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Twin Cities Campus

Hebrew Minor

Classical and Near Eastern Religions and Cultures
College of Liberal Arts
  • Program Type: Undergraduate free-standing minor
  • Requirements for this program are current for Fall 2017
  • Required credits in this minor: 17 to 39
The Hebrew minor permits students who have satisfied the language requirement with Hebrew to use their knowledge to read sources of antiquity, the middle ages, and the modern period and to add to their knowledge of Hebrew civilization and culture.
Program Delivery
This program is available:
  • via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)
Admission Requirements
Students must complete 1 courses before admission to the program.
For information about University of Minnesota admission requirements, visit the Office of Admissions website.
Required prerequisites
Preparatory Courses
Take 1 - 5 course(s) totaling 3 - 25 credit(s) from the following:
Beginning Hebrew and Beginning Biblical Hebrew
These courses, or equivalent with DUS/HLC approval, must be taken in sequential order. In select cases, students with advanced proficiency may be exempt from taking some or all of these courses. See the Hebrew Language Coordinator for more information.
Take 0 - 4 course(s) totaling 0 - 20 credit(s) from the following:
· HEBR 1001 - Beginning Hebrew I (5.0 cr)
· HEBR 1002 - Beginning Hebrew II (5.0 cr)
· HEBR 1101 - Beginning Biblical Hebrew I (5.0 cr)
· HEBR 1102 - Beginning Biblical Hebrew II (5.0 cr)
· Related Non-language Coursework
Take 1 or more course(s) totaling 3 or more credit(s) from the following:
· CNES 1001 {Inactive} [AH] (3.0 cr)
or RELS 1003 {Inactive} [AH] (3.0 cr)
· JWST 1034 - Introduction to Jewish History and Cultures [HIS] (3.0 cr)
or RELS 1034 - Introduction to Jewish History and Cultures [HIS] (3.0 cr)
or JWST 3034 - Introduction to Jewish History and Cultures [HIS] (3.0 cr)
or RELS 3034 - Introduction to Jewish History and Cultures [HIS] (3.0 cr)
or HIST 1534 - Introduction to Jewish History and Cultures [HIS] (3.0 cr)
or HIST 3534 - Introduction to Jewish History and Cultures [HIS] (3.0 cr)
· CNRC 1082 - Jesus in History, Art & Culture [HIS] (3.0 cr)
or CNES 1082H {Inactive} [HIS] (3.0 cr)
or RELS 1082 - Jesus in History, Art & Culture [HIS] (3.0 cr)
· CNRC 1201 - The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible. [LITR] (3.0 cr)
or CNRC 3201 - The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible [LITR] (3.0 cr)
or RELS 1201 - The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible [LITR] (3.0 cr)
or RELS 3201 -  The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible [LITR] (3.0 cr)
· Other intro course may be taken with DUS approval.
Minor Requirements
Minor Courses
Students take a total of 14 upper-division credits towards the minor. 11 of the 14 credits must be under the HEBR designator. Note: Courses taught by visiting professors from Israel may count towards the Related Coursework course group. See department for final consent.
Take 14 or more credit(s) from the following:
Upper-Division Hebrew Courses
Take 11 or more credit(s) from the following:
· HEBR 3xxx
· HEBR 5xxx
Related Coursework
Take at most 3 credit(s) from the following:
· HIST 3511 - Muslims and Jews: Conflict and Co-existence in the Middle East and North Africa since 1700 [HIS, GP] (3.0 cr)
· JWST 3601 {Inactive} [AH] (3.0 cr)
· JWST 3900 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
· POL 4867W {Inactive} [GP, WI] (4.0 cr)
· POL 4878W {Inactive} [GP, WI] (3.0 cr)
· CNRC 3201 - The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible [LITR] (3.0 cr)
or JWST 3201 - The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible [LITR] (3.0 cr)
or RELS 3201 -  The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible [LITR] (3.0 cr)
· CNES 3204 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
or CNRC 5204 - The Dead Sea Scrolls (3.0 cr)
or JWST 3204 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
or RELS 3204 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
or RELS 5204 - The Dead Sea Scrolls (3.0 cr)
· CNRC 3502W - Ancient Israel: From Conquest to Exile [WI] (3.0 cr)
or CNRC 5502W - Ancient Israel: From Conquest to Exile [WI] (3.0 cr)
or JWST 3502W - Ancient Israel: From Conquest to Exile [WI] (3.0 cr)
or RELS 3502W - Ancient Israel: From Conquest to Exile [WI] (3.0 cr)
· HIST 3606 - Christians, Muslims, and Jews in the Middle Ages [HIS, GP] (3.0 cr)
or JWST 3606 - Christians, Muslims, and Jews in the Middle Ages [HIS, GP] (3.0 cr)
or RELS 3717 - Christians, Muslims, and Jews in the Middle Ages [HIS, GP] (3.0 cr)
· HIST 3778 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
or JWST 3778 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
or RELS 3078 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
· CNRC 3202 - Bible: Prophecy in Ancient Israel (3.0 cr)
or JWST 3202 {Inactive} (3.0 cr)
· HIST 3512 - History of Modern Israel/Palestine: Society, Culture, and Politics [GP] (3.0 cr)
or JWST 3512 - History of Modern Israel/Palestine: Society, Culture, and Politics [GP] (3.0 cr)
· HIST 3727 - History of the Holocaust (3.0 cr)
or HIST 3727W {Inactive} [WI] (3.0 cr)
or JWST 3520 - History of the Holocaust (3.0 cr)
or JWST 3521W {Inactive} [WI] (3.0 cr)
or RELS 3520 - History of the Holocaust (3.0 cr)
or RELS 3521W {Inactive} [WI] (3.0 cr)
· CNES 5513W {Inactive} [WI] (3.0 cr)
or JWST 5513W {Inactive} [WI] (3.0 cr)
or RELS 5513W {Inactive} [WI] (3.0 cr)
 
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· College of Liberal Arts

View future requirement(s):
· Fall 2022
· Fall 2020
· Fall 2018


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· Hebrew Minor
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HEBR 1001 - Beginning Hebrew I
Credits: 5.0 [max 5.0]
Course Equivalencies: Hebr 1001/Hebr 4001
Typically offered: Every Fall
For beginners whose goal is biblical or post-biblical Jewish studies or modern Israeli Hebrew. Leads to speaking, listening comprehension, and reading and writing Hebrew. Emphasizes communication proficiency. Cultural materials are incorporated.
HEBR 1002 - Beginning Hebrew II
Credits: 5.0 [max 5.0]
Course Equivalencies: Hebr 1002/Hebr 4002
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Continuation of 1001. Leads to speaking, listening comprehension, reading, and writing Hebrew. Emphasizes communication proficiency. Cultural materials. prereq: Grade of at least [C- or S] in [1001 or 4001] or instr consent
HEBR 1101 - Beginning Biblical Hebrew I
Credits: 5.0 [max 5.0]
Course Equivalencies: Hebr 1101/Hebr 4104
Typically offered: Periodic Fall
The Hebrew Bible is one of the most important literary texts in world history, and one of the most culturally and morally influential in the development of western civilization. Most of this influence, however, has been via translation. Have you ever wondered if you can trust the translation? Does the Adam and Eve story really say what you think it does? Does the Hebrew Bible really include all the strict moral pronouncements and prohibitions that are attributed to it? This course offers the tools you need to read simple narrative texts in the Bible for yourself, while also introducing you to multiple approaches in biblical scholarship. Biblical Hebrew also satisfies the CLA Language requirement.
HEBR 1102 - Beginning Biblical Hebrew II
Credits: 5.0 [max 5.0]
Course Equivalencies: Hebr 1102/Hebr 4105
Typically offered: Spring Even Year
Progression to more sophisticated reading of narrative, prophetic, and legal texts. Presentation/discussion of multiple approaches to problems/issues in biblical scholarship. prereq: Grade of at least [C- or S] in [1101 or 4104] or instr consent
JWST 1034 - Introduction to Jewish History and Cultures (HIS)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Hist 1534/JwSt 1034/RelS1034
Typically offered: Every Fall
This course traces the development of Judaism and Jewish civilizations from their beginnings to the present. With over three millennia as its subject, the course must of necessity be a general survey. Together we will explore the mythic structures, significant documents, historical experiences, narratives, practices, beliefs, and worldviews of the Jewish people. The course begins by examining the roots of Judaism in the Hebrew Bible and the history of ancient Israel but quickly focuses on the creative forces that developed within Judaism as a national narrative confronted the forces of history, especially in the forms of the Persian, Greek, and Roman empires. Rabbinic Judaism becomes the most dominant creative force and will receive our greatest attention, both in its formative years and as it encounters the rise of Christianity and Islam. After studying the Jewish experience in the medieval world, we will turn to Judaism?s encounter with the enlightenment and modernity. The historical survey concludes by attending to the transformations within Judaism and Jewish life of the last 150 years, including a confrontation with the experience of the Holocaust. Woven throughout this historical survey will be repeated engagements with core questions: ?Who is a Jew?? ?What do Jews believe?? ?What do Jews do?? ?What do we mean by ?religion??? ?How do Jews read texts within their tradition?? And perhaps most importantly, ?How many answers are there to a Jewish question?? Students in this course can expect to come away with some knowledge of the Bible in Judaism, rabbinic literature and law, Jewish mysticism and philosophy, Jewish nationalism and Zionism, Jewish culture, ritual, and worship in the synagogue, the home, and the community, and Jewish celebrations of life cycle events and the festivals.
RELS 1034 - Introduction to Jewish History and Cultures (HIS)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Hist 1534/JwSt 1034/RelS1034
Typically offered: Every Fall
This course traces the development of Judaism and Jewish civilizations from their beginnings to the present. With over three millennia as its subject, the course must of necessity be a general survey. Together we will explore the mythic structures, significant documents, historical experiences, narratives, practices, beliefs, and worldviews of the Jewish people. The course begins by examining the roots of Judaism in the Hebrew Bible and the history of ancient Israel but quickly focuses on the creative forces that developed within Judaism as a national narrative confronted the forces of history, especially in the forms of the Persian, Greek, and Roman empires. Rabbinic Judaism becomes the most dominant creative force and will receive our greatest attention, both in its formative years and as it encounters the rise of Christianity and Islam. After studying the Jewish experience in the medieval world, we will turn to Judaism?s encounter with the enlightenment and modernity. The historical survey concludes by attending to the transformations within Judaism and Jewish life of the last 150 years, including a confrontation with the experience of the Holocaust. Woven throughout this historical survey will be repeated engagements with core questions: ?Who is a Jew?? ?What do Jews believe?? ?What do Jews do?? ?What do we mean by ?religion??? ?How do Jews read texts within their tradition?? And perhaps most importantly, ?How many answers are there to a Jewish question?? Students in this course can expect to come away with some knowledge of the Bible in Judaism, rabbinic literature and law, Jewish mysticism and philosophy, Jewish nationalism and Zionism, Jewish culture, ritual, and worship in the synagogue, the home, and the community, and Jewish celebrations of life cycle events and the festivals.
JWST 3034 - Introduction to Jewish History and Cultures (HIS)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Hist 1534/JwSt 1034/RelS1034
Typically offered: Every Fall
This course traces the development of Judaism and Jewish civilizations from their beginnings to the present. With over three millennia as its subject, the course must of necessity be a general survey. Together we will explore the mythic structures, significant documents, historical experiences, narratives, practices, beliefs, and worldviews of the Jewish people. The course begins by examining the roots of Judaism in the Hebrew Bible and the history of ancient Israel but quickly focuses on the creative forces that developed within Judaism as a national narrative confronted the forces of history, especially in the forms of the Persian, Greek, and Roman empires. Rabbinic Judaism becomes the most dominant creative force and will receive our greatest attention, both in its formative years and as it encounters the rise of Christianity and Islam. After studying the Jewish experience in the medieval world, we will turn to Judaism?s encounter with the enlightenment and modernity. The historical survey concludes by attending to the transformations within Judaism and Jewish life of the last 150 years, including a confrontation with the experience of the Holocaust. Woven throughout this historical survey will be repeated engagements with core questions: ?Who is a Jew?? ?What do Jews believe?? ?What do Jews do?? ?What do we mean by ?religion??? ?How do Jews read texts within their tradition?? And perhaps most importantly, ?How many answers are there to a Jewish question?? Students in this course can expect to come away with some knowledge of the Bible in Judaism, rabbinic literature and law, Jewish mysticism and philosophy, Jewish nationalism and Zionism, Jewish culture, ritual, and worship in the synagogue, the home, and the community, and Jewish celebrations of life cycle events and the festivals.
RELS 3034 - Introduction to Jewish History and Cultures (HIS)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Hist 1534/JwSt 1034/RelS1034
Typically offered: Every Fall
This course traces the development of Judaism and Jewish civilizations from their beginnings to the present. With over three millennia as its subject, the course must of necessity be a general survey. Together we will explore the mythic structures, significant documents, historical experiences, narratives, practices, beliefs, and worldviews of the Jewish people. The course begins by examining the roots of Judaism in the Hebrew Bible and the history of ancient Israel but quickly focuses on the creative forces that developed within Judaism as a national narrative confronted the forces of history, especially in the forms of the Persian, Greek, and Roman empires. Rabbinic Judaism becomes the most dominant creative force and will receive our greatest attention, both in its formative years and as it encounters the rise of Christianity and Islam. After studying the Jewish experience in the medieval world, we will turn to Judaism?s encounter with the enlightenment and modernity. The historical survey concludes by attending to the transformations within Judaism and Jewish life of the last 150 years, including a confrontation with the experience of the Holocaust. Woven throughout this historical survey will be repeated engagements with core questions: ?Who is a Jew?? ?What do Jews believe?? ?What do Jews do?? ?What do we mean by ?religion??? ?How do Jews read texts within their tradition?? And perhaps most importantly, ?How many answers are there to a Jewish question?? Students in this course can expect to come away with some knowledge of the Bible in Judaism, rabbinic literature and law, Jewish mysticism and philosophy, Jewish nationalism and Zionism, Jewish culture, ritual, and worship in the synagogue, the home, and the community, and Jewish celebrations of life cycle events and the festivals.
HIST 1534 - Introduction to Jewish History and Cultures (HIS)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Hist 1534/JwSt 1034/RelS1034
Typically offered: Every Fall
This course traces the development of Judaism and Jewish civilizations from their beginnings to the present. With over three millennia as its subject, the course must of necessity be a general survey. Together we will explore the mythic structures, significant documents, historical experiences, narratives, practices, beliefs, and worldviews of the Jewish people. The course begins by examining the roots of Judaism in the Hebrew Bible and the history of ancient Israel but quickly focuses on the creative forces that developed within Judaism as a national narrative confronted the forces of history, especially in the forms of the Persian, Greek, and Roman empires. Rabbinic Judaism becomes the most dominant creative force and will receive our greatest attention, both in its formative years and as it encounters the rise of Christianity and Islam. After studying the Jewish experience in the medieval world, we will turn to Judaism?s encounter with the enlightenment and modernity. The historical survey concludes by attending to the transformations within Judaism and Jewish life of the last 150 years, including a confrontation with the experience of the Holocaust. Woven throughout this historical survey will be repeated engagements with core questions: ?Who is a Jew?? ?What do Jews believe?? ?What do Jews do?? ?What do we mean by ?religion??? ?How do Jews read texts within their tradition?? And perhaps most importantly, ?How many answers are there to a Jewish question?? Students in this course can expect to come away with some knowledge of the Bible in Judaism, rabbinic literature and law, Jewish mysticism and philosophy, Jewish nationalism and Zionism, Jewish culture, ritual, and worship in the synagogue, the home, and the community, and Jewish celebrations of life cycle events and the festivals.
HIST 3534 - Introduction to Jewish History and Cultures (HIS)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Hist 1534/JwSt 1034/RelS1034
Typically offered: Every Fall
This course traces the development of Judaism and Jewish civilizations from their beginnings to the present. With over three millennia as its subject, the course must of necessity be a general survey. Together we will explore the mythic structures, significant documents, historical experiences, narratives, practices, beliefs, and worldviews of the Jewish people. The course begins by examining the roots of Judaism in the Hebrew Bible and the history of ancient Israel but quickly focuses on the creative forces that developed within Judaism as a national narrative confronted the forces of history, especially in the forms of the Persian, Greek, and Roman empires. Rabbinic Judaism becomes the most dominant creative force and will receive our greatest attention, both in its formative years and as it encounters the rise of Christianity and Islam. After studying the Jewish experience in the medieval world, we will turn to Judaism?s encounter with the enlightenment and modernity. The historical survey concludes by attending to the transformations within Judaism and Jewish life of the last 150 years, including a confrontation with the experience of the Holocaust. Woven throughout this historical survey will be repeated engagements with core questions: ?Who is a Jew?? ?What do Jews believe?? ?What do Jews do?? ?What do we mean by ?religion??? ?How do Jews read texts within their tradition?? And perhaps most importantly, ?How many answers are there to a Jewish question?? Students in this course can expect to come away with some knowledge of the Bible in Judaism, rabbinic literature and law, Jewish mysticism and philosophy, Jewish nationalism and Zionism, Jewish culture, ritual, and worship in the synagogue, the home, and the community, and Jewish celebrations of life cycle events and the festivals.
CNRC 1082 - Jesus in History, Art & Culture (HIS)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CNRC/CNES/Hist/RelS1082/H/3092
Typically offered: Every Spring
Does time, place, and culture affect our picture of Jesus? We'll start by constructing our own Jesus story and then go backwards in time to examine modern times (film, music, and modern art), pre-Civil War America (views of Jesus from enslaved people and their enslavers), Renaissance and Medieval Europe and North Africa (art and architecture), and finally end with the ancient world (art and writings about Jesus, including the biblical gospels). No background in religious studies required, and students of any, all, or no religious background are welcome.
RELS 1082 - Jesus in History, Art & Culture (HIS)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CNRC/CNES/Hist/RelS1082/H/3092
Typically offered: Every Spring
Does time, place, and culture affect our picture of Jesus? We'll start by constructing our own Jesus story and then go backwards in time to examine modern times (film, music, and modern art), pre-Civil War America (views of Jesus from enslaved people and their enslavers), Renaissance and Medieval Europe and North Africa (art and architecture), and finally end with the ancient world (art and writings about Jesus, including the biblical gospels). No background in religious studies required, and students of any, all, or no religious background are welcome.
CNRC 1201 - The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible. (LITR)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CNRC1201/3201,JWST1201/3201,RE
Typically offered: Every Fall
The Hebrew Bible and Old Testament are literary collections that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East. This course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts; time will also be spent on the historical circumstances of biblical prophets and other writers of the biblical texts. This course will only address the ancient setting of the biblical texts and not re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. Given the scope of the course, modern interpretations of the biblical literature will not be discussed; we will only focus on this literature in its ancient setting. prereq: Knowledge of Hebrew not required
CNRC 3201 - The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible (LITR)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CNRC1201/3201,JWST1201/3201,RE
Typically offered: Every Fall
The Hebrew Bible and Old Testament are literary collections that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East. This course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts; time will also be spent on the historical circumstances of biblical prophets and other writers of the biblical texts. This course will only address the ancient setting of the biblical texts and not re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. Given the scope of the course, modern interpretations of the biblical literature will not be discussed; we will only focus on this literature in its ancient setting. prereq: Knowledge of Hebrew not required
RELS 1201 - The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible (LITR)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CNRC1201/3201,JWST1201/3201,RE
Typically offered: Every Fall
The Hebrew Bible and Old Testament are literary collections that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East. This course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts; time will also be spent on the historical circumstances of biblical prophets and other writers of the biblical texts. This course will only address the ancient setting of the biblical texts and not re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. Given the scope of the course, modern interpretations of the biblical literature will not be discussed; we will only focus on this literature in its ancient setting. prereq: Knowledge of Hebrew not required
RELS 3201 - The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible (LITR)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CNRC1201/3201,JWST1201/3201,RE
Typically offered: Every Fall
The Hebrew Bible and Old Testament are literary collections that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East. This course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts; time will also be spent on the historical circumstances of biblical prophets and other writers of the biblical texts. This course will only address the ancient setting of the biblical texts and not re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. Given the scope of the course, modern interpretations of the biblical literature will not be discussed; we will only focus on this literature in its ancient setting. prereq: Knowledge of Hebrew not required
HIST 3511 - Muslims and Jews: Conflict and Co-existence in the Middle East and North Africa since 1700 (HIS, GP)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Hist 3511/JwSt 3511/RelS 3079
Typically offered: Fall Odd Year
Diversity of social/cultural interactions between Muslims and Jews and between Islam and Judaism since 1700. What enabled the two religious communities to peacefully coexist? What were causes of conflict? Why is history of Muslim-Jewish relations such a contested issue?
CNRC 3201 - The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible (LITR)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CNRC1201/3201,JWST1201/3201,RE
Typically offered: Every Fall
The Hebrew Bible and Old Testament are literary collections that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East. This course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts; time will also be spent on the historical circumstances of biblical prophets and other writers of the biblical texts. This course will only address the ancient setting of the biblical texts and not re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. Given the scope of the course, modern interpretations of the biblical literature will not be discussed; we will only focus on this literature in its ancient setting. prereq: Knowledge of Hebrew not required
JWST 3201 - The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible (LITR)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CNRC1201/3201,JWST1201/3201,RE
Typically offered: Every Fall
The Hebrew Bible and Old Testament are literary collections that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East. This course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts; time will also be spent on the historical circumstances of biblical prophets and other writers of the biblical texts. This course will only address the ancient setting of the biblical texts and not re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. Given the scope of the course, modern interpretations of the biblical literature will not be discussed; we will only focus on this literature in its ancient setting. prereq: Knowledge of Hebrew not required
RELS 3201 - The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible (LITR)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CNRC1201/3201,JWST1201/3201,RE
Typically offered: Every Fall
The Hebrew Bible and Old Testament are literary collections that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East. This course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts; time will also be spent on the historical circumstances of biblical prophets and other writers of the biblical texts. This course will only address the ancient setting of the biblical texts and not re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. Given the scope of the course, modern interpretations of the biblical literature will not be discussed; we will only focus on this literature in its ancient setting. prereq: Knowledge of Hebrew not required
CNRC 5204 - The Dead Sea Scrolls
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CNES 3204/RelS5204/JwSt 3204/
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Introduction to Dead Sea Scrolls and Qumran. Contents of Dead Sea Scrolls, significance for development of Bible. Background of Judaism and Christianity. Archaeological site of Qumran. Open to graduate students across the college; knowledge of classical Hebrew will not be required. The course is open to upper level undergraduate students with permission of the instructor.
RELS 5204 - The Dead Sea Scrolls
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CNES 3204/RelS5204/JwSt 3204/
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Introduction to Dead Sea Scrolls and Qumran. Contents of Dead Sea Scrolls, significance for development of Bible. Background of Judaism and Christianity. Archaeological site of Qumran. The course will focus on the material in translation and academic scholarship on the literature and archaeological site. Open to graduate students across the college; knowledge of classical Hebrew will not be required. The course is open to upper level undergraduate students with permission of the instructor.
CNRC 3502W - Ancient Israel: From Conquest to Exile (WI)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CNES 3502W/Hist 3502/RelS 3502
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
Israel and Judah were not states of great importance in the ancient Near East. Their population and territory were small, and they could not resist conquest by larger, more powerful states like Assyria and Rome. Yet their ancient history matters greatly today, out of proportion to its insignificance during the periods in which it transpired. The historical experiences of the people of Israel and Judah were accorded religious meaning and literary articulation in the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament), which became a foundational text for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Essential features of Western as well as Islamic civilization are predicated on some element of Israel?s ancient past, as mediated through the Bible; therefore it behooves us to understand that past. But the Bible is a religious work, not a transcript of events, and the history of ancient Israel is not derived merely from reading the biblical accounts of it. Archaeological excavations have revealed the physical remains of the cultures of Israel and neighboring lands, as well as bringing to light inscriptions, documents, and literary works produced by those cultures. These sources, which complement and sometimes contradict the accounts conveyed in the Bible, provide the basis for reconstructing a comprehensive history of ancient Israel. This course covers the history of Israel and Judah from the Late Bronze Age (c. 1550-1200 BCE), by the end of which Israel had emerged as a distinct ethnic entity, to the period of Roman rule (63 BCE-330 CE), which saw the final extinction of ancient Israel, represented by the kingdom of Judea, as a political entity. Knowledge of this history is based on archaeological, epigraphic, and literary sources, including the Hebrew Bible. N.B.: Students should be aware that the study of history, like all the human and natural sciences, is predicated on inquiry, not a priori judgments. Accordingly, the Bible is not privileged as an intrinsically true or authoritative record. No text is presumed inerrant, and all sources are subject to scrutiny, in the context of scholarly discourse. Biblical texts are treated just like all other texts, as the products of human beings embedded in a historical context, and as the subject of analysis and interpretation. Persons of all faiths and of no faith are equally welcome to participate in such scholarly discourse. However, students who feel that their own religious beliefs require an understanding of the Bible that is antithetical to the foregoing statements are cautioned that they may find themselves uncomfortable with this course.
CNRC 5502W - Ancient Israel: From Conquest to Exile (WI)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CNES 3502W/Hist 3502/RelS 3502
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
Israel and Judah were not states of great importance in the ancient Near East. Their population and territory were small, and they could not resist conquest by larger, more powerful states like Assyria and Rome. Yet their ancient history matters greatly today, out of proportion to its insignificance during the periods in which it transpired. The historical experiences of the people of Israel and Judah were accorded religious meaning and literary articulation in the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament), which became a foundational text for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Essential features of Western as well as Islamic civilization are predicated on some element of Israel?s ancient past, as mediated through the Bible; therefore it behooves us to understand that past. But the Bible is a religious work, not a transcript of events, and the history of ancient Israel is not derived merely from reading the biblical accounts of it. Archaeological excavations have revealed the physical remains of the cultures of Israel and neighboring lands, as well as bringing to light inscriptions, documents, and literary works produced by those cultures. These sources, which complement and sometimes contradict the accounts conveyed in the Bible, provide the basis for reconstructing a comprehensive history of ancient Israel. This course covers the history of Israel and Judah from the Late Bronze Age (c. 1550-1200 BCE), by the end of which Israel had emerged as a distinct ethnic entity, to the period of Roman rule (63 BCE-330 CE), which saw the final extinction of ancient Israel, represented by the kingdom of Judea, as a political entity. Knowledge of this history is based on archaeological, epigraphic, and literary sources, including the Hebrew Bible. N.B.: Students should be aware that the study of history, like all the human and natural sciences, is predicated on inquiry, not a priori judgments. Accordingly, the Bible is not privileged as an intrinsically true or authoritative record. No text is presumed inerrant, and all sources are subject to scrutiny, in the context of scholarly discourse. Biblical texts are treated just like all other texts, as the products of human beings embedded in a historical context, and as the subject of analysis and interpretation. Persons of all faiths and of no faith are equally welcome to participate in such scholarly discourse. However, students who feel that their own religious beliefs require an understanding of the Bible that is antithetical to the foregoing statements are cautioned that they may find themselves uncomfortable with this course.
JWST 3502W - Ancient Israel: From Conquest to Exile (WI)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CNES 3502W/Hist 3502/RelS 3502
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
Israel and Judah were not states of great importance in the ancient Near East. Their population and territory were small, and they could not resist conquest by larger, more powerful states like Assyria and Rome. Yet their ancient history matters greatly today, out of proportion to its insignificance during the periods in which it transpired. The historical experiences of the people of Israel and Judah were accorded religious meaning and literary articulation in the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament), which became a foundational text for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Essential features of Western as well as Islamic civilization are predicated on some element of Israel?s ancient past, as mediated through the Bible; therefore it behooves us to understand that past. But the Bible is a religious work, not a transcript of events, and the history of ancient Israel is not derived merely from reading the biblical accounts of it. Archaeological excavations have revealed the physical remains of the cultures of Israel and neighboring lands, as well as bringing to light inscriptions, documents, and literary works produced by those cultures. These sources, which complement and sometimes contradict the accounts conveyed in the Bible, provide the basis for reconstructing a comprehensive history of ancient Israel. This course covers the history of Israel and Judah from the Late Bronze Age (c. 1550-1200 BCE), by the end of which Israel had emerged as a distinct ethnic entity, to the period of Roman rule (63 BCE-330 CE), which saw the final extinction of ancient Israel, represented by the kingdom of Judea, as a political entity. Knowledge of this history is based on archaeological, epigraphic, and literary sources, including the Hebrew Bible. N.B.: Students should be aware that the study of history, like all the human and natural sciences, is predicated on inquiry, not a priori judgments. Accordingly, the Bible is not privileged as an intrinsically true or authoritative record. No text is presumed inerrant, and all sources are subject to scrutiny, in the context of scholarly discourse. Biblical texts are treated just like all other texts, as the products of human beings embedded in a historical context, and as the subject of analysis and interpretation. Persons of all faiths and of no faith are equally welcome to participate in such scholarly discourse. However, students who feel that their own religious beliefs require an understanding of the Bible that is antithetical to the foregoing statements are cautioned that they may find themselves uncomfortable with this course.
RELS 3502W - Ancient Israel: From Conquest to Exile (WI)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CNES 3502W/Hist 3502/RelS 3502
Typically offered: Periodic Spring
Israel and Judah were not states of great importance in the ancient Near East. Their population and territory were small, and they could not resist conquest by larger, more powerful states like Assyria and Rome. Yet their ancient history matters greatly today, out of proportion to its insignificance during the periods in which it transpired. The historical experiences of the people of Israel and Judah were accorded religious meaning and literary articulation in the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament), which became a foundational text for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Essential features of Western as well as Islamic civilization are predicated on some element of Israel?s ancient past, as mediated through the Bible; therefore it behooves us to understand that past. But the Bible is a religious work, not a transcript of events, and the history of ancient Israel is not derived merely from reading the biblical accounts of it. Archaeological excavations have revealed the physical remains of the cultures of Israel and neighboring lands, as well as bringing to light inscriptions, documents, and literary works produced by those cultures. These sources, which complement and sometimes contradict the accounts conveyed in the Bible, provide the basis for reconstructing a comprehensive history of ancient Israel. This course covers the history of Israel and Judah from the Late Bronze Age (c. 1550-1200 BCE), by the end of which Israel had emerged as a distinct ethnic entity, to the period of Roman rule (63 BCE-330 CE), which saw the final extinction of ancient Israel, represented by the kingdom of Judea, as a political entity. Knowledge of this history is based on archaeological, epigraphic, and literary sources, including the Hebrew Bible. N.B.: Students should be aware that the study of history, like all the human and natural sciences, is predicated on inquiry, not a priori judgments. Accordingly, the Bible is not privileged as an intrinsically true or authoritative record. No text is presumed inerrant, and all sources are subject to scrutiny, in the context of scholarly discourse. Biblical texts are treated just like all other texts, as the products of human beings embedded in a historical context, and as the subject of analysis and interpretation. Persons of all faiths and of no faith are equally welcome to participate in such scholarly discourse. However, students who feel that their own religious beliefs require an understanding of the Bible that is antithetical to the foregoing statements are cautioned that they may find themselves uncomfortable with this course.
HIST 3606 - Christians, Muslims, and Jews in the Middle Ages (HIS, GP)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Hist/JwSt/Mest3606/RelS3717
Typically offered: Fall Even, Spring Odd Year
A Pew Research survey of the global religious landscape in 2010 found 2.2 billion Christians (31.5% of the world?s population), 1.6 billion Muslims (23.2%), and 14 million Jews (.2%). In this class, we explore how the histories of these religious communities became deeply entangled in an age of diplomacy, trade, jihad, and crusade.
JWST 3606 - Christians, Muslims, and Jews in the Middle Ages (HIS, GP)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Hist/JwSt/Mest3606/RelS3717
Typically offered: Fall Even, Spring Odd Year
A Pew Research survey of the global religious landscape in 2010 found 2.2 billion Christians (31.5% of the world's population), 1.6 billion Muslims (23.2%), and 14 million Jews (.2%). In this class, we explore how the histories of these religious communities became deeply entangled in an age of diplomacy, trade, jihad, and crusade.
RELS 3717 - Christians, Muslims, and Jews in the Middle Ages (HIS, GP)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Hist/JwSt/Mest3606/RelS3717
Typically offered: Fall Even, Spring Odd Year
A Pew Research survey of the global religious landscape in 2010 found 2.2 billion Christians (31.5% of the world?s population), 1.6 billion Muslims (23.2%), and 14 million Jews (.2%). In this class, we explore how the histories of these religious communities became deeply entangled in an age of diplomacy, trade, jihad, and crusade.
CNRC 3202 - Bible: Prophecy in Ancient Israel
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: CNES 3202/JwSt 3202/RelS 3202
Typically offered: Every Spring
Survey of Israelite prophets. Emphasizes Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Second Isaiah. Prophetic contributions to Israelite religion. Personality of prophets. Politics, prophetic reaction. Textual analysis, biblical scholarship. Prophecy viewed cross-culturally. prereq: [RelS 1001] or [CNES 1201 or JWST 1201 or RELS 1201 or CNES 3201 or JWST 3201 or RELS 3201]
HIST 3512 - History of Modern Israel/Palestine: Society, Culture, and Politics (GP)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Jwst/Hist 3512/RelS 3113/GloS
Typically offered: Fall Odd Year
History of Zionism/Israel. Arab-Jewish conflict, tensions between religious/secular Jews. Relationships between Mizrahi, Ashkenazi, Russian, Ethiopian, Arab citizens. Israeli cultural imagery. Newsreels, political posters, television shows, films, popular music.
JWST 3512 - History of Modern Israel/Palestine: Society, Culture, and Politics (GP)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Jwst/Hist 3512/RelS 3113/GloS
Typically offered: Fall Odd Year
History of Zionism/Israel. Arab-Jewish conflict, tensions between religious/Jews. Relationships between Mizrahi, Ashkenazi, Russian, Ethiopian, Arab citizens. Israeli cultural imagery. Newsreels, political posters, television shows, films, popular music.
HIST 3727 - History of the Holocaust
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Hist 3727/JwSt 3520/RelS 3520
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Study of 1933-1945 extermination of six million Jews and others by Nazi Germany on basis of race. European anti-Semitism. Implications of social Darwinism and race theory. Perpetrators, victims, onlookers, resistance. Theological responses of Jews and Christians.
JWST 3520 - History of the Holocaust
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Hist 3727/JwSt 3520/RelS 3520
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Study of 1933-1945 extermination of six million Jews and others by Nazi Germany on basis of race. European anti-Semitism. Implications of social Darwinism and race theory. Perpetrators, victims, onlookers, resistance. Theological responses of Jews and Christians.
RELS 3520 - History of the Holocaust
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Hist 3727/JwSt 3520/RelS 3520
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
Study of 1933-1945 extermination of six million Jews and others by Nazi Germany on basis of race. European anti-Semitism. Implications of social Darwinism and race theory. Perpetrators, victims, onlookers, resistance. Theological responses of Jews and Christians.