Introduction

Welcome to the course! My name is Steve Werlin, and I’ll be your instructor this semester. I’m a doctoral candidate in Religious Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, meaning that I’ve completed coursework, taken five three-hour doctoral exams, and am writing my dissertation. In addition to studying Early Judaism, I also conduct research on the Archaeology of ancient Palestine (or modern Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and parts of Jordan). This semester, I’ll be in Jerusalem conducting research for my dissertation.  Feel free to read up on my work some more at www.unc.edu/~werlin.

Throughout the term, you can reach me by e-mail at werlin@email.unc.edu. You should feel free to get in touch with me whenever a question arises in your reading and work. When you e-mail me, whether with a question or to turn in papers or exams, please put ”RELI 106”’ in the subject line, just so I’m sure to get to it as soon as possible. Also, you should read the Course Mechanics section below for an explanation of how to avoid e-mail and Blackboard problems, and who to contact for help.

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Required Materials

• Lawrence H. Schiffman, From Text to Tradition: A History of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism, 1991
• Lawrence H. Schiffman, Texts and Traditions: A Source Reader for the Study of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism, 1998
• Shaye J.D. Cohen, From the Maccabees to the Mishnah, 2nd edition (2006)

The texts can be obtained from Friday Center Books & Gifts at the Friday Center either by ordering online or by printing and mailing the book order form.

If you're on a tight budget and looking for good deals on new and used textbooks, you might want to check out bigwords.com, a great resource that searches all online bookstores. Also, please note that there is an earlier edition of the Shaye Cohen book. The page numbering of the earlier edition is different, so you can get away with that version, but it’ll be more difficult to follow the assignments.

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Course Plan

There are fourteen lessons in this course—it’s a long term, and we’re going to take advantage of it. Most of the lessons coincide with a Monday to Sunday week, but check the course schedule for exceptions. Each lesson page begins with Assigned Readings, then I'll offer some pointed questions and things to look for in the Guides for Reading. This section will be followed by some Notes that will help you better understand the literary, historical, or academic context of what we're reading. After the introductory week you will always be reading both primary and secondary materials. Pay attention to both. All readings are in the required textbooks or available online.

Each lesson ends with a few Discussion Prompts. You should not feel compelled to limit your comments and questions to those topics; they’re there to get you started. The topic for a response paper (see below), should you choose to write one for that lesson, will follow this section.

The major advantage of an online course is that you can structure your time in whatever way works for you; the disadvantage is that you may be tempted to put off reading and posting until Sunday morning. I strongly advise against making this a habit. Your discussion posts will suffer, as you won’t be able to interact in any useful way with whatever arguments are going on. Bear in mind that you will be graded on the quality of your posts, and that you can’t very well use the discussion forums to hash out issues with the readings if you don’t do the readings until just before that lesson’s forum closes. Read the primary and secondary texts as early in the week as possible, to leave time to ask questions, make comparisons, and generally ruminate in the discussion forum.

One last point, regarding the readings: I highly recommend taking good notes as you read.  You’ll need to refer back to the readings when you write your response papers and your exams by citing page numbers—this will be much easier if you’ve taken notes (including the pages you found the pieces of information on). I also recommend marking up your books (preferably in pencil). If you purchase it, the book is yours, so feel free to underline and write in the margins when you feel that something is important, questionable, or otherwise worth noting.

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Grading and Assignments

Your grade in this course will be based on two exams, three brief response papers, a summary of a relevant article to early Judaism from a scholarly journal, and your participation in the online discussion forum. The point breakdown is as follows:

You may be startled by the idea of writing three response papers—relax. These will be two- to three-page reflections on an assigned topic related to the lesson’s assigned reading, not research papers or agonizingly crafted essays. You do need to write coherently and in an organized manner on what you think about the topic. Keep in mind that there are no right or wrong answers, only well-considered responses and slipshod responses. If you don’t quite get it the first time around, don’t worry; I’ll give you lots of feedback, and, perhaps more importantly, will grade your first paper generously. As to when to write them, you will have to space them out over the course of the term. You must complete two response papers by the time your midterm is due, and one in the second half of the term. Response papers are due in the time allotted for the lesson—don’t try to turn in the response paper for Lesson 2 at the end of April—it doesn't work that way! Also, please be sure to cite your information from the textbooks (or wherever else) with page numbers. I want to know exactly where you’re getting your information from. This will help support the points in your essay (and probably raise your grade significantly). If you’re unsure what to cite or how to cite, I’ll give feedback on your first response paper.

I’ll discuss the discussion forums more below, but here’s how they will be graded. You must post a minimum of 27 times over the course of the term, and must post at least twice during every lesson, except for Lesson 1, when you may take a pass. Your first post is due before midnight on Wednesday, and your second post is due before the end of the lesson. This is the bare minimum; don’t assume that just fulfilling those numbers gets you full credit. Too few posts will lose you points, but simple quantity will not gain you points. You should either respond to what’s already been written, engaging in the ongoing discussion, or throw out a new idea for consideration. Ideally, you’ll do a little of both. You don't have to contribute any thrillingly brilliant idea, or demonstrate that you understand every intricacy of the readings. You just need to discuss the material with your online classmates. Refer to the passage or passages that got you thinking, and ask a question, offer a thought, or make a connection to something else we’ve read. Finally, while brevity may be the soul of wit, it isn’t always a virtue here. This is our only interaction as a class—tell us what you’re thinking in enough detail that we won't have to post a response asking you for an explanation.

For the article summary, you’re going to browse the Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman Period, available online at the UNC Davis Library Web site, and find something that interests you. The issues from 1998 to now are available online. It must be an article, not a brief note or a book review. Your summary should be two to three double-spaced pages, and should tell us what’s in the article and how it helps illuminate the things we’re reading and discussing in the course. You may not report on an article that someone else has already posted; therefore, the longer you wait to choose your article, the harder it may be to find something that interests you. So, as soon as you find an article you want to tell us about, log in to Blackboard, and post the title and full reference for your article in the discussion forum labeled "article choices." The summaries are due before midnight on April 19; you will need to either post them online or email them to the entire class. We’ll discuss mechanics once I see how big the class is this time around. We will spend the last lesson of the course reading and discussing the articles all of you present, and seeing how they complement or contradict what we’ve read in Schiffman and Cohen.

The midterm and final exams will be essay exams. Again, don’t panic. If you haven’t taken this kind of exam before, think of the response papers as practice at writing essays. The big difference is that the exam questions will require you to demonstrate understanding of the readings, and put together information from the primary and secondary texts into a coherent response. I will send out an e-mail with five possible questions at least six days before the exams are due, and you will choose two questions. There is no set length requirement, but you will want to write a substantial response. I find it hard to imagine a good essay answer of less than three double-spaced pages per question.

Discussion Forums

We’ll have a new forum for each lesson, running from as early on Monday as you like until noon on Sunday or the last day of the lesson (check the dates on the Course Schedule). To post to the discussion forums, click on the Discussion Forum tab after you log in to Blackboard and find the forum for the current lesson. From here you can either "Start a New Thread" or reply to something someone else has already posted. While you may certainly refer back to earlier forums as you write response papers or prepare to write exams, don't post to them after the lesson is over. You won’t get course credit for it, and you’re unlikely to get a response from anyone.

Think of the forums as our equivalent of classroom discussion, and follow the same rules as you would in person. Consider what your classmates are saying, and respond if so moved. Don’t deliberately pick fights or toss out incendiary statements. Never belittle or berate your classmates. Don’t preach. I can tell you from experience that wholly online discussions sometimes tempt people to abandon basic courtesy—probably because they never have to see the other people involved. Don’t fall into this trap. Academic courtesy will be considered when I tally your discussion posting grade.

The other temptation in these discussions has less to do with online discussions than discussions in Religious Studies courses. Some of you may wish to bring your own beliefs and faith traditions into the discussion. If you decide to do this, there are some things you should bear in mind. First, know that one or more of your classmates may believe something diametrically opposed to what you do, and feel compelled to respond. Second, neither faith nor tradition will serve as evidence or support for an argument in this course, or serve as an adequate substitute for careful reflection on the readings; remember, we’re engaging in the historical and literary study of Early Judaism here. Finally, no one in this course is required to reveal what they may or may not believe, and you should not ask them to do so. Please be respectful.

I’ll be checking in on the forum at least twice a week to monitor the discussion and post responses. The discussion, though, is up to you as a class. If you need me to clarify something, e-mail me directly and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

You are expected to adhere to the University of North Carolina's Honor Code in all of your work.

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Course Mechanics

Blackboard

Some of your class components (discussion forums and links to essay exams) are accessed through a software package called Blackboard, and you will need to login to Blackboard using a unique identifier known as your UNC Onyen (Only Name You'll Ever Need) and Onyen password.

If you do not already have a UNC Onyen, go to the Onyen Web site and follow the instructions for creating an Onyen. If you have an Onyen but have forgotten it (or the password), you will find help on the Onyen Web site.

Use your Onyen to login to Blackboard, then click on the "RELI 106 CCO" link. You will see navigation buttons on the left taking you to the Discussion Forums, E-mail Communication, and so on.

If you experience problems accessing Blackboard, this is what you should do:

• If you do not already have a UNC Onyen, go to the Onyen Web site and follow the instructions for creating an Onyen.
• If you have an Onyen but have forgotten it (or the password), you will find help on go to the Onyen Web site.
• If you have your Onyen but can't log in to Blackboard, contact Janice Durham at the Friday Center.
• If you can log in to Blackboard but can't find this course listed, contact Janice Durham at the Friday Center.
• If you can't locate an exam or discussion forum in Blackboard, contact the Instructional Designer.
• If you have other technical problems while using Blackboard, contact Blackboard Help (use the Help button in Blackboard, or call 919-962-HELP).

Library Services and Resources (including e-reserves)

Students enrolled in Carolina Courses Online have access to the UNC Library System. Visit Distance Education Library Services to access a wide array of online services and resources including e-reserves, online databases, online journals, online books, and live help with research and library access.

Most online resources require you to log in with your Onyen and password. If you have any trouble finding the resource that you need or logging in to a resource, you can contact the library through the contact information at Distance Education Library Services. You can chat live about your problem, or send an e-mail to request assistance.

E-mail

All communication from your instructor will go to your UNC Onyen e-mail address (the one that appears when you post to the discussion forum). Off-campus users can access their UNC e-mail using Webmail. You can have your e-mail forwarded to a different e-mail address by clicking “Forward e-mail” at the Onyen Web site.

We strongly recommend that you use your UNC e-mail account for all e-mails regarding your course. Hotmail users should be aware that Hotmail will block messages sent from within Blackboard because Blackboard uses “blind carbon copy” to protect privacy. If you forward your mail to a commercial e-mail service provider (yahoo.com or msn.com, for example), messages from your instructor, Friday Center staff, or other students may be delayed because these service providers sometimes place temporary blocks on messages originating from universities. If you are using a commercial e-mail service provider, the e-mail links in this course may not work for you. Please add the following to your e-mail address book:

Submitting Assignments

It is extremely important for you to save copies of any work you send to me via e-mail. If I don't receive your work, you must have a duplicate copy, indicating the date sent, to prove that you submitted the assignment on time. It is your responsibility to maintain copies of your sent e-mails, as there is no way to guarantee that any e-mail message will be delivered. Again, when you send any e-mail to the instructor, including assignment submissions, please include “RELI 106” in the subject of the email.

Please check your e-mail software to see how it manages sent and saved messages. Some software automatically deletes messages one month after they have been sent; others only save messages if they are filed in folders; others save messages received but not those sent. You may need to send yourself a copy of your e-mailed assignment at the same time you send it to your instructor, or you may need to print a copy of the e-mail message and any attachments to keep in your paper files. No matter how your system works, make sure you know how to save a copy of all work that you submit to your instructor and that you save the copy for several months beyond the end of the course.

Other Questions—Contact Information

Contact your instructor with questions regarding the content of the course and your progress. There is an e-mail link to your instructor at the top of every lesson page. Please include "RELI 106 CCO" in the subject line of your e-mail.

Contact the Instructional Designer at the Friday Center about problems with the course Web site, including bad links.

If you have any logistical questions as you work through the course (enrollment, Onyen, credits, withdrawal, and so on), contact the Student Services staff at the Friday Center for Continuing Education (phone 919-962-1134 or 800-862-5669)

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Course Outline and Schedule

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Lesson 1