Classics/Greek/Latin 405
Readings of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament in Greek and/or Latin
Summer 2025
TTh 2:20-4:50
Denny 256
Instructor: James J. Clauss
E-mail: jjc@uw.edu
Office Hours: by appointment per zoom or after class
Students with as little as one year of Greek and/or Latin are welcome to take this seminar. The Hebrew Bible and New Testament texts are remarkably easy to read in either language and the texts are incredibly important not only for Judeo-Christian religion but for Western culture in general. Students with only Latin will read and translate in class the Latin texts and similarly those with only Greek will read Greek passages; students who know both can read either or both. I will introduce the Hebrew alphabet so that we can observe how Greek and Roman translators managed foreign words. I will at the same time discuss the Greek alphabet for those who have not yet learned it. It takes little time to become familiar with both.
We will start out with several Hebrew Bible passages, featuring Joseph, Samson, David, and Elijah. We will then read the Gospel of Luke. Our focus will not only be on language but also on modes of representation of Hebrew “heroes,” who are quite different from Greek heroes. The New Testament turns out to be a highly intertextual narrative, with many allusions and imitations of earlier Hebrew Bible stories and figures, much as one finds in Vergil’s Aeneid. Please note that this is not a course in Jewish or Christian religion. The focus will be on language, literature and the attempt to accommodate Hebrew constructs and language in Greek and Latin.
For such a mixed group, the best resource is on-line STEP Bible that has the texts set side by side: Greek, Hebrew and Latin for the OT and Greek and Latin for the NT, with accompanying translations in English. This will be our text.
Primary Resources
On-line:
Interlinear Bible: Greek and Hebrew
English translation of the Septuagint
Different translations of the Bible
Logeion (on-line Greek and Latin dictionary)
Perseus (OT/NT Latin, NT Greek)
Hard Copy:
F.C. Conybeare and St. George Stock, Grammar of Septuagint Greek, Hendrickson
Nestle-Aland, Novum Testamentum Graece et Latine, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
Jay P. Green, The Interlinear Bible: Hebrew-Greek-English (English, Hebrew and Greek Edition), Hendrickson
J.D. Douglas (ed.), The New Greek-English Interlinear New Testament, Tyndale
F.J. Long, T. M.W. Halcomb, A Parallel & Interlinear New Testament Polyglot: Luke-Acts in Hebrew, Latin, Greek, English, German, and French
Secondary Resources:
Michael Coogan and Cynthia Chapman, The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures. Oxford 2018.
Martin, Dale B. New Testament History and Literature. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2012.
Syllabus:
Week 1 Introduction
Joseph Gen. 37:1-39:23 (skip chapter 38)
Week 2 Joseph Gen. 40:1-42:34
Joseph Gen. 42:35-45:28
Week 3 Samson Judg. 13:1-15:20
Samson Judg.16:1-31; David 1 Kings (= 1 Sam.) 17:1-54
Week 4 Elijah 3 Kings (= 1 Kings) 17:1-19:8
Elijah 3 Kings (= 1 Kings) 19:9-20:29
4 Kings (= 2 Kings) 1:1-2:18
Week 5 Midterm exam
Luke 1-3:20
Week 6 Luke 3:21-6
Luke 7-9:36
Week 7 Luke 9:37-11:54
Luke 12-15:10
Week 8 Luke 15:11-20.:8
Luke 20:9-23:12
Week 9 Luke 23:13-end
Final exam
Expectations:
Prepare passages for translation in class. Those students with only one year of Greek or Latin should try to complete as much of the assignment as possible and will not be penalized for not being ready to translate everything. My hope is to read as much as possible in the original languages. Students’ abilities differ and I will be aware of these differences. Learning is our main goal.
Grades:
20% Participation in class
40% Midterm
40% Final
Important UW policy-related things to know:
- The UW's Religious Accommodations Policy: “Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (Links to an external site.)(Links to an external site.). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.).”
- The UW's Student Conduct Code: "The University of Washington Student Conduct Code (WAC 478-121) defines prohibited academic and behavioral conduct and describes how the University holds students accountable as they pursue their academic goals. Allegations of misconduct by students may be referred to the appropriate campus office for investigation and resolution. More information can be found online at https://www.washington.edu/studentconduct/."(Links to an external site.)(Links to an external site.)
- Access and Accommodation: Your experience in this class is important to me. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please communicate your approved accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course.
If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at 206-543-8924 or uwdrs@uw.edu or disability.uw.edu. (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.) DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and DRS. It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.
- Academic Integrity: University of Washington students are expected to practice high standards of academic and professional honesty and integrity as outlined here:http://depts.washington.edu/grading/pdf/AcademicResponsibility.pdf (Links to an external site.)(Links to an external site.)
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