History of Judaism (REL107)

REL107, DePaul University, Professor Sivertsev, Paper #1 Nehemiah 8:1-8, Grade Received: A+ Prompt: Carefully read Nehemiah 8:1-8. Write a paper addressing the following questions: What are the purposes of the ceremony described in Nehemiah 8:1-8? In what ways does the ceremony help construct a new group identity for the restored community? Be specific. What institutions and groups become central to the religious life of Jewish community? How does that compare to pre-exilic Judah? ...

REL107 History of Judaism, Prof. Sivertsev, DePaul University, Paper #2 - Midrashic Literature. Prompt: Based on Barry Holtz’s chapter on Midrash, write a short paper discussing this genre of biblical commentary. What are the purposes of midrash? How does it work? What is it about the origins and nature of the Torah's text that makes midrash possible?To illustrate your discussion with a specific example, analyze a section from Midrash Rabbah on the Book of Genesis (section 9 on page 8...