Greek I

Greek I

Instructor: Justin Barber
Email: jbarber@iliff.edu

Course Description : This course is the first course of a year-long sequence designed to give students the ability to read and interpret Koine (or Hellenistic) Greek. Such ability is essential for students who wish to understand the New Testament, the Septuagint (and “Old Greek”), other Jewish literature, early Christian literature, and other Mediterranean literature. The fall and winter quarters of this course are devoted to giving the student the ability to read Greek at a basic level. These quarters will include a survey of Greek grammar and the development of a basic Greek vocabulary. The spring quarter will primarily be devoted to the reading and exegesis of Greek texts and will further develop the student’s vocabulary and the student’s understanding of Greek grammar.

Required Text:

Croy, N. Clayton. A Primer of Biblical Greek. Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 2011. (ISBN-13: 978-0802867339)

Recommended Books:

The following books will not be used during the Fall Quarter, but they are inordinately useful for reading and interpreting Greek texts and developing competency in reading Greek.

Danker, Frederick W., Walter Bauer, and William Arndt. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament  and Other Early Christian Literature . 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2001. (ISBN-13: 978-0226039336)

Danker, Frederick W. and Kathryn Krug. The Concise Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament . Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2009. (ISBN-13: 978-0226136158)

Nestle, Eberhard, Erwin Nestle, Barbara Aland, Kurt Aland, Johannes Karavidopoulos, Carlo M. Martini, Bruce M. Metzger, and Universität Münster. Novum Testamentum Graece. 28 Aufl., Stuttgart 2012. (ISBN-13: 978-1619700307 )

Van Voorst, Robert E. Building Your New Testament Greek Vocabulary . Resources for Biblical Study. 3rd ed. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2001. (ISBN-13: 978-0884140429)

Course Goals: This year-long sequence will endeavor to do the following:

Course Outcomes: Students should possess the following competencies when they complete this year-long sequence:

1. Actively read through the first 17 chapters of Croy’s A Primer of Basic Greek.
We will work through the first 17 chapters of Croy’s grammar by covering approximately two chapters per week. The chapters are not generally long, and you would do well to review them a second time after you read through them once.

2. Complete enough exercises to make yourself comfortable with the syntax and vocabulary of each chapter and be able to translate them without your notes.
In the past, I have recommended that students do at least eight exercises every chapter. Frequently, I have had students complete all of the exercises for most chapters (excluding the English-to-Greek composition exercises, although some did these as well). The better you know and understand the exercises from the New Testament and the Septuagint, the better you will know the material that each chapter covers. I want you to know however many exercises you choose well enough to translate them without the aid of your notes. Consequently, I expect you to make a short video of yourself reading five or more exercises from every chapter without any translation aids. If you forget a word, you can look it up in the back of your book. Please, though, do not write in your book! I am looking for evidence of progress, not perfection, in your translations!

3. Optional participation in group reading and exegetical exercises.
For those who are interested, we will have the opportunity to meet together to read Greek on a Zoom call. I do not require you to participate in these sessions, since that would unfairly discriminate against students who live in different time zones or who have unconventional schedules. Still, if you would benefit from this, join us as you are able. I will offer a Doodle poll once the quarter begins to find out who has interest and to identify a time that may work. In addition, we will have occasion to discuss (asynchronously) Greek exegesis. I hope you will contribute to these discussions, since we can learn from one another there.

4. Submit an informal learning agreement (approximately one half of a page to a page) by the end of week 2.
Too often, instructors limit how students learn based upon their own pedagogical predispositions. Several studies have noted, however, that people learn languages in different ways. What may work for one person may not work for another. In this learning agreement, please identify (1) how you expect this class to contribute to the goals you have for taking the course, (2) what concrete actions you plan to take to meet these goals, and (3) the grade you hope to receive at the end of this course. Your goals should be attainable with reasonable effort. After you and I read Greek together privately for the second time, we can discuss how you have met, not met, or surpassed your goals and whether you feel you have earned the grade you set out to attain. In the majority of cases, you will receive the grade you feel you have earned. If I see major discrepancies between the grade you feel you have earned and your overall grasp of the material, we will enter into negotiation.

5. Read with me twice throughout the quarter privately (once in the middle of the quarter and once before the end of the quarter), so that we can identify your strengths and weaknesses in order to direct your energies more efficiently.
These are not examinations, nor are they performances! I suspect this requirement may scare some of you. Please do not be afraid. Rather, consider these as opportunities to assess your progress and deficiencies together in order to determine how you might reach your long term goal to know Greek. These will not necessarily influence your grade. If you have a difficult schedule, we can read together asynchronously.

6. Develop a substantial vocabulary (in order to wean you as soon as possible from relying too heavily on a lexicon!).
All students will be expected to know the vocabulary Croy presents in the first 17 chapters of his Primer. Some students want to achieve even greater proficiency in Greek. The best way to prepare for intermediate Greek is to develop a substantial Greek vocabulary. In modern languages, first year students will generally attain a working vocabulary of 1500-2000 words. Unfortunately, ancient language instructors often have rather lower expectations. After a student knows 2000 words, that student can generally start to guess the meaning of unknown vocabulary words with a fairly high degree of accuracy. Students who want to read Greek at an intermediate level one day should focus on building their vocabulary as much as possible.

DateDayDetails
Sep 11, 2019WedThe Alphabet, Pronunciation, and Diphthongsdue by 05:59AM
Sep 13, 2019FriAccentuation, Punctuation, and the Septuagintdue by 05:59AM
Sep 17, 2019TueVerbs: The Present Active Indicative and Infinitivedue by 05:59AM
Sep 17, 2019TueLesson 2 Exercisesdue by 05:59AM
Sep 18, 2019Wed(Select) Electronic Resources for Learning Greekdue by 05:59AM
Sep 20, 2019FriNouns: The First Declensiondue by 05:59AM
Sep 20, 2019FriLesson 3 Exercisesdue by 05:59AM
Sep 22, 2019SunInformal Learning Agreementdue by 05:59AM
Sep 22, 2019SunSharing helpful resources with one another . . . (totally optional--not graded!)due by 05:59AM
Sep 24, 2019TueNouns: The Second Declensiondue by 05:59AM
Sep 24, 2019TueLesson 4 Exercisesdue by 05:59AM
Sep 25, 2019WedReading Groups #1due by 05:59AM
Sep 27, 2019FriThe Definite Article and First and Second Declension Adjectivesdue by 05:59AM
Sep 27, 2019FriLesson 5 Exercisesdue by 05:59AM
Oct 01, 2019TueExegetical Discussion #1: Debate regarding the Genitive Case (for those interested in exegesis; optional for others)due by 05:59AM
Oct 01, 2019TueLesson 5 Exercises (Part 2--for those not as interested in exegesis; optional for others)due by 05:59AM
Oct 04, 2019FriPrepositions and Irregular First and Second Declension Nounsdue by 05:59AM
Oct 04, 2019FriLesson 6 Exercisesdue by 05:59AM
Oct 08, 2019Tueεἰμί and Personal Pronounsdue by 05:59AM
Oct 08, 2019TueLesson 7 Exercisesdue by 05:59AM
Oct 10, 2019ThuReading Groups #2due by 05:59AM
Oct 11, 2019FriDemonstrative Pronouns and αὐτός, -ή, -όdue by 05:59AM
Oct 11, 2019FriLesson 8 Exercisesdue by 05:59AM
Oct 15, 2019TueMnemonic devices (optional but very helpful) . . .due by 05:59AM
Oct 15, 2019TueVerbs: The Present Active Indicative Middle and Passive Voicesdue by 05:59AM
Oct 15, 2019TueLesson 9 Exercisesdue by 05:59AM
Oct 18, 2019FriExegetical Discussion #2due by 05:59AM
Oct 19, 2019SatReading Groups #3due by 05:59AM
Oct 20, 2019SunMidway Private Readings . . .due by 05:59AM
Oct 22, 2019TueVerbs: The Imperfect Active Indicativedue by 05:59AM
Oct 22, 2019TueLesson 10 Exercisesdue by 05:59AM
Oct 25, 2019FriVerbs: The Imperfect Middle and Passive Indicativedue by 05:59AM
Oct 25, 2019FriLesson 11 Exercisesdue by 05:59AM
Oct 27, 2019SunExegetical Discussion #3: ἐπιούσιοςdue by 05:59AM
Oct 29, 2019TueVerbs: The Future Active and Middle Indicativedue by 05:59AM
Oct 29, 2019TueLesson 12 Exercisesdue by 05:59AM
Nov 01, 2019FriVerbs: The First Aorist Active and Middle Indicative and Infinitivedue by 05:59AM
Nov 01, 2019FriLesson 13 Exercisesdue by 05:59AM
Nov 05, 2019TueVerbs: The Second Aorist Active and Middle Indicative and Infinitivedue by 06:59AM
Nov 05, 2019TueLesson 14 Exercisesdue by 06:59AM
Nov 07, 2019ThuReading Groups #4due by 06:59AM
Nov 08, 2019FriNouns: The Third Declensiondue by 06:59AM
Nov 08, 2019FriLesson 17 Exercisesdue by 06:59AM
Nov 08, 2019FriExegetical Discussion #3 (optional) - a mysterious word in the Lord's prayerdue by 06:59AM
Nov 10, 2019SunExegetical Discussion #4due by 06:59AM
Nov 12, 2019TueVerbs: The Perfect and Pluperfect Active, Middle, and Passive Indicativedue by 06:59AM
Nov 12, 2019TueLesson 15 Exercisesdue by 06:59AM
Nov 15, 2019FriVerbs: The Aorist and Future Passive Indicativedue by 06:59AM
Nov 15, 2019FriLesson 16 Exercisesdue by 06:59AM
Nov 16, 2019SatFinal Private Readings . . .due by 06:59AM