In this episode I discuss the historical formation of the Torah, or Pentateuch, and provide an introduction to the documentary hypothesis. I am now receiving technical support from Brown University, and the quality of the audio is improved.The … [Continue reading] about From Israelite to Jew: 6: The Torah
The Hedgehog, the Fox, and the Talmud
This is not an installment of "From Israelite to Jew," but is instead a reading of an essay recently published on Zeek, an online journal. The written version is here.This is a meditation on the Talmud as read through Tolstoy, and how such a reading … [Continue reading] about The Hedgehog, the Fox, and the Talmud
From Israelite to Jew: 5: Ezra
The fifth episode of the podcast, "From Israelite to Jew." This episode deals primarily with the career of Ezra, in 458 BCE. I discuss intermarriage in the Bible and the emergence of the Torah as a source of authority in Israel.The podcast can be … [Continue reading] about From Israelite to Jew: 5: Ezra
From Israelite to Jew: 4: Return
The fourth episode of the podcast, "From Israelite to Jew." This episode traces the first two returns from Babylonia to Jerusalem, first under Sheshbazzar and then under the dual leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua, and the building of the Second … [Continue reading] about From Israelite to Jew: 4: Return
From Israelite to Jew: 3: Exile
The third episode of the podcast, "From Israelite to Jew." This episode discusses the events leading up to the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE, and the resulting exile.The podcast can be heard here, or click on the player … [Continue reading] about From Israelite to Jew: 3: Exile