10937 King, Kingship and Kingdom: Studies in the History and Historiography of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah 1
Credits: 6 advanced credits in Ancient History of the Jewish People or in Bible or in Land of Israel Studies
Prerequisites: 36 credits, including one course in Ancient History or in Ancient History of the Jewish People. Students must also fulfill all English requirements and take bibliographic instruction in the Library.
Recommended: Historical Thinking: Issues in Philosophy of History
Authors: Cynthia Edenburg, Hayah Katz
Objectives: The course aims (1) to acquaint students with selected topics dealing with the history of the people of Israel in the First Temple period; (2) to acquaint students with the primary sources from the period by means of guided reading and analysis; (3) to impart skills in critical reading of secondary sources and scholarly literature (articles and chapters from monographs); (4) to prepare students to employ and evaluate scholarly literature for writing a seminar paper.
Topics: Between History and Historiography deals with the distinction between historical reality, historical sources and historiographic composition; the relation between biblical historiography and historical documents from the Ancient Near East; and the historical background against which biblical historiography developed. The Deuteronomistic History and Chronicles investigates the structure, extent and form of these historical compositions; their representation of the past; their means of historical explanation; and purpose of the histories and their date of composition. Sanctuary, Cult and the Institution of Monarchy in the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah discusses the royal ideology prevalent in the Ancient Near East and in the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, as expressed by views of royal authority and the person of the king. The discussion is based upon biblical sources as well as literary sources and plastic imagery from the Ancient Near East. International Relations examines the political, economical and strategic considerations which shaped the interaction between Israel and Judah and the neighboring kingdoms; as well as the role of the Assyrian empire in changing the face of the geo-political sphere in the Levant in the mid-ninth-eighth centuries BCE. Society, Administration and Economy in Israel and Judah investigates how to reconstruct a picture of the social structure and economy of the kingdoms in the First Temple period (1000-586 BCE) by analyzing relevant sources according to sociological models.
1Students may write a seminar paper in this course, although it is not required.