This document provides the syllabus for an introductory Old Testament course at Winston-Salem State University. The course aims to familiarize students with the content, genres, and historical contexts of the Old Testament texts. It will cover the major sections of the Old Testament through lectures, discussions, and assignments. Students will complete reading responses, projects, exams, and a research paper. Grades will be based on class participation, exercises, exams, and creative writing assignments focused on prophecies and psalms. The course policies outline expectations for attendance, behavior, academic honesty, and accommodations for disabilities.

2. Complaint. The psalmist pours out, honestly and forcefully, a complaint, identifying what the trouble is and why the Lord’s help is being sought.

3. Trust. The psalmist immediately expresses trust in God.

4. Deliverance. The psalmist pleads for God to deliver from the situation described in the complaint.

5. Assurance. The psalmist expresses the assurance that God will deliver. This assurance is parallel somewhat to the expression of trust.

7. Complaint. This comprises the remainder of verse 1 and all of verse 2. David describes the foes (which can stand in these psalms as personified symbols of virtually any misery or problem), and how bleak his situation seems. Any difficult can be expressed in this way.

8. Trust. Here, verses 3-6 are all part of the expression of trust in the Lord. Who God is, how he answers prayer, how he keeps his people secure even when their situation is apparently hopeless – all this represents evidence that God is trustworthy.

9. Deliverance. In verse 7a David expresses his plea for help.

10. Assurance. The remainder of verse 7 constitutes the statement of assurance.

12. Distress. The situation from which God gave deliverance is portrayed.

13. Appeal. The psalmist reiterates the appeal that he or she made to God.

14. Deliverance. The deliverance God provided is described.

16. Distress. In verse 3 the distress is unspecified – it may be any sort of difficulty in which David called to the Lord.

17. Appeal. The appeal is also contained in verse 3. God is praised for having graciously responded to David’s (unspecified) distress.

18. Deliverance. Here verses 6-7 are most pertinent. The fact that God paid attention to his undeserving supplicant , preserved his life in the midst of trouble, and rescued David from his foes serves to express for the reader their own appreciation for God’s faithful help in the past.

19. Testimony. Verses 4-5, and 8 all constitute David’s testimonial to God’s goodness. God is so beneficent that he deserves praise from even the great of the earth (vv. 4-5). He may be counted upon and appealed to in connection with carrying out his promises and intentions. His love never stops (v. 8).Original Thanksgiving or Lament Psalm Now compose your own individual or communal Thanksgiving or Lament Psalm, following the form outlined above. Ensure that each of the 5-6 parts is included in your psalm. Original Individual or Communal Lament Psalm: Grading Protocol Part One: Subject of the Lament Psalm (Maximum 5 points)_______The psalmist chose an appropriate topic and asked God to act in a way consistent with the divine characterPart Two: Formal Features of the Lament Psalm (Maximum 10 points for each element)_______Invocation of God’s name (i.e., the psalm named God directly, preferably in the vocative mood, and called upon God to help him or her or the community)_______Description of present need (i.e., the psalmist stated what ailment he or she or the community is suffering, who has wronged him or her or the community, or what bad events he or she or the community is experiencing)_______Prayer for help and deliverance, preferably in the imperative mood (i.e., the psalmist told God what to do)_______Reasons why God should help the psalmist/community (i.e., the psalmist stated what he or she or the community has done for God, or that should be pleasing to God)_______Vow to offer praise or sacrifice when the petition is heard (i.e., the psalmist stated that he or she or the community will sacrifice the fatted calf or offer some other form of praise to God)_______ **This psalm included an oracle of salvation (5 points bonus)_______Grateful praise to God (i.e., the psalmist gave thanks to God for granting the request stated in Part C)Part Three: Composition Mechanics (Maximum 10 points)10Perfect work8-9One or two punctuation mistakes OR one spelling or grammatical or syntactical error5-7Three or more punctuation mistakes OR two spelling or grammatical or syntactical errors2-4Several punctuation mistakes OR three or four spelling or grammatical errors0Several punctuation mistakes OR more than four spelling or grammatical errors_______Total Points_______Less points for late submission_______Net Points Original Thanksgiving Psalm Grading Protocol Part One: Subject of the Thanksgiving Psalm (Maximum 5 points)_______The psalmist chose an appropriate topic and asked God to act in a way consistent with the divine characterPart Two: Formal Features of the Thanksgiving Psalm (Maximum 10 points for each element)_______Introduction. The psalmist summarizes a testimony of how God has helped._______Distress. The situation from which God gave deliverance is portrayed (i.e., the psalmist stated what ailment he or she or the community was suffering, who wronged him or her or the community, or what bad events he or she or the community was experiencing)_______Appeal. The psalmist reiterates the appeal that he or she made to God._______Deliverance. The psalmist describes the deliverance that God provided._______Testimony. Grateful praise to God.Part Three: Quality of the Composition (Maximum 10 points)10Perfect work8-9One or two punctuation mistakes OR one spelling or grammatical or syntactical error5-7Three or more punctuation mistakes OR two spelling or grammatical or syntactical errors2-4Several punctuation mistakes OR three or four spelling or grammatical errors0Several punctuation mistakes OR more than four spelling or grammatical errors_______Total Points (of 65)_______Less points for late submission_______Net Points Appendix 2: Creative Prophecy Project Writing Your Own Oracle The Assignment. Assume that you are a modern day Amos or Hosea. In one or two pages, write a modern prophecy in the style of an eighth-century prophet. Guidelines. Before you write, think about the following topics and questions. You should try to include information from each topic and answer the questions in your prophecy. Do not worry about treating the topics in order, and do not label the topics. Use your imagination. I. Historical Context: Who is your audience? What is the setting (time, date, and place)? II. Biographical Sketch: Are there any events or experiences in your past that affect your message? What were you doing before you were called to prophesy? What are your credentials? Prophets understood themselves as divinely commissioned messengers and often spoke as though voicing the words of God with the messenger formula. Some prophets also described their call in a narrative that usually exhibited the following features: call, protest, reassurance, and acceptance. III. Forth-telling (the most important topic): What corruptions do you see? Are they religious, ethical, or political in nature? Prophets drew from established forms of speech that were familiar to their audiences and often used these forms ironically. Incorporate into your oracle contemporary speech forms that your audience would recognize and try to use these forms in creative ways. Describe the corruptions using techniques such as metaphors, analogies, and dramatizations. Make sure your images are modern. Do not simply borrow them from the Old Testament. IV. Foretelling: What will the judgment be? Can you offer any hope to your audience? Feel free to dramatize this part of your message as well. Suggestion. You may want to begin your prophecy this way: The word came to ___________________ in the year __________ concerning the people of ____________________ . Skim over the messages and styles of the eighth-century prophets before you begin writing. Remember that prophetic speech is often poetic. Incorporate as many of these features as possible in your oracles. Original Prophetic Oracle Grading Protocol Part One: Subject of the Prophetic Oracle (Maximum 10 points)_______The prophet chose an appropriate topic.Part Two: Formal Features of the Prophetic Oracle (Maximum 10 points for each element)_______Historical Context. The prophet identifies the audience, setting, date, and location of the prophecy._______Biographical Sketch. The prophet gives a call narrative and presents his qualifications for serving as a prophet._______Forth-telling. The prophet describes religious, ethical, or political corruptions. (15 points)_______Foretelling. The prophet describes the consequences of failing to respond to warnings of impending judgment and offers hope for those who respond positively._______Poetry. The prophecy has poetic features.Part Three: Quality of the Composition (Maximum 10 points)10Perfect work8-9One or two punctuation mistakes OR one spelling or grammatical or syntactical error5-7Three or more punctuation mistakes OR two spelling or grammatical or syntactical errors2-4Several punctuation mistakes OR three or four spelling or grammatical errors0Several punctuation mistakes OR more than four spelling or grammatical errors_______Total Points_______Less points for late submission_______Net Points Class Participation: Assessment and Evaluation POSITIVE ATTRIBUTESParticipates in class discussionsAlmost AlwaysOccasionallySeldomAlmost NeverOffers questions or comments during classAlmost AlwaysOccasionallySeldomAlmost NeverVisits at podium after classAlmost AlwaysOccasionallySeldomAlmost NeverNEGATIVE ATTRIBUTESSkips classAlmost AlwaysOccasionallySeldomAlmost NeverShows up lateAlmost AlwaysOccasionallySeldomAlmost NeverSleeps in classAlmost AlwaysOccasionallySeldomAlmost NeverExhibits disruptive behaviorAlmost AlwaysOccasionallySeldomAlmost Never Additional Comments: Suggested Readings In addition to the resources listed in the textbook, students wishing to pursue Old Testament Studies are encouraged to consult the following works: Anderson, Bernhard W. Understanding the Old Testament, 6th edition. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1986. Baker, David W. and Bill T. Arnold, editors. The Face of Old Testament Studies: A Survey of Contemporary Approaches. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1999. Barton, John. Reading the Old Testament: Methods in Biblical Study. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1984. Bright, John. A History of Israel, 2nd edition. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1976. Childs, Brevard S. Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1979. Coogan, Michael D. A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament: The Hebrew Bible in Its Context. New York: Oxford University, 2009. ----------. The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures. New York: Oxford University, 2006 Drane, John. Introducing the Old Testament. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2001 Efird, James M. The Old Testament Writings: History, Literature, and Interpretation. Atlanta: John Knox, 1982. Harris, Stephen L. and Robert L. Platzner. The Old Testament: An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, 2nd edition. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2008. Heschel, Abraham J. The Prophets. New York: Harper & Row, 1962. Hill, Andrew E. and John H. Walton. A Survey of the Old Testament, 3rd edition. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009. LaSor, William Sanford, David Allan Hubbard, and Frederic William Bush. Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996. McKenzie, Steen L. and John Kaltner. The Old Testament: Its Background, Growth, & Content. Nashville: Abingdon, 2007. Von Rad, Gerhard. Old Testament Theology. New York: Harper & Row, 1962.