Prof. Gary A. Rendsburg Leads Series: In Search of Ancient Israel @ TBA

What do we really know about ancient Israel? We know what the Bible says, but what have we learned from archaeology, what do other texts of the time teach us, and what does common sense tell us about just what did and did not happen in the ancient Near East? In Search of Ancient Israel... over three lectures, on Tuesday, April 5, 12 and 19, 7:00 PM, at Temple B’nai Abraham, 300 E Northfield Road, Livingston, Prof. Gary Rendsburg, Blanche and Irving Laurie Professor of Jewish History in the Department of Jewish Studies, Rutgers University, will review the literary, historical and archaeological evidence of such topics as the Patriarchs, the Exodus, settlement in Canaan, and the kingdoms David and Solomon. Along the way we will discuss the intersection of tradition and history; if the Bible’s account is not completely historically accurate…does it matter? This series is supported by the Bernard and Muriel Bloom Memorial Lecture Fund. Free and open to the community. Register online at www.tbanj.org or call 973.994.2290.

Prof. Rendsburg spoke to a packed house last year in his discussion of the Dead Sea Scrolls; those present quickly learned why he is one of Rutgers’ most popular lecturers, and why The Teaching Company sought him out for its online courses on ancient history.

Gary A. Rendsburg is the Blanche and Irving Laurie Professor of Jewish History in the Department of Jewish Studies at Rutgers University. His teaching and research focus on ‘all things ancient Israel’ – primarily language and literature, though also history and archaeology. His secondary interests include post-biblical Judaism, the Hebrew manuscript tradition, and Jewish life in the Middle Ages. Prof Rendsburg is the author of six books and about 150 articles; his most popular book is The Bible and the Ancient Near East, co-authored with the late Cyrus Gordon. In addition, he has produced two courses for the ‘Teaching Company – Great Courses’ program, one on ‘The Book of Genesis’ and one on ‘The Dead Sea Scrolls’. Prof Rendsburg has visited all the major archaeological sites in Israel, Egypt, and Jordan; plus he has excavated at Tel Dor and Caesarea. He previously taught at Cornell University and Canisius College; and he has served as visiting professor or visiting fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, Colgate University, the University of Oxford, the University of Sydney, and the Hebrew University. His current book project is entitled How the Bible Is Written, with particular attention to the use of language to create literature.