JCTC1003: Semester 2, 2023

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Units JCTC1003 Semester 2 2023 [Normal day]

Unit outline_

JCTC1003: Jewish History from Rome to New Diaspora

Semester 2, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

How did the religion and history of the Jewish people change from the Second Temple to the rabbinic period? Explore the history of the Jews during the watershed period in Palestine under Roman rule. Study the Hellenist influence on Judaism, the development of different sects and the emergence of Christianity. Explore what takes place after the destruction of the Second Temple and the revolts as the Jewish diaspora takes greater shape. Explore the spread of Judaism into Africa and Asia and the communities there.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Hebrew, Biblical and Jewish Studies
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Michael Abrahams-Sprod, michael.abrahams-sprod@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Research Essay Long Answer/Essay	55%	Week 11 Due date: 18 Oct 2023 at 23:00 Closing date: 01 Nov 2023	3000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Class Participation Participation	10%	Week 13	Ongoing
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Critical Assessment of Reading Short Answer	10%	Week 13 Due date: 01 Nov 2023 at 23:00 Closing date: 15 Nov 2023	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Discussion Board Activity Short Answer	25%	Week 13 Due date: 01 Nov 2023 at 23:00 Closing date: 15 Nov 2023	1000 words ( 4 x 250-word posts)
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	1. Introduction: time line of major Jewish events in biblical and post-biblical Jewish history; 2. General organisation for the unit	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	1.The Greek period: Greek conquest of Palestine, the difference between Judaism and Hellenism, the Hasmonean revolt and dynasty; 2. Kingdom of Herod: an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the Kingdom of Herod	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Jewish sects: Jewish sectarianism and Jewish eschatological movements; the writings of Josephus, his commentary on these events	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	1. Destruction of the Second Temple: reasons for the first great revolt, its failure and the destruction of the Temple. Study of the writings of Josephus; 2. The new centre at Yavneh: theological concerns arising from the loss of the temple - re-establishment of Jewish life in Palestine	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	Film: "Heritage, Civilization and the Jews: The Shaping of a Tradition"	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	The Bar Kochba Revolt: the revolt of 135 CE and its results for the Jewish community of Judea and the Diaspora.	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	The Mishnah: Judah HaNasi and the compilation of the Mishnah	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	1. The patriarchy: The Jewish Diaspora 70-632 CE; the Tanaaim and Amoraim: the Babylonian schools; 2. The Palestinian Talmud: development of the Palestinian Talmud - key figures	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 05	Styles of writing: Halacha - Aggadah and Midrash in the Jewish sources	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	1.The rise of Christianity: life of Jesus and the role of Paul in the spread of Christianity; 2. Early Christian antisemitism: beginnings of the persecution of Jews under Christianity; decline of Jewish life in Palestine; Film: "The Longest Hatred" (Wistrich)	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	Early Christian antisemitism: beginnings of the persecution of Jews under Christianity; decline of Jewish life in Palestine; Film: "The Longest Hatred" (Wistrich)	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	1. Egyptian Jewry: overview of Jewish settlement in Egypt from the Greco-Roman period through to the Arab conquest; 2. The Cairo Geniza: development of our knowledge of Jewish mediterranean societies from the Cairo Geniza.	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 07	Maimonides: his philosophical and literary heritage	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	1. Saadia Gaon: the contribution of Saadia Gaon; 2. The Karaites and Rabbanites: a study of some of the Karaitic texts	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	Film: "The Karaites of Lithuania and Poland"	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	The Jewish community in Babylon: study of the move of the centre of Jewry from Palestine to Babylonia and the community life, which developed there, including background to the Babylonian Talmud	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 09	The Babylonian Talmud: development of the Babylonian Talmud and comparison with the Palestinian Talmud	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	The Samaritans: an outline of the history and beliefs of the Samaritans	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 10	Masoretes and their work: the standardisation of the Hebrew bible by the Masoretes in Tiberias, eight to tenth centuries	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	The settlement of Jews in China: description of Jewish life in Kaifeng, China, and the ready acceptance of Jews in Kaifeng. Brief overview of developments in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 11	Islam and the Jews	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	Jews of India: the history of the Jews of India in the medieval period with a special focus on Cochin. Guest lecturer:	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 12	Jews of India: the history of the Jews of India in the medieval period with a special focus on Bene Israel	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	The new diaspora: from Roman conquest to the advent of Islam - a group discussion	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 13	Conclusion of unit and unit evaluation	Tutorial (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on Canvas. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Detailed information for all reading requirments and readings for this unit can be found on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. understand the impact of Roman rule on Judea including the reasons for and results of the two major Jewish rebellions against the Romans
LO2. apply concepts supporting the effect of the destruction of the Second Temple and the reasons for the emergence of Rabbinic Judaism
LO3. analyse the reasons for sectarianism in the Second Temple period and the subsequent development of Christianity
LO4. conceptualise the reasons for the emerging tensions between Judaism and Christianity
LO5. demonstrate a strong understanding of how Jewish beliefs and practices were influenced by the Rabbinic period and their historical evolution in Talmudic times
LO6. understand the evolution of the Jewish diaspora experience in Babylon, Egypt, India and China
LO7. compare and contrast the evolution of Judaism when interacting with the different religious milleus of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism
LO8. analyse issues of integration/assimilation and rejection of Jews within various host societies.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Changes to this unit are made in each iteration of this unit, based on the USS, informal and formal feedback from students and colleagues and other pedagogic matters.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

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