THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2023/2024

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Divinity : Divinity

Undergraduate Course: Prophets and Their Oracles (DIVI08009)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Divinity CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis 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 perspectives. 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:
Each week, students will engage in a variety of activities that they can complete in their own time. These activities may include, for example, watching short videos, reading biblical texts / secondary literature, posting on discussion boards, and testing their knowledge through short quizzes. All of these will be available through the virtual learning environment (Learn). In addition, students will participate in one weekly tutorial (in-person or online), in which they will discuss a particular biblical text and a key issue arising from it. During the course, students will write three short blogs based on the tutorials, and one essay analysing a biblical text. Through these, as well as the examination at the conclusion of the course, students will demonstrate their achievement of the learning outcomes.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Students MUST NOT also be taking Prophets and Their Oracles (BIST08019)
Other requirements Students who have previously taken the following course MUST NOT enroll: Prophets and Their Oracles (BIST08019)
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2023/24, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  40
Course Start Semester 1
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 33, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 11, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 152 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 60 %, Coursework 40 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) 10% - Essay Blog ( 500 words)

30% - Course Essay (1500 words)

60% - Final Exam
Feedback Not entered
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S1 (December)2:00
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Identify and explain the significance of different literary genres found in the prophetic writings.
  2. Demonstrate understanding of seminal contributions to the study of the Hebrew prophets.
  3. Assess different theories of the origins and interpretation of the Hebrew prophets.
  4. Demonstrate an ability to identify key terms and their meanings.
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills - Empathy and imaginative insight, with a tolerance of diverse positions
- Ability to gather, evaluate and synthesise different types of information
- Writing skills, including clear expression and citing relevant evidence
- Ability to engage critically with the meaning of documents and recognise that meanings may be multiple
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Peter Atkins
Tel:
Email:
Course secretaryMiss Rachel Dutton
Tel: (0131 6)50 7227
Email:
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