God. Torah. Israel. These three concepts have been the focus of Jewish thought throughout history. The last four centuries have presented Jewish thinkers with increasingly difficult challenges. Through these lectures you will observe the time-honored intellectual tradition through which Judaism analyzes, rethinks, and reformulates itself.
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This course presents an overview of Jewish culture and society, from its rabbinic foundations in late antiquity up to the dawn of modernity in the 17th century.
Follow an acclaimed archaeologist to unearth the roots of Jesus’s actions and teachings within the traditions of early Judaism. This fascinating course approaches the subject from a historical, rather than scriptural, perspective; one rooted in ancient texts and archaeological discoveries. Discover hidden insights into how the tumultuous events of Jewish history shaped an individual whose legacy endures to this day.
What is the essence of Judaism? Is it the Ten Commandments? The teachings of the Hebrew Bible? Or something else entirely? Professor Isaiah M. Gafni of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem addresses these and other fundamental issues as he explores the ever-changing, 4,000-year saga of Judaism, one of the world's most ancient and influential religions. Throughout Great World Religions: Judaism, you study this faith as it was understood by its adherents in the past and by those who practice or identify with Judaism today.
The roots of Judaism reach back to the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Old Testament by Christians. For thousands of years, Jews have looked to these scriptures for their origins, and have located in them the tenets of their faith. However, much of what is recognized today as Judaism does not appear in the Bible. How did Judaism develop from its biblical roots to the highly developed system we know today? What has changed—and what has remained constant?
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