Course Description

The 400 years between Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament to the birth of Christ is often thought to be a period of divine silence. Yet, this is the period of Second Temple Judaism, which is not only significant for the development of Judaism and Jewish identity but also a time when Jewish literature and the Hebrew canon took shape.

This course will provide a broad overview of this historically rich era and how it informs our understanding and interpretation of the Old and New Testaments.

  • Location

    Online via Zoom (Live)

    *In-person sessions at BGST:
    50 Kallang Pudding Road,
    #07-01, AMA Building,
    Singapore 349326

  • Dates

    (Fridays)
    Jul: 28*
    Aug: 25*
    Sept: 15, 29
    Oct: 13, 27

    *Live in-person sessions

    Registration Close Date
    Jul 25, 2023

  • Time

    7:15pm-10:00pm

Lecturer

Course Curriculum

  • 1

    General

  • 2

    Topic 1: End of "Exile" and Impact of Imperial Rule on Jewish Identity

    • Course Introduction History or Historiography

    • Lesson 01

    • Session 1.1

    • Session 1.2

  • 3

    Topic 2: Temple/Torah/Mystery - Does God Still Speak?

    • Temple/Torah/Mystery – Does God Still Speak?

    • Session 2.1

  • 4

    Topic 3: Outside the "Bible"

    • Outside the ‘Bible’

    • Outside the "Bible"

  • 5

    Topic 4: Discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls

    • Discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls

    • Discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls

  • 6

    Topic 5: Messianism & Apocalyptism - What were the Jews Hoping For?

    • Messianism & Apocalyptism – What were the Jews hoping for?

    • Judaism and their Messiahs

  • 7

    Topic 6: Connecting the Dots + Group Presentation

    • Connecting the Dots

    • Session 6

  • 8

    Evaluation

    • Course Evaluation

  • 9

    Assignment Submissions

    • Reflection 1

    • Reflection 2

    • Reflection 3

    • Essay