Jewish Literature in the Graeco-Roman World (PGT) TRS5090

  • Academic Session: 2024-25
  • School: School of Critical Studies
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
  • Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: No
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No

Short Description

The course offers Masters students the opportunity to study selected Jewish authors and texts in depth (e.g., Philo, Josephus, Dead Sea Scrolls), reading closely and considering a variety of perspectives. It also enables students to come to a deeper understanding of a wide range of issues in reading and interpreting Jewish texts within a wider Graeco-Roman context.

Timetable

1 x 2hr seminar per week over 10 weeks

This course will be taught in conjunction with TRS4109, as scheduled on MyCampus.

Requirements of Entry

Standard entry to Masters at College level.

Excluded Courses

TRS4109

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

Essay (4,000 words): 80%

Book review (1,000 words): 20%

Course Aims

This course aims to enable students to:

■ engage in detailed reading of specific Jewish texts written in the Graeco-Roman period

■ critically engage in scholarship in an understudied area in biblical studies, but one that is important for understanding the New Testament

■ relate, in depth, the Jewish texts to a variety of religious and historical contexts, especially interaction between Jewish and Greek/Roman cultures

■ apply a range of theoretical interpretative approaches to texts with a specific focus on historical and literary issues.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ discuss analytically and in depth the historical, cultural, and literary character of specific Jewish texts from the Graeco-Roman period

■ analyse themes and motifs from the prescribed texts and develop detailed arguments for how they might relate to ancient, historical contexts

■ evaluate and apply theoretical approaches to specific texts and to critique their viability

■ present well-honed, detailed and indepth arguments in written and oral form, ideally making use of primary, ancient languages (Hebrew, Greek, Latin, etc.)

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.