A Forum on The Orgins of Judaism

Throughout much of history, the Jewish way of life has been characterized by strict adherence to the practices and prohibitions legislated by the Torah: dietary laws, ritual purity, circumcision, Sabbath regulations, holidays, and more. But precisely when did this unique way of life first emerge, and why specifically at that time?

In this revolutionary new study, Yonatan Adler methodically engages ancient texts and archaeological discoveries to reveal the earliest evidence of Torah observance among ordinary Judeans. He examines the species of animal bones in ancient rubbish heaps, the prevalence of purification pools and chalk vessels in Judean settlements, the dating of figural representations in decorative and functional arts, evidence of such practices as tefillin and mezuzot, and much more to reconstruct when ancient Judean society first adopted the Torah as authoritative law.

Focusing on the lived experience of the earliest Torah observers, this investigative study transforms much of what we thought we knew about the genesis and early development of Judaism.

Yonatan Adler, The Orgins of Judaism: An Archaeological Reappraisal. Yale University Press, 2022.

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Contributors

A Conversation with Yonatan Adler on The Origins of Judaism

Part One

Part Two Yontan Adler University of Toronto

History as Science: The Difference of Method Steve Mason  University of Groningen

Power to the People: Reverse Engineering the Origins of Judaism Gad Barnea University of Haifa