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Jewish Law in Historical Context

LMU München – Institut für den Nahen und Mittleren Osten
(12458) Vertiefungsmodul Judentum im Nahen Osten (Proseminar and Übung) – SoSe 2020
Jewish Law in Historical Context

Instructor: Dr. Rachel Furst

Judaism has been called a religion of law, and the system known as halakhah did indeed govern religious and communal life for most Jews in pre-modern times. But what exactly is halakhah? When did formal codes of Jewish law develop, and why? What is the historical value of academic legal texts or of rabbinic correspondence written to address specific cases and situations? This course will survey the development of Jewish law from the Bible to the State of Israel, with an emphasis on the period from late antiquity until early modernity and a focus on the various genres of legal writing that appeared during these centuries. We will become acquainted with famous rabbinic authors from a range of years and geographical locations; examine the historical and cultural circumstances that gave rise to different forms of halakhic literature; and consider the value of legal texts as a lens into Jewish history and Jewish thought.

Time: Proseminar: Di 10:00-12:00 c.t. / Übung: Di 14:00-16:00 c.t.
Location: This course will be held online, via Zoom.
Language of instruction: English