Studies in Ancient Judaism: Priests, Temples, and Sacrifice

This course examines literary sources and archaeological evidence from the 9th - 1st centuries BCE related to issues of ritual, cult, temple, priests, and sacrifice. We consider each text as a literary work in its own right, and discuss the relevant archaeological and comparative ancient Near Eastern sources. This approach points to diverse and divergent cultic ideologies across Judea and the Diaspora. Some of the texts we may study are: the pentateuchal priestly source, Ezekiel, Kings, Chronicles, Elephantine papyri, the Temple Scroll, the Letter of Aristeas, the Aramaic Levi Document, and the Qumran New Jerusalem text.