Gruss Lecture: Did Words on the Wall Matter More? Public Scripture and Jewish–Christian Encounters in the First Centuries CE
1.0 Substantive Credits
Did Words on the Wall Matter More? Public Scripture and Jewish–Christian Encounters in the First Centuries CE with Professor Michal Bar-Asher Siegal
This lecture examines the use of scriptural verses in public spaces during the first centuries CE, and what their visibility reveals about law, belief, and practice. In antiquity, scripture functioned not only as a sacred text but also as a kind of law code—framing norms and boundaries for communities. The lecture will introduce a new database of scriptural verses in inscriptions, offering a fresh tool for tracing how texts moved between public display, legal discourse, and lived religious practice. By comparing inscriptions with rabbinic and early Christian writings, the talk explores whether publicly displayed verses reflected existing theological and legal debates, or whether their very presence generated new engagement. Particular attention will be given to how such verses mediated between text and theology, while also serving as points of encounter and contest between Jews, Christians, Samaritans, and others.
To obtain credit for the course, evaluations must be completed and submitted after watching the video. If you do not receive your CLE Attendance Certificate after submitting your evaluation, please contact CLEHelp@law.upenn.edu, thank you.
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