Undergraduate Course: Moses and the Torah (BIST08020)
Course Outline
| School | School of Divinity |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course is the partner to Prophets and their Oracles (level 8), and is aimed at students beginning their academic study of biblical literature. It is an introduction to the first five books of the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible, and aimed at students beginning study of the content of the Torah or Pentateuch by a survey of important themes. |
| Course description |
Academic Description:
This course is intended for students beginning their academic study of Biblical literature, and is a partner to the Level 8 course Prophets and their Oracles. It is an introduction to the scholarly study of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament , the Torah or the Pentateuch (Genesis to Deuteronomy), traditionally attributed to Moses.
Syllabus/Outline Content:
Students taking this course will acquire the knowledge-base and skills to become competent readers of the Bible. Over the course of the eleven weeks, students will be required to read all five books of the Pentateuch in English translation.
Student Learning Experience Information:
Lectures and tutorials will focus on selected biblical passages that have engendered scholarly attention and debate. The lectures (M, Tu and Th) will provide orientation, underscore matters particularly important at an introductory level, and show how scholars approach the study of the Bible. The seminars (Wed/Fri) are intended to give students the opportunity to discuss in small groups issues arising from the biblical texts and scholarly approaches.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2018/19, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
60 %,
Coursework
30 %,
Practical Exam
10 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Assessment consists of:
A quiz in Week 5 (short answers) based on material covered in the lectures (15%)
A 1500-word exegesis (i.e. interpretative) essay (15%)
Regular attendance and participation in weekly tutorials (10%)
A written degree exam (60%)
In order to pass the course, students must obtain a minimum of 40% in both the coursework (combined mark) and the degree exam. |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a knowledge of the content of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament.
- Evidence a knowledge of different interpretative approaches to the biblical texts (e.g. historical criticism, literary criticism, feminist criticism, early Jewish approaches, etc.)
- Demonstrate an ability to work with the standard biblical tools (e.g. dictionaries, Bible encyclopedias, commentaries, etc).
- Identify key interpretative issues, describe and account for varying interpretations, and offer some independent analysis.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Moses |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Timothy Lim
Tel: (0131 6)50 8919
Email: Timothy.Lim@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Katrina Munro
Tel: (0131 6)50 8900
Email: Kate.Munro@ed.ac.uk |
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