BASC70170 - The Holy Land Through the Ages I: Prehistory to the Roman Empire

Course Description

This three quarter series is a study of the historical geography of the land of the Bible from prehistory to the establishment of the modern State of Israel and the conflict over the Palestinian territories. While the history of this land varies from one era to the next, the land remains the same. Across this land traveled figures of faith like Abraham, David, Jesus, Muhammad, and the countless pilgrims following in their paths. As the land bridge between Europe, Asia and Africa, this land has also been a strategic possession to the empires that surround it. Over the past 5000 years, this land has been controlled by Egyptians, Israelites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Turks, Arabs and Jews. While rulers have changed from one era to another, the land remains the same. Thus, the focus of this course is on the land of the Bible, on the geo-politics that have made it significant for history and culture.

Course Outline

Course Syllabus

Textbooks:

1. A Bible with the Apocrypha and the New Testament
   Any version is fine. You may want to get a Bible that includes the New Testament along with the Apocrypha.
2. Yahanan Aharoni and Michael Avi-Yonah. Carta Atlas of the Bible. Newly Revised and Expanded 5^th ed. (Carta Jerusalem). ISBN 978-9652208149  NOTE:  This book is NOT available through the UChicago Bookstore.  Students are advised to use online sources.
   This will be our primary text for the course.
3. Eric H. Cline. Biblical Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction. (Oxford University Press, 2009). ISBN 978-0195342635. This is the best brief introduction to “Biblical Archaeology” that I know.
4. Yohanan Aharoni. The Land of the Bible: A Historical Geography. Revised and Enlarged edition (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1979). ISBN 0-664242669.
5. Michael Avi-Yonah. The Holy Land: A Historical Geography from the Persian to the Arab Conquest (536 B.C.-A.D. 640). Revised Edition with an Introduction by Yoram Tsafir (Carta Jerusalem, 2002). ISBN 965-2205028.   NOTE:  This book is NOT available through the UChicago Bookstore.  Students are advised to use online sources.

Notes

Online registration deadline: Thursday, September 22 pm CT

Remote courses require you to login to Canvas to access the Zoom Classroom. You will receive an invitation to join Canvas about a week before your course begins. Please visit the Liberal Arts Student Resources page to find step by step instructions for Canvas and Zoom: Online Learning Resources