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Beginnings of Judaism
How did Judaism develop from its biblical roots to the highly developed system we know today? What has changed—and what has remained constant? The answers to these questions are relevant to all faiths, as well as to anyone seeking to broaden their understanding of ancient history—a past that is inexorably linked to the present.
The roots of Judaism reach back to the Hebrew Bible—also known as the Old Testament by Christians. For thousands of years, Jews have looked to these scriptures for their origins, and have located in them the tenets of their faith. The Bible provides Jews reasons for sadness and joy, wisdom, and most of all, a profound belief in what God expects of them and has promised to them.
Though Jews of every generation have recognized and cherished the Bible as the ultimate source of all Jewish existence, much of what is recognized today as Judaism does not appear in the Bible.
For example, worshipping in places other than the single, original Temple in Jerusalem is expressly forbidden by the Bible. Nevertheless, Jews today worship in synagogues wherever there might be a Jewish community. Similarly, the Rabbinic model, for centuries the most visible example of religious and communal leadership among Jews, is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible.
In Beginnings of Judaism, Professor Isaiah M. Gafni of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem leads a spirited and provocative exploration of how the Jewish faith struggled to continually redefine itself during the first thousand years after the completion of the last books of the Hebrew Bible, tenaciously clinging to existence through circumstances that might well have torn it asunder.
This course explores the evolution of an ancient faith into a system of beliefs, practices, and laws recognizable today as Judaism. We discover a tradition of vigorous and joyous debate—where reinterpretation coexists with profound acceptance of the original instructions from God regarding the practice of faith.
Insights into this historical evolution—especially with respect to the roles of Jerusalem and the Diaspora in Jewish history—can also deepen one's perception of the historical, psychological, and religious forces at play in the Middle East today.
How Did Judaism Survive the Destruction of Its Most Sacred Place—Twice?
The crucial millennium on which Professor Gafni focuses twice witnessed the destruction of the Jewish people's most sacred place: the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. It was first destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E., and, after having been rebuilt 70 years later, was razed once again by the Romans in 70 C.E., after the Jews waged a fierce uprising against Roman rule in the province of Judea. A major portion of the course is devoted to the period between these two landmark events that altered Jewish history forever.
The destruction of the Second Temple, according to Professor Gafni, is "arguably the most important watershed in the history of the Jewish people," bringing about "a total reshaping and redefining of the Judaism that had evolved for centuries prior to that event."
Indeed, in the wake of the second destruction, Judaism's earthly religious and political center was literally removed. What came next was not an end, but a beginning. Synagogues replaced the Temple. Prayer came into being as an alternative to sacrificial worship. And Rabbinic Judaism in time became the dominant model of the faith. But as Professor Gafni emphasizes, the evolution of a reshaped Judaism took place amid constant tension created by two competing forces.
On one hand, there was the fervent belief in the unchanging continuity of Judaism's scriptural roots—a belief clearly expressed in the Rabbinic formulation, "Whatever an established student is destined to teach has already been revealed to Moses at Sinai."
At the same time, however, the challenges brought about by a rapidly changing world and the need to adapt the practice of the faith to new and often bitter realities in order to survive introduced a constant process of innovation.
What Does One of the Most Famous Rabbinical Stories Reveal about Judaism?
A ready awareness of this tension—the axial theme of Professor Gafni's approach to the course—has always been implicit in Judaism. Indeed, a candid admission of its power forms the core of a famous legend told by the rabbis themselves. The story recounts how Moses was granted the privilege of an incognito visit, many hundreds of years after his death, to a class of students studying the same Torah, or book of learning, he had received from God on Mount Sinai.
The class is led by Rabbi Akiva, the most prominent Jewish sage of the 2nd century. As Moses listens to their animated discussion of the Torah, he hears Rabbi Akiva ascribe a particularly difficult issue as a law "given to Moses at Sinai." Moses realizes he cannot even recognize this law they are discussing—the law supposedly given to him.
The legend makes cle...
The roots of Judaism reach back to the Hebrew Bible—also known as the Old Testament by Christians. For thousands of years, Jews have looked to these scriptures for their origins, and have located in them the tenets of their faith. The Bible provides Jews reasons for sadness and joy, wisdom, and most of all, a profound belief in what God expects of them and has promised to them.
Though Jews of every generation have recognized and cherished the Bible as the ultimate source of all Jewish existence, much of what is recognized today as Judaism does not appear in the Bible.
For example, worshipping in places other than the single, original Temple in Jerusalem is expressly forbidden by the Bible. Nevertheless, Jews today worship in synagogues wherever there might be a Jewish community. Similarly, the Rabbinic model, for centuries the most visible example of religious and communal leadership among Jews, is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible.
In Beginnings of Judaism, Professor Isaiah M. Gafni of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem leads a spirited and provocative exploration of how the Jewish faith struggled to continually redefine itself during the first thousand years after the completion of the last books of the Hebrew Bible, tenaciously clinging to existence through circumstances that might well have torn it asunder.
This course explores the evolution of an ancient faith into a system of beliefs, practices, and laws recognizable today as Judaism. We discover a tradition of vigorous and joyous debate—where reinterpretation coexists with profound acceptance of the original instructions from God regarding the practice of faith.
Insights into this historical evolution—especially with respect to the roles of Jerusalem and the Diaspora in Jewish history—can also deepen one's perception of the historical, psychological, and religious forces at play in the Middle East today.
How Did Judaism Survive the Destruction of Its Most Sacred Place—Twice?
The crucial millennium on which Professor Gafni focuses twice witnessed the destruction of the Jewish people's most sacred place: the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. It was first destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E., and, after having been rebuilt 70 years later, was razed once again by the Romans in 70 C.E., after the Jews waged a fierce uprising against Roman rule in the province of Judea. A major portion of the course is devoted to the period between these two landmark events that altered Jewish history forever.
The destruction of the Second Temple, according to Professor Gafni, is "arguably the most important watershed in the history of the Jewish people," bringing about "a total reshaping and redefining of the Judaism that had evolved for centuries prior to that event."
Indeed, in the wake of the second destruction, Judaism's earthly religious and political center was literally removed. What came next was not an end, but a beginning. Synagogues replaced the Temple. Prayer came into being as an alternative to sacrificial worship. And Rabbinic Judaism in time became the dominant model of the faith. But as Professor Gafni emphasizes, the evolution of a reshaped Judaism took place amid constant tension created by two competing forces.
On one hand, there was the fervent belief in the unchanging continuity of Judaism's scriptural roots—a belief clearly expressed in the Rabbinic formulation, "Whatever an established student is destined to teach has already been revealed to Moses at Sinai."
At the same time, however, the challenges brought about by a rapidly changing world and the need to adapt the practice of the faith to new and often bitter realities in order to survive introduced a constant process of innovation.
What Does One of the Most Famous Rabbinical Stories Reveal about Judaism?
A ready awareness of this tension—the axial theme of Professor Gafni's approach to the course—has always been implicit in Judaism. Indeed, a candid admission of its power forms the core of a famous legend told by the rabbis themselves. The story recounts how Moses was granted the privilege of an incognito visit, many hundreds of years after his death, to a class of students studying the same Torah, or book of learning, he had received from God on Mount Sinai.
The class is led by Rabbi Akiva, the most prominent Jewish sage of the 2nd century. As Moses listens to their animated discussion of the Torah, he hears Rabbi Akiva ascribe a particularly difficult issue as a law "given to Moses at Sinai." Moses realizes he cannot even recognize this law they are discussing—the law supposedly given to him.
The legend makes cle...
370 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2008
10 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 3, 2022
Had to abandon halfway through. Content was very interesting, but the narrator-lecturer was a bit grating. He's very passionate about what he's talking about, but I felt like I was constantly being yelled at and consequently, my anxiety skyrocketed. Will find another source to learn more about Judaism.
April 27, 2023
I was constantly on the edge of my seat and couldn’t wait for the next episode and ended up watching 3 or 4 episodes every night. These episodes were that good and exciting.
There is just something so exciting while looking at a relatively unimportant group of people and see all of history that happens around them and putting the background of the larger group (Assyrians, Babylonians, and Romans) into that foreground of the smaller group (Judean and Israelis) such that the history of the region comes together as a whole and the multiple timelines mesh.
The professor does an outstanding job of connecting various pieces and showing how the narrowly focused history of a small area in the Levant matters even today for all Western Civilization. A side note, I’m currently reading Polybius’ Histories which deals with all things related to the Carthaginian Wars and the Roman Empire and the Near East, and Polybius has not mentioned once the Judeans in his book, and for which this lecture series covered the same time period, and I don’t think this lecturer once mentioned Hannibal or the Carthaginian Wars, sometimes the meshing comes about through the student themselves.
Looking at something as narrowly as that which was presented in this lecture allows one to understand the larger picture and gives one a universal understanding through a recursive methodology. I would also recommend watching the Dead Sea Scroll lecture series before doing this series. History is dynamic and changing and how we think and what we know about the past is always in flux, great lectures like this one widens one's understanding of history.
There is just something so exciting while looking at a relatively unimportant group of people and see all of history that happens around them and putting the background of the larger group (Assyrians, Babylonians, and Romans) into that foreground of the smaller group (Judean and Israelis) such that the history of the region comes together as a whole and the multiple timelines mesh.
The professor does an outstanding job of connecting various pieces and showing how the narrowly focused history of a small area in the Levant matters even today for all Western Civilization. A side note, I’m currently reading Polybius’ Histories which deals with all things related to the Carthaginian Wars and the Roman Empire and the Near East, and Polybius has not mentioned once the Judeans in his book, and for which this lecture series covered the same time period, and I don’t think this lecturer once mentioned Hannibal or the Carthaginian Wars, sometimes the meshing comes about through the student themselves.
Looking at something as narrowly as that which was presented in this lecture allows one to understand the larger picture and gives one a universal understanding through a recursive methodology. I would also recommend watching the Dead Sea Scroll lecture series before doing this series. History is dynamic and changing and how we think and what we know about the past is always in flux, great lectures like this one widens one's understanding of history.
January 30, 2015
This was a great course on the History of Judaism. Having the distinct phases (1st Temple, 2nd Temple, Diaspora, Etc) outlined through historical context helped me see and understand the mindset and doctrinal focuses that have emerged along the way. If you are experiencing life through the context of Christianity it is a beautiful thing to grasp the context and culture behind Judaism. You can see and understand so much more from the moment that split occurs and the reason why so many did not take to the new sectarian movement while also seeing exactly where and why sectarian movements are born and how they spread. Year 70 CE to the Jews was psychologically devastating... wow.
August 26, 2016
Another Fantastic Course by the Teaching Company! This course gives one a better handle on the Jewish Religion and culture and follows it from its earliest history to the time after the destruction of the second temple in 70 ACE. This helps one appreciate the religious influences and the rich culture of the people. A deeper understanding of Christianity naturally accompanies any study of Judaism.
I can really appreciate the values and customs of the Jewish people after studying it. They are a wonderful people full of a rich and fascinating history
I can really appreciate the values and customs of the Jewish people after studying it. They are a wonderful people full of a rich and fascinating history
February 6, 2023
A fantastic resource for anyone wanting to study the roots of their Jewish or Christian faith and those interested in the history of the Middle East. Prof. Gafni is someone I would love to take a course from.
November 17, 2025
So many more books to now listen to...
September 20, 2025
And excellent history by an authoritative professor.
August 17, 2023
by no means my first crack at the content of the great courses library on audible... so my opinions on the Beginnings of Judaism course are... mixed; a bit of both good and bad, I suppose?
for context, I've always found Judaism interesting out of the three major Abrahamic religions(accompanied by Christianity and Islam); yet I've never 'dived' into the lore of the religion despite said interest. the lecturer, prof Isiah m. gafni is both very well-informed and passionate of his studies. gafni dives into the itricacies surrounding the religious, literary, and cultural traditions of Judaism for the past 2.5 millennia--and is by all means, convincing--from ancient egypt to contemporary Israel, today. each lecture (approx an hour in length) dives into both the historiography and mythology of jewish characters and philosophers appearing throughout the religion; relying upon religious texts as a substance to his arguments. references to the 'more common' texts such as the hebrew bible(torah), talmud, or moses's works are frequently corroborated throughout the lecture series. conversely--and to my own appreciation--gafni places heavy emphasis on the lesser known subtexts in judaic, or specifically, rabbinic literature; such as the mishnah or halakhah. a focus placed upon these texts is crucial to understanding the evolution of religious laws and governing principles of judaism through the millennium... ultimately paving the way for Christianity and Islam in the modern-day, as well. so that's 'the good', now, let me speak to some of the negative points in my mind...
generally speaking, gafni's insistence upon informing the listener about jewish texts presented to me as a real and legitimate double-edged sword for him as the authority informing a-relatively uninformed listener. on one hand, sure, it helped solidify his arguments surrounding judaism in the modern day; a religion that keeps on evolving despite its age. now, ON THE OTHER HAND, MY GOODNESS he could be boring as fuck at times. mind you, this was by no means a consequence of lacking passion; this man would at times yell (JUMPSCARE!) while making his points... i could hear the audiobalancer scream in agony. regardless, gafni's demeanour and speaking strategies; as well as the choice of certain content in some lectures... kinda bored me tbh. however, i learned stuff! albeit arguably random, that's what matters.
an aside-- i never realized the destruction of both the first and second temple mounts WERE LITERALLY seen as cataclysmic events in Jewish tradition... so that was cool to learn about.
for context, I've always found Judaism interesting out of the three major Abrahamic religions(accompanied by Christianity and Islam); yet I've never 'dived' into the lore of the religion despite said interest. the lecturer, prof Isiah m. gafni is both very well-informed and passionate of his studies. gafni dives into the itricacies surrounding the religious, literary, and cultural traditions of Judaism for the past 2.5 millennia--and is by all means, convincing--from ancient egypt to contemporary Israel, today. each lecture (approx an hour in length) dives into both the historiography and mythology of jewish characters and philosophers appearing throughout the religion; relying upon religious texts as a substance to his arguments. references to the 'more common' texts such as the hebrew bible(torah), talmud, or moses's works are frequently corroborated throughout the lecture series. conversely--and to my own appreciation--gafni places heavy emphasis on the lesser known subtexts in judaic, or specifically, rabbinic literature; such as the mishnah or halakhah. a focus placed upon these texts is crucial to understanding the evolution of religious laws and governing principles of judaism through the millennium... ultimately paving the way for Christianity and Islam in the modern-day, as well. so that's 'the good', now, let me speak to some of the negative points in my mind...
generally speaking, gafni's insistence upon informing the listener about jewish texts presented to me as a real and legitimate double-edged sword for him as the authority informing a-relatively uninformed listener. on one hand, sure, it helped solidify his arguments surrounding judaism in the modern day; a religion that keeps on evolving despite its age. now, ON THE OTHER HAND, MY GOODNESS he could be boring as fuck at times. mind you, this was by no means a consequence of lacking passion; this man would at times yell (JUMPSCARE!) while making his points... i could hear the audiobalancer scream in agony. regardless, gafni's demeanour and speaking strategies; as well as the choice of certain content in some lectures... kinda bored me tbh. however, i learned stuff! albeit arguably random, that's what matters.
an aside-- i never realized the destruction of both the first and second temple mounts WERE LITERALLY seen as cataclysmic events in Jewish tradition... so that was cool to learn about.
October 17, 2024
Because I have a Jewish girlfriend and because I have always considered Judaism one of the more intelligent religions, I decided to learn a little more about its beginnings. The lecturer is a very learned man and does an excellent job of covering roughly 600 years of Jewish history. I learned that in the days of a temple there were priests and they were the only ones allowed in the temple. The temple more or less represented God and animal sacrifices were made there. When the first temple was destroyed in 586 BCE, the early Jews were traumatized and scattered across the region. The second temple was built in 516 BCE and was once again destroyed (by the Romans) with a similar result. But this time there were rabbis (the period is known as rabbinical Judaism) and they decided to begin synagogues. Meanwhile, the texts that kept these people together were canonized: the Old Testament, the prophets and the writings. It is a very complicated history. I came away with a respect for the people who held this religion together while nearly everyone around them tried to tear it apart. I always look to Thomas Friedman for insights into modern Israel and he seems to think that Netanyahu has to go and the radical right needs to be reined in.
September 8, 2019
Other than the occasional changes of pronunciation of Hebrew, I loved this series of lectures. Also note that while the lecturer is addressing a general audience, there is a tendency in Jewish study to insert Hebrew words and leave them undefined, assuming the audience already knows what they mean. While this hardly happens during these lectures, I did hear it happen at least twice.
FYI, I am an Orthodox Jew. The lectures are not given from an Orthodox standpoint. Neither are they given from a strictly academic standpoint. He attempts to bridge the gap between an academic viewpoint and a religious one. I think he does a reasonable job of it, but keep in mind that I came to Judaism from an academic viewpoint. I own the two volume set of James H. Charlesworth's "The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: Apocalyptic Literature and Testaments". I only became Orthodox later on.
I'd definitely listen to these lectures again and again.
FYI, I am an Orthodox Jew. The lectures are not given from an Orthodox standpoint. Neither are they given from a strictly academic standpoint. He attempts to bridge the gap between an academic viewpoint and a religious one. I think he does a reasonable job of it, but keep in mind that I came to Judaism from an academic viewpoint. I own the two volume set of James H. Charlesworth's "The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: Apocalyptic Literature and Testaments". I only became Orthodox later on.
I'd definitely listen to these lectures again and again.
January 5, 2020
A great and comprehensive collection, but it didn't go far back enough. I was expecting to hear about the *actual* beginnings of Judaism, including the Abrahamic mythology, before the established rules and traditions, where the lectures start.
January 31, 2022
This was a wonderful course! Being a Christian minister's child I thought i had a working grasp on the history of this wonderful ancient faith. Turns out i was very wrong! DR. Gafni took the very complex history of a people and distilled it so well!
June 24, 2018
Clear precise history of Judaism and early Christianity mostly from Babylonian times until the 3rd Century AD, with focus on history, not religious doctrine.
March 13, 2021
Fantastic, historical tale told in a simple but fascinating way. Very well done.
October 13, 2022
Well done, as are nearly all of the Great Courses lecture series.
January 28, 2023
Good introduction. Nothing new if you already know general Hebrew history.
October 27, 2023
Engaging, informative, and very well organized and conceived.
November 16, 2024
So much interesting information, a ton of new context despite 12 years of formal education! And I love the professor’s accent — so good.
February 8, 2016
Audio download, 24 30 minute lectures
I listened to these lectures (while reading along with the more-than-adequate notes) in order to fill gaps in my understanding of both the history of the Levant/Judea and the history of the Jewish people. Dr Gafni was up to the task, with his well-organized and clearly articulated lectures. For those considering purchasing this course be prepared for an historical discussion, not one of faith...this is not a religious course, but you will learn a lot about the roots of that religion.
I have completed courses involving the history of the area from several different points of view from several different secular and nonsecular authors, ranging from Egypt to Mesopotamia to Macedonia to Rome all of which dovetailed quite nicely with these lectures. From a religious history point of view I found it interesting that the origins of the christian religion (beginning with the writings of Paul) corresponds surprisingly well with the post 2nd Temple, rabbinic (and messianic) period of the Jewish religion...and, really, why shouldn't it.
I recommend this series for anyone interested in history...and if you are like some reviewers who rate courses having listened to one lecture, then I recommend Lecture 24, a well-presented and thoroughly entertaining summary of an excellent lecture series.
It's often on sale...and when a coupon is applied, it's a real bargain...I got it for about 50 cents/lecture.
I listened to these lectures (while reading along with the more-than-adequate notes) in order to fill gaps in my understanding of both the history of the Levant/Judea and the history of the Jewish people. Dr Gafni was up to the task, with his well-organized and clearly articulated lectures. For those considering purchasing this course be prepared for an historical discussion, not one of faith...this is not a religious course, but you will learn a lot about the roots of that religion.
I have completed courses involving the history of the area from several different points of view from several different secular and nonsecular authors, ranging from Egypt to Mesopotamia to Macedonia to Rome all of which dovetailed quite nicely with these lectures. From a religious history point of view I found it interesting that the origins of the christian religion (beginning with the writings of Paul) corresponds surprisingly well with the post 2nd Temple, rabbinic (and messianic) period of the Jewish religion...and, really, why shouldn't it.
I recommend this series for anyone interested in history...and if you are like some reviewers who rate courses having listened to one lecture, then I recommend Lecture 24, a well-presented and thoroughly entertaining summary of an excellent lecture series.
It's often on sale...and when a coupon is applied, it's a real bargain...I got it for about 50 cents/lecture.
April 9, 2015
Professor Gafni was terrific explaining the beginnings through the destruction of the Second Temple in the first century and the final Jewish uprisings against the Romans in the second century. Course also provides an essential understanding of the roots of what would eventually become the beginnings of early Christianity.
half-read
July 11, 20122 Dvd's, Course Guide and 2 Transcript Books.
February 26, 2015
Extremely helpful in filling in my knowledge of ancient Judaism for my teaching of the first five Books of Moses.
December 31, 2016
Easy to follow in downloaded audio format. I learned a lot!
March 25, 2017
Gafni did a great job summarizing Judaism during the Second Temple Period, especially the evolution of its beliefs. Topics range from Ezra-Nehemiah and Cyrus, the Hasmonean dynasty, Philo of Alexandria, to the development of Rabbinic Judaism, the Jewish identity after the temple, and so much more!
The course challenged my belief in a "stable" Judaism, especially when I see Jews adapting the teachings of the Hebrew Bible to their time. It makes me wonder how true"progressive revelation" is, and if it's okay to "adapt" certain beliefs to fit certain time periods as the Jews did.
The course challenged my belief in a "stable" Judaism, especially when I see Jews adapting the teachings of the Hebrew Bible to their time. It makes me wonder how true"progressive revelation" is, and if it's okay to "adapt" certain beliefs to fit certain time periods as the Jews did.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews