| Unit name | Ancient Jewish Novels |
|---|---|
| Unit code | THRSM0103 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Campbell |
| Open unit status | Open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Religion and Theology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit is concerned with a selection of writings that can be described as ancient Jewish novels or novellas from what scholars call the Second Temple period (circa 500 BCE – 70 CE) of Judaism. Chief among them are the books of Ruth, Esther, Judith, and Tobit, as well as what is arguably one of the world’s oldest detective stories in the chapter about Susana found in one edition of Daniel! While some consideration will be given to similarities to and differences from both the Hellenistic-Roman novel and modern novel, the unit will focus on these fascinating and diverse classic Jewish writings from a range of perspectives, including the historical, literary, and theological.
On successful completion of this unit, students will have (1) developed a detailed knowledge and critical understanding of several ancient Jewish novels; (2) gained an in-depth understanding of the evidential and theoretical contexts pertaining to understanding those novels against the relevant historical, theological, and literary backgrounds; (3) demonstrated the ability to analyse and evaluate competing scholarly perceptions of the significance of ancient Jewish novels; and (4) shown an ability to identify and evaluate pertinent evidence/data in order to illustrate/demonstrate a cogent argument. Additionally (specific to level M), students will be expected to (5) display high level skills in evaluating, analysing, synthesising and (where apt) critiquing images and ideas. (6) apply existing analytical strategies to new evidence with flexibility and creativity (7) demonstrate the capacity for independent research
20 hour seminars
One summative essay of 5000 words Measures ILOs 1-7
A Brenner, A Feminist Companion to Esther, Judith, and Susanna (1995); F Bush, Ruth/Esther (1996); T Cohn Eskenazi & T Frymer-Kensky, Ruth (2011); E Lucas, Daniel (2002); CA Moore, Tobit: A New Translation with Commentary (1996); LM Wills, The Jewish Novel in the Ancient World (1995).
