| Unit name | Greco-Roman Judaism |
|---|---|
| Unit code | THRS20216 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Lindsey Davidson |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
n/a |
| School/department | Department of Religion and Theology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem? This unit introduces the history, literature, and critical debates surrounding the development of Judaism during the Hellenistic Greek and Roman periods, from Alexander the Great (332-323 BCE) to Hadrian’s suppression of the last Jewish Revolt against Rome (132-135 CE). Students will be familiarized with early Jewish beliefs and practices, Jewish rulers such as Herod the Great, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Maccabean Revolt, Jewish biblical translations and exegesis, and the lives of Jewish women. The period of Greco-Roman Judaism sees the varied development and flourishing of the early Jewish literary imagination in the late Second Temple period, and impulses of the apocalyptic and esoteric wisdom. The unit will cover early Jewish writings such as the works of Josephus and Philo, Dead Sea Scrolls “sectarian” literature, 1-2 Maccabees, Ben Sira, and the Letter of Aristeas. Aspects of historical sources including archaeology, letter/document archives, and material culture will help bring to life this fascinating era as the crucible of rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity. The unit will provide a solid historical and literary foundation for the study of Judaism in Hellenistic antiquity, applicable to further studies in Judeo-Christian traditions.
This unit aims to provide an in-depth understanding of:
It also aims to develop:
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1 x two-hour lecture per week; 1 x one-hour seminar per week
Four 250-word summative reading responses (amounting to 1000 words) (20%) [ILOs 1–4]
One 3000-word summative essay (80%) [ILOs 1–5]
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. THRS20216).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
