INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRST TESTAMENT
CREATIVE HISTORY PAPER
last update 21 September 2009


ABOUT THIS KIND OF ASSIGNMENT

The creative history paper is an exercise in "historical imagination," that is, exercises based on historical data and using the imagination to view and understand those data in a new way. To do these exercises well, you must be willing to enter fully into each historical situation--feel the dust, taste the salt sea, hear and smell the animals in the market, see the veiled women and bronzed men. You must also be as familiar as you can with the data themselves. This means both the message of the Biblical texts under discussion, as well as any available historical information about their audiences and socio-political environments. To support your own viewpoint, it is helpful to do as much explicit discussion of the Biblical material as possible. Remember to give the Scriptural references for your ideas, whether implicit to your discussion or explicitly mentioned. These papers will form the basis for small group discussions in the class period when they are due, so be prepared to further discuss and defend your perspective among your student colleagues. Please confine your answers to 750-1000 words.

TOPIC

You are a friend and close relative of Abram of Ur, living about 1750 BCE in the fertile regions along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. You are a devotee of the traditional Mesopotamian deities, like your ancestors before you. Abram comes to tell you that he is packing up his entire household to move to an unknown destination. It seems that Abram thinks a new god has spoken to him. The god promised Abram a huge, fertile country, and many descendants. The only hitch is that Abram must leave his homeland and kinfolk to look for this new country. The god will not tell him where or how far it is, but Abram will receive a sign when he gets there. Abram wants you and your family to come along.

ASSIGNMENT

  1. Start by giving a thorough introduction of your character (Don't skimp on this part!)
    1. Name
    2. Sex
    3. Socio-economic class
    4. Relationship to Abram
    5. Whatever else you can imagine that might be helpful in setting the scene
  2. Then, what is your reaction to Abram?
    1. Is he nuts or has he really been visited by a God?
    2. Will you encourage him to go or stay?
    3. Will you go with Abram?
    4. If you go, will you bring your family?
  3. Overall:
    1. Make sure to include the religious and pragmatic reasons for your responses. (Remember, this scenario assumes you understand the basic characteristics of Mesopotamian, not Israelite, religion.)
    2. Wherever possible, give specific citations to the Bible and other Mesopotamian religious documents to support your responses to these questions. A minimum of five references is required.

GRADING (30 points possible)

Sample Papers

Nota Bene: These examples are not all "A" papers; some may not include all the various required components of the assignment. They are linked here simply to give you some idea of how other students have attempted this assignment, in case you have writer's block.