Introduction to Mishnah, Midrash and Talmud - Einzelansicht

Mishnah, Talmud and Midrash are the classical sources of Rabbinic Judaism, the religious movement named after the “rabbis” who are the scholars and sages whose teachings appear in these texts.  Rabbinic Judaism emerged in Late Antiquity, after the Biblical and Second Temple periods but before the rise of Islam. This form of Judaism eventually became the foundation for all later forms of Judaism. The course will introduce the student to the literary-critical, historical and history-of-religions (Religionsgeschichte) approaches to these texts. The larger picture that emerges will contribute to our understanding of the rise and formation of Rabbinic Judaism.

This course is based on lectures (Vorlesungen), and therefore attendance and note-taking is crucial. Moodle will be used for readings of primary and secondary texts. The course will be taught in English. The grade for the course will be based on class participation, class presentation of readings, exam and brief essay.