Hellenistic Judaism

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course is intended to introduce students to the Greek-speaking Judaism that flourished in the Mediterranean world from roughly the 3rd century BCE to the 2nd century CE. After a historical introduction to the period, special attention will be paid to the literary output of translators and authors. We will focus on the Septuagint, a series of Jewish novellas, the Alexandrian tradition (esp. Philo) and Josephus. Some knowledge of Greek will be helpful but is not required, since these sources are available in translation.