Ancient/Medieval Jewish History

The disparate opinions in Caro's Bet Yosef and the bottom line decisions in his Shulhan Arukh combined to create the halakhic code par excellence.

The Mishneh Torah sparked the creation of extensive and voluminous commentary.

Maimonides' two main critics, Rabad and Asheri, argued that multiplicity of opinions is a positive and vital force in Jewish law.

In order to make his code categorical and prescriptive, Maimonides deliberately omitted sources and did not reference his predecessors.

A master Torah commentator who foreshadowed biblical criticism

Beyond just his great volume of work, inspiration from the life of the

Early Jewish texts affirmed the universal fraternity of humankind, while asserting the importance of Jewish distinctiveness.

Overview of the basic story of Jewish history from 539 BCE through 632 CE.

The economic history of the Jews in Palestine in late antiquity

Jewish women in the Diaspora.

Jewish History from the beginning through the Babylonian exile.

The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes on law.