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 survey the main features of rabbinic thought on such issues as halakha and aggada, their attitudes towards history, their attitudes towards other cultures and towards Gentiles, their attitudes towards women, their views of God, of rewards and punishments, of magic and miracle, of messianism and redemption, of the election of Israel, of the status of the rabbis themselves, and so on. The reading materials will consist of primary sources and modern scholarship. Course requirements will include short summaries during the course, and a longer writing assignment at the end of the course.