HIST 6/452 Text Studies in Midrash, Mishnah, and Gemara: The Shared Heritage of Rabbinic Judaism and Early Christianity

Lectures: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:45-11:00am (ET)

Credit Hours: 3

Cost: $555 Audit; $2,205 Credit

Recorded Lectures: Yes

 Note: This course will be delivered in a hybrid format. Online students will participate via live video stream from the classroom in Jerusalem. Because the instructor will be actively engaging with students in person, they may not always be centered on camera throughout the session. While every effort will be made to ensure a quality viewing experience, the course is designed to prioritize interaction with both in-person and online participants.

Description

A basic introduction to Classic Rabbinic Literature (CRL) – both Tana’itic and Amoraic – using specifically CRL texts that shed light on passages in the New Testament. Emphasis will be placed throughout the course on the “Common Judaism” of the Second Temple period, the shared heritage of both Rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity

Objectives

By the end of the course, a student should be able to:

• identify basic texts, personalities, and concepts found in classical rabbinic literature;
• exhibit familiarity with the secondary literature (anthologies and translations) dealing with classical rabbinic literature; 
• relate, compar,e and contrast classical rabbinic literature with the New Testament and early Patristic literature;
• understand classical rabbinic literature in the context of Second Temple and post-Second Temple Judaism and Christianity.

Equivalencies

• History
• Bible Backgrounds
• Jewish Studies
• Early Christianity
• Biblical and Intertestamental Literature

Instructor

Rabbi Moshe Silberschein: B.A., Columbia University; B.H.L., M.H.L., Jewish Theological Seminary. Faculty, Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion. Ordained rabbi. Began teaching at JUC in 1992.