RLST 124I: Varieties of Ancient Judaism
Spring 2009
Take-home midterm assignment
DUE IN CLASS ON APRIL 30, 2009
Answer the following question using any available sources that you find appropriate. You may cite from the textbook, the sourcebook, or any other relevant source (including notes from class discussions and lectures).
Please do not seek out sources on the internet, or additional sources from the library. Sources used in class should be sufficient.
Any work used should be clearly identified and cited, either in parentheses or in a footnote. If you have any questions or confusion about what constitutes plagiarism, please ask me.
Your answer should be typed, double-spaced, in a reasonably-sized font (I suggest Times New Roman, 12-pt.), and somewhere between three (3) and five (5) pages long. Your response should be clear, organized, and well-thought out. You should make thoughtful use of the various primary sources we have examined in class.
In a recent book, historian of ancient Judaism Seth Schwartz argued that:
... attempts to make sense of the remains of ancient Judaism must consider the effects of shifting types of imperial domination (Imperialism and Jewish Society, 200 BCE to 640 CE [Princeton, 2001], p. 291).
Discuss the relationship between varieties of ancient Judaism and varieties of imperial domination of the Land from the fifth century BCE through the first century CE. How did the various empires that existed rule of the Jews, and how did the Jews respond to their rule? What aspects of ancient Jewish identityreligious, political, cultural, or otherwisemight we understand as responding or reacting to types of imperial domination?
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