Hebrew Script Sem: Torah

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course is a seminar on the Torah (or Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible). It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the Torah, with its foundational stories and ethical codes, for Judaism and Christianity or indeed for Western culture at large. We will work through these texts in some detail from a literary and historical perspective, but also with attention to theological, ethical, and social implications. The fact that this course is a seminar means that we will work together to achieve a depth of understanding that is beyond what any of us could achieve on our own. Every member of the class will be treated as a colleague with something important to offer to the group as a whole. Students are expected to be active, involved, consulting and discussing with each other and with me – a part, in other words, of the great continuing conversation that is education.