| CODE | LAS2080 | ||||||||
| TITLE | The Bible and the Ancient Near East | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | H - Higher Level | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Centre for the Liberal Arts and Sciences | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This Unit offers a historical introduction to the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament), with a view to situating it in its Ancient Near Eastern context. Lectures will cover topics in diachronic fashion in an attempt to explore the formation of selected biblical texts, the historical and socio-cultural processes that influenced their development, and transtextual links with other Near Eastern texts and traditions. The Unit thus highlights the importance of understanding the Hebrew Bible in its historical and cultural milieu, while providing a survey of this most important body of literature that shaped both Jewish and Christian traditions. Lectures will be carried out in English and no knowledge of Hebrew is required. Study-unit Aims: - to offer students an introduction to the Hebrew Bible; - to explore the different historical and socio-cultural processes which influenced the development of the various biblical texts and genres; - to highlight the importance of reading the books of the Hebrew Bible within the larger context of the Ancient Near East. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the Unit the student will be able to: - relate and cite key details and characteristics about selected books in the Hebrew Bible; - describe the literary, historical, and socio-cultural significance of different biblical books; - analyze and appraise the Hebrew Bible in its Ancient Near Eastern context. 2. Skills: By the end of the Unit the student will be able to: - read secondary literature in a critical manner; - analyze and interpret ancient texts; - develop an interdisciplinary sensibility and read texts as part of an integrated social, political, and cultural discourse. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Text/s - Cline, Eric H. (2009) Biblical Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. - Collins, John J. (2007) A Short Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. - Collins, John J. (2018) Introduction to the Hebrew Bible and Deutero-Canonical Books, 3 rd edn. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press. - Coogan, Michael D. (2008) The Old Testament: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. - Dalley, Stephanie (2000) Myths from Mesopotamia: Creation, the Flood, Gilgamesh, and Others. Oxford: Oxford University Press. - Frendo, Anthony J. (2021) Approaching Biblical Archaeology. London: T&T Clark. - Leeming, David A. (2022) World Mythology: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. - Linafelt, Tod (2016) The Hebrew Bible as Literature: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. - Nissinen, Martti. 2017. Ancient Prophecy: Near Eastern, Biblical, and Greek Perspectives. Oxford: Oxford University Press. - Riches, John (2021) The Bible: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. - Walton, John H. (2018) Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible. 2 nd edn. Ada, Michigan: Baker Academic. Supplementary readings - Morrow, William S. (2022). Ancient Near Eastern Treaty Traditions and Biblical Covenants: Recent Surveys, Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 21(1): 1-21. - Roth, Martha Tobi, Harry A. Hoffner, and Piotr Michalowski, 1995. Law collections from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor. Atlanta, Georgia: Scholars Press. - Schart, Aaron. 1995. “Combining Prophetic Oracles in Mari Letters and Jeremiah 36.” Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society 23 (1): 75-93. - Weinfeld, M. (1970). The Covenant of Grant in the Old Testament and in the Ancient Near East,Journal of the American Oriental Society 90(2): 184-203. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Abigail Zammit |
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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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