Postgraduate Course: The Jewish Diaspora in the Roman Empire (Online) (PGHC11556)
Course Outline
| School | School of History, Classics and Archaeology |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course will explore the history of the Jewish diaspora under Rome up to c. 450 C.E. Students will learn to handle a wide range of sources, including pagan, Jewish and Christian literature, inscriptions, papyri and archaeological material. Students will consider the position and lives of Jews as a case study for the impact of empire on subject communities. |
| Course description |
Roman imperial rulers had to deal with the very different backgrounds of their various subjects, and provincials in turn adapted or resisted the coming of Rome in a variety of ways. The situation of Jews outside of their Judaean homeland is a particularly fascinating case in point within this broader picture. Jewish communities were spread very widely across the empire, meaning that many Jews lived side by side with their pagan and later their Christian neighbours. What was the extent and nature of the impact of this on their identity? The course will cover the sources and history of the Jewish diaspora under Rome up to c. 450 C.E., considering both the eastern and western empire, as well as the community in Rome itself. Students will consider the position and lives of Jews as a case study for the impact of empire on subject communities, but will also evaluate the extent to which we can indeed use this particular case as a representative example. Regional case studies will provide an in-depth knowledge of particular areas, though students be expected to master a wide range of sources from across the empire: pagan, Jewish and Christian literature, inscriptions, papyri and archaeological material.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should usually have at least 3 courses in Classics, History or Archaeology (at least 1 of which should be in Ancient History) at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this) for entry to this course. We will only consider University/College level courses.
** as numbers are limited, visiting students should contact the Visiting Student Office directly for admission to this course ** |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Develop and sustain scholarly arguments in written form by formulating appropriate questions and by selecting and utilising relevant evidence.
- Understand, evaluate and utilise a variety of primary source material and different scholarly approaches to it.
- Understand and apply specialised research, techniques and practices for a range of different types of source material (e.g. papyrological, epigraphic, literary).
- Analyse and reflect critically upon relevant scholarship concerning the Jewish diaspora in antiquity, and critically consider how this relates to the experiences of other subject communities within the Roman Empire.
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Reading List
J.M.G. Barclay, Jews in the Mediterranean Diaspora: from Alexander to Trajan (323 BCE-117 C.E.) (1996).
J.M.G. Barclay (ed.), Negotiating Diaspora: Jewish Strategies in the Roman Empire (2004).
M. Goodman (ed.), Jews in a Graeco-Roman World (1998).
E. Gruen, Diaspora: Jews amidst the Greeks and Romans (2002).
T. Rajak, The Jewish Dialogue with Greece and Rome (2000).
J. Lieu, J. North, T. Rajak (eds.), Jews among Pagans and Christians in the Roman Empire (1992).
J. Lieu, Christian Identity in the Jewish and Graeco-Roman World (2004). |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Assimilate, process and communicate a wide range of information from a variety of sources.
Process and critically assess information derived from historical research, utilising theoretical and methodological knowledge and skills specific to the subject area.
Provide clear written and oral analyses based on historical information.
Master practical skills in accessing and interpreting historical sources.
Construct and pursue a coherent argument driven by analysis of the primary source material.
Analyse, assimilate and deploy critically a range of secondary literature relevant and essential to the student's individual research subject. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Kimberley Czajkowski
Tel: (0131 6)50 9110
Email: |
Course secretary | Mrs Lindsay Scott
Tel: (0131 6)50 9948
Email: |
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