| CODE | ARC3008 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Ancient Israel | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 6 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Classics and Archaeology | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | A detailed analysis of the relevant literary, epigraphic, and archaeological evidence stemming from the entirety of the First Temple Period (ca. 1250 till ca. 586 B.C.) in ancient Israel and Judah is undertaken to throw light on the appearance of Israel in the land of Canaan, the subsequent ‘united’ and divided monarchies of Israel and Judah, and on the theory and practice of ancient Israelite and Judahite religion This study-unit aims to present a detailed case study of "Biblical Archaeology", showing how a critical reading of the biblical and extra-biblical texts is brought into dialogue with the results of modern archaeology of the Levant. Study-Unit Aims: - To explain the emergence of Israel in Canaan (from c. 1250 B.C. - c. 1000 BC.) on the basis of the archaeology of the Levant as well as in the light of the relevant biblical and extra-biblical texts of the Near East. - To present the archaeological and historical frameworks of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah in their wider geo-political context, and any related lingering issues and problems of interpretation. - To present the development of religion in Canaan, ancient Israel and Judah from its beginnings in the Bronze Age up to ca. 586 B.C. - To help students to understand how to go about integrating textual (biblical and/or epigraphic) and artefactual evidence in a proper methodological and critical manner. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Assess critically the diametrically opposed positions of the "maximalists" and "minimalists" with respect to the problem of the emergence of Israel in Canaan; - See how a critical reading of the relevant biblical texts matches the results of the overall recent archaeological discoveries in the Levant with respect to the origins and development of the religion of ancient Israel; - Integrate the results of textual and artefactual evidence in a critical manner. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Read texts critically; - Pay a great deal of attention to detail in daily life; - Think in an independent manner whilst making balanced judgments in current affairs and public life. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Bishop Moore, M. and Kelle, B.E. (2011) Biblical History and Israel's Past: The Changing Study of the Bible and History, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans. - Finkelstein, I. and Mazar, A. (2007) The Quest for the Historical Israel. Atlanta, Society of Biblical Literature - Frendo, Anthony J. (2011) Pre-Exilic Israel, the Hebrew Bible, and Archaeology: Integrating Text and Artefact, New York/London: T & T Clark. - Magness, J. (2012) The Archaeology of the Holy Land: From the Destruction of Solomon's Temple to the Muslim Conquest. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. - Miller, J. M. and Hayes, J. H. (2006) A History of Ancient Israel and Judah. 2nd edn. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press. The lecturer will provide a more detailed bibliography in class/on VLE. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | |||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Dennis Mizzi Abigail Zammit |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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