Covering the time span from the 1st - 6th centuries C.E., this course introduces the complex nature of the construction of Jewish identity during this period. Spends considerable time on the social context and literary production of rabbis who lived in Judea/Galilee and Babylon, but also examines other features that reflect Jewish life and practice of this period (e.g., the relationship between Jewish women and the rabbinical movement; Jewish mysticism and magic; and synagogue architecture and worship). The course also introduces the current scholarly discussion about the formulation of Judaism during this period and its relation to the rise of Christianity in the Mediterranean world.