 
   

• N. M. Sarna, Genesis = Bereshit (JPS Commentary, 1989). 
   

• J. Skinner, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Genesis (International Critical Commentary, 2nd ed., 1930) 
   

• E. A. Speiser, Genesis (Anchor Bible, 1964). (5 Mbytes)
   

• G. Wenham, Genesis 1-15 (Word Biblical Commentary). 
   

• C. Westermann, Genesis 1-11: A Commentary (tr. 1974).
    

• (Eric: Shadal)

BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR FURTHER STUDY

I. Ancient Near East

Texts in Translation:

• J. B. Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Bible (2nd ed. + supplement 3rd ed.)
  

• W. W. Hallo, The Context of Scripture (1999) 
   

• S. Dailey, Myths from Mesopotamia (1989). 
   

• B. Foster, Before the Muses (2nd ed., 1996) 

• _________ From Distant Days (1995). 
   

• A.  Heidel, The Babylonian Genesis (2nd ed., 1951). 
   

• S. H. Hooke, Middle Eastern Mythology (1963). 
   

• S. N. Kramer, Sumerian Mythology (1961).

• ______________ The Sumerians.  
   

• W. G. Lambert and A. R. Millard, Atra-hasis: The Babylonian Story of the Flood.

 Studies:

• Z. Adar, The Book of Genesis: An Introduction to the Biblical World. 
   

• B. S. Childs, Myth and Reality in the Old Testament (2nd ed., 1962). 
   

• H. Frankfort, The Problem of Similarity in Ancient Near Eastern Religions. 
   

• R. H. Hess and D. T. Tsumura, I Studied Inscriptions from Before the Flood: Ancient Near Eastern, Literary and Linguistic Approaches to Genesis 1-11 (1994).
   

• D. Irvin, Mytharion: Comparison of Tales from the Old Testament and the Ancient Near East 
   

• W. G. Lambert, “Old Testament Mythology in its Ancient Near Eastern Context,” in J. A. Emerton, ed., Congress Volume: Jerusalem 1986 (Vetus Testamentum Supplemnent40 [1988], 124-143. 
   

• N. M. Sarna, Understanding Genesis. 
   

• D. T. Tsumura, The Earth and Waters in Genesis 1 and 2. 
   

• M. Weinfeld, Genesis (Olam ha-Tanakh).

II.   Literary Structure 

• Y. Carmiel, Im Sefer Bereshit. 
   

• U.  Cassuto, Sefer Bereshit u Mivnehu. 
   

• G. Coats, Genesis with an Introduction to Narrative Literature. 
   

• J. B. Doukhan, The Genesis Creation Story: Its Literary Structure. 
   

• J. P. Fokkelman, Narrative Art in Genesis. 
   

• W. H. Green, The Unity of the Book of Genesis. 
   

• J. M. Grintz, Yihudo ve-Qadmuto shel Sefer Bereshit. 
   

• H. Gunkel, The Legends of Genesis. 
   

• N. Habel, Literary Criticism of the Old Testament. 
   

• B. Leach, Genesis as Myth and Other Essays. 
   

• P. D. Miller, Jr., Genesis 1-11: Studies in Structure and Theme.

III. Modern Orthodox Jewish Thought 

• J. B. Soloveitchik, Lonely Man of Faith (=Tradition 7 [1965] 5-67). 
   

• Y. Rozensohn, “Beri’ah ve-hashgah: Lehavanat Perek Bet be-Sefer Bereshit,” Megadim 7. 
   

• M. Breuer, “Beri’at Shamayim va-’Arets,” Megadim 11. 
   

• M. Breuer, Pirqei Bereishit. (Eric: Breuer cites his own ' הירא תגאש לעב לש תודועתה תרות' in his chapter on Documents.  Also, these articles from Megadim appear as chapters in Pirkei Bereishit: Ma'aseh Bereishit,  Lashon Hazahav shel Rashi) (Eric: See also his אמונה ומדע בפרשנות המקרא for a pull no punches article, and and article by Meir Ekstein)
   

• S. Carmy, Modern Scholarship in the Study of Torah, esp. article by M. Breuer, “The Study of Bible and the Fear of Heaven,” and response by S. Leiman.  (Eric: Also, an introduction by Rabbi S. Carmy.)

SYLLABUS AND ASSIGNMENTS

I. Introductory Orientation

Goals and Scope of the Course:

• Determining Textual Meaning 
   

• Textual Tools 
   

• Ancient, Medieval and Modern Commentaries 
   

• Assignments and Grading 
   

• Plain Sense of the Text

Biblical and Mesopotamian Cosmogony:

• Genesis 1-3 
   

• Enuma Elish: Epic of Creation 
   

• Atrahasis: Story of the Flood 
   

• Y. Kaufmann, “The Bible and Mythical Polytheism,” Journal of Biblical Literature 70 (1951) 179-97. 
   

• J. J. Finkelstein, “Bible and Babel,” Commentary 1958, 43 1-44. 
   

• R. Hess & D. Tsumura, “Genesis and Ancient Near Eastern Stories of Creation and the Flood: An Introduction,” I Studied Inscriptions from Before the Flood, pp. 27-57.

II.   Close Reading of the Hebrew Text of Chapters 1-2

• Grammatical Problems:

  • Morphological

  • Syntactical  
     

• Semantic Problems:

  • Lexicographic

  • Contextual

III.  Written Assignment One (due March 1) 

Other Biblical Creation Accounts:

• R. Graves & R. Patai, Hebrew Myths: The Book of Genesis, pp. 21-40.

IV.   Written Assignment Two (due March 29) 

• Lower Textual Criticism:

  • R. Kittel and P. Kahle, Biblia Hebraica.

  • K. Elliger and W. Rudolph, Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia 

  • (Eric: LXX Genesis 1-2)

  • (Eric: LXX Genesis 1 from Bible Windows)

  • (Eric: LXX Genesis 1 with parsing from Bible Windows)

  • (Eric: Guide to BHS Critical Apparatus)

  • (Eric: Encyclopedia entry on Ancient Greek and the alphabet)

  • (Eric: Greek lessons from a Christian Testament site)

  • (Eric: Greek Grammer)
     

• Comparison of the Formulaic Structure of MT and LXX 

  • E. Tov, “Textual Criticism (OT),” The Anchor Bible Dictionary 6, pp. 393-441.

  • E. Tov, Textual Criticism of the Bible. 

V.    Written Assignment Three (due May 18) 

• Higher Textual Criticism:  
  Comparison of Chapter 1 and Chapter 2

  • N. Habel, Literary Criticism of the Old Testament, pp. 18-27.

  • H. Bloom, Modern Critical Interpretation of Genesis (esp. R. Alter, “Composite Artistry P and J”).  

  • Eric: H Hahn, The Old Testament in Modern Research, Chapter 1

  • Eric: Cassuto, U, The Documentary Hypothesis (Hebrew)

  • Eric: See Modern Orthodox Jewish Thought, above.

TEXT QUESTIONS

Chapter 1: 1

1. 1. Syntax: What are the two positions regarding the syntactical relationship of the first verse to the other verses in the chapter?  
    

   1. Check the dictionaries for the different meanings of the term רֵאשִׁית.  
       

   2. Check the concordances for an understanding of the syntactical usage of the term רֵאשִׁית. Does it always appear in the construct state or are there examples of it appearing in an absolute state?
         

   3. If  רֵאשִׁית is a construct, to what is it constructed in our verse? 
        

2. What are the semantic implications of the two different syntactic positions?
    

3. Lexicography: Does the term בָּרָא have a special connotation?  
    

   1. Check the dictionaries for the meaning of the term בָּרָא in each of the stems (=binyanim) in which it occurs
      

   2. Check the concordances for the different usages of the related terms: בָּרָא, ysr, ‘sh, by noting the direct objects of each of these verbal occurrences.

Chapter 1:2

1. Lexicography: Determine the meaning of the following terms:  

   1. תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ

   2. תְהוֹם, 

   3. רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים

   4. מְרַחֶפֶת. 

After reviewing the commentaries, check dictionaries and concordances to see if you can further clarify their meaning.

Chapter 1:3-4

1. Grammar: Consult the biblical grammars to discuss the morphology of the verbal forms:  
    

   1. וַיֹּאמֶר
      

   2. יְהִי
      

2. Grammar: consult the biblical dictionaries and grammars to note the various meanings and usages of the particle כִּי in Biblical Hebrew. Determine the syntactical relationship of the particle כִּי within the verse.
    

   1. Read: A. Schoors, “The Particle כִּי,” Remembering all the way ... : A collection of Old Testament studies published on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the Oudtestamentisch Werkgezelschap in Nederland by B. Albrektson .et al., (Oudtestamentische studiën., 21) Leiden : E.J. Brill, 1981, 240-276
      

3. Read the short note by J. Kugel, “The Adverbial Use of KI TOB,” Journal of Biblical Literature 99/3 (1980) 433-35. Do you agree with his translation of the verse?  

Chapter 1:5

1. Lexicography: Consult the biblical dictionaries and concordances to understand the various meanings of the action קרא. 
    

2. Syntax: Note the change in the verbal sequence in this verse. What does this syntactical change denote?
    

3. Semantics: What does the clause וַיְהִי-עֶרֶב וַיְהִי-בֹקֶר denote? Read Stroes, “Does Day Begin in the Evening or in the Morning,” Vetus Testamentum 16 (1966) 460-75.  (Cassuto on verses 6-8)
    

4. Lexicography: Is the term אֶחָד used only as a cardinal number or does it also function as an ordinal number?

Chapter 1: 6-8

1. What does the term רָקִיעַ mean? First determine the basic semantic range of the verbal root רָקִיעַ; then determine the morphological pattern of the noun and the meaning of that nominal pattern (consult Jouon’s grammar, chapter 3 on noun patterns). 
    

2. Is this conception of the creation of the heavens different from that found in Psalms 104:2 and Isaiah 40:22? 
    

3. What is the contextual problem raised by the verb וַיַּעַשׂ? How is the problem answered by the commentaries?
    

4. What is the meaning of the expression וַיְהִי-כֵן? 
    

5. What does the term שָׁמָיִם connote?

Chapter 1:9-10

• What is the basic semantic root of the verb qwh? Does this root have any homonyms? What nouns are associated with these verbal roots? Is it possible to establish any semantic relationship between the homonyms? 
   

• What is the morphological pattern of miqweh and what meaning does this pattern impart?