Original Web Document: http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/361_F97.html


THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY
FACULTY OF HUMANITIES
DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES

Religious Studies 361.01:

Course Outline, Fall 1997

Second Temple Judaism:

MWF 11:00-11:50

Instructor:

Eliezer Segal

Office:

Social Sciences 1330

Office Hours:

W 10:00-11:00 or by appointment

Telephone:

220-5886

Internet:

e-mail:

elsegal@acs.ucalgary.ca

.

World-Wide Web:

Material related to this course, including class notes, will be posted at: http://www.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/361_Transp/361list.html

Textbook:

Course Description:

The era of the "Second Temple (or: Second Commonwealth)" [c. 400 B.C.E.-70 C.E.] was one of the most complex and exciting eras in the development of the Jewish religion, and one that exerted a decisive influence on the shape of Judaism (and its offshoot, Christianity) for subsequent generations. This era was characterized by the division of the Jewish people into rival sects advocating differing approaches to the central religious questions of the day; such as:

This course will concern itself with the central religious practices, institutions and beliefs of Second-Temple Judaism. We will focus initially upon those elements that were held in common by all Jewish movements. Afterwards we shall examine the development and character of the many religious sects and parties that arose at that time--Hellenists, Essenes, Sadducees, Pharisees, Zealots, etc., studied against the broader social, political and intellectual currents of the age.

Pedagogic Objectives:

In addition to familiarizing the student with the important facts, sources and events relevant to Second-Temple Judaism, this course will also provide an introduction to the scholarly methodologies that are necessary for the historical study of religion. Attention will be paid to identifying and characterizing the literary and other sources (such as archeology) that provide us with the our information about ancient religious institutions and ideas; problems related to the use that can be made of those sources (e.g., author's biases); and criteria for evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the interpretations of the data that have been proposed by various modern scholars.

In their research papers, the students will be challenged to demonstrate their abilities in the collection of data, in critical analysis of sources, in the evaluation of scholarly literature, and in the presentation of the research in an organized and coherent manner.

Course Requirements:

  1. Mid-Term test (in class, October 27, 1997)
    30%
  2. Research Essay on "common Judaism" (10-15 pages, due Nov. 21, 1997):
    30%-40%*
  3. Research Essay on "sectarianism" (10-15 pages, due December 8, 1997) :
    30%-40%*

* Note: The research essay that earns the highest grade will count for 40% in the final grade calculation; the other essay will count for 30%.

Course Outline:

The following outline should be considered a provisional guide to the subject matter of the course:

    1. The historical context (the Persian, Hellenistic, Hasmonean and Roman periods) of the Second Commonwealth.
      Principal literary documents: Bible, Apocrypha, New Testament, Josephus Flavius, Rabbinic Literature, etc.
    2. Palestinian and Diaspora Judaism.
    3. The Jerusalem Temple and its impact on Jewish religious and social life (Priests, Levites and Israelites).
    4. The religious life of the common people: Life and calendar cycles, etc.
    5. Law and morality.
    6. Theology and eschatology.
    1. The Sadducees: Priests and aristocrats
    2. The Essenes and the Dead Sea Scrolls
    3. The Pharisees: The sanctity of the Oral Torah, and other features of their theology and practice.

Grading System:

A numerical mark will be given for each course requirement. A letter grade will be assigned for the total course work on the following number and letter grade scheme (standardized within the Department of Religious Studies).

    A 90-100 A- 85-89  
B+ 80-84 B 75-79 B- 70-74  
C+ 65-69 C 60-64 C- 55-59  
D+ 50-54 D 45-49 F 44 or less  

Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is a serious offense, the penalty for which is an F on the assignment and possibly also an F on the course, academic probation, or requirement to withdraw. The University Calendar states that "plagiarism exists when:

a) the work submitted or presented was done, in whole or in part, by an individual other than the one submitting the work (this includes having another impersonate the student or otherwise substituting the work of another for one's own in an examination or test),

b) parts of the work are taken from another source without reference to the original author,

c) the whole work (e.g., an essay) is copied from another source, and/or

d) a student submits or presents work in one course which has also been submitted in another course (although it may be completely original with that student) without the knowledge of or prior agreement of the instructor involved.

While it is recognized that scholarly work often involves references to the ideas, data and conclusions of other scholars, intellectual honesty requires that such references be explicitly and clearly noted."

Plagiarism occurs not only when direct quotations are taken from a source without specific acknowledgment, but also when original ideas or data from the source are not acknowledged. A bibliography is insufficient to establish which portions of the student's work are taken from external sources; footnotes or other recognized forms of citation must be used for this purpose.


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