During the period from the conquest of Asia by Alexander the Great in the late fourth century B.C.E. to the extension of Roman citizenship by the Severan Emperors about 500 years later in 212 C.E., biblical Judaism was transformed into rabbinic Judaism, whose evolution continues to this day. The context of this pivotal development was the Greek and Roman world of the ancient Near East. The resulting contacts between Jews, Greeks, and Romans led to two major political events in Jewish history-the restoration of Jewish sovereignty under the Hasmoneans, and the subsequent loss of this sovereignty, including the eventual destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, under the Romans. At the same time, the fundamental institutions of rabbinic Judaism emerged: the Written and Oral Law, the synagogue, and the rabbis themselves. Starting from the assumption that this Classical setting had a profound impact on these developments, this course seeks to understand the relationship between Judaism and its Greek and Roman context. In particular it will focus on two overarching questions: How did the Classical world and Judaism react to each other? How did the Classical world and Judaism influence each other? Specific topics to be explored include the Maccabean revolt, Alexandrian Judaism, anti-Judaism, the philosopher/sage, the destruction of the Second Temple, the Bar Kochba revolt, and the origin of the Mishnah. Format: lecture. Evaluation will be based on a midterm, a 5- to 10-page paper, and a final exam. No prerequisites. This course is part of the Jewish Studies concentration.