For millennia, we humans have wanted to know how it all began, and why. Within the tradition of the Western world, we need to go back to its earliest civilizations to find the foundations of our own notions of creation. First on our list is the Book of Genesis narrative, actually two creation stories blended into one. While that will be the focus of our class, we’ll also delve into the origin stories of ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt and Greece to see not only how they differed from each other, but to what extent they contributed to each other and the Biblical account. Sessions will include richly illustrated historical and archaeological background so that students can fully appreciate the process that created the tales of our beginnings. Texts, notes and additional readings will be provided by the instructor.

In partnership with Congregation Etz Chayim, Palo Alto

In partnership with Congregation Etz Chayim, Palo Alto

The third semester of a three-semester sequence, this course is designed for those who have completed New Lehrhaus Hebrew 1 and 2 and have a working Hebrew vocabulary of about 200 words and are familiar with the grammar of nouns, adjectives, possessive endings and past and present tense verbs. It’s also a great choice for students with basic reading skills who seek a general grammar review.