The King, the Priest, the Heroine and the Prophet: Lesser-known Biblical Characters

We all know a lot about Adam and Eve, the patriarchs and matriarchs, and the leaders of the Exodus. This course is not about them. It is about more obscure characters in the Torah who nevertheless made a huge impact. Through close textual reading and analysis of rabbinic texts we will learn the untold stories of four fascinating people: (a) Malkitzedek – the king who sold his soul; (b) Jethro – the opinionated priest who enabled Revelation; (c) Elisheva – the long-lived, but unsung, heroine of the Israelites; and (d) Bilaam – the wayward prophet who lost it all.