| Unit name | Torah through the Ages |
|---|---|
| Unit code | THRS20213 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Gethin |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Religion and Theology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
A key feature of Judaism, and arguably what makes it distinct from Christianity and Islam, is its notion of the Torah. This unit looks at the meaning and development of that idea over the centuries, including exegesis of the Bible in all its diversity. It aims both to provide an overview of this fascinating topic and to examine concrete examples from various times and places. These include traditional Jewish interpretations of assorted narrative, poetic, and legal portions of the Bible in Second Temple times (515BCE-70CE) and in the Rabbinic (70-900CE) and medieval periods (900-1750CE). The unit also entails examining the challenge of understanding the Torah for Jews in the modern era (1750 onwards) in the light of academic study of the Bible and Judaism, the emergence of competing Jewish 'denominations' since the 19th century, the rise of Zionism, the Holocaust, and increasing secularisation.
Aims:
To introduce students to the notion of the Torah in Judaism.
To provide an introduction to specific instances of Jewish Bible interpretation in particular historical, cultural, and religious contexts.
To provide a framework for analysing and evaluating competing scholarly emphases regarding specific aspects of Torah and Jewish Bible interpretation.
To develop critical interaction with primary and secondary materials.
To develop written presentation skills through the course assessment.
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
(1) demonstrate a critical understanding of the notion of the Torah in Judaism;
(2) analyze specific instances of Jewish Bible interpretation in particular historical, cultural, and religious contexts
(3) evaluate competing scholarly emphases regarding specific aspects of (1) and (2);
(4) identify and analyze pertinent evidence/data in order to illustrate/demonstrate a cogent argument.
1 lecture and 1 seminar per week
1 x essay of 2500 words (50%) [ILOs 1-4]
1 x 2 hour exam (50%) [ILOs 1-4]
A. Berlin & M.Z. Brettler (eds), The Jewish Study Bible (2004);
J.H. Hayes, Dictionary of Biblical Interpretation (1999);
J. Neusner, Torah through the Ages (1991);
K.H. Zetterholm, Jewish Interpretation of the Bible (2012)
