Dead Sea Scrolls
Module title | Dead Sea Scrolls |
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Module code | THE2119 |
Academic year | 2019/0 |
Credits | 30 |
Module staff | Professor Siam Bhayro (Convenor) |
Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
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Duration: Weeks | 11 |
Number students taking module (anticipated) | 34 |
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Module description
This option module will introduce and analyse the Dead Sea Scrolls, in English, discussing various genres such as Rewritten Bible, Apocalyptic, Communal Texts, Liturgy, Magic and Pesharim, with attention to authorship, context and significance for the origins of Judaism and Christianity. It will comprise weekly two-hour classes and one-hour seminars, with lecture material and guided discussion, the presentation of various primary sources with secondary analysis, and the regular provision of written handouts. Formative feedback is provided in class and in tutorials. Students will be expected to read at least one chapter from a secondary source in preparation for each class.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The aim of this module is to introduce:
- the Dead Sea Scrolls, their significance for our understanding of the origins of Judaism and Christianity
- scholarly controversies in their interpretation
- major resources and recent advances in the field
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Describe and understand the context and content of the scrolls
- 2. Demonstrate an understanding of their use of the Bible
- 3. Appreciate their impact on our understanding of how the Hebrew Bible was written
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Demonstrate, with limited guidance, detailed comprehension of and engagement with the texts in English translation
- 5. Discuss and demonstrate detailed comprehension, with limited guidance, of the contemporary historical sources
- 6. Demonstrate detailed understanding of the modern controversies surrounding the scrolls
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. Undertake guided work within broad guidelines
- 8. Shape detailed information into a coherent account, with some guidance
- 9. Demonstrate consistency and rigour in method and argument
- 10. Make thorough use of selected written sources, with some guidance
- 11. Participate in seminars in an appropriate, sensitive and generous manner
- 12. Communicate clearly in writing
Syllabus plan
Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Pesharim
- Rewritten Bible
- Apocalypticism
- Community rules and Halakhah
- Magic, Angels and Demons
- The DSS community and Jewish sectarianism
- The DSS and Christianity
- Identities of the Teacher of Righteousness, the Man of Lies and the Wicked Priest
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
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33 | 267 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
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Scheduled learning and teaching | 22 | 11 x 2 hour classes |
Scheduled learning and teaching | 11 | 11 x 1 hour seminars |
Guided independent study | 267 | Private study |
Formative assessment
Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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Essay (first draft of final essay) | 4000 words | 1-10, 12 | Tutorial |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
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100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
---|---|---|---|---|
Essay (revised formative essay) | 100 | 4000 words | 1-10, 12 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
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Essay | Essay | 1-10, 12 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Indicative primary texts:
- G. Vermes, The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English (London: Penguin, 1997)
Indicative secondary texts
- J.J. Collins, Apocalypticism in the Dead Sea Scrolls (London: Routledge, 1997)
- J.J. Collins & R.A. Kugler (eds), Religion in the Dead Sea Scrolls (Cambridge: Eerdmans, 2000)
- H. Eshel, The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Hasmonean State (Cambridge: Eerdmans, 2008)
- J.A. Fitzmyer, The Dead Sea Scrolls and Christian Origins (Cambridge: Eerdmans, 2000)
- C. Hempel, The Damascus Texts (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2000)
- T.H. Lim, Pesharim (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2002)
- J.C. Vanderkam, An Introduction to Early Judaism (Cambridge: Eerdmans, 2001)
- E. Ulrich, The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Origins of the Bible (Cambridge: Eerdmans, 1999)
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Credit value | 30 |
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Module ECTS | 15 |
Module pre-requisites | None |
Module co-requisites | None |
NQF level (module) | 5 |
Available as distance learning? | No |
Origin date | 2016 |
Last revision date | 18/04/2019 |