This degree is offered jointly by the Faculty of Theology and Religion and the Faculty of Oriental Studies. The course is ideal for students wishing to learn more about the origins of Christianity by coming to grips with the complex evidence for the state of Judaism in the Graeco-Roman World in the first century. An emphasis is placed on the detailed study of primary evidence for both Judaism and Christianity in the first and early second centuries CE. You will therefore require a good existing knowledge of both Hebrew and Greek. The structure and content of the course ensures that you have the opportunity to pay equal attention to the history and primary texts of both religious traditions. The Oxford Faculties of Theology and Religion and of Oriental Studies, together with Oxford's wider library resources and collections, provide an unmatched research environment for the study of Judaism and Christianity in the Graeco-Roman World. Many graduates of this course have found their in-depth engagement with the Jewish background to early Christianity an excellent preparation for doctoral study in New Testament, in the history of religions in the early Roman Empire and in Jewish studies. The great majority of graduates of the MPhil in Judaism and Christianity in the Graeco-Roman World go on to pursue doctoral research, at Oxford or another leading university, in either Jewish studies, New Testament or early Christianity. A few recent graduates have pursued careers in fields including academic administration and teaching (secondary school; English as a Foreign Language).