| CODE | HBW2006 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Jews and Judaism in Late Antiquity | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Oriental Studies | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit offers an introductory look at the history of the Jews and the development of Judaism during the Roman and Byzantine periods, with a focus on the 2nd to the 7th centuries CE. Using both textual and archaeological evidence, lectures will explore and discuss the history of the Jews; aspects of Jewish society, lifestyles, practices, and beliefs in Palestine and the diaspora; Jewish encounters with Graeco-Roman culture; the urbanization of Galilee; the rise of the rabbinic movement and rabbinic literature; the emergence of the synagogue as a central Jewish institution; the Christianization and Islamization of ancient Palestine; and Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations. This study-unit is ideal for students of history, archaeology, and theology. Study-unit Aims: - To trace the history of the Jews in ancient Palestine and the diaspora from the 2nd to the 7th century CE; - To describe, discuss, and explain salient features of Jewish society, lifestyles, practices, and beliefs, using both textual and archaeological evidence; - To examine and analyze some of the major cultural and historical processes to have affected and shaped Judaism and Jewish society in the Roman and Byzantine periods, including the destruction of the Jerusalem temple, encounters with Graeco-Roman culture, the emergence of rabbinic Judaism, the spread of Christianity, and the expansion of Islam; - To train students to analyze archaeological and textual evidence. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Relate and cite major events in connection with the history of the Jews in ancient Palestine and the diaspora between the 2nd and the 7th century CE; - Name and describe the salient features of Jewish society, lifestyles, practices, and beliefs, using both textual and archaeological evidence; - Compare and contrast different Jewish groups or communities in ancient Palestine and the diaspora with each other, and compare and contrast the material culture, practices, and beliefs of different Jewish communities with those of the wider Graeco-Roman world as well as Christian and Islamic communities; - Appraise and debate some of the major cultural and historical processes to have affected and shaped Judaism and Jewish society in the Roman and Byzantine periods; - Analyze and interpret pertinent textual and archaeological evidence, and evaluate competing interpretations of the data. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Examine and interpret ancient texts and archaeology; - Synthesize complex sets of data; - Criticize and evaluate competing interpretations of textual and archaeological data, and determine which readings are more or less probable; - Reflect on the interconnectedness of seemingly disparate cultural and historical processes, and appraise complex situations involving different forms of cultural interaction; - Demonstrate evidence of creative and critical thinking. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Avni, G. 2014 The Byzantine-Islamic Transition in Palestine: An Archaeological Approach. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Fiensy, D. A. and Strange, J. R., eds. 2014 Galilee in the Late Second Temple and Mishnaic Periods: Volume 1: Life, Culture, and Society. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. Fiensy, D. A. and Strange, J. R., eds. 2015 Galilee in the Late Second Temple and Mishnaic Periods: Volume 2: The Archaeological Record from Cities, Towns, and Villages. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. Fine, S. 2005 Art and Judaism in the Greco-Roman World: Toward a New Jewish Archaeology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,. Fine, S. 2014 Art, History, and Historiography of Judaism in Roman Antiquity. Leiden: Brill. Hezser, C., ed. 2010 The Oxford Handbook of Jewish Daily Life in Roman Palestine. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Katz, S. T., ed. 2006 The Cambridge History of Judaism: Volume 4: The Late Roman-Rabbinic Period. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Levine, L. I. 2012 Visual Judaism in Late Antiquity: Historical Contexts of Jewish Art. New Haven: Yale University Press. Magness, J. 2012 The Archaeology of the Holy Land: From the Destruction of Solomon's Temple to the Muslim Conquest. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Meyer, E. M. and Chancey. M. A. 2012 Archaeology of the Land of the Bible: Volume 3: Alexander to Constantine. New Haven: Yale University Press. Millar, F., Cohn, Y., and Eliyahu, E. B. 2013 Handbook of Jewish Literature from Late Antiquity, 135-700 CE. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Schwartz, S. 2001 Imperialism and Jewish Society, 200 B.C.E. to 640 C.E. Princeton: Princeton University Press. A detailed bibliography will be given in class. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | |||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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