RELG 433 - Biblical Archaeology

Syllabus

NOTE

As of the time of writing this syllabus, the State and University guidelines with regard to precautions against COVID are changing. The syllabus and my Office Hours may be changed accordingly.

Contact Information

I am available to meet with any student regarding any matter.
However, there will be no face-2-face office hours this semester.
Students may contact me by phone, email, or through the Canvas system.
To contact me by email, use my ENMU email address : Shirley.Rollinson@enmu.edu
My Home Phone is 575-763-0101 (9am-9pm), with answering machine to leave a message if I am not there.
My office phone is 575-562-2519, with voice mail to leave a message. I will not be in my office every day, so it will be better to contact me at my home phone. Or send me an email, or send a message via Canvas.

For my bio., go to http://www.drshirley.org/sjr/bio.html
For my spiritual journey, go to http://www.drshirley.org/sjr/salvation.html

Feedback
I try to respond to phone and email messages within a day of receiving them.
Tests give a grade as soon as they are submitted.
Discussion Boards - I try to start grading Discussion Boards on the Monday after they were due. For large classes this may take me more than one day.
On some weekends during the semester I will be traveling and will have limited access to the InterNet - at such times feedback and grading may be delayed until Monday.

Office Hours

My Office is in JWLA 127-T.
There will be no face-2-face office hours this semester.
Students may contact me by phone, Home phone 575-763-0101 (9 am to 9 pm), Office phone 575-562-2519, with answering machines to leave messages.
Or send me an email, Shirley.Rollinson@enmu.edu, or send a message via Canvas.

Required Materials

Text Books

1. The BIBLE : It is recommended that each student use at least 2 different translations of the Bible which includes the Apocrypha.
   If a student has facility in another language besides English, it is good to read the Bible in that language also.
   Students who are learning Greek should read and translate at least a few verses each day.
2. Archaeology and the Old Testament
   Alfred J. Hoerth, Baker Academic, 2009, ISBN 978-0-8010-3625-5, available in the ENMU Bookstore.
   See the Note on the Textbook

Technology

1. Computer with basic audio/video output equipment. For students on the ENMU campus, there are computers available in the Computer Labs, and in the Golden Student Success Center and the Campus Union Building.
2. Internet access (broadband recommended)
3. A Browser such as Firefox, which is available for free download from Mozilla
4. Word-processing software capable of producing .doc .docx or .txt files

Learning Management System
The university has provided us with a new learning management system called Canvas.
You can access Canvas from the myENMU Portal, or directly at ENMU's Canvas Login Page.
Canvas works with most computers, mobile devices, and browsers. You can check the webpage at https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Basics-Guide/What-are-the-browser-and-computer-requirements-for-Canvas/ta-p/66 to see if your computer/device and browser are compatible with Canvas.
Mobile apps for Android and Apple devices can be downloaded at no cost from Google Play and the Apple App Store, respectively.
If you are new to using Canvas, here are a few tips:

• Welcome Tour - A welcome tour will pop up and show you the main features of the system. This is a great way to get started.
• Passport to Canvas - This self-paced student workshop will teach you everything you need to know about Canvas. Check your Dashboard or Courses menu to access the workshop.
• Help Menu - If you need help, click on the Help menu. You can:
  • Call or chat with Canvas Support 24/7
  • Search the Canvas Guides for step-by-step help
  • Open the Student Guide and scan by topic
  • And more - click Help to see all the support the university has provided for you.

Course Description

This course is an introduction to the Archaeology of the Near East, especially ancient Mesopotamia, the Levant, and Egypt, with reference to Old Testament history. There will be set assignments to be completed each week and two Term Papers to be completed by Monday of Finals' Week. Readings from the textbook, course notes, and other InterNet resources will be required.
It will be important for the students to keep up with all reading and written assignments.
Since a large amount and a wide range of material will be covered each week, regular completion of assignments is necessary to do well in the class.
This is a 3-credit-hour course, so when taken as a Web-based Course it is the equivalent of 3 one-hour lectures per week with at least another 3 hours of individual study and class assignments per week. As a general guide, students should schedule about 6 hours per week for this course, i.e. about an hour a day, Monday through Saturday, with Sunday for a brief review of the past week's work.
Students who work steadily for an hour-or-so each day on this course should have no difficulty in getting a good Grade.
Students who make a habit of leaving the week's work for an overnighter on Sundays will probably not do very well.

Learning Outcomes - Objectives of the Course

Upon successful completion of the course, you will be able to :

1. Describe and discuss the history of the Archaeology of the Near East.
2. Describe and discuss the methods of field Archaeology.
3. Describe and discuss the archaeological findings in the Near East.
4. Describe and discuss the cultural settings of the Biblical World (economic, political, social, and religious).

Course Prerequisites : None

Suggested Background Knowledge/Skills : Students should be comfortable with reading and writing at College level, and should have sufficient computing, word processing and library skills to be able to complete assignments without over-straining themselves. It will be helpful, though not essential, for students to have completed RELG 1123 (Hebrew Bible) before entering RELG 433
Those who wish to improve their writing skills may which to take advantage of the Writing Workshop which is offered free to all students at ENMU.

Course Grading

See the ENMU Catalog, pages 29-30 for the Grading System at ENMU.

Grades will be based on : Tests + Discussion Boards + Term Paper

Grading Rubrics are available at the Rubrics for grading Page.

Student Expectations - Attendance / Participation

Students are expected to study the assignments from the textbook and other sources given, and to complete the weekly assignments on time.

Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Students should refer to the university catalog for a definition of academic dishonesty and its penalties.
The Plagiarism system of Canvas will be used to ensure that students' work meets an acceptable standard of originality.

Grades will be based the Term Paper, Discussion Boards, and weekly Tests. There are no Exams in this course. Instead, there is the research paper, which is due on the Monday of Finals Week. The topics for the paper are already posted. Students are encouraged to start work on their paper early, and to continue to work on it through the semester.

Course Organization

The course is divided into 15 Modules corresponding to the weeks of the semester.

• Tests - Each Module concludes with a Test, which is to be completed on Canvas by 12 noon on the following Monday.
  The tests are open-book. The purpose of the tests is not only to record your progress, but also to reinforce your learning by repetition of correct answers and correction of mistakes.
  You will have 1 hour to complete a test.
  You may take a test three times before the cut-off time.
  Questions will vary each time you take a test.
  Your highest score will count towards your course grade.
  It is recommended that students try to take their tests a few days ahead of time in case there are problems with the computers over the weekend.
• Discussion Board - In each module/week of the course, by 9 am Wednesday, students should post a thread that addresses the topic provided by the instructor. They should also respond with meaningful replies to at least 2 classmates' threads by 9am Friday. Discussion Board threads and replies will count towards the Course Grade.
• Term Paper - There will be a Final Term Paper which will count towards the Course Grade.
• Late Work - For work to be eligible for an "A" Grade, it must be submitted on time. Students may submit their assignments early, and are advised to do so whenever possible.
• Makeup - Because of the nature of this course, in which students do not have to attend classes at particular times on particular days, there is no provision for "make-up" work.
• Extensions - extensions will only be granted under grave extenuating circumstances and at the discretion of the instructor. If you think that you may need an extension, you should contact the instructor ahead of time with your request, and explain the situation.

ENMU Academic Integrity Policy

Plagiarism and Cheating of any kind on an examination, quiz, or assignment will result at least in an "F" for that assignment (and may, depending on the severity of the case, lead to an "F" for the entire course) and may be subject to appropriate disciplinary action. See the Student Handbook for further information. I expect that you will adhere to the academic creed of this University and that you will maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. In other words, don't cheat by giving answers to others or taking them from anyone else. I will also adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity. In other words, don't cheat by giving answers to others of by taking them from anyone else. I will also adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity, so please do not ask me to change (or expect me to change) your grade illegitimately or to bend or break rules for one person that will not apply to everyone. Plagiarism is a serious offense. When in doubt, please cite your sources!
Please visit the 2017-2019 Undergraduate Catalog online at http://www.enmu.edu/images/academics/catalogs/undergrad-catalog-17-19.pdf; page 30, for information concerning Academic Integrity.
Action can include, but is not limited to, failure for the assignment; failure of, or a reduced grade for the course; suspension or dismissal from your program of study.

ENMU Disability Statement

If you have, or believe you have a disability, you may contact the Accessibility Resources and Testing Center to coordinate reasonable classroom accommodations, access to technology, or other academic assistance.
The Accessibility Resources and Testing Center serves students with a wide range of disabilities including but not limited to medical or health impairment, vision or hearing disability, physical disability, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, or mental health impairment.
All information will be treated confidentially.
Accommodations are not retroactive. They begin only after

1. Appropriate documentation has been received and accepted by the Coordinator of Disability Services
2. Letters of Accommodation (LOA) have been prepared
3. You have delivered your Letters of Accommodation to your instructors

Appropriate academic accommodations may then be provided for you.
You may contact the Accessibility Resources and Testing Center in room 186, Student Academic Services building, phone 575.562.2280

FERPA and Privacy

As a student, your educational records are considered confidential. Under FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), your records are confidential and protected. Under most circumstances your records will not be released without your written and signed consent. However, some directory information may be released to third parties without your prior consent unless a written request to restrict this is on file.
You can learn more about student rights to privacy at http://www.enmu.edu/FERPA

In this course, we may be working with third party applications online (i.e. wikis, blogs and other Web 2.0 applications). The different proprietors of these sites may or may not have privacy guarantees and the FERPA policy at ENMU does not apply to these sites. It will be your responsibility to read the privacy documentation at each site. There are many other options to protecting your information at these sites. If you have filed the paperwork and are classified as protected under the ENMU FERPA qualifications, it will be acceptable for you to use an alias when using the Web 2.0 sites required for this course. If you still have concerns, please e-mail me as soon as possible to discuss your options.

Copyright

This course may contain copyright protected materials such as audio or video clips, images, text materials, etc. These items are either linked to or are being used with regard to the Fair Use doctrine in order to enhance the learning environment. Please do not copy, duplicate, download or distribute these items. The use of these materials is strictly reserved for this online classroom environment and your use only. All copyright materials are credited to the copyright holder.

Title IX

ENMU is committed to fostering a safe, productive learning environment and we comply with all aspects related to Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 and 34 C.F.R. Part 106.
Title IX prohibits sex discrimination to include sexual misconduct defined as harassment, domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
Incidents of harassment or assault can be reported to the Title IX Coordinator at 575.562.2991 or titleix.coordinator@enmu.edu
Reports can also go to the ENMU Police Department by calling 575.562.2392
If you wish to receive fully confidential support and victim's advocacy you can contact Arise Sexual Assault Services at 575.226.7263

Confidentiality and Mandatory Reporting

As an instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help create a safe learning environment on our campus.
I also have a mandatory reporting responsibility. I am required to share information regarding sexual misconduct or information about a crime that may have occurred on ENMU's campus with the Title IX Coordinator and/or the ENMU Police.
Students may speak to someone confidentially by contacting Arise at 575.226.7263

Copyright © 1999 Shirley J. Rollinson, all Rights Reserved

Dr. Rollinson

ENMU Station 19
Portales, NM 88130

Last Updated : January 17, 2022

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