Behind the world of Jesus (BS9501Y)

Postgraduate, 24.0 points

Content

Israel between 200 BCE and 70 CE was a complex society affected by the domination of empires past and present. Political, social, economic, textual, and religious aspects will be studied. People such as the Samaritans, Sadducees, Pharisees, the Dead Sea Sect (Essenes?), the Zealots, and the poor will feature, as will attitudes to women, the main Jewish festivals, modes of worship and their institutions. Sources, which include some Biblical and apocalyptic books, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the works of the Jewish historian Josephus, and of Philo the Jewish philosopher, will be explored. Together these illuminate the world of Jesus.

Unit code: BS9501Y

Unit status: Approved (Major revision)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Elective

Unit discipline: Biblical Studies

Delivery Mode: Blended

Proposing College: Yarra Theological Union

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Learning outcomes

1.

Demonstrate familiarity with, and evaluate scholarly views on, the political, social, economic, literary, and religious history of the people of Israel from c.200 BCE to c.70 CE
2.

Where appropriate, critically incorporate archaeological data with the literary evidence
3.

Exegete passages from the primary texts with the aid of commentaries
4.

Evaluate the genre of a piece of literature, and apply appropriate methodology in its interpretation
5.

Critically evaluate the ways in which, and why, theological ideas about how to live in accordance with God’s wishes were diverse
6.

Analyse how life in all its aspects in Judea and the diaspora were affected by other nations, cultures or religions.

Unit sequence

24 credit points, or equivalent, in BA or BN or BS

Pedagogy

asynchronous and synchronous lectures, readings, focus texts assigned to each week for group work, class discussions

Indicative Bibliography

  • Collins, J.J., Between Athens and Jerusalem. Jewish Identity in the Hellenistic Diaspora. Grand Rapids, MI/ Cambridge UK: Eerdmans, 2000.
  • Garcia Martinez, F., The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated: the Qumran Texts in English. Trans. W.G.E. Watson. Leiden/New York/ Cologne: Brill, 1994.
  • Goodman, Martin (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Jewish Studies. Oxford: Oxford Academic, 2009.
  • Josephus, The Works of Josephus. Trans. W. Whiston, Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson, 1987.
  • Philo of Alexandria, Works. Trans. F.H. Colson, and G.H. Whittaker, Loeb Classical Library, London/Cambridge, Mass: Heinemann/Harvard University Press, various dates.
  • Portier-Young, A.E., Apocalyptic Against Empire: Theologies of Resistance in Early Judaism, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2014.
  • Safrai, S. and Stern, D. The Jewish People in the First Century, vol. 1. Leiden: Brill, 1974.
  • Safrai, S. and Van Unik, W.C. The Jewish People in the First Century, vol. 2. Leiden: Brill, 1988.
  • Schürer, E., A History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ (rev. ed.), Vols. 1, 2, 3, 3.2. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1979-1986.
  • Vanderkam, J.C., An Introduction to Early Judaism. Grand Rapids, MI/Cambridge, UK: Eerdmans, 2001.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Case Study 2500 40.0
Essay 4500 60.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 27 Jun, 2023

Unit record last updated: 2023-06-27 15:29:26 +1000