Theology & Religious Studies BD/MA
Old Testament / Tanakh Texts with Hebrew TRS4072
- Academic Session: 2026-27
- School: School of Critical Studies
- Credits: 20
- Level: Level 4 (SCQF level 10)
- Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
- Available to Visiting Students: Yes
- Collaborative Online International Learning: No
- Curriculum For Life: No
Short Description
This course provides the opportunity to study parts of the Bible in depth, reading closely and considering a variety of perspectives, including historical, literary, theological and ideological approaches. Some of these texts will be read in biblical Hebrew.
Timetable
1x2hr seminar; 1x1hr language tutorial per week over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus.
This is one of the Honours options in TRS and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.
Excluded Courses
TRS3003 Old Testament/Tanakh Texts 3
TRS4007 Old Testament/Tanakh Texts Honours
TRS3029 Old Testament/Tanakh Texts Non Honours
TRS4071 Old Testament/Tanakh Texts
Co-requisites
None
Assessment
The standard assessments for this course are:
■ Essay (2000 words) - 50%
■ Translation and comment (1500 words) - 40%
■ Presentation of 5 minutes - 10%
If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available:
■ There are no alternatives to the Essay, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions).
■ There are no alternatives to the Translation and comment, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions).
■ A recording of presentation as alternative to the presentation.
Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.â¯
Main Assessment In: April/May
Are reassessment opportunities available for all summative assessments? Not applicable
It is the default expectation that all courses will offer opportunities for reassessment or deferred assessment. Where it is not possible to offer this in some assessment components, the grade achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade, and any exceptions for this course are described below.
[No exceptions]
Course Aims
This course will provide the opportunity to:
■ engage in close reading of selected texts from different divisions of Tanakh, including some texts in biblical Hebrew;
■ relate biblical texts to a variety of religious and secular contexts;
■ become familiar with a range of theoretical interpretative approaches to texts.
Intended Learning Outcomes of Course
By the end of this course students will be able to:
■ provide a rigorous analysis of the historical, cultural and literary character of specific texts from the Old Testament / Tanakh;
■ read and understand key primary and secondary texts and present a clearly argued analysis of the positions taken in these texts;
■ offer a critical and in-depth analysis of a variety of interpretive approaches to biblical texts;
■ reflect critically and comparatively about ideologies in biblical texts and in their afterlives;
■ present complex arguments in written and oral form;
■ translate and comment on relevant Hebrew texts.