The Talmud is a "classical" Jewish text composed by the Rabbis of Roman Palestine and Persian Mesopotamia in the first four through seven centuries of the Common Era. Part legal compendium, part lifestyle manual, part narrative anthology, the Talmud is an idiosyncratic, complex, profound and humorous meditation on many aspects of life including conflict, politics, ritual, desire and divinity. We will examine the historical circumstances in which the rabbis and their neighbors lived, studied, and taught. We'll also study its literary features, its stories, discussions, and prescriptions. Finally, we'll consider the ways that these ancient texts specifically treat topics related to the boundaries between the human and the nonhuman (animals, divinity, demons, ghosts), sexgender, reproduction, life/death, and power and politics.

Intended Audience:

History majors and non-majors, Religion minor, Law and social change minor.

Class Format:

Seminar