Survey of Jewish Interpretation (Zoom Course)

50,430

 

3 Academic Credit Hours (September 11 – December 18, 2024)

Survey of Jewish Interpretation – BSE530

Course will be held via Zoom on Wednesdays, 4 – 7 PM (Israel Time)

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REGISTRATION is OPEN till September 10, 2024

Course Description

It is written in the Talmud (Chagigah 14b), that “four men entered the Pardes (Paradise), i.e., dealt with the loftiest secrets of the Torah… [but only] Rabbi Akiva came out safely“. The phrase Pardes (פרדס ,in Hebrew) stands for four different ways in which traditional Judaism approaches Biblical exegesis:

1- “Peshat” refers to the literal meaning;

2- “Remez”, means looking for hints of an allegorical or a hidden meaning;

3- “Drash”, means to “inquire” the text for the purpose of making an argument;

4- “Sod” refers to the secret and mystical meaning of the text. This course will focus on Rabbinic exegesis of the Tanakh, especially as it interacts with the Messianic approach to scriptures. As we shall see, the traditional hermeneutics of the text was made, both to argue for the justification of the Oral-Law as the only valid Jewish interpretation of the Torah; and as an apologetic tule against Christian understanding of the Bible, especially concerning Messianic prophecies.

Course Goals

  1. To study different Jewish approaches to Scriptures, from antiquity to the Middle Ages.
  2. To learn the different levels of interpretation in Rabbinic Judaism and their objectives.
  3. To compare the NT hermeneutics of the OT, to the Oral-law use of the Bible.

Learning Outcome

  • The students will know the differentiate between the main Jewish approaches to Scriptures.
  • The students will understand the four levels of interpretation in Traditional Judaism and its goal.
  • The students will see how the NT’s understanding of the OT reflects the true meaning of the text.

Course Structure

All lessons will be held through a Zoom format, consisting of lectures and interactive discussions between all participants. There will be 10 three-hour live zoom lectures (with breaks). Recordings will be available to registered students.

We cannot ensure the quality of zoom recordings should technical failures occur. We also cannot guarantee that all parts will be recorded. Therefore, it is NOT possible to register for recordings only. Students need to participate in live lectures.

 

Course Dates and Topics :

Date

Topic
Sep 11,2024 Introduction to course; syllabus; methodology; the beginning of interpretation; Philo and Hellenism
Sep 18,2024 Josephus Flavius: history as interpretation; The Aramaic Targum as a Rabbinic response to the “Christian” use of the Septuagint
Sep 25,2024 The Mishnah: a mere interpretation of the Torah or a New Torah/Testament; Akiva’s revolutionary hermeneutics
Oct 2,2024 Jewish New Year

No class

Oct 9,2024 Four methods of hermeneutics according to the Oral-Law, and 7 principles of interpretating the Torah
Oct 16,2024 Tabernacles

No class

Oct 23,2024 Tabernacles

No class

Oct 30,2024 Rabbinic traditions as Exegesis or Eisegesis: Law, Midrash and Aggadah (stories) and its relations to the NT
Nov 6,2024 Jesus in the Talmud: a mere response to Christianity or an identity builder
Nov 13,2024 The debate over Messianic prophecies through Jewish hermeneutics
Nov 20,2024 ETS meeting
No Class
Nov 27,2024 Thanksgiving Break at DTS

No class

Dec 4,2024 Rashi’s revolutionary interpretation: its goals; its objectives; and its outcomes
Dec 11,2024 “Christian” interpretation of the Bible and the reason why Jewish people have a problem with it till today
Dec 18,2024 The goal of the Torah: will the true Logos please stand up?!; Conclusions

DOWNLOAD SYLLABUS

  • (All reading materials for each lesson will be available to students, in PDF format)

Instructor: Dr. Golan Broshi

Dr. Golan Broshi is an Israeli born Messianic believer in Yeshua and an active member of Or Ha-Sharon Messianic Congregation. He holds MA in Social Education, MA in Jewish Education, and DMin in Middle East Leadership Ministry. He serves on the faculty of Israel College of the Bible in Netanya, Israel, as a full-time lecturer. His teaching field concentration is on Jewish Oral Law, Biblical Hebrew, and Education. Dr. Golan Broshi has published several scholarly articles and books including, The Oral Law Debunked (co-authored with Dr. Eitan Bar, One for Israel, 2018), “Shavuot,” in A Handbook on the Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith (eds. Craig A. Evans, David Mishkin, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2019).

 

Course at a Glance

  • Live Lectures via Zoom
  • September 11 – December 18, 2024, Wednesdays 4 – 7 PM (Israel Time)
  • Language: English

Course Fees

  • For Academic Credit  – $750 USD
  • DTS Students – $450 USD
  • For Personal Enrichment  – $249 USD

REGISTER NOW

*These fees do not include required textbooks

**Payment is non-refundable