THBS212 - Jewish Society and Literature (516 BCE to 200 CE)

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

THBS100 Introduction to the Bible

Teaching organisation

Unit rationale, description and aim

The Second Temple period(516 BCE-70 CE) was a major turning point in the formation of Early Jewish and Christian identity and practice. It was a time when our earliest surviving biblical manuscripts (the Dead Sea Scrolls) were produced and in which diverse practices and beliefs coexisted in both Judaea and the diaspora. It was also the Second Temple Period that shaped the life, message, and ministry of Jesus, the Messiah. The unit will focus on the diverse literature of this period and the social world in which it took shape. It will then carry the story down to the Mishnaic Period (ca. 70-200 CE) and the end of the Bar Kokhba revolt, which culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem in 136 CE.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - Differentiate a range of social, political, and cultural factors which affected Jewish communities between 516 BCE and 200 CE and various responses to them (GA5, 6)

LO2 - Summarise salient features of the literature from the Second Temple and Mishnaic periods, with sensitivity to issues of plurality and diversity and emerging notions of scripture (GA1, 5, 7, 8) 

LO3 - Critique processes of continuity and change in the Second Temple and Mishnaic periods and their significance for modern theology (GA 4, 6, 7, 8) 

Graduate attributes

GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity 

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA6 - solve problems in a variety of settings taking local and international perspectives into account

GA7 - work both autonomously and collaboratively 

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

Content

Topics will include: 

• Judaean history from the Persian to the Roman Empires 
• The phenomenon of Hellenism 
• The Jewish diaspora 
• Social institutions and practices, including, prayer and sacrifice, Temple, priests, and scribes 
• The Dead Sea Scrolls 
• The formation, plurality, and fluidity of the Jewish canon 
• Pseudepigrapha and Apocrypha  
• The beginnings of Rabbinic Judaism  
• Groups, sects, and identity formation 
• Problems of terminology and categorisation. 

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit involves 150 hours of focused learning, or the equivalent of 10 hours per week for 15 weeks. The total includes formally structured learning activities such as lectures, tutorials and online learning. The remaining hours typically involve reading, research, and the preparation and submission of tasks for assessment. 

The unit is normally offered in multi-mode. Students learn through formally structured and sequenced learning activities that support the achievement of the learning outcomes. Students are asked to critically reflect, analyse, and integrate new information with existing knowledge, draw meaningful new connections, and then apply what they have learned. Collaborative and peer learning is also emphasised.  

The learning activities enable students to acquire and assimilate knowledge of Jewish literature and society in the Second Temple and Mishnaic periods through application of, and critical reflection on, modern interpretative approaches. The learning activities are supported by the presence and articulation of the lecturer and tutors. Building on the foundations laid in THBS100, students will be guided to develop the academic skills needed for biblical study.  

THBSXXX emphasises students as active, adult learners. Students are recognised as adult learners who engage best when what they are learning is relevant to them and gives them the opportunity to be responsible for their own learning. In many ways, the student is the one who drives the learning forward. Active participation in this unit is essential. Learning is designed to be an engaging and supportive experience, which helps students to develop critical thinking and reflection skills. 

Assessment strategy and rationale

In order to pass this unit, students are required to attempt all assessment tasks and achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher.  

The assessment tasks for this unit are designed for students to progressively demonstrate their achievement of each learning outcome.  

Task 1 asks students to identify and describe an important social, cultural, or historical topic or concept for the study of the Jewish society and literature in the Second Temple and Mishnaic periods (e.g. Temple, priesthood, apocalypticism, Tannaim). This task is designed to allow students to display achievement of Learning Outcome 1. The task allows them a relatively low-risk piece of assessment to test their interpretative skills, as well as academic writing techniques. Feedback provided from Task 1 will help them with the other two assessment tasks. 

Task 2 invites students to demonstrate fundamental skills and knowledge by researching and analysing examples a selection of texts from the Second Temple and/or Mishnaic period(s). Particular emphasis should be placed on issues of plurality and diversity and emerging notions of scripture. The task is amenable to a range of formats at the LIC’s discretion (e.g., oral presentation, written research report), and can be completed individually or collaboratively. The principal focus of this task is to allow students to demonstrate achievement of Learning Outcome 2.  

Task 3 asks students to expand upon Tasks 1 and 2 by identifying and analysing processes of continuity and change in the social practices and/or literature of the Second Temple and Mishnaic periods. Students are then required to reflect on the legacy of these processes for modern theological understandings, with sensitivity to different contexts and perspectives. As with Task 2, this task is amenable to a range of formats and approaches. The principal focus of this task is to allow students to display achievement of Learning Outcome 3.  

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Brooke, George J. and Charlotte Hempel. T&T Clark Companion to the Dead Sea Scrolls. London: Bloomsbury, 2019. 

García Martínez, Florentino. The Dead Sea scrolls translated: the Qumran texts in English. Leiden: Brill, 1994.  

Grabbe, Lester L. An Introduction to Second Temple Judaism: History and Religion of the Jews in the Time of Nehemiah, the Maccabees, Hillel and Jesus. London: Bloomsbury, 2010.  

Horbury, William, et. Al. The Cambridge History of Judaism, Vols. 1–4. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984–2006.  

Howell Chapman, Honora and Zuleika Rodgers. A Companion to Josephus. Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World 110. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2016. 

Josephus, The Jewish War. Trans. G. Williamson and with contributions from E. Mary Smallwood. London: Penguin, 1981. 

Neusner, Jacob. Rabbinic Literature: An Essential Guide. Nashville: Abingdon, 2005.  

Vanderkam, James C. An Introduction to Early Judaism. Winona Lake: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2001. 

Vanderkam, James C. The Dead Sea Scrolls Today, Revised ed. Winona Lake: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2010. 

Vanderkam, James C. The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible. Winona Lake: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2012.