Learning Outcomes
After the course students will be able to:
- learn the basic parallel texts of Koran and Bible and the prophets, who are the same in the three monotheistic religions
- get to know the basic methods to research information about the Christian, Jewish and Islamic traditions
- practice the analysis and interpretation of textual narratives and archaeological artefacts that are carriers of religious messages
- become familiar with the comparative religion research of the recent years
- understand the historical role and the meaning of the holy places and the religious monuments for the historical research.
Course Content (Syllabus)
Bible and Koran have common or similar narratives, which are called “Isra΄iliyat”. The most important figures of these narratives are the prophets or messengers. The aim of the course is to understand this material in Bible and Koran and the terms prophets and prophecy, also the concept in Bible and Koran, that the history is Gods’ revelation. In parallel the subject aims for the understanding of the phenomenon of the prophecy in the Ancient Mesopotamia (Mari, Assur), in the milieu of biblical Israel (Syria, Transjordan, Palestine) and in the Arabic Peninsula before Islamic era. Three points are very important: The Jewish and the Christian religion in Arabia before coming of Islam and the cult of god RAHMANAN in South Arabic region (Yemen). The Seven narratives of Gods’ punishment (mathani) are special material, in which are mentioned together biblical and not biblical (arabic) Prophets. It’s very important for the subject the visiting historical and religious monuments like Geni Tzami in Thessaloniki.
Keywords
Quaran, Bible, Prophets, Interpratation