Jewish Studies in the Graeco-Roman Period MSt
About
This course introduces you to the range of primary sources for Jewish history in this period; and aims to 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 (Hebrew) before starting the course, and no time is set aside for basic language instruction.
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 for each paper), which normally consists of 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 usually 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 teaching for this course will take place in small classes or tutorials and supplemented by recommended lectures and seminars. You are strongly encouraged to attend events (reading groups, seminars, and courses) relevant to your subject of study in other faculties, eg at Classics and/or Theology and Religion. Teaching for the general essay paper and the specialised papers which you will have chosen, is carried out in the first two terms of the course. The third term is primarily reserved for revision, although this may include further tutorials for consolidation. Numbers of students on the course are very small (1–2 per year) so the aim is to tailor teaching according to the research 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
Assessment takes the form of written essays (two for each paper) for three papers (two on the compulsory core paper, and one either on an additional core paper or an optional one).
A list of essay questions will be made available at the end of the term in which the option is taught. Candidates must submit their essays (not more than 3,000 words each) in response to one of the questions set at the beginning of the following term.
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.
