Jews and Christians are united in the belief that at the end of time God will raise the dead and make them live again. In Antiquity, some believers went even further and longed for a life among the angels. The hope for the resurrection of the dead did not originate with Christianity, as is often claimed, but has deep roots in ancient Judaism. This talk will trace the origins of the belief in the resurrection from the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament through the Judaism of the Second Temple period to the New Testament. Only when the New Testament texts are read in the context of ancient Judaism can we fully appreciate what the two religions have in common.

Sponsored by: Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies