This short, 10-question quiz will test your knowledge of the Maccabean expansion. You should be familiar with key battle sites and which territories were added to the Maccabean kingdom when and under which ruler (e.g., what territory did Alexander Janneaus add to his kingdom and when did he do it?). The quiz will have a map on which you must identify sites, and short answer questions.

You will have 10 minutes to complete the quiz, which can be taken at any time online via the iLearn site. You will have only 10 minutes and once you begin the quiz you cannot stop. You may take the quiz only once. The quiz must be submitted by 9pm Sydney time on Sunday 23/3/14. If you start the quiz after 8:50 pm you will only have until 9 pm to submit it (i.e., you will have less than 10 minutes to complete it).

The essay topics for the first three assignments cover Modules 2-5; 6-9; 10-15.  If you wish to suggest an alternative title (topic), following the same pattern, please discuss it with me.

Modules 2-5

·           Did the Maccabean revolt make any difference?

·           Religiously zealous or politically ambitious – how would you describe the Maccabees?

·           How can ‘hellenisation’ be measured in Palestine before and after the Maccabees?

·           What is the evidence for internal opposition to the Maccabees/Hasmoneans, and how far was such opposition religiously motivated?

·           In what ways could and did the Hasmoneans claim to be in continuity with Israel’s past?

·      What is the site of Qumran?

·      What does the frequency of specific biblical texts among the Dead Sea Scrolls tell us about political, religious, and/or eschatological expectations popular amongst some Jews in the late Second Temple Period?

This assignment is to be submitted through the Centre of Open Education by 9pm (local Sydney time) on Friday April 4.

·           Was Roman rule a relief?

·           What degree of political and military control was exercised by the Roman governors of Judaea?

·           How far were events under Pilate and Caligula exceptional or characteristic of Roman rule of Judaea?

·           Who held the balance of power in Roman Palestine?

·           Is it possible to separate political, social or religious causes of the first Jewish revolt?

·           Was there a "right" response to Rome?

This assignment is to be submitted through the Centre of Open Education by 9pm (local Sydney time) on Friday May 9.

Write a 1500 word encyclopedia article on any key figure, archaeological site, geographical region, or primary source from the period covered by this course (ca. 200 B.C. - A.D. 200). Your article should be comprehensive but concise; the word limit is very strict and is not to be exceeded. If you choose an archaeological site, your article will deal solely with the Hellenistic and/or Roman strata; no discussion of occupation layers from other periods is necessary (or wanted). If you choose a geographical region, your article should include a discussion of the geology, geographical features, trade routes, and specific historical events from only the periods covered in class. For example, if you choose the region of Bashan, you need only mention historical events from the Hellenistic and Roman periods, you should not include events from the Bronze or Iron Ages or from the Byzantine or later periods except in passing and/or unless they are absolutely necessary to illustrate the uniqueness or conformity of how events from the Hellenistic/Roman periods unfolded.

All topics chosen need to be approved by me.

This assignment is to be submitted through the Centre of Open Education by 9pm (local Sydney time) on Friday June 6. It can be submitted at any time up until this point.

·           Compare / contrast the ideological motives of the first and second Jewish revolts.

·           How have archaeological discoveries confirmed or modified the literary evidence for the first and/or second revolts?

·           How far do 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch offer a practical response to the failure of the first revolt?

·           Discuss the religious and social life in Judaea between the two revolts.

·           Critically analyse the Masada traditions.

·       Compare and Contrast the Jewish reactions to the destruction of the First and Second Temples.

·       How revolutionary was Jesus of Nazareth?

·        Discuss the political and ideological role of the Temple in the first century CE

·        How important was political Messianism in this period?

·        Critically evaluate Josephus as a historian.

·        Do a source critical analysis of a significant incident – i.e. an incident where we have more than one source (e.g. the Maccabean revolt; Caligula’s intervention in Judaea; Johannan ben Zakkai’s settlement in Jamnia; the causes and achievement of the bar Kochba revolt).

·        Discuss Galilee in the first century.

This assignment is to be submitted through the Centre of Open Education by 9pm (local Sydney time) on Friday June 13.

By enrolling in this course you have committed to participating as an active partner in the classroom conversation.  It is strongly encouraged that every student read the assigned material actively — that is, taking notes and writing summaries of the reading in order to participate in class discussions and review for the exams.  This means, having the readings for any given week done before class meets that week.While each student has his or her own learning style, interaction lies at the heart of the learning experience, so it is important for you to cultivate ways to demonstrate that you are present, engaged and processing the class materials and discussions.

While this course is offered externally, we will meet once a week on-campus to discuss the material. Earning the participation points means attending these meetings in person or via video chat connection. When the enrollment for the course is known, a day and time of the week that works for everybody to meet will be set