How did Judaism develop as a religion and a civilization?  How did a tribe of near eastern shepherds become the first monotheists and what changed when they did?  How did the Roman Empire cause Judaism to change from a temple-based cult to a world-wide religion?  Where have Jews lived in the world since then?  How have the Jewish communities of the world fared under Christian and Muslim rule?  Where were the centers of Jewish learning and culture at different points in the Jewish people’s evolution?  How has antisemitism shaped Jewish identity and sensibility?

This class will begin to explore these questions, looking at the history of Jews and Judaism from the Biblical period through the 12^th century C.E.