Early Christianity and Judaism Seminar at Sea
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Mark your calendars!
Dr. Jodi Magness, a senior endowed chair in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will be giving lectures onboard Holland America's MS Veendam from January 27 — February 3, 2008. The cruise ship will start sailing from Tampa to Mexico to Belize and Guatamela. To sign up, click here.
Dr. Magness was one of the first folks to identify the weaknesses of the academically challenged docudrama, the Lost Tomb of Jesus. She will be giving lectures regarding the following topics:
The Jewish Background to Jesus and Paul
What does it mean when we describe Jesus and Paul as Jews? In this lecture we consider Jesus and Paul within the context of late Second Temple period Judaism.
Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus
In this slide-illustrated lecture we examine the major monuments and sites of Jerusalem in the late Second Temple period, focusing especially on the Temple Mount.
Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls
We will survey the archaeology of Qumran, using information from the Dead Sea Scrolls to help understand the lifestyle and beliefs of the Jewish sect that lived at Qumran and deposited the scrolls in the nearby caves.
Ossuaries and the Burials of Jesus and James
In this slide-illustrated lecture we consider how Jesus and James were buried, within the context of Jewish burial customs of the late Second Temple period, including a discussion of the so-called James ossuary (bone box) and the Talpiyot tomb, claimed by some to be the burial cave of Jesus and his family.
Was the Holy Grail a Stone Cup?
A recent National Geographic special portrayed the Holy Grail as a stone cup, a type of vessel commonly used by some Jews in the late Second Temple period in connection with the observance of ritual purity. In this lecture we consider the accuracy of this reconstruction in light of our information about Jesus’ attitudes towards Jewish purity laws.
Ancient Synagogues
In this slide-illustrated lecture we survey ancient synagogues in Palestine (the Land of Israel) from the first to sixth century C.E., concentrating on the origins and development of the institution. We focus especially on the remains of monumental synagogues such as Capernaum and the startling iconography that decorates some of these buildings, which includes the Greco-Roman sun god Helios.
Labels: early christianity, Jodi Magness, judaism
