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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of History, Classics and Archaeology : Ancient History

Undergraduate Course: Roman Judaea (ANHI10078)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of History, Classics and Archaeology CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis course tackles the history of Judaea under Roman rule, concentrating on the period from Pompey's conquest of the East in 63 BCE until the immediate aftermath of the momentous events of 70 CE. Students will become acquainted with various aspects of the history of the region - social, economic, cultural and religious - through close study of a range of sources (including literary, numismatic and epigraphic).
Course description In 70 CE, the Temple to the Jewish God in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, never to be rebuilt. This came at the end of a war that began in 66 CE, at around the time of the momentous events in Rome that led to the rise of the Flavians. Indeed, this victory became vitally important to the new dynasty in Rome, who capitalized on its import to justify the new regime. But what led to the rebellion in the first place? The history of Roman-Jewish relations prior to this point appears far from a catalogue of antipathy and conflict and the reasons for such a dramatic eruption of violence remain a point of contention today.

This course tackles the history of Judaea under Roman rule, concentrating on the period from Pompey's conquest of the East in 63 BCE until the momentous events of 70 CE, when the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, never to be rebuilt. Students will become acquainted with various aspects of the history of the region: social, economic, cultural and religious. A range of evidence will be employed, including archaeological, literary (in a range of genres), numismatic and epigraphic, in order that students may gain a full understanding of the complex history of Judaea under Roman rule.

This course is co-taught with Professor Helen Bond in the School of Divinity.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites It is RECOMMENDED that students have passed ( Ancient History 2a: Past and Present in the Ancient World (ANHI08014) AND Ancient History 2b: Themes and Theories in Ancient History (ANHI08013)) OR ( Jesus and the Gospels (BIST08021) AND Paul and His Letters (BIST08022))
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Students MUST NOT also be taking Judaea under Roman Rule (PGHC11469)
Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesVisiting students should usually have at least 3 courses in Classics related subject matter (at least 2 of which should be in Ancient History) at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this) for entry to this course. We will only consider University/College level courses.
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. demonstrate, by way of coursework, class participation and examination, command of a range of sources relevant to Roman Judaea;
  2. demonstrate an ability to analyze and reflect critically upon relevant scholarship, primary source materials, and conceptual approaches considered in the course during the class discussion, and in the examination and coursework-assessment;
  3. demonstrate an ability to understand and apply specialized research or professional skills, techniques and practices to the variety of variety of primary source material considered in the course (texts of different genres; archaeological evidence; numismatics; epigraphy);
  4. demonstrate, by way of seminar performance and coursework the ability to develop and sustain scholarly arguments in oral and written form, by independently formulating appropriate questions and utilizing relevant evidence considered in the course;
  5. demonstrate originality and independence of mind and initiative; intellectual integrity and maturity; an ability to evaluate the work of others.
Reading List
Berlin, A. and J. Overman (edd.). 2002. The First Jewish Revolt: Archaeology, History and Ideology. New York.

Edmondson, J., S. Mason, and J. Rives (edd.). 2005. Flavius Josephus and Flavian Rome. Oxford.

Goodman, M. 1987. The Ruling Class of Judea: The Origins of the Jewish Revolt against Rome AD 66-70. Cambridge.

Mason, S. 2016. A History of the Jewish War, AD 66-74. New York.

Mason S. (ed.) 1998. Understanding Josephus: Seven Perspectives. Sheffield.

Millar, F. 1993. The Roman Near East, 31 B.C.-A.D. 337. Cambridge, MA.

Rajak, T. 1983. Josephus: The Historian and His Society. London.

Richardson, P. 1996. Herod: King of the Jews and Friend of the Romans. Columbia.

Schäfer, P. 2003. The History of the Jews in the Greco-Roman World. Revised Edition. London.

Taylor, J. ed. 2015. Jesus and Brian. Exploring the Historical Jesus and his Times via Monty Python's Life of Brian. London.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Kimberley Czajkowski
Tel: (0131 6)50 9110
Email: k.czajkowski@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Marketa Vejskalova
Tel:
Email: Marketa.Vejskalova2ed.ac.uk@ed.ac.uk
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