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Last modified: 14 May 2026 16:16
In this course you will explore the eastern Mediterranean in antiquity, focusing on its part to which ancient sources refer as the "Land of Israel" or "Palestine", among other names. You will learn not just about its history, but also geography, religion(s), culture, and languages – always in relation to its neighbours, close and distant alike. Your exploration will start with some of the oldest cities in the world, and finish with the advent of Islam to the region.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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The course explores the eastern Mediterranean in antiquity. It focuses on its southern part, which constitutes the key habitable land bridge between Africa and Asia, with the Mediterranean Sea to the west and the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula to the east. Depending on the period and language, ancient sources refer to this land with several names with a varying degree of geographical specificity, among which are the "Land of Israel" and "Palestine". In widely used terminology, the area corresponds to the territories of the modern State of Israel, State of Palestine, and western parts of the Kingdom of Jordan.
The chronological scope of the course is delimited, on the one hand, by the Neolithic Revolution in the Fertile Crescent, starting in the tenth millennium BCE, and, on the other hand, by the advent of Islam to the region in the 7th century CE. The core of the course concerns the periods which historians call the Iron Age, the Persian Period, the Hellenistic Period, and the early Roman period.
Within this geographical and chronological scope, the course zooms in on specific topics related to history, religion, culture, and languages, exploring them through an interdisciplinary lens.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 35 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
1-hour take-home open-book test. Assessment week: week 13 of teaching |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural | Evaluate | Read biblical and extra biblical Hebrew texts in an informed and critical manner |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Interpret the religious texts of ancient Israel and Judah and its social and cultic phenomena in their historical cultic and cultural contexts |
| Reflection | Create | Gain an openness to, and an interest in, life-long learning through directed and self-directed study |
| Reflection | Create | Gain an awareness and appreciation of social and cultural diversity |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 25 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
The student writes a research essay on a selected topic. Level 1 and Level 2 are differentiated by the number of required bibliographical positions, which are specified in the Course Guide. The word count excludes bibliography. Feedback: Written or recorded oral comments from the lecturer. Assessment to be submitted in week 8 of teaching; feedback in week 9 |
Word Count | 2000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural | Evaluate | Read biblical and extra biblical Hebrew texts in an informed and critical manner |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Interpret the religious texts of ancient Israel and Judah and its social and cultic phenomena in their historical cultic and cultural contexts |
| Reflection | Create | Gain an awareness and appreciation of social and cultural diversity |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
A 250-word critical review and editing of a Wikipedia article related to biblical studies. The student critically reviews a Wikipedia article related to biblical studies and suggests how the article should be edited. Feedback: Lecturer’s oral comments and lecturer-guided peer-review during the tutorial. Assessment to be submitted in week 9 of teaching; feedback in week 10. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural | Evaluate | Read biblical and extra biblical Hebrew texts in an informed and critical manner |
| Reflection | Create | Gain an awareness and appreciation of social and cultural diversity |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
The student prepares a 5-minute video recording of a mock interview, in which he/she acts as an expert being interviewed by a fellow student acting as a journalist about a selected piece of sensational news related to biblical archaeology. Feedback: Lecturer’s oral comments and lecturer-guided peer-review during a tutorial. Assessment to be submitted in week 11 of teaching; feedback in week 11. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural | Evaluate | Read biblical and extra biblical Hebrew texts in an informed and critical manner |
| Reflection | Create | Gain an awareness and appreciation of social and cultural diversity |
| Assessment Type | Formative | Weighting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Tutorials act as workshops related to lectures. Students work in pairs or in groups and present their work to fellow students. Feedback: Lecturer’s oral comments and in-class discussion. |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural | Evaluate | Read biblical and extra biblical Hebrew texts in an informed and critical manner |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Interpret the religious texts of ancient Israel and Judah and its social and cultic phenomena in their historical cultic and cultural contexts |
| Reflection | Create | Gain an openness to, and an interest in, life-long learning through directed and self-directed study |
| Reflection | Create | Gain an awareness and appreciation of social and cultural diversity |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback | Word Count | 2000 | ||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Reflection | Create | Gain an awareness and appreciation of social and cultural diversity |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Reflect independently and critically on the problems related to historical reconstructions of the history of ancient Israel and Judah |
| Reflection | Create | Gain an openness to, and an interest in, life-long learning through directed and self-directed study |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Read biblical and extra biblical Hebrew texts in an informed and critical manner |
| Procedural | Evaluate | Interpret the religious texts of ancient Israel and Judah and its social and cultic phenomena in their historical cultic and cultural contexts |
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