2020 Parting of the Ways, course

Textbooks

• Gabriele Boccaccini, Roots of Rabbinic Judaism (available on amazon.com)
• Shaye Cohen, From the Maccabees to the Mishnah (2nd ed. freely available online)

The Literature

Proto-Rabbinic Literature

• Daniel (2nd cent. BCE)
• 2 Maccabees (2nd cent. BCE)
• Psalms of Solomon (1st cent. BCE)
• Pseudo-Philo (around 70)
• 2 Baruch & 4 Ezra (around 100)
• Targum Neofiti (around 150)
• Mishnah (around 200 CE)
• Pirke Aboth (around 250 CE)

Proto-Christian Literature

• Paul & James (around 50-60)
• Synoptics (Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke) (60-100)
• Gospel of John (100 CE)
• Justin, Dialogue with Trypho (around 150)
• Tertullian, An Answer to the Jews (around 200 CE)

Syllabus

• Tue Sep 1, 2020 - Introduction: The Diversity of Second Temple Judaism. Models of relation between Judaism and Christianity. Overview of the Literature of the Period.

Part 1

• Thu Sep 3, 2020 - Problem (1): The Origin of Evil (I) -- Zadokite Judaism, Sapiential Judaism, Enochic Judaism

• Tue Sep 8, 2020 - Problem (1): The Origin of Evil (II)

• Thu Sep 10, 2020 - Reading sessions
  • The Fallen Angels and the Flood in Genesis and Enoch
  • The Fall of Adam in Genesis, Philo and Enoch

• Tue Sep 15, 2020 - The Christian and the Rabbinic Answers (1)
  • The Original Sin
  • The yetzer hara

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• Thu Sep 17, 2020 - Problem (2): The Messiah and the Word to Come (I) - Book of Dream Visions, Daniel, Jubilees

• Tue Sep 22, 2020 - Problem (2): The Messiah and the Word to Come (II)

• Thu Sep 24, 2020 - Reading sessions

• Tue Sep 29, 2020 - The Christian and the Rabbinic Answers (2)
  • Jesus as the divine Messiah
  • The Son of David

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• Thu Oct 1, 2020 - The Problem (3): The Torah and Its Interpretation. The canon (I)

• Tue Oct 6, 2020 - The Problem (3): The Torah and Its Interpretation. The canon (I)

• Thu Oct 8, 2020 - Reading sessions

• Tue Oct 13, 2020 - The Christian and the Rabbinic Answers (3)
  • The Allegorical Meaning
  • The Centrality and Preexistence of the Torah

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• Thu Oct 15, 2020 - Exam

Part 2

• Tue Oct 20, 2020 - Problem (4): The Temple and the Priesthood

• Thu Oct 22, 2020 - Reading sessions

• Tue Oct 27, 2020 - The Christian and the Rabbinic Answers
  • Jesus as the Heavenly High Priest
  • Israel as a people of priests

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• Thu Oct 29, 2020 - Problem (5): Jews and non-Jews

• < Election Day / No class / Tue Nov 3, 2020 >

• Thu Nov 5, 2020 - Reading sessions

• Tue Nov 10, 2020 - Answer
  • Christianity as a "universalistic/exclusive" religion
  • Rabbinic Judaism as a "particularist/inclusive" religion

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• < Thu Nov 12, 2020 - International Seminar on the Gospel of Matthew >

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• Tue Nov 17, 2020 - Unsolved Problems: Women, Slaves

• Thu Nov 19, 2020 - Reading sessions [with Joshua Scott]

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• < Thanksgiving Recess / No classes / Nov 24-26, 2020 >

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• Tue Dec 1, 2020 - Oral presentations (10 min each)

• Thu Dec 3, 2020 - Oral presentations (10 min each)

• Tue Dec 8, 2020 - Oral presentations (10 min each)

• Thu Dec 10, 2020 - Oral presentations (10 min each)