About this course: The Talmud is one of the richest and most complicated works of literature the world has ever known. Since being composed around 1500 years ago it has inspired not only religious reverence but significant intellectual engagement. In this course learners will be introduced to the unique characteristics of this text and the challenges that inhere in studying it while studying a chapter of the Talmud. Students of the course can expect to develop an appreciation for how the Talmud works and why it continues to inspire religious and intellectual devotion. They will be challenged to employ critical reading skills and to analyze legal and historical concepts.
Created by: Northwestern University
Taught by: Barry Scott Wimpfheimer , Associate Professor
Religious Studies
| Commitment | 8 weeks of study, 1-2 hours/week |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Introducing the Talmud
The Talmud is a canonical work of Jewish literature that collects the ideas and arguments of rabbis who lived between the first and eighth centuries CE. This module explains the basics of how the Talmud was composed, why the Talmud matters and how it is access...
5 videos, 9 readings
Graded: Module 1 Quiz
WEEK 2
False Testimony From Bible to Rabbis
The Talmud relies heavily on the authority and substance of its canonical predecessor, the Hebrew Bible. This module charts a trajectory from the biblical origins of the treatment of false testimony in Deuteronomy through its treatment within the second temple...
4 videos, 5 readings
Graded: Module 2 Quiz
WEEK 3
Reading the Bible & Rabbinic Logic
Interpretation is a major component of Rabbinic literature and the Talmud. This module introduces the specific features of Rabbinic interpretation of the Hebrew Bible—its assumptions and its reading tools.
3 videos, 4 readings
Graded: Module 3 Quiz
WEEK 4
Redaction & Textual Witnesses
Textual Criticism is a form of reading that looks to explain the meaning of a text by figuring out aspects of its composition history. This module will show how Talmudic passages are typically constructed and what scholars can do to figure out the original mea...
3 videos, 4 readings
Graded: Module 4 Quiz
WEEK 5
The Stam as Reader and Writer
The historical range of the different centuries of rabbinic literature makes it possible to take note of changes in the ways the different rabbis thought about the Bible and law. This module will demonstrate how later rabbis have a more abstract way of thinkin...
3 videos, 3 readings
Graded: Module 5 Quiz
WEEK 6
Tosefta, Tannaitic Midrash and Palestinian Talmud
Rabbinic literature consists of multiple works in three genres—Midrash, Mishnah and Talmud. This module introduces each of these different genres with a comparative analysis of texts related to false testimony in works of each type.
4 videos, 5 readings
Graded: Module 6 Quiz
WEEK 7
Narrative and History
The Talmud contains many stories that feature historical figures from the rabbinic period. In this module we will demonstrate the difficulty of reading these stories as history and model the use of literary tools for reading such materials.
3 videos, 4 readings
Graded: Module 7 Quiz
WEEK 8
Conclusion
While some of the material we have studied is unsettling, we need to bear in mind that much of it is rabbinic idealization or fantasy. This module goes through both the fantasy of rabbinic power and the realities of the importance of the Talmud in the post-Tal...
3 videos, 3 readings
Graded: Module 8 Quiz
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Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research and teaching university with campuses in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, and Doha, Qatar. Northwestern combines innovative teaching and pioneering research in a highly collaborative environment that transcends traditional academic boundaries.
Ratings and Reviews
I wish the course had covered a bit more about the Talmud, and possibly another topic. The course may need to be a bit longer, though, to accomplish this. Otherwise it was a good beginning study on the Talmud. I appreciate the hard work both put into producing the videos. Thanks for the course.
This course is awesome. Seriously! I'm not Jewish. I have been studying the Torah with a Jewish friend, and I am learning Hebrew. This course went beyond expectations in providing a frame of reference for understanding not only what the Talmud is, but understanding that it is accessible to any who study it! Grateful to the presenters for their energy and presence.
Best course I've experienced on Coursera so far! Really engaging and not 'dumbed down'. Fantastic and charismatic professor and assistant. Already recommended the course to many friends.
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RK
Well-designed, informative and superbly narrated.