Jewish Studies in the Graeco-Roman Period MPhil
About
The course introduces you to the range of primary sources for Jewish history in this period and will equip you with both the understanding and the ability to use a range of historiographical and critical methods in the treatment of such primary sources.
The course consists of instruction in the history and institutions of the Jews and in three specialised areas of Jewish studies which involve close study of particular types of primary texts. You will be expected to have a working knowledge of the relevant languages (mainly Hebrew and ancient Greek) before starting the course, and no time is set aside for basic language instruction.
Course structure
Teaching for the compulsory core course is covered by a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials covering the principal sources of the period of the Second Temple and rabbinic Judaism. The classes provide instruction in the translation and interpretation of most but not necessarily all of the set texts which you are required to study for your specialised papers. General questions about these texts are discussed in tutorials (usually eight per course), which normally consist in one-to-one discussion with a tutor of your written work. These may include selected texts from the Dead Sea Scrolls, Josephus, Jewish-Hellenistic compositions, and Jewish papyri.
The other three papers involve the study of prescribed texts in the following subject areas that are regularly offered:
- Ancient Jewish History and Historiography,
- The Dead Sea Scrolls,
- Jewish-Hellenistic Literature,
- Early Rabbinic Literature (Mishnah, Midrash, and Targum),
- Jewish Papyrology.
Other text-based papers may sometimes be available, such as the Septuagint, the Ancient Jewish Diaspora, or any other approved subject.
Most work for the written examinations is normally completed in the first year of the course, so that most of the second year can be devoted to the dissertation, but some text work may be carried over into the second year if this is convenient. You will be required to choose, in consultation with your supervisor, the special subjects that you wish to study during your first term so that set texts can be approved.
You should have a general idea of the field you wish to work in for your thesis by the middle of your second term so that supervision can be arranged. You should have a clear idea of your thesis topic by the end of the Trinity term in your first year so that you can work on your thesis over the summer vacation.
Most teaching for this course will take place in small classes or tutorials, normally given by the course director, but also supplemented by recommended lectures, classes and seminars taught by other colleagues. You are encouraged to attend events (reading groups, seminars, and courses) relevant to your subject of study in other faculties, eg at Classics or Theology and Religion. Numbers of students on the course are very small (1–2 per year) and so teaching is tailored according to the needs and interests of individual students.
You can expect to be engaged in academic work for at least thirty-five hours a week during the full term and to be expected to carry out a considerable amount of work during the vacations.
Assessment
At the end of the first year of the course, you will be required, unless specifically exempted by the Faculty Board, to sit a qualifying examination to confirm your suitability to continue to the second year.
The course is examined at the end of the sixth term by four written essays (3,000 words each, submitted at the end of each term) and by a thesis of 30,000 words.
Teaching staff
Course director
Resources for study
Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies
The Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies is the leading research centre for academic Jewish Studies in Europe. Apart from offices and classrooms, it holds a well-developed lending library, the Leopold Muller Memorial Library (which has as a collection specialising mainly in the areas of Jewish history and Hebrew literature), designed to support graduate and undergraduate courses but also containing research material. There is also a general common room, where staff and students can meet informally. As well as being the centre for the teaching of Hebrew, the OCHJS runs a programme of seminars and public lectures throughout the year.
A limited amount of grant money for trips abroad (eg for supplementary language study during vacations) may be sought from the OCHJS.
Libraries and museums
As well as the Bodleian Library (in particular the Bodleian Art, Archaeology and Ancient World Library) and Leopold Muller library, you will have access to the Nizami Ganjavi Library part of the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies which contains Biblical, Jewish, Islamic and other Asian and Middle Eastern works. Adjacent to the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies is the Ashmolean Museum which, amongst its many other superb collections, houses material on the archaeology and material culture of the Land of Israel.
Faculty resources
Students have access to the University's centrally provided electronic resources, the Faculty's IT Officer, and other bibliographic, archive or material sources as appropriate to the topic. There is a computing room for the use of graduate students in the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, as well as a common room where tea and coffee are available and staff and students can meet.
Oxford colleges
Oxford’s colleges provide support, facilities and membership of a friendly and stimulating academic community. All colleges provide library and IT facilities, welfare support, and sports and social events. Although your academic studies will be directed by the faculty, colleges can be a valuable source of support. Please check the application guide for information about colleges.
How to apply
The Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies is taking part in initiatives to improve the selection procedure for graduate applications, to ensure that all candidates are evaluated fairly.
Socio-economic data (where it has been provided in the application form) will be used as part of an initiative to contextualise applications at the different stages of the selection process.
FAQs
Can I submit one 4,000 word piece of written work instead of two 2,000 word pieces?
Not for our courses. We ask for two pieces which will show a range of ability rather than two highly similar pieces and you may find it useful to check the criteria your written work will be assessed for when choosing your samples. Your samples can be extracts from longer pieces of work and if this is the case, please indicate this on a cover page, or at the beginning of each piece of work.
Where can I find out about funding available for applicants?
Your best guide to funding opportunities will always be the University's admissions webpages. We recommend that you use the Fees, funding and scholarship search which is a useful tool for finding any funding that you may be eligible to apply for.
If you submit your application by the January deadline you will automatically be considered for the majority of Oxford scholarships. There’s no separate scholarship application process or extra supporting documentation required for funding. Based on the information supplied in your graduate application, you will be automatically considered for scholarships where you meet the eligibility criteria with most scholarships using academic merit and/or potential as the basis on which award decisions are made.
However, please note, in addition to submitting an application form for your chosen course, the scholarships listed on the following page also require an additional application to be considered for them.
