COMP 291
Sirens in the Synagogue: Real and Imaginary Encounters in Jewish Narratives Antiquity to Present Fall 2012
Division I
Cross-listed JWST 291 / REL 292
This is not the current course catalog

Class Details

Jewish culture, like culture in general, is shaped by a variety of encounters between groups. The image of the Sirens–half-birds (or fish)/half-women–serves as a point of departure to other perhaps no less surprising encounters. In this seminar, we shall read texts in English translation from the Hebrew Bible, and especially from the Rabbinic literature of Late Antiquity–Talmud and Midrash–as well as later periods, to explore the creative encounters that have shaped Jewish literature and culture. We shall study the continuous presence of Biblical interpretation in Jewish literature, as well as the dialogical exchanges with neighboring cultures, especially the Ancient Near East, the Greco-Roman world, emerging Christianity, the Mediterranean region, the Moslem and the European civilizations. Throughout our readings, we will explore cultural concepts such as ethnicity, gender, the sacred, social institutions (such as kingship, priesthood and marriage), individuality, and imagination. Our interpretations of a selection of texts will lead to a deeper understanding of the continuous tradition of Hebrew and Jewish literature and culture.
The Class: Format: seminar
Limit: 19
Expected: 19
Class#: 1409
Grading: yes pass/fail option, yes fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation: active participation in discussions, a midterm paper, final paper, and several response papers to the readings
Prerequisites: none
Enrollment Preferences: Jewish Studies concentrators and Religion majors
Distributions: Division I
Notes: meets Division 2 requirement if registration is under JWST or REL; meets Division 1 requirement if registration is under COMP
This course is cross-listed and the prefixes carry the following divisional credit:
COMP 291 Division I JWST 291 Division II REL 292 Division II

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