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77565-01 - Colloquium: Altes Testament und Semitische Sprachwissenschaft (1 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers |
Sonja Ammann (sonja.ammann@unibas.ch, Assessor)
Samuel Arnet (samuel.arnet@unibas.ch) |
| Content | Mittwoch, 15. April, 18.15 Uhr: Dr. Jesse Mirotznik (HU Jerusalem) The Portrayal of Pagan Worship in the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Judaism How did Jews in the ancient world depict the practices of their pagan contemporaries? In his recent monograph, The Portrayal of Pagan Worship in the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Judaism (Cambridge University Press, 2025), Dr. Mirotznik argues that a decisive change occurred in ancient Jewish representations of the Other around the 3rd century B.C.E. In Israelite/Jewish literature composed up to this point, the worship of other gods and the reverence of their icons is consistently depicted as sincere, and its appeal, whether to Israelites or non-Israelites, is, as a rule, not questioned. At some point around the end of the 3rd century B.C.E., however, a new form of argument arises: that the worship of other gods and the reverence of their icons is, in fact, an entirely unattractive practice, and that even its practitioners must inwardly reject it. In this lecture, Dr. Mirotznik will explore this shift through several key textual examples from the Hebrew Bible and from its ancient Jewish interpretation. Montag, 4. Mai, 18.15 Uhr: Dr. Dominic S. Irudayaraj (Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome / Hekima University College, Nairobi) Desolate Places, Resolute People: Violence and Identity in Isaiah Violence in the Bible remains a challenging and troubling theme. Informed by a pedagogy-and-ministry-informed positionality (in Nairobi, Kenya) and with recourse to two compelling insights—Marlow’s ecological triangle and Lynch’s “grammar of violence,”— Dr. Irudayaraj’s talk focuses on the violent details in four select Isaian texts that constitute the bookends (chapters 1 and 66) and bridge texts (chapters 24 and 34) of the book of Isaiah. In each instance, a four-step process is pursued: (i) naming the violence and its disturbing details; (ii) a close re/reading of other details in the text—details that qualify the dominant tone of violence; (iii) situating both details in their relevant contexts: socio-historical, literary-rhetorical, and theological; and (iv) inquiring into their significance for prophetic attempts at identity adumbration. Mittwoch, 27. Mai, 18.15 Uhr: Dr. Vladimir Olivero (Harvard University) When Variants Speak: What Can Textual Criticism tell us about the Linguistic Periodization of Biblical Hebrew Over the past two decades years, Hebraists have produced increasingly fine-grained descriptions of linguistic change in Biblical Hebrew, particularly in the domains of syntax and semantics. This paper proposes a new approach to historical linguistics that takes into account the textual history of the Hebrew Bible. It examines the linguistic profile of late readings and additions within the so-called Classical corpus in order to test and refine the accepted periodization of Biblical Hebrew, demonstrating how linguistics and textual criticism can be meaningfully integrated. |
| Language of instruction | German |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Course auditors welcome |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| unregelmässig | See individual dates | ||
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 15.04.2026 | 18.15-20.00 | Rosshofgasse (Schnitz), Seminarraum S 01 |
| Monday 04.05.2026 | 18.15-20.00 | Theologie, Grosser Seminarraum 002 |
| Wednesday 27.05.2026 | 18.15-20.00 | Theologie, Grosser Seminarraum 002 |
| Modules |
Doctoral Studies Theology: Recommendations (Doctoral Studies - Faculty of Theology (start of studies before 01.02.2024)) Doctoral Studies Theology: Recommendations (PhD subject: Theology (Dr. theol.)) Doctoral Studies Theology: Recommendations (PhD subject: Theology (PhD)) Electives Bachelor Jewish Studies: Recommendations (Bachelor's degree subject: Jewish Studies) Electives Bachelor Theology: Recommendations (Bachelor's degree subject: Theology) Interner Wahlbereich Theologie: Empfehlungen (Bachelor's Studies: Theology) Interner Wahlbereich Theologie: Empfehlungen (Master's Studies: Theology) Modul: Geschichte, Literatur, Religion (Master's degree subject: Jewish Studies) Modul: Semitische Philologie (SPh) (Master's Studies: Theology) Modul: Vertiefung in Altertumswissenschaften (Bachelor's degree subject: Ancient Civilizations) Modul: Vertiefung in Altertumswissenschaften (Bachelor's degree program: Ancient Civilizations) Wahlbereich Master Theologie: Empfehlungen (Master's degree subject: Theology) |
| Assessment format | record of achievement |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: teaching staff |
| Repeat examination | one repetition, best attempt counts |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Theology, studiendekanat-theol@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Theologie |