Mini-Course: "A Stranger to My Brothers": Who and What Were Apostates in Ancient Judaism
Join the Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life for a special three-part virtual course taught by Avraham Yoskovich, Jerome and Lorraine Aresty Visiting Scholar.
The course traces the footsteps of the people who are called "apostates" in Rabbinic and other Jewish literature. Who were these people? What did they do to "earn" this title, and what was its meaning? In fact, did they actually exist? We will examine sources from the first millennium until the year 1000 that shed light on the reality and mythology of “apostates.” We will also explore the communal effect on the changing nature of this category.