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DR453K: PROPHETS AND PROPHECY IN THE BIBLE AND BEYOND (2022-2023)

Last modified: 31 May 2022 13:30


Course Overview

Prophets—the often enigmatic and ecstatic figures of biblical lore—continue to impact the way we read and understand the world. Who were they? Were they really capable of predicting future events days, weeks, or even years ahead of their time? This course will investigate the ancient Near Eastern origins of prophecy, the social and political aspects that contributed to its development, and the literature that enshrined this office alongside kings and queens in antiquity.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 4
Session Second Sub Session Credit Points 30 credits (15 ECTS credits)
Campus Aberdeen Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Nathaniel Greene

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Either Programme Level 4 or Programme Level 5
  • Any Undergraduate Programme (Studied)

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

What is “prophecy”? What is a “prophet”? For many, the idea of prophecy implies future prediction and divination. While Israelite prophets did occasionally do colorful or bizarre things, their lives and schools of thought were much more nuanced and complex than modern assumptions about prophecy might otherwise suggest. The Prophetic Traditions of the Hebrew Bible represent a vital third of the corpus of Hebrew scriptures. These texts have their origins in a socio-cultural phenomenon of prophetic activity much older than Israel itself, however. This course will examine the prophetic texts of the Hebrew Bible (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, The Book of the Twelve), their cultural roots in the larger ancient Near East (especially Mesopotamia), and the way in which they helped shape the evolution of religious thought in the Eastern Mediterranean—particularly the origins of Christianity and the life of Jesus of Nazareth.


Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 31 August 2023 for 1st half-session courses and 22 December 2023 for 2nd half-session courses.

Summative Assessments

Presentation

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 20
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Oral and written feedback

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualAnalyseReflection on literary and historical perceptions of ancient text corpora
ConceptualAnalyseUnderstanding and analysis of the historical environment and context of ancient Near Eastern prophetic texts
ConceptualEvaluateReflection on Old Testament prophetic literature as a foundation for the New Testament
ConceptualEvaluateCritically evaluate primary sources and critically apply different historical methodologies
FactualUnderstandKnowledge about and deepened understanding of prophetic literature of the ancient Near East

Exam

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 50
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Written feedback

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualAnalyseUnderstanding and analysis of the historical environment and context of ancient Near Eastern prophetic texts
ConceptualAnalyseReflection on literary and historical perceptions of ancient text corpora
ConceptualEvaluateCritically evaluate primary sources and critically apply different historical methodologies
ConceptualEvaluateReflection on Old Testament prophetic literature as a foundation for the New Testament
FactualUnderstandKnowledge about and deepened understanding of prophetic literature of the ancient Near East

Essay

Assessment Type Summative Weighting 30
Assessment Weeks Feedback Weeks

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Feedback

Oral and written feedback

Word Count 2500
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
ConceptualAnalyseUnderstanding and analysis of the historical environment and context of ancient Near Eastern prophetic texts
ConceptualAnalyseReflection on literary and historical perceptions of ancient text corpora
ConceptualEvaluateCritically evaluate primary sources and critically apply different historical methodologies
ConceptualEvaluateReflection on Old Testament prophetic literature as a foundation for the New Testament
FactualUnderstandKnowledge about and deepened understanding of prophetic literature of the ancient Near East

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge LevelThinking SkillOutcome
FactualUnderstandKnowledge about and deepened understanding of prophetic literature of the ancient Near East
ConceptualAnalyseUnderstanding and analysis of the historical environment and context of ancient Near Eastern prophetic texts
ConceptualEvaluateReflection on Old Testament prophetic literature as a foundation for the New Testament
ConceptualAnalyseReflection on literary and historical perceptions of ancient text corpora
ConceptualEvaluateCritically evaluate primary sources and critically apply different historical methodologies

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