Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism1 Professor Noam Pianko

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism2 Class Overview Course Introduction Major Course Themes Syllabus/Expectations Start Historical Overview

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism3 Don’t Write this Down! It will be available on the course web- site for download Listen and engage in class!

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism4 Introduction Who am I? Who are you?

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism5 What Do You Think? How should we analyze a religion? What topics would you want to know about? How is studying Judaism similar/different from studying other religions?

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism6 Six Areas of Investigation 1.Role of Scripture and Interpretation 2.Theology and Symbolic Vocabulary 3.Communal Forms and Religious Authority 4.Ritual and Worship 5.Ethical Values and the Formation of the Person 6.Ideologies of Political Life

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism7 1. Scripture and Interpretation What are Judaism’s central texts? How/when do certain texts become “scripture” or canonized ? How does the process of interpretation work in Judaism?

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism8 2. Theology and Symbolic Vocabulary What are the core beliefs/symbols that orient the Jewish tradition? –God –Torah –Israel –Messiah/Redemption How have these concepts changed over time in dialogue with surrounding cultures?

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism9 Symbolic Vocabulary and Surrounding Cultures Christian and Islamic Mysticism Greco-Roman View of the Cosmos Modern Philosophy and Ethics Canaanite Pantheon

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism10 3. Communal Forms and Religious Authority What is the Jewish ideal for community structure? How are boundaries determined? Who is inside/outside of the community? Who establishes norms in the community? Who has authority to enforce norms? How is authority challenged?

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism11 Who Has Authority? A Nation Led By Prophets A Liturgical Community Led By Priests Rabbi and Congregation The Rebbe and His Disciples

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism12 4. Worship and Ritual What rituals (actions with symbolic meaning) and forms of worship does Judaism proscribe? How is time punctuated on the Jewish calendar? What are Jewish conceptions of worship and how have they changed?

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism13 Jewish Worship: From Sacrifice to Yoga

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism14 5. Ethical Values and the Formation of the Person What does it mean to be a good Jew? A good person? Where do ethics come from? How do celebrations of milestones (lifecycle events) contribute to the formation of the individual? How have Jewish ethics/values changed over time?

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism15 6. Ideologies of Political Life How has Judaism interacted with its many majority host cultures? What effect has life in the diaspora had on Judaism? What is the relationship between the modern State of Israel and Judaism?

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism16 A Taste of Contemporary Jewish Diversity How do the six themes play out in this video? What is interesting about the film? What questions about Judaism does the film raise?

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism17 Syllabus Notes Writing and Analysis Emphasis Books in Class and Section Late Policy Introducing Jennifer Callaghan Key terms exam

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism18 Why Start Intro to Judaism with Jewish History? Pragmatic Considerations Past-Present-Future Blurred in Jewish Tradition –History and memory –Fact and myth

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism19 Central Themes in Jewish History 1.Fluid Boundaries Between Jew and non-Jew 2.Diaspora and “Imagined Community” 3.Persecution

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism20 Example

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism21 But First, Some Terminology Hebrews Israelites-Children of Jacob/Israel Judeans-Southern Kingdom Jews-Book of Esther Judaism Hebrew Bible/TaNaCh

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism22 Jewish History in Six Acts 1.Israelite Origins and the Babylonia Exile (1900 BCE-587 BCE) 2.Return to Judea and the Second Temple (515 BCE-70 CE) 3.Diaspora and Rabbinic Judaism in Babylon and Jerusalem(70 CE-632 CE) 4.Jews in the Islamic World (632 CE-1500 CE) 5.Jews in Medieval Europe ( ) 6.Jews in the Modern World (1500-present)

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism23 Ancient Israelite History What do we know? What sources are available? What do you need to know?

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism24 The Historicity of the Bible Nomadic group called “Habiru” Migration from Mesopotamia into Canaan Temple and New Capital built in Egypt in 13th century BCE No Evidence of Exodus from Egypt Pharaoh's Inscription (1220BCE) –“Israel is Laid to Waste, his seed is no more.” Records of conquest

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism25 Bible Emerges from Ancient Near Eastern Setting Bible reflects interactions with surrounding cultures Bible culls from local traditions, narratives, rituals Imagines community of Israelites as distinct and separate

Lecture 1Introduction to Judaism26 Similar Divine Myths “ When you [Baal] killed Litan, the fleeing serpent, finished off the twisting serpent, the mighty one with seven heads, the heavens withered and drooped ” “ On that day, Yahweh will punish with his fierce, great, and mighty sword Leviathan, the fleeing serpent, Leviathan, the twisting serpent, he will slay the dragon of the sea. ”