Course Description
01:506:271 Jewish History: Ancient and Medieval
- Course Code: 01:506:271
- Semester(s) Offered: Fall, Spring
- SAS Core Certified: HST
- Academic Credits: 3
- Mode of Instruction: Lecture
- Cross-listed Course: 01:563:201 ; 01:685:208
Credit will not be given for both this course and the cross-listed courses.
Course Description
This course explores Jewish life from its earliest beginnings in the second millennium BCE through the expulsion of the Jews from Western Europe in the late Middle Ages. Tracing the evolution of one of the world’s oldest cultures in a global context, it examines how Jewish traditions developed in conversation with neighboring traditions; the diversity of Jewish societies, beliefs, and practices; and the influence of Judaism on Christianity, Islam, and the contemporary world. This course also introduces students to Jewish historiography, examining how scholars and communities have constructed the Jewish past and the ways these narratives shape Jewish identity.