Undergraduate Course: Prophets and Their Oracles (BIST08019)
Course Outline
| School | School of Divinity |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course is the partner to Moses and the Torah (level 8), and is aimed at students beginning their academic study of biblical literature. It is an introduction to the prophets of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible and their writings in historical, literary, and theological context. |
| Course description |
Academic Description:
This course is one of a suite of four courses which introduce students to the academic study of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible (HB/OT) and New Testament. In this course we explore the phenomenon of prophecy in the HB/OT and its substantial body of prophetic texts. The 'writing prophets' are set within the context of their ancient Near Eastern environment, and located within the historical moments of their own activity. Selected texts are examined more closely in historical, literary, and theological perspective. Shared themes are considered, as well as the various developments which distinguish periods of prophetic activity, and individual prophetic books.
Syllabus/Outline Content:
The broad context for the study of the prophets is considered by covering the nature of the biblical canon, its historical structure, and the wider ancient Near Eastern cultural context. Prophetic elements of the 'historical books' of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (HB/OT) are investigated, before turning to the 'writing prophets', Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Book of the Twelve ('Minor Prophets'). These are studied through the main phases of prophetic activity in the Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian periods. The course concludes with the rise of apocalyptic prophecy in the book of Daniel, and its trajectory into later Jewish and Christian texts.
Student Learning Experience Information:
The course has a programme of three one-hour weekly lectures plus a one-hour tutorial per week. There will be interactive elements to the lectures, and there is a schedule of reading to be carried out before each lecture and each tutorial. A scholarly introduction to the prophetic literature is used as a supplementary textbook. Each week has assigned readings also from the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (the New Revised Standard Version is used). Weekly tutorial sessions feature small-group work around a particular text or set of related texts which give insight into the issues involved in their interpretation, as well as their contribution to the development of the prophetic literature. Two essays -- one theme based, and one text based -- allow students to develop their analytical and writing skills. Through these, as well as the examination at the conclusion of the course, students will demonstrate their achievement of the learning outcomes.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2015/16, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 2 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
60 %,
Coursework
40 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Assessment consists of a 1500-word set topical essay (15%),
a 1500-word exegesis (i.e. intepretative) essay (15%),
regular attendance and participation in weekly tutorials (10%),
and a written degree exam (60%).
In order to pass the course, students must obtain a minimum of 40% in both the coursework (combined mark) and the degree exam. |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
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| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | | 2:00 | | | Resit Exam Diet (August) | | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Identify and explain the significance of different literary genres found in the prophetic writings.
- Demonstrate understanding of seminal contributions to the study of the Hebrew prophets.
- Assess different theories of the origins and interpretation of the Hebrew prophets.
- Demonstrate an ability to identify key terms and their meanings.
- Demonstrate good judgement about how to judge the relative importance of items on course bibliographies.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Old Testament,Hebrew Bible,Prophets,prophecy,apocalyptic,Isaiah,Jeremiah,Ezekiel,Daniel |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr David Reimer
Tel: (0131 6)50 8977
Email: |
Course secretary | Ms Katrina Munro
Tel: (0131 6)50 8900
Email: |
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