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Latest revision date: 9/12/2007 (mvf)
Ph.D.
Reading List
[last revision September 2007]
The readings are updated annually. The list published in September is valid for one year. Items from a recent reading list may be substituted, in consultation with the Graduate Adviser. Most of the readings and texts other than complete books are available in a reading packet. PDF files of some articles are being placed on imp.lss.wisc.edu/~mfox/Grad%20Readings/copies%20of%20readings; use the departmental password. Copies of some of these books are available in the Mansoor Reading Room. A master copy of most articles and readings, which can be photocopied, can be borrowed from the departmental office. Readings done as part of course work should be reviewed. In the following works, the most recent editions obtainable should be used.
First, review the MA list you used when taking your MA exams. This material is relevant to the PhD Prelims as well.
I.) Biblical texts and versions
The entire Bible, in English but ideally in Hebrew
P. S. Alexander, "Jewish Aramaic Translations of Hebrew Scriptures," in Mikra: Text, Translation, Reading and Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, edited by M. J. Mulder (Assen/Maastricht: Van Gorcum and Minneapolis: Fortress, 1990), 217-53.
G. W. Anderson, "Canonical and Non-canonical," in Cambridge of the Bible (ed. P. R. Ackroyd and C. F. Evans; Cambridge: University Press, 1970) 1:113-59.
N. Fernández Marcos, The Septuagint in Context: Introduction to the Greek Versions of the Bible (Brill: Leiden, 2000).
M. Goshen-Gottstein, Editions of the Hebrew Bible--Past and Future, in Sha`arei Talmon: Studies in the Bible, Qumran, and the Ancient Near East presented to Shemaryahu Talmon, edited by M. Fishbane and E. Tov (Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 1992), 221-42.
M. Harle, La langue de Japhet (Paris: Cerf, 1994), 17-29, 253-75.
S. Talmon, The Old Testament Text, Cambridge of the Bible, 1:159-199.
E. Ulrich, "The Canonical Process," in Sha`arei Talmon: Studies in the Bible, Qumran, and the Ancient Near East Presented to Shemaryahu Talmon, edited by M. Fishbane and E. Tov (Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 1992), 267-91.
M. Weitzman, The Syriac Version of the Old Testament (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999).
II.) Semitics
J. Barr, Comparative Philology and the Text of the Old Testament (Oxford: Clarendon, 1968; reprinted Eisenbrauns).
M. Black, The Biblical Languages, Cambridge History of the Bible 1:1-11.
P. Bordreuil; F. Israel; and D. Pardee, "Deux Ostraca Paléo-Hébreu de la collection Sh. Moussaiff," Semitica 46 (1996), 51-76.
J. Naveh, Early History of the Alphabet: An Introduction to West Semitic Epigraphy and Palaeography (2d edition; Jerusalem: Magnes Press and Hebrew University, 1987).
Ch. Rabin, "Semitic Languages," Encyclopedia Judaica 14: 1149-1157.
III.) Hebrew
W. Bodine, ed., Linguistics and Biblical Hebrew (Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 1992).
P. Joüon-T. Muraoka, A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew (Rev. ed; Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 2006), 325-614.
A. Sáenz-Badillos, A History of the Hebrew Language, translated by John Elwolde (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996) (chaps. 7-8 may be skimmed).
B. Waltke and M. O'Connor, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax (Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 1990).
IV.) History and Archaeology
William Dever, Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come From? (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003)..
M. Hengel, Judaism and Hellenism (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1981 and later), vol. I.
Daniel M. Master, "State Formation Theory and the Kingdom of Ancient Israel," JNES 60 (2001) 117-31.
Ephraim Stern, The
Archaeology of
the Land of the Bible, vol. .I I (New York:
Doubleday, 2001).
Anson F. Rainey,
"Stones for Bread: Archaeology versus History," Near Eastern Archaeology
64 (2001) 140-49.
V.) Literature
P. R. Ackroyd, The Old Testament in the Making, Cambridge History of the Bible 1:67-113.
A. Berlin, The Dynamics of Biblical Parallelism (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1985).
J. Blenkinsopp, A History of Prophecy in Israel (2d ed.; Philadelphia: Westminster, 1996).
A. F. Campbell and M. A. O'Brien, Sources of the Pentateuch: Texts, Introductions, Annotations (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1993), ix-20; 203-54; skim 21-202.
S. McKenzie, "Deuteronomistic History," "Deuteronomy," Anchor Bible Dictionary 2:160-83.
S. L. McKenzie and M. P. Graham, eds., The Hebrew Bible Today (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1998).
R. J. Thompson, Moses and the Law in a Century of Criticism since Graf (Leiden: Brill, 1970).
J. Trebolle Barrera, The Jewish Bible and the Christian Bible: An Introduction to the History of the Bible (trans. by Wilfred G. E. Watson; Leiden: Brill and Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998).
G. Vermes, Bible and Midrash: Early Old Testament Exegesis, Cambridge History of the Bible 1:199-231.
J. Wellhausen, Prolegomena to the History of Ancient Israel (1878; any edition), Introduction and chapters 1-5.
A. J. Wiseman, "Books in the Ancient Near East and in the Old Testament," Cambridge History of the Bible, 1:30-48.
VI.) Religion of Israel
M. Haran, Temples and Temple Service in Ancient Israel: An Inquiry into Biblical Cult Phenomena and the Historical Setting of the Priestly School (reprint; Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 1985), 1-148.
B.A. Nakhai, Archaeology and Religions of Canaan and Israel (Boston: ASOR, 2001).
Z. Zevit, The Religions of Ancient Israel: A Synthesis of Parallactic Approaches (London: Continuum, 2001).
VII.) Ancient Near East
J. Bottéro, Mesopotamia: Writing, Reasoning, and the Gods (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992).
J. Bottéro, Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2001).
M. van de Mieroop, A History of the Ancient Near East
(
B. E. Shafer, ed., Religion in Ancient Egypt: Gods, Myths, and Personal Practice (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1991).
VIII.) Hellenistic and Rabbinic Judaism
J. J. Collins, The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature (2d ed.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998).
S. Fraade, From Tradition to Commentary: Torah and Its Interpretation in the Midrash Sifre to Deuteronomy (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1991).
L. Schiffman, From Text to Tradition: A History of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism (New York: Ktav, 1991).
G. Vermes, An Introduction to the Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2000) [use this edition only].
IX.) Hebrew Texts
A.) Job, Ezekiel, and Isaiah (only two are required on the exam). Poetic texts read for 513-514.
B.) Texts prepared independently: Exod 1-36; Num 1-10; 1 Kgs 1-20; Zeph 1-3; Prov 1-20; Lam 1-5; Jer 1-24.
C.) Massorah: ability to interpret notes in the Massorah Marginalis and to divide verses down to the third dichotomy on the basis of Massoretic accents (for information, see Jõuon-Muraoka and Yeivin).
D.) Paleo-Hebrew texts: translation from line-drawings; discussion of language and interpretation
Gezer (KAI 182); Siloam tunnel (KAI 189); Yavneh Yam = Mesad Hashavyahu (KAI 200); Lachish letters 2 (KAI 192), 3 (KAI 193), 4 (KAI 194), 5 (KAI 195); Arad letters 1, 17, 18, 24 (Aharoni, Arad Inscriptions); Khirbet El Qom (=Kom (8):6 in HAE 1:202-13); Kuntillet Ajrud (=KAgr(9):8 in HAE 1:59-63); two Moussaïeff letters (Semitica 46 [1996]: 49-76).
E.) Qumran texts: translation from facsimile, discussion of language and interpretation
Pesher Habakkuk, cols. 6-8
Rule of the Community (Serech Hayahad), cols. 1-3
Rule of the Congregation (Serech Ha`edah), cols. 1-2
Temple Scroll, cols 45-47
Sight passages
The following are helpful in reading this material: J. Charlesworth and F. M. Cross, eds., The Dead Sea Scrolls: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Texts with English Translations (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1994); J. Maier, The Temple Scroll: An Introduction, Translation, and Commentary (Sheffield: JSOT, 1985); M. P. Horgan, Pesharim: Qumran Interpretations of Biblical Books (Washington: Catholic Biblical Association, 1979).
X.) Northwest Semitic Languages (translation from original script; discussion of language and interpretation)
1.) Canaanite dialects:
A. Phoenician: Ahiram (KAI 1); Yehimilk (KAI 4); Kilamuwa (KAI 24); Karatepe (KAI 26); Marseilles (KAI 69).
B. Moabite: Mesha (KAI 181)
C. Ugaritic: (texts listed by CAT number [Cuneiform Alphabetic Texts])
D. mythological: 1.3.III (Anat); 1.17.II:8-40 (Aqht)
E. ritual 1.115
F. letter 2.38
3.) Aramaic:
A. Biblical Aramaic: Daniel 2-4; Ezra 4-5
B. Old Aramaic [translation from line-drawings]: Zakir (KAI 202), Sefire I (KAI 222), Bar-RKB (KAI 216), Tel Dan (Israel Exploration Journal 43 [1993]: 81-98; 45 [1995]: 1-18)
C. Imperial Aramaic: petition (TAD A4.7 = Cowley #30), memorandum (TAD A4.9 = Cowley #32), letters (TAD A6.7, D7.16); quitclaim (TAD B2.2), Ahiqar (portions in Rosenthal, Aramaic Handbook I/1, pp. 15-16)
D. Jewish Palestinian Aramaic: Genesis Apocryphon (portions in Rosenthal, Aramaic Handbook I/1, pp. 51-52)
E. Targum: Isaiah 53, Job 42, Song of Songs 4
F. Syriac:
G. Sight passages from Peshitta--OT and Gospels.
H. Peshitta (using Leiden edition): Genesis 22, Isaiah 53, Ezekiel 37, Job 42, Esther 1, Song of Songs 4
I.
Syriac Psalm 1
J. Ephrem: Commentary on Genesis 22 (T. Muraoka, Classical Syriac: A Basic Grammar with Chrestomathy [Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1997], 46*-48*).
K. Isho bar Nun, questions 28-29 [on Gen 22:4, 13] (E. G. Clark, The Selected Questions of Isho Bar Nun on the Pentateuch [Leiden: Brill, 1962]).
L.
Simon the Stylite (C. Brockelmann, Syrische
Grammatik
[Leipzig: VEB Verlag, 1976], 103*-105.19*)