Second Temple Judaism

The M.A.R. in Second Temple Judaism has a primary focus in the period between the Babylonian Exile (586–539 BCE) and the Jewish revolts against Rome in the period 66–135 CE. The rich literature of Second Temple Judaism includes many of the books of the Hebrew Bible and many New Testament texts, as well as a wide variety of texts not included in the later Jewish and Christian canons. Coursework therefore includes extensive work in Hebrew Bible and/or New Testament in addition to courses on other Second Temple literature. Students are expected to acquire high-level competence in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. Study of Syriac and Latin is also encouraged. Students are also encouraged to take courses in rabbinic Judaism, in the Department of Religious Studies, as well as in Classics and the Archaia interdisciplinary program. The goal of the program is to familiarize students with the history and literature of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman periods and to read at least the literature that is extant in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek in the primary languages. The concentration requires twelve credit hours in advanced Hebrew, twelve in other ancient languages, and twelve in the history and literature of the period, and allows twelve elective credits. It is expected that entering students will have successfully completed at least one year of Biblical Hebrew or Ancient Greek, so that they may immediately begin taking courses that require these languages. Admitted students who have not yet taken either of these languages are required to successfully complete an intensive online summer language course in either Biblical Hebrew or koine Greek the summer before enrolling. (Those students who have already taken one of these two languages are encouraged to use the summer course to begin work on the other.) This course is offered without charge to all YDS students, including incoming students, and counts for six course credits.