Judaism and Christianity are both considered “religions of the book” but how are they related to each other? This course considers the origins of that relationship by reading a range of Jewish texts from the 6th century BCE to the 1st century CE, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, in order to illuminate the diverse cultural matrix from which early Christianity and Judaism took shape. A major theme of the course is the formation of scriptures and scriptural interpretation as a factor in shaping distinctive Jewish cultures. Attention is also given to “lived religion” and practices that form individuals and communities.