Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2015-2016 (archived)
Module THEO2191: DEAD SEA SCROLLS
Department: Theology and Religion
THEO2191:
DEAD SEA SCROLLS
Type |
Open |
Level |
2 |
Credits |
20 |
Availability |
Not available in 2015/16 |
Module Cap |
|
Location |
Durham
|
Prerequisites
Corequisites
Excluded Combination of Modules
Aims
- To introduce students to the Jewish community which preserved the
Dead Sea scrolls, to explore the beliefs, practices, and community
organisation presented in those scrolls, and to evaluate, with the help
of modern scholarship, the kind of Judaism portrayed in the
scrolls.
- to prepare students for the skills and knowledge needed to
undertake a dissertation in the final year.
Content
- The course will examine the impact of the discovery of the
Dead Sea Scrolls on our knowledge of ancient Judaism, its political and
religious institutions and its sense of identity. Particular attention
will be paid to the identification of Jews who lived at Qumran in
accordance with rules laid down in key Dead Sea documents. Students will
encounter primary written sources (in translation) found in the dead sea
caves, and confront and engage with modern scholarly debate on the date,
provenance, and setting within Judaism of those sources.
Learning Outcomes
- A knowledge and critical understanding of the
well-established principles of study and main methods of enquiry in
the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls, along with an understanding of the
way in which those principles have developed, and an ability to
evaluate critically the appropriateness of different
approaches.
- A knowledge and critical understanding of the significance of
the Scrolls for the study of early Judaism.
- Skills in the acquisition of information through reading and
research, and in the structured presentation of information in written
form.
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to
the learning outcomes of the module
- Lectures convey information and exemplify an approach to the
subject-matter, enabling students to develop a clear understanding of
the subject and to improve their skills in listening and in evaluating
information.
- Seminars enhance subject-specific knowledge and understanding
both through preparation and through interaction with students and
staff, promoting awareness of different viewpoints and
approaches.
- Formative essays develop subject-specific knowledge and
understanding, along with student skills in the acquisition of
information through reading and research, and in the structured
presentation of information in written form.
- Examinations assess subject-specific knowledge and
understanding, along with student skills in the structured presentation
of information in written form under time constraints.
- Summative essays both develop (through feedback) and assess
subject-specific understanding, cognitive and interpretative skills, and
key skills of written communication and acquisition of
information.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
Activity |
Number |
Frequency |
Duration |
Total/Hours |
|
Lectures |
22 |
Weekly |
1 hour |
22 |
■ |
Seminars |
7 |
Every 3 weeks |
1 hour |
7 |
■ |
Preparation and Reading |
|
|
|
171 |
|
Total |
|
|
|
200 |
|
Summative Assessment
Component: Examination |
Component Weighting: 70% |
Element |
Length / duration |
Element Weighting |
Resit Opportunity |
One written unseen examination |
3 hours |
100% |
|
Component: Essay |
Component Weighting: 30% |
Element |
Length / duration |
Element Weighting |
Resit Opportunity |
One summative essay |
3000 words |
100% |
|
One formative essay (2500
words).
■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University