Undergraduate - UnitATS1323 - The bible as history

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2013 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

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Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Arts
Organisational Unit	Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation
Offered	Caulfield First semester 2013 (Day) Clayton First semester 2013 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Paul Forgasz

Notes

Previously coded HSY1190

Synopsis

This unit spans some two thousand years, from the period Abraham to the beginnings of early Christianity. Whilst the approach is chronological, events will be examined through the lens of various themes which have influenced Jewish civilisation throughout the centuries. For much of the period under study, our only source of information is the Bible. One of the central issues underpinning this unit concerns the extent to which we can rely on the Bible as a source for reconstructing a history of ancient Israel. Thus, whilst seeking to understand the relationship of the biblical writers to their own past, we will also examine the place of the contemporary historian within that relationship.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit students will be able to:

Demonstrate an understanding of the ancient near eastern setting of the period of Jewish history.
Discuss and analyse the major events, issues and concepts that underpin this course.
Analyse texts and sources relating to the biblical and post biblical period.
Understand the debates concerning the reliability of the Bible as a source of historical reconstruction.