 2016 - 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 0677-4110-01 | A Mirror for Society:Talmudic Literature as a Source for Sociological Processes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| FACULTY OF HUMANITIES | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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University credit hours: 4.0
Course description
A Mirror for Society: The Talmudic Literature as a Source for Sociological Processes
Like any other living human society, so Jewish society at the time of the Mishnah and Talmud underwent a number of social and economic developments: there were changes in the economy on both the general and personal levels, as well as in the structure and stratification of society, and the concept of the ideal balance between work and study of the Torah etc.
At the present time there is considerable scholarly controversy around the subject of whether it is possible to use talmudic literature as a historical source, and what can be learnt from it. The seminar will therefore move on two parallel tracks:
A. It will be argued that the ancient talmudic literature from Eretz-Israel is the best source for tracing internal Jewish social processes in the country during the time of the Mishnah and Talmud.
B. Through the lens of these talmudic sources, backed up by other literary and archaeological sources, we shall trace some of the characteristics and developments of Jewish society at this time.
Like any other living human society, so Jewish society at the time of the Mishnah and Talmud underwent a number of social and economic developments: there were changes in the economy on both the general and personal levels, as well as in the structure and stratification of society, and the concept of the ideal balance between work and study of the Torah etc.
At the present time there is considerable scholarly controversy around the subject of whether it is possible to use talmudic literature as a historical source, and what can be learnt from it. The seminar will therefore move on two parallel tracks:
A. It will be argued that the ancient talmudic literature from Eretz-Israel is the best source for tracing internal Jewish social processes in the country during the time of the Mishnah and Talmud.
B. Through the lens of these talmudic sources, backed up by other literary and archaeological sources, we shall trace some of the characteristics and developments of Jewish society at this time.