Re St 3082 - Introduction to Rabbinic Judaism

Institution:

Washington University in St Louis

Subject:

Description:

This course offers a survey of the historical, literary, social, and conceptual development of Rabbinic Judaism from its inception in late antiquity to the early Middle Ages. The goal of the class is to study Rabbinic Judaism as a dynamic phenomenon as a constantly developing religious system. Among the topics to be explored are: How was the sacrificial cult of the Temple replaced by a ritual centered on the reading of Scripture and the recitation of prayers? How did the "Rabbis" emerge as a movement after the destruction of the Second Temple, and to what extent can we reconstruct their history? How did Rabbinic Judaism develop in its two centers of origin, Palestine (the Land of Israel) and Iraq (Jewish Babylonia), to become the dominant form of Judaism under the rule of Islam? How did Jewish ritual and liturgy develop under Rabbinic influence? How were the Rabbis organized and was there diversity within the group? What was the Rabbis' view of women? How did they perceive non-Rabbinic Jews and non-Jews? As Rabbinic Literature is used as the main source to answer these questions, the course provides an introduction to the Mishnah, the Palestinian and Babylonian Talmuds, and the Midrash collections, a literature that defines the character of Judaism down to our own times. All texts are read in translation.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.wustl.edu

Phone Number:

(314) 935-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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