Classes

Sacred space and sacred time are two major axes of religion. What purpose did they serve in ancient Israel and the broader Near East? In this seminar, we will work collaboratively to uncover the literary and material evidence of the major shrines and festal celebrations that...

The Hebrew Bible (Christian Old Testament/Jewish Tanakh) continues to play a major role in contemporary debates surrounding matters of sex and death. In this course, students will explore key texts of the Hebrew Bible that concern reproduction, sexual norms, collective...

The Israelite deity, with an unpronounceable name, may seem to have no history, having simply existed from the beginning of time. Yet, closer examination of the biblical evidence reveals a complex story of how a deity associated with storms and warfare gradually emerged as...

How did ancient people decide what to eat, and what not to eat? And why do the ancient texts of the Bible continue to shape the way many people think about diet and identity today? This course will explore the importance of diet in establishing social bonds and ethnic...

This seminar explores how we read biblical texts and interpret their meaning, with a particular focus on the book of Leviticus. How does our reading of this sometimes-derided biblical book change with different methodological assumptions, or in different cultural and...

A course designed to allow students to participate in advanced study and research in topics related to biblical studies that are not covered by regular courses of instruction.

Food and eating profoundly shaped social, religious, economic, and cultural life in antiquity. This course will explore how dietary practices established social bonds and ethnic boundaries in ancient Israel, as well as the importance of food in mediating the Israelites’...

This seminar examines the historical development of Hebrew Bible studies and the principal challenges facing the field today. Beginning with a survey of key works that shaped past research, the seminar turns to explore current controversies: How should we understand the...

This course explores the importance of empire for the study of the Hebrew Bible and its history of reception. Students are introduced to the major hegemonic expansionist states, or “empires,” that shaped the history of ancient Israel from the Late Bronze Age to the...