Write an essay on Genesis, Chapter 11, Verses 1-9 (The Tower of Babel) from the Bible utilizing the instructions and outline below: Identify eight to ten questions about the passage that you would like to have further clarified. These questions should focus on both the content of the passage (words, phrases, structure, genre) and context (literary, biblical, cultural, historical etc.) that might need clarification. Next, consult a total of 6 to 7 scholarly resources that engage with this passage. The scholarly resources must include Three to five modern scholarly commentaries. (Modern scholarly commentaries are those that have been published within the last 50 years and deal with a biblical book at a close textual level, so they discuss the text either unit by unit or verse by verse.) In addition to commentaries consult two to four other resources dealing with the passage. Other resources may include, (1) journal articles on the passage or a related issue to the passage, (2) dictionary articles dealing with a related area to the passage like the discussion of a place, person, or item mentioned in the text, or (3) atlases for relevant historical cultural background information. For accessing sources commentaries, journals, and encyclopedias/dictionaries can be found on-line through the Digital Theological Library (http://libguides.thedtl.org/home). For each source provide a brief (1/2 page, double spaced) write up on the source. This write up can either focus on providing a summary of the author’s understanding of the passage, a discussion of how the author addresses one of the questions the student has, and/or how the author raises new questions with regards to this passage. In the write up identify each source by author’s name and title of the source. After a brief write up of the sources, conclude this essay by discussing what was most helpful in your examination of sources and where the research is leading you with regards to the biblical author’s central point in this passage. Include at the end a bibliography of sources consulted in Turabian format.
