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  1. Navigate Home
  3. Television

  4. Jesus and His Jewish Influences

TELEVISION

Jesus and His Jewish Influences

Series: Great Courses
4.3
(107)
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Episodes
24
Rating
TVPG
Year
2016
Language
English
Publisher
The Great Courses

About

What made Jesus Jesus? How did his life and teachings reflect his Jewish roots-and break away from them? Prepare for a fresh look at Jesus that will bring you closer than ever to the dawn of a spiritual figure-and revolution-that would change the world.

Related Subjects

  • Educational
  • Faith & Inspiration

Episodes

1. Jesus and Judaism

30m

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Begin your fascinating historical adventure by developing a solid framework for your exploration of Jesus's Jewish influences. What was it like to be a Jew in the ancient world? What do we mean when we talk about Jewish temples? And how similar was ancient Judaism to other ancient religions.

2. Sacred Mountains and Law Giving in Judaism

30m

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In ancient Judaism, there was little distinction between religion and politics. In this lecture, explore the importance of the law (the Torah) in the Jewish religion. Then, draw some intriguing connections between the giving of the law to Moses on Mount Sinai and Jesus's own Sermon on the Mount.

3. The United and Divided Israelite Kingdoms

30m

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In this in-depth look at the kingdoms of David and Solomon, follow the transformation of 12 Israelite tribes into a monarchy that eventually crumbled over tensions regarding how to properly worship the God of Israel. Along the way, probe controversies that lie at the heart of modern scholarship's hottest debates.

4. The Destruction of Solomon's Temple

30m

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How (and why) did the First Temple Period end? First, examine the reign of King Josiah, whose popular religious reforms reasserted the importance of Jerusalem's Temple. Then, investigate the Temple's traumatic destruction-and its relationship to Gospel accounts about the destruction of the Second Temple.

5. The Jewish and Samaritan Schism

30m

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After the end of the Babylonian exile in 539 B.C., returning exiles began to reestablish themselves in Jerusalem under Ezra and Nehemiah. This return would lead to a dramatic schism between Jews and Samaritans-one which, as you'll learn, would influence encounters with Samaritans in Jesus's own time.

6. The Jewish Diaspora and the Golden Rule

30m

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What insights into the ancient Jewish diaspora communities can we glean from close readings of the Book of Tobit and the Book of Esther? What do these books say about holiness and the treatment of other people (the "golden rule" of Jesus's time)? Join the fascinating historical-literary debate.

7. Alexander the Great's Impact on the Jews

30m

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Alexander the Great's legendary visit to Jerusalem and Judea had a profound influence on the development of ancient Jewish traditions. Could the ancient warrior also have served as a model for the mythical Jesus? Professor Magness illuminates possible narrative parallels between these two iconic figures of Western history.

8. Jews and Greek Rule: The Heliodorus Affair

30m

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Investigate the strange episode known as the Heliodorus Affair. This power struggle between Jerusalem's elite families during the time of the Ptolemies and Seleucids became a key turning point in the history of Jews in Judea. We also see echoes of this conflict in Gospel accounts of taxation.

9. Desolating Sacrilege and the Maccabean Revolt

30m

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Follow the turbulent story of the Maccabean Revolt after the outlawing of Judaism under Antiochus IV. Then, examine how the Book of Daniel (written around the time of the revolt) dealt with the concept of "desolating sacrilege," and how this is repeated in Jesus's own prophesies about the destruction of the Temple.

10. Apocalyptic Works and the "Son of Man"

30m

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From 1 and 2 Maccabees to the Books of Daniel and Enoch, get a close reading of apocalyptic literary works composed in the aftermath of the Maccabean Revolt. Afterwards, Professor Magness probes possible meanings of the term "son of man" in both the Hebrew Bible and the Gospels.

Extended Details

  • SeriesGreat Courses
  • Closed CaptionsEnglish

Artists

Jodi MagnessWriter
Jodi MagnessActor

Similar Artists

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