CAS RN220a1 Fall 2008 updated sep 4, 2008 (11:39am EST)
Holy City: Jerusalem in Time, Space, and the Imagination
MWT 11-12 KCB107
Instructor: Michael Zank, Assoc. Prof. of Religion
Office: 147 Bay State Road, Room 407. Hours M 3-5.
Contact: Tel 3-4434 or Email mzank@bu.edu
Teaching Assistant:
Ms. Kristen Lucken, klucken@bu.edu. Office:
10 Lenox St (CURA), Room 11. Hours: 12:30-2:30, W 9-10:45.
An introduction to the history of one of the most ancient continuously settled cities, Jerusalem, and to the religious and ideological meanings attached to this city by those who consider it holy (Muslims, Christians, and Jews). Since Jerusalem's history ties into many broader aspects of ancient, medieval, and modern history, students will have an opportunity to reacquaint themselves with major names, dates, political and religious movements and events that shaped the city's fate or were influenced by the city's symbolic importance (from ancient Egypt to the modern United Nations). Major ongoing issues covered are Jerusalem's status in the modern conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and ongoing debates among scholars about the uses and abuses of archeology and historiography.
Understanding the causes and stages of emergence of Jerusalem as a political and religious symbol.Understanding the difficulties entailed in reconstructing the early history of the city.
Familiarity with the major stages of the city's development, including its political history, demography, destructions, rebuildings, and redesigns.
Understanding the meanings of the city for Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
Understanding the role of Jerusalem in the modern conflict between Israelis and Palestinians; knowledge of the major positions of the international community in this conflict.
The readings are not self-explanatory, nor do the readings in and of themselves provide the kind of knowledge that I hope you will acquire in this course. Timely completion of the reading assignments is therefore a necessary but not a sufficient condition for success. Class attendance is a must. Absences need to be approved by me ahead of time. More than one unexcused absence will lead to a lowering of the final grade. There will be no extensions on assignments or make-up quizzes.
The readings are accompanied by questions that you need to be able to answer orally or in brief unanounced quizzes. This will enter into your participation grade (15%). There will be three take-home exams (20% each) where you will have the opportunity to write an analysis of the epochs and problems discussed in class based on the assigned readings, classroom discussion, and some independent research. Finally, you will have the opportunity to follow your own thread and work on a topic of your choice (instructor approval required). This will be graded on the difficulty, originality, or sophistication of the topic and of your approach to its analysis as well as on general criteria such as quality of research and writing (25%). The result should be something you can be proud of and that you feel reflects your best academic and/or creative work. We will discuss possible topics in class. (Note: Fri, Oct 10 Discussion of term papers: proposals due, including approved topic, abstract, one-page bibliography.)
General policies of the BU Academic Code of Conduct apply. Plagiarism or any suspicion of plagiarism will be reported to the appropriate Dean of Students and may lead to expulsion from BU.
This course has its own web-resources that we will rely on throughout the semester.
Syllabus, study guides, grade book, etc. will be available on the course-info site for 08fall1casrn220a1. (As of Aug 18: syllabus and most of the pdf-formatted readings have been posted.)
Historical outline (timeline) and study material are at www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem and at http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Michael_Zank/jerusalem.html. These tools augment the printed readings by providing a variety of maps, timelines, brief summaries, historical sources, images, and links to carefully selected external resources.
A virtual tour of the Old City and a variety of other useful links are at http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Michael_Zank/Jerusalem/.
You will be using these links for homework and research and we will also access these and other web-pages during classtime. -- Please make it a frequent habit to check this web-syllabus and the related course-info site for updates. (Press the "Reload Current Page" button of your browser to renew page from server to make sure you are looking at the most recent version.)
Asali, K. L., Jerusalem in History (New York 2000).
Bible - New Oxf. Annot. Bible w/ Apoc., New R.S.V., 3rd 07 (Oxf), ISBN 978-0-1-9528883-4
The Atlas of Biblical Jerusalem. Author: Bahat, Dan. ISBN965-220-238-X.
Carta's Historical Atlas of Jerusalem. Author: Bahat, Dan. ISBN 965-220-086-7.
Wasserstein - Divided Jerusalem, 3rd 09 (Triliteral), ISBN 978-0-3-0013763-7
The following films will be made available for personal viewing or scheduled screenings at the Geddes Language Center (above the Tsai Performance Center, on the Fifth floor). These films are not necessarily to be viewed as sources of information but as artifacts representing certain viewpoints. Our task will be to analyse these films and other media for their ideological and/or artistic commitments.
"Jerusalem: Within These Walls" (1986). National Geographic Documentary of life in the Old City based on individual portraits representing major resident communities.
"Jerusalem. The Holy City", a four-part documentary, written and moderated by BU Professor emeritus James Purvis, produced by Jon Westling, featuring Chancellor John Silber and University Professor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel.
"Kingdom of Heaven." (2005) Directed by Ridley Scott, this film captures the motivations of the French noblemen who joined the first and second crusades to liberate Jerusalem.
"Jerusalem." Feature film in Swedish w/English subtitles, based on a novel by Selma Lagerløf, describing 19th century Lutheran revival community that, compelled by divine inspiration, relocates to Jerusalem where it merges with an American Protestant sect.
"There is a Wall in Jerusalem" (1967). History of establishment of the State of Israel culminating in the capture of East Jerusalem in the June 1967 war.
Course outline
Week I: The city of Jerusalem today: an overview
(Tue, Sept 2: Beginning of Ramadan; BU first day of classes)
Wed, Sept 3: History and Demography (PPP)
Fri, Sept 5: Jerusalem: Facts and Figures (PPP), Demographic Trends (new PPP).Week II: The early city: archeological and historiographic problems
Mon, Sept 8 History of Jerusalem, Introduction by R. Khalidi and Ch. I: Franken, "J'lem in the Bronze Age."
On the web: http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/p/period1.htm
Wed, Sept 10 Essays by Finkelstein, Ussishkin, and Steiner (pdf, on courseinfo)
Fri, Sept 12 Excerpts from Nadia Abu El Haj, Facts on the Ground, ch. 6 "Excavating Jerusalem" (pdf pm courseinfo)Week III: The rise and decline of the city of Judah
Mon, Sept 15 History of Jerusalem, Ch. II: Mendenhall, "Jerusalem from 1000-63 BC" pp. 42-66.
On the web: http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/p/period2-1.htm, http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/p/period2-2.htm
Wed, Sept 17 Bible: 2 Samuel - 1 Kings 11
Fri, Sept 19 Bible: 1 Kings 12 - 2 Kings 25Week IV: Second Temple Jerusalem under Persians, Macedonians, and Rome
Mon, Sept 22 History of Jerusalem, Ch. II: Mendenhall, "Jerusalem from 1000-63 BC" pp. 66-74.
On the web: http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/p/period2-3.htm, http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/p/period2-4.htm and http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/p/period2-5.htm
Wed, Sept 24 Bible: 1 Book of Macabees
Fri, Sept 26 Josephus, War of the Jews
(Sat, Sept 27: Laylat al-Qadr)Week V: Aelia Capitolina
Mon, Sept 29 History of Jerusalem, Ch. III: Wilkinson, "J'lem under Rome and Byzantium"
(Tue, Sept 30: Rosh Hashanah)
Wed, Oct 1 (Second day of Rosh Hashanah) Gospel according to Matthew
(Th, Oct 2: Eid al Fatr)
Fri, Oct 3 From "Medieval Source Book" (internet): End of the Classical World, sources in section: "Triumph of the Church."Week VI: Early Muslim Rule
Mon, Oct 6 History of Jerusalem, Ch. IV: Duri, "J'lem in the Early Islamic Period".
On the web: http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/p/period4.htm
Wed, Oct 8 Nasir-i Khusrau. Diary of a Journey Through Syria and Palestine
(Thu, Oct 9: Yom Kippur)
Fri, Oct 10 Discussion of term papers: proposals due, including approved topic, abstract, one-page bibliography.Week VII: Under the Franj
(Mon, Oct 13: Columbus Day; no classes)
Tue, Oct 14: Monday schedule (Beginning of Sukkot) History of Jerusalem, Ch. V: "Crusader J'lem" pp. 130-144, 161-176.
On the web: http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/p/period5.htm
Wed, Oct 15 Fulcher of Chartres's account of the first Crusade (1099)
Fri, Oct 17 (Parents Weekend) Roger of Hoveden: The Fall of Jerusalem, 1187. Recommended: Medieval Sourcebook, Section on the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.Week VIII: Medieval Al-Quds
Mon, Oct 20 (Last day of Sukkot) History of Jerusalem, Ch. VI: Little, "J'lem under the Ayyubids and Mamluks."
On the web: http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/p/period6-1.htm and http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/p/period6-2.htm.
(Tue, Oct 21: Simchat Torah)
Wed, Oct 22 A medieval guidebook to Palestine c.1350 (read section on Jerusalem)
Fri, Oct 24 Felix Fabri, Travel to Jerusalem (1480)Week IX: Ottoman Rule
Mon, Oct 27 History of Jerusalem, Ch. VII: Asali, "J'lem under the Ottomans."
On the web: http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/p/period6-3.htm. Amnon Cohen, "On the realities of the Millet system: Jerusalem in the sixteenth century" (pdf on courseinfo). Wasserstein, Divided Jerusalem, Prologue and Chapter 1
Wed, Oct 29 Rabbi Moses Basola (c. 1523), Sanderson and Timberlake (1601), Father Horn (1740), Advice to Jewish Immigrants (18th century). An 18th century fatwa.
Fri, Oct 31Week X: 19th Century Jerusalem
(Sun, Nov 2: Daylight Saving Time ends)
Mon, Nov 3 History of Jerusalem, Ch. VIII: Schölch, "J'lem in the 19th century."
On the web: http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/p/period6-3-2.htm
(Tue, Nov 4: Election Day)
Wed, Nov 5 Wasserstein, Divided Jerusalem, Chapter 2
Fri, Nov 7Week XI: Capital of British Mandatory Palestine
Mon, Nov 10 History of Jerusalem, Ch. IX: Hudson, "The Transformation of Jerusalem" pp. 249-260. On the web: http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/p/period7-1.htm.
Wed, Nov 12 Wasserstein, Divided Jerusalem, Chapters 3-4
Fri, Nov 14Week XII: 1948-1967
Mon, Nov 17 History of Jerusalem, Ch. IX: Hudson, "The Transformation of Jerusalem" pp. 249-260. On the web: http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/p/period7-2.htm.
Wed, Nov 19 Wasserstein, Divided Jerusalem, Chapter 5
Fri, Nov 21 Wasserstein, Divided Jerusalem, Chapters 6-7
Mon, Nov 24 History of Jerusalem, Ch. IX: Hudson, "The Transformation of Jerusalem" pp. 260-267(Wed, Nov 26-Sun Nov 30: Fall recess)
Week XIII: 1967 to the Present
Mon, Dec 1 History of Jerusalem, Ch. IX: Hudson, "The Transformation of Jerusalem" pp. 267-283.
On the web: http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/p/period7-3.htm.
Wed, Dec 3 Wasserstein, Divided Jerusalem, Chapters 8-9
Fri, Dec 5 Wasserstein, Divided Jerusalem, Chapter 10Week XIV The Future of Jerusalem/Yerushalayim/Al Quds
Mon, Dec 8 Klein, "Jerusalem as an Israeli Problem," Habesch, "A Voice From East J'lem," Al-Omari, "A plan" (pdf on courseinfo)
(Tue, Dec 9: Eid al Adha)
Wed, Dec 10
(Th, Dec 11: Last day of instruction)
(Exam period: Tue, Dec 16-Sat, Dec 20)