 2014 - 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 0690-2292-01 | The Characters of the Pentateuch in Midrash and Medieval Jew | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| FACULTY OF HUMANITIES | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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University credit hours: 2.0
Course description
The Characters of the Pentateuch in Midrash and Medieval Jewish Commentaries
Characters are the living heart of any story. It is quite difficult to read a story without forming an opinion about its characters. In this course, we shall examine how both the ancient rabbis and the medieval exegetes reinterpreted a variety of Pentateuch characters. Among them: Nimrod, Hagar, Isaac, Rachel, Pharaoh, Balaam, Joshua and more.
During each session, we will read selected exegetical texts and discuss their literary approach to the concept of character. For instance, how does Midrash Tanhuma shape a certain character as compared to Genesis Rabbah? Or How does Rabbi Joseph Kara interpret emotional displays compared to Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra? We will place special emphasis upon the differences between early and late Midrash, between Jewish exegetes of the Islamic world and their Christian world counterparts and between Midrash and literal exegesis.
This course will grant participants important tools for the understanding of Midrash and medieval exegesis. It is open to all B.A. Students of the Bible program and the Department of Hebrew Culture Studies. Participants from outside the department require the lecturer's approval.
Course evaluation- a term paper.
Characters are the living heart of any story. It is quite difficult to read a story without forming an opinion about its characters. In this course, we shall examine how both the ancient rabbis and the medieval exegetes reinterpreted a variety of Pentateuch characters. Among them: Nimrod, Hagar, Isaac, Rachel, Pharaoh, Balaam, Joshua and more.
During each session, we will read selected exegetical texts and discuss their literary approach to the concept of character. For instance, how does Midrash Tanhuma shape a certain character as compared to Genesis Rabbah? Or How does Rabbi Joseph Kara interpret emotional displays compared to Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra? We will place special emphasis upon the differences between early and late Midrash, between Jewish exegetes of the Islamic world and their Christian world counterparts and between Midrash and literal exegesis.
This course will grant participants important tools for the understanding of Midrash and medieval exegesis. It is open to all B.A. Students of the Bible program and the Department of Hebrew Culture Studies. Participants from outside the department require the lecturer's approval.
Course evaluation- a term paper.