This course surveys the history and culture of Jews from Biblical times to the post-World-War II period. Traversing Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and Modernity, we will examine the ways in which Jews interacted with and experienced other religious and intellectual systems (Hellenism, Christianity, Islam, the Reformation, the Renaissance, Enlightenment, Socialism, and Nationalism) across the empires and modern states in which they lived. While major historical events and the everyday lives of Jews in different periods will receive a fair amount of attention, the focus of this course will be the history of Jewish ideas. This will involve close readings of key Jewish texts ranging from the Talmud to short stories by Philip Roth. We will ask: what has “Jewishness” or “Judaism” meant for Jews in various times and places? How have Jews historically differentiated themselves from non-Jews? And how have Jews decided who has the authority to make such determinations? Throughout our study of Jewish history in particular, students will be encouraged to think critically about more general questions related to religion, identity, membership, and authority.