Judaism in the Greco-Roman World    CL/HI/RS 321       Spring 2003               Prof. Trumbower

  Course Description:

            The purpose of this course is to engage the student in a study of the lives and thoughts of all kinds of Jews in the Greco-Roman world.  The period covered stretches from roughly 538 BCE down to 200 CE; that is, from the Jews’ return from Babylonian exile down to the promulgation of the Mishnah.  The course fits in three departments because 1) it deals with an important period of history, 2) it emphasizes the role of religion in that history, and 3) it covers key components of the classical world. 

The study of Judaism in this period is fascinating in its own right as part of the human story, but it also has special importance for the understanding of Western culture. The dominant form of Judaism that we know today (rabbinic Judaism), as well as that Jewish heresy known as Christianity, both developed in the Greco-Roman world, and the Judaism of this period also had a profound impact on the later rise of Islam.  The Dead Sea Scrolls come from this period, as well as many of the key ideas that have so shaped life and thought in the West (the Messiah, the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, and the idea of a “Bible,” just to name a few).  The diversity among the “Judaisms” of this period is staggering, as there were many competing definitions of what it meant to be a “Jew” or a “true” Jew, both in Palestine and in the Diaspora.  These are just some of the topics we will be exploring together.  Students will learn how to assess the primary sources (in translation) used by scholars to understand this period of Jewish history.

  Required Books:

Hayes, John H. and Sara R. Mandel, The Jewish People in Classical Antiquity: From Alexander to Bar Kochba (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1998).  Herein abbreviated “H & M.”

  Vermes, Geza. The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English (London: Penguin, 1997)

  In addition, you will need a Bible with the Old and New Testaments, and the Apocrypha (deuterocanonical works).  Any bible used for a previous course at St. Michael’s is satisfactory, as long as it has the Apocrypha. 

  On permanent reference in the library is a two-volume work containing many translations of Jewish texts from our period:

Charlesworth, James H., ed.  The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha 2 vols. (New York: Doubleday, 1983-85).  All of you will be consulting this work at some point in the semester.

Call number: Ref BS 1830.A3 1983

  Course Requirements:

I. Pop-quizzes, informal writings based on the readings, and class participation (20%). Periodically I will ask you to write a one- or two-page response to the readings.  At times these assignments may be done on email.  These writings will serve as a basis for class discussion, and I will collect them and record them with a grade of 1-10.  I also reserve the right at any time to give a pop-quiz as a test on the reading.  These writings and quizzes, averaged and curved, plus class participation and attendance, are 20% of the grade.

  II. Class presentation and text overview (10%).  Early in the semester, students will be grouped in teams.  Each team will be assigned a significant Jewish text that will not necessarily be read by others in the class.  Each team will introduce, act out part of, summarize, and answer questions about their assigned text on the appropriate day when that text is studied (30 min. for each team).  Teams are strongly encouraged to use handouts and/or other visual aids in their presentations. In addition, each student will submit individually a three-page paper detailing what this text contributes to our understanding of Judaism in the Greco-Roman world.  The team members will all receive the same grade for the presentation (10%), and will be graded individually on the short paper (folded into the informal writings described in section I.).

  III. In-class Midterm Examination (20%). 

  IV. Research Paper (30%).  This paper should be in the range of 10 pages, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins.  It will require extensive research.  A 1-2 page prospectus on the paper, outlining the topic and initial bibliography will be due on March 27.  The prospectus itself will receive a grade to be counted under #I above.  Optional rough drafts of the paper may be submitted any time on or before April 16, and the final paper is due April 28. Along with the paper, I require that students turn in a packet of research notes to document the research steps taken.  I will explain this procedure at greater length in class.

  V. Take-home Final Examination (20%)

  Academic Integrity:

Consistent with the policies of St. Michael’s College, each student is to do her or his own work (with the obvious exception of the team presentation).  All ideas from, references to, summaries of, and allusions to others’ works must be properly documented in the papers. Procedures for doing so will be discussed in class.  Claiming someone else’s ideas as your own is called plagiarism, and will result in a zero on the paper, meaning probable course failure. In the last five years I have given zeroes to four students in different courses for various types of plagiarism on papers. Each one as a result failed the course, and has a notation of plagiarism on file in the associate dean's office.  DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!   If you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism, consult with me immediately. All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date.  Late assignments will be accepted for up to one week at a penalty of one full letter grade.

  Office Hours: 

My office is St. Edmund’s 246, ext. 2373.  I will keep office hours on Thursdays from 10:00-11:15 and from 1:00-2:15, and I will be available at many other times; see me before or after class to schedule an appointment.

  Course Schedule:

M Jan 13 Introduction.  Familiarization with primary sources.  Begin review of Hebrew Bible.

  W Jan 15  Review of Hebrew Bible material. Readings: First, read my lecture on-line, “Introductory Remarks on the Old Testament,” available on the web at http://academics.smcvt.edu/relstudies_courses/RS130/remarks_on_the_hebrew.htm

If you can’t access the online version, there are two copies on reserve in the library

Then read Genesis 1-7; 11-12; 16-18; 25; 46 and Exodus 1-3; 13-14; 19-21.   

  M Jan 20 The Monarchy, The Exile, and the Return from Babylon.  Readings: Deuteronomy 34;  Joshua 1, 6, 10; 1 Samuel 8;  2 Samuel 5, 7;  2 Kings 24-25; Habakkuk (entire book); Haggai (entire book); Ezra 1-6.  Select teams.

  W Jan 22 The Persian Period.  Readings: Ezra 7-10; Nehemiah 4-8; Esther (entire book).   

  M Jan 27  The Rise of Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Period.  Readings: H & M 13-38;  Zechariah 9 -14; Malachi (entire book).     Discussion of team presentations.

  W Jan 29 Key Jewish texts produced in the Hellenistic period.  First three team presentations:  Tobit;  Early sections of 1 Enoch (1 Enoch 1-36; 72-89; 101-107);  Jubilees 1-12; 17-18; 47-50.

  M Feb 3 More key texts.  Next three team presentations: Letter of Aristeas;  Joseph and Asenath; The Wisdom of Jesus Ben-Sirach (a.k.a. “Ecclesiasticus” or “Sirach”), chapters 1-4 and 31-51.

 W Feb 5 Background to the Maccabees. Readings: H & M 38-59; 2 Maccabees 1-7; 1 Maccabees 1.

 M Feb 10 The Maccabean Revolt! Readings: H & M 59-84; 2 Maccabees 8-15; 1 Maccabees 2 and 8-16.

  W Feb 12 Hasmonean Dynasty and Jewish sects of the 2d century BCE.  Readings: H & R 84-100; Book of Daniel (Hebrew Bible).

  M Feb 17 The Dead Sea Scrolls. Introduction and in-class film. Readings: Vermes, 1-66; 1QpHab (Qumran commentary on Habakkuk, Vermes pp. 478-485); 4QMMT (Vermes, pp. 220-228).

  W Feb 19 The Dead Sea Scrolls.  Readings: 1QS (Vermes 97-117); 1QSa (Vermes 157-160); CD (Vermes 125-143); 1QM (Vermes, read from p. 161 to at least the middle of p.168; go further if you wish!)

  M & W Feb 24 and 26  SPRING BREAK!  NO CLASS

  M Mar 3 The Dead Sea Scrolls. Readings: Vermes, pp. 67-90;  4Q285 fr. 5 (Vermes, p. 189); 4Q521 (Vermes 391-392); 4Q525 (Vermes 424-425); 4Q174 (Vermes 493-494); 4Q186 (357-359); 3Q15, a.k.a. "The Copper Scroll"  (Vermes 581-589). 

  W Mar 5 The beginnings of Roman hegemony.   Readings: H & M 100-118; Psalms of Solomon 2, 8, & 17 (on reserve or in a handout)

  M Mar 10 Midterm examination.

  W Mar 12 Discussion of research projects; Trip to the library to explore resources.  Guidelines for citation of sources.  (No new readings)

  M Mar 17  Herod the Great.  Readings: H & M 118-153;  packet on reserve titled, “Josephus on Herod the Great” (=Josephus, War, I.181-402; 431-448; 664-673; and II.111-177); Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2 (New Testament).  Major quiz today guaranteed!

  W Mar 19 Philo of Alexandria and Jewish Life in the Diaspora.  Selections from Margaret H. Williams, The Jews Among the Greeks and Romans, pp. 33-73 (provided in class); Philo, selection from Allegorical Interpretation I, I-XV (on reserve); perhaps other selections to be announced.

  M Mar 24 Early Christianity as a Jewish Sect.  Readings:  M & H 153-158; Mark 1-4 and 11-16; Acts 1-5; 1 Corinthians 15; Jeffrey Trumbower, “The Role of Malachi in the Career of John the Baptist,” and “The Historical Jesus and the Speech of Gamaliel, Acts 5:35-39,” both articles on reserve.

  W Mar 27 Early Christianity as a Jewish Sect.  Readings: R. J. Z. Werblowski, “Shabbetai Tsevi,” from The Encyclopedia of Religion (available in the reference section and on reserve); Paul’s Letter to the Galatians  (New Testament). A 1-2 page prospectus with bibliography on your research paper is due today.  Prospectus will be graded 1-10.

  M Mar 31 Josephus.  Readings: packet on reserve, “Josephus on Josephus”  (=Vita 1-42; War III.307-408 and 438-442).  1-2 page short writing assignment: evaluate Josephus’s agenda as an author.  What is he trying to accomplish with his writings?

  W Apr 2 The beginnings of the Jewish Revolt against Rome, 66-73 CE.  Readings: M & H 158-195.

  M Apr 7 The end of the Jewish Revolt against Rome.  Readings: M & H 195-211, and packet on reserve: “Josephus on the end of the Jewish revolt”  (War VI.193-430 and VII.252-408).  This packet includes the famous account of Masada!

  W Apr 9 Rabinnic Consolidation: The Bar Kochba revolt and The Mishnah.  Readings: M & H 211-215;  Lawrence H. Schiffman, From Text to Tradition, “Mishnah: The New Scripture,” pp. 177-203 (on reserve) and packet on reserve, “Selections from the Mishnah.” 

  M Apr 14 Gender Issues in Second Temple Judaism.  Readings: Selections from Ross S. Kraemer, Maenads, Martyrs, Matrons, Monastics: A Sourcebook on Women’s Relgions in the Greco-Roman World, and an article by Leonie J. Archer, “The Role of Jewish Women in the Religion, Ritual, and Cult of Greco-Roman Palestine.”  Both texts are on reserve. 

  W Apr 16 Jewish and Christian relations in the later Roman Empire. Readings: Schiffman, From Text to Tradition, “Under Byzantine Christianity,” pp. 203-219 (on reserve); Matthew 23 (New Testament); Melito of Sardis, “Paschal Homily” (on reserve); Romans 9-11 (New Testament); selections from Williams, The Jews among the Greeks and Romans 137-141 and 153-159 (to be provided during class).

  M Apr 21 EASTER BREAK!  NO CLASS!

  W Apr 23 Alternatives to the dominant tradition: Jewish mysticism and Gnosticism: Selections from 3 Enoch, The Testimony of Truth, and The Hypostasis of the Archons (handouts provided in class).

  M Apr 28  The Talmuds and Beyond.  No new readings.   Research Papers Due.

  Final Examination: take-home final exam; details to be announced

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!