Rabbinic culture grew out of the cultural ferment of the Second Temple period and the profound changes in Jewish society after the destruction of 70 CE. In this course, we will trace the development of Jewish culture from the Second Temple period to the rabbinic period. We will study the main events and processes that shaped the development of Judaism in the late Second Temple period and in the rabbinic period, we will briefly look into the wide-ranging Jewish literature of the Second Temple period, and we will focus at greater length on rabbinic literature itself. The readings will consist of primary sources and modern research. Course requirements will include short summaries during the course, and a longer writing assignment at the end of the course.