From Israelite Religion to Rabbinic Judaism

3 units

Though essentially a continuation of Biblical Israel, Rabbinic Judaism diverges from the Israelite religion of biblical times in many respects. In this course, we will explore the nature of the relationship between two religious systems. A large part of the course will be devoted to studying the highly diversified and dynamic spiritual world of Second Temple Judaism. A key question to be addressed will be in what ways does Rabbinic law relate to its roots in biblical law.