One of the drawbacks of being an administrator is that I don’t always teach as often as I would like (and I am out of sync with the schedule of offering courses). So…a very late addition to the course listings is CAMS (or Jewish Studies and Religious Studies) 111 “Early Judaism.” The time and schedule is also a bit odd to fit into my schedule, but I hope some of you will be interested in signing up! It will be offered Tues 10:10 am-1:10 pm in Atherton Hall, C-9 (our conference room).
So, what is in the course? The description is below and at the link above, but in short, we will examine the development of Judaism from the time of the Babylonian Exile (586 BCE) into the early centuries of this era. (The course description says we will go up to the 7th century CE with the development of the Talmud. I don’t think we will get that far since I prefer to take it a bit slower and read more texts.) So if you have room in your schedule please do sign up! It is not listed as an honors course so anyone may enroll, but I will allow Scholars to do an honors option if they request it.
Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies (CAMS)
CAMS 111 (GH;IL) (J ST 111, RL ST 111) Early Judaism (3) Religious thought, practices, and parties in the Second Temple period; the emergence of rabbinic Judaism.
CAMS (J ST/RL ST) 111 Early Judaism (3)
(GH;IL)
(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements.
Early Judaism will introduce students to the history of Judaism as reflected in Jewish literature from the period of the Babylonian exile (587/6 BCE) to the closure of the Babylonian Talmud (ca. 600 CE). In this period, ancient Hebrew religion was transformed into a new world religion-Judaism. Students will read selections from the Bible, and from other religious literature, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Apocrypha, the Christian Scriptures, the Mishnah, and the Talmudim. By tracing the development of various Jewish “parties,” students will appreciate how Classical Judaism evolved, and how the early Church emerged from Jewish roots in the first centuries CE. Early Judaism grew from its roots in the period of Achaemenid domination. Jews were dispersed throughout the eastern Mediterranean, so influences from Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman thought naturally influenced the faith’s development. Students in Early Judaism will develop a new appreciation for the basic beliefs and practices of Judaism as well as for the beginnings of the Jesus movement and the development of the early Christian Church. Theological and historical questions concerning the origins of evil, the primacy of prayer, the beginnings of Jewish religious architecture, and the rise of anti-Semitism will be explored. Religion is always linked inextricably to culture. Judaism’s transformation in contact with diverse cultures will become evident throughout RL ST/CAMS/J ST 111. The methodologies used in this course will enable students to read and evaluate primary and secondary sources used in the academic study of Judaism. Many other courses in Religious Studies (001, 004, 110, 120, 124), Jewish Studies (010 and 102), and Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies, as well as History and Art History are closely related or linked to this course. RL ST 111 may be used to fulfill 3 credits in the Humanities, or to fulfill the GI requirement in the major or minor. The course will be offered once each year, with an enrollment of 65. This course will satisfy 3 credits towards the minor in Jewish Studies or the major in Religious Studies, plus being cross-listed with CAMS, fulfilling part of the requirement for courses in supporting or related areas of all Classical and Ancient Mediterranean Studies majors. The course also provides an excellent addition to other courses, such as CAMS 010, “Mesopotamian Civilization;” CAMS 044, “Ancient Near Eastern Mythology;” CAMS 045 “Classical Mythology;” CAMS 033, “Roman Civilization; and CAMS/ANTH/J ST 012, “Archaeology of the Lands of the Bible.”
General Education: GH
Diversity: IL
Bachelor of Arts: Humanities
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