User:ProfGray/Exercise Paraphrase academic source

Wikipedia assignment on Ezra-Nehemiah
Weeks 11-13 2015
Return to the course page

Goals and method

Having analyzed Biblical scholarship and written WP Article paragraphs or sections, student Teams will now focus on a very active, narrow academic dispute over the Gentile Wives in Ezra 9-10, Nehemiah 13, and related impurity, identity, and religious matters. Teams will write new sections, or even create new articles. The goal: to skillfully inform readers about scholarly viewpoints, aka critical thinking arguments, and the evidence and reasoning involved. The instructor will give students a specific editing methodology and select appropriate articles:

• Articles to edit include: Ezra, Ezra-Nehemiah, and impurity ("Tumah and taharah" in WP). Or perhaps a new article on moral impurity and genealogical impurity, per Jonathan Klawans and Christine Hayes. Or perhaps a new article on Mixed marriages in Ezra-Nehemiah (title to be determined)?
• You might write about the following academic problems and questions include:
  • Intermarriage and exogamy (Ezra 9-10 and Nehemiah 13)
    • What are the law (prohibitions) about intermarriage in Ezra-Nehemiah (and compared to elsewhere)?
    • What are the goals  or reasons or purposes for the E-N exogamy rules/actions? (Or explanations)
  • Impurity
    • What does the "holy seed" and related wording mean about impurity?
    • How is impurity handled in Ezra-Nehemiah compared to the rest of the Hebrew Bible?
  • Identity and the Other
    • What are the key elements and types of Judean/Jewish identity in E-N?
    • What other laws or relationships concern Gentiles in E-N? (besides marriage?)
    • How do Ezra and Nehemiah texts differ on relationships with gentiles?
  • Religious beliefs and practice (besides the above)
    • How are Judean/Israelite beliefs and practices (e.g., covenant, Passover, Festival of Booths, Temple offerings) best interpreted in Ezra-Nehemiah? How doe they shed light on earlier phases of Israelite religion, or on other representations elsewhere in the Bible?
  • Source criticism
    • What are the composition theories for E-N overall (or Ezra 9-10 and Neh 13)?
    • What are the implications of source criticism for understanding Judean religion, identity, impurity, and marriage?
• Students can again rely on the Coogan or JPS course books, and critical commentaries, besides the assigned academic sources.
• Teams may propose to create new articles, with the Instructor's permission

Assignment steps: Weeks 10-14

We will roughly follow the steps of the Introductory Exercise, except now the emphasis will be on paraphrasing academic arguments.

• Work as a Team
• Read and study Ezra-Nehemiah and related scholarship (Week 10)
• Prepare your list of reliable sources (Week 11)
• Analyze sources and compare to WP articles (Week 11-12, 13)
  • Bring a printout of notes to class for discussion!
• Write your paraphrased arguments with refs, in sandboxes, due: Week 12
  • Christine Hayes: Monday, April 20
  • Another selected scholar: Wednesday, April 22 (draft & q's) and Monday, April 27 (final due)
  • Paragraphs must include valid paraphrases and make ONE overarching point, backed by evidence & reasons, in a suitable spot
  • Outline her argument's reasons, evidence and claim(s) to present in class.
• Peer review each other's paraphrases and references in the sandbox (Week 11-12)
  • Sign & date your peer review with ~~~~
  • Mark exactly where you see the paragraph's 1 point
  • Check references. Check the paraphrase argument against the original text. Bring up questions for class discussion!
• Introduce your ideas and role on an Article Talk page (Week 11-12)
• Edit the selected Articles with vetted paraphrases, due: Week 13 (April 27-29)
• (Extra credit: revising and polishing Wikipedia articles, Week 14)

→ Copy your contribution(s) into your Portfolio for grading