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.
The Talmud: A Methodological Introduction
Offered By
Northwestern University
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
12 hours to complete
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 accessed today.
5 videos (Total 33 min), 9 readings, 1 quiz
5 videos
Video 1 Why Study Talmud?5m
Video 2 Where Does the Talmud Come From?5m
Video 3 How the Talmud Works-An Overview6m
Video 4 The Talmud's Interpreters11m
9 readings
Meet Your Professors10m
Grading & Logistics10m
Additional Resources10m
Special Thanks & Permissions10m
Full Glossary10m
Module 1 Glossary10m
Module 1 Rabbi Genealogy & Maps10m
Video 2 Texts & Translations10m
Video 3 Texts & Translations10m
1 practice exercise
Module 1 Quiz12m
Week
22 hours to complete
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 apocryphal book Susannah and the early Rabbinic law code, the Mishnah.
4 videos (Total 31 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz
4 videos
Video 6 Evolution of Testimony Scenarios in Biblical, Second Temple and Rabbinic Literature8m
Video 7 Overview of Mishnah - What it is and how it works6m
Video 8 How Was the Mishnah Organized8m
5 readings
Module 2 Glossary10m
Video 5 Text & Translations10m
Video 6 Texts & Translations10m
Video 7 Texts & Translations10m
Video 8 Texts & Translations10m
1 practice exercise
Module 2 Quiz12m
Week
31 hour to complete
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 (Total 28 min), 4 readings, 1 quiz
3 videos
Video 10 Using Logic in Reading Critically7m
Video 11 Reading the Bible Like a Rabbi9m
4 readings
Video 9 Texts & Translations10m
Module 3 Glossary10m
Video 10 Texts & Translations10m
Video 11 Texts & Translations10m
1 practice exercise
Module 3 Quiz10m
Week
41 hour to complete
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 meaning of a text.
3 videos (Total 26 min), 4 readings, 1 quiz
3 videos
Video 13 How Loyally Were Materials Transmitted7m
Video 14 How Redactors Built a Talmudic Passage7m
4 readings
Video12 Texts & Translations10m
Module 4 Glossary10m
Video 13 Texts & Translations10m
Video 14 Texts & Translations10m
1 practice exercise
Module 4 Quiz8m
4.6
33 ReviewsTop Reviews
Great way of introducing a topic as complex as the Talmud. It was surely amazing to have such course instructors who can rarely be matched both in eloquence and erudition. Overall it was fun!
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.
Instructor
Barry Scott Wimpfheimer
Associate ProfessorReligious Studies
About 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
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