HIST 102
(GH;IL)
(CAMS 102, J ST 102, RL ST 102)
Canaan and Israel in Antiquity (3) Political, social, and intellectual history of the land of Canaan/Israel in the Biblical era: Late Bronze and Iron Ages.
HIST (CAMS/J ST/RL ST) 102 Canaan and Israel in Antiquity (3)
(GH;IL)
(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements.
From the domestication of animals and the dawn of agriculture to the development and socialization of monotheism, the world of the first civilizations led to that of the Bible and ancient Israel. This course, involving a critical view of Biblical texts in light of other anicent sources, archaeology and historical methods, explains the nature and the evolution of society, religion and thought in the Biblical era. Learn how civilization arose, and how the state appropriated religion and applied it for its purposes. How the science of administration developed and deployed ideological tools to further its own ideas of the West developed. This course is deeply subversive, particularly of religious and academic shibboleths. The only authority in this class is that of the most persuasive reader, and doctrines, whether religious or political, will have to be checked at the door.
An example of evaluation may be: weekly participation in discussion; mid-term and final essay examinations involving a critical evaluation of ancient text's claims in combination with archaeological evidence; a research essay, where the class or section size is lower than 30; an ability to read critically, bringing different classes of evidence to bear on issues arising from the texts, and construct coherent and compelling arguments to a particular thesis. The course provides a Near Eastern counterpart to HIST 100, 402 and a Near Eastern aspect to the Jewish Studies major. It complements RL ST 110, by offering historical exploration of the culture under study in that course. Related courses include ANTH 012, HEBR, 010, ENGL 104, RL ST 004, and RL ST 111. The course helps round out the majors in History and Jewish Studies, particularly in ancient history. It also extends the program in Religious Studies (history of religions), and it contributes to the ancient stream of the prospective program in Jewish Studies and History. The class will be offered once every other year with an enrollment limit of 15-20.
Note : Class size, frequency of offering, and evaluation methods will vary by location and instructor. For these details check the specific course syllabus.