University of Sydney / Faculty of Arts / Department of Hebrew, Biblical and Jewish Studies / Undergraduate / Honours

Honours

The department offers honours in four of its majors as follows:

Department permission is required for enrolment in honours. Please contact the Chair of department for more details.

Biblical Studies

First Semester

  • Biblical and post-biblical texts (2 hours per week);
  • Classical Hebrew;
  • a special interest study will be pursued by students under supervision, leading to the writing of a 15,000 word honours thesis.

Second Semester

  • students will continue their study of biblical texts and early biblical interpretation with a focus upon a particular book or theme (2 hours a week);
  • students will continue their study of Classical Hebrew (2 hours per week) at the appropriate level.

Classical Hebrew

First Semester

  • Students will continue their study of classical Hebrew texts with the study of the Megilloth.
  • An additional Semitic language will be studied (two hours per week) from either Aramaic, Syriac, Akkadian or Ugaritic.
  • One special area of study will be chosen (two hours per week) from the either Classical Hebrew Literature, Medieval Hebrew Literature or Northwest Semitic Inscriptions.

Second Semester

  • Classical Hebrew texts (two hours per week).
  • Additional Semitic language (two hours per week) out of: Aramaic, Syriac, Akkadian, Ugaritic.
  • Special area of study (two hours per week) from the following: Modern Hebrew Literature; Samaritan Literature; Septuagint
  • A special interest study will be pursued by students under supervision, leading to the writing of a 10,000 word honours thesis.

(The department reserves the right not to offer any option if staffing is not available.)

Back to Top

Modern Hebrew

First Semester

  • students will continue with their study of Modern Hebrew Modern Hebrew (2 hours per week);
  • a special area of study special area of study will be chosen from the following: Hebrew films; poetry; literature (2 hours per week);
  • in addition Classical Hebrew will be studied (2 hours per week).

Second Semester

  • Modern Hebrew (2 hours per week);
  • a special area of study will be chosen from the following: Hebrew films; poetry; literature (2 hours per week);
  • Classical Hebrew (2 hours per week);
  • a special interest study will be pursued by students under supervision, leading to the writing of an 8,000-10,000 word honours thesis.
Back to Top

Jewish Civilisation, Thought and Culture

There is a compulsory core unit of study, Jewish Civilisation: Methodology and Tools, which is taught in Semester I. In addition, students choose TWO honours IV options, each of which will involve two hours a week of classes per semester. The options are:

  • Classical Period: Jewish writings of the Second Temple Period, Socio-religious Developments in the First to Third Centuries.
  • Modern Period: Yiddish Literature in Translation, Yiddish Popular Culture, The Australian Jewish Experience, The Evolution of Judaism in the New World, The German Jewish Experience, Holocaust Research: Trends and Problems.

Students can choose to specialise in either the Classical or Modern period, in which case they must do a minimum of one option in their speciality. Their dissertation also must be in their area of speciality.

Each student in IV honours will write a thesis of a minimum of 15,000 words on a subject related to their designated area. The topic will be chosen in consultation with the department's staff and individual guidance will be provided.

Back to Top