Master of Arts in Hebraic Roots of Christianity
Discover the world that informed the Hebraic roots of Christianity, stretching from the Second Temple Period to the early Rabbinic sages and Church fathers.
HEBRAIC ROOTS OF CHRISTIANITY
About the Program
What You Will Learn
Students pursuing our M.A. in Hebraic Roots of Christianity have the opportunity to delve deeply in the complex yet rich Hebraic world out of which Christianity arose. The field of study is much larger than the Jewishness of Jesus, embracing not only the dynamic world of Second Temple Judaism but also the shared heritage of rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity. The degree program allows our students the flexibility to pursue their own specialized interests within the field.
Unique Opportunities at JUC
Students enrolled in the M.A. in Hebraic Roots of Christianity have ample opportunities to draw upon the rich academic and cultural resources of Jerusalem throughout their period of study. We are hard pressed to find a more appropriate place to study the Christian movement as it developed out of Judaism than in Jerusalem, the city where the church was born.
In Jerusalem, students are immersed in active, living communities, both Jewish and Christian, that trace their descent directly to the days of the New Testament. In addition, the world comes to Jerusalem—conferences and seminars held throughout the city beckon students to interact with biblical scholars and experts in the broad and lively fields of Judaism and early Christianity.
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THE DETAILS
Course Requirements
The M.A. degree in Hebraic Roots of Christianity includes 48 semester credit hours of course work as outlined below. The degree is designed to be completed within two calendar years, although students choosing to pursue the thesis track are granted an additional year. Students for whom English is not their native language are expected to finish the degree in three years if taking the non-thesis track, or four years if pursuing the thesis track. Up to 24 credits of approved graduate-level courses may be transferred in from another degree program if approved by the JUC Academic Committee.
Geography: 4 hours
History: 15 hours
- History of the Second Temple Period (3)
- Text Studies in Midrash, Mishnah, and Gemara: The Shared
Heritage of Rabbinic Judaism and Early Christianity (3) - The Parables of Jesus and Rabbinic Meshalim (3)
- History of the Church in the East (3)
- Hermeneutics of Old Testament Texts in Jewish and
Christian Tradition (3)
Biblical Languages: 14 hours
- Biblical Hebrew I (4)
- Biblical Hebrew II (4)
- Readings in Biblical Hebrew Narrative (3) OR
Introduction to Aramaic (3) - Post-Biblical Hebrew: Second Temple Period (3)
Context Courses: 9 hours from the following
- Biblical Archaeology II (3)
- Archaeology of Jerusalem II (3)
- Cultural Background of the Bible (3)
- Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls (3)
- Intertestamental Literature (3)
- Jewish Roots of Christian Worship and Liturgy (3)
- Iconographic Art in Judaism and Early Christianity (3)
- Seminar in Hebraic Roots of Christianity (3)
- Guided Research in History (3)
Thesis-track degree: 6 hours
Non-Thesis-track degree: 6 hours of additional context courses
Bible Content Examinations
- Old Testament Bible Content Examination
- New Testament Bible Content Examination
Comprehensive - Integrative Examinations
- Issues in the Hebraic Roots of Christianity Examination
- History of the Second Temple Period Examination
Proficiency Examination in Modern Hebrew or Arabic (optional)
Total Credit Hours: 48
Double M.A.
JUC offers double M.A. programs for students who choose to study for an additional year and are accepted into a second M.A. program. Students may share up to half (24) the credits between the following three M.A. programs: Biblical History and Geography, Hebrew and Cognate Languages, and Hebraic Roots of Christianity.
Thesis Track
M.A. students may choose to write a thesis as part of their degree program. Once a topic of interest is chosen, the student will work with two faculty members to develop a thesis proposal, then research and write the thesis. The process of writing a thesis not only allows the student to engage a topic in depth, but also to learn methods of research and writing that allow the student to pursue further academic work.
Sample Thesis Titles
The Sabbath and Jesus
The Changing Attitude of the Church to Jewish Law from the First to Second Century C.E.
A Jewish Response to Paganism after the Destruction of the Temple
A History of Judean Desert Monasticism: The Life of the Monks of the Judean Desert during the Early Byzantine Period according to Literary and Archaeological Sources
Oral Tradition in Judaism and Christianity: The Case of Memorization
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