In this course we will survey Jewish history from Ancient Israel to the Diaspora under, in 10 lectures of two hours each, and 10 seminars. The topics include the historiographical background Ancient Israel, including Assyrian and Babylonian influence on Israelite society, development of monotheism, formation of statehood, kingship, charismatic leadership, cult and divinity, the protagonists of Jewish history, the contribution of archaeology to our understanding of history, and Jewish life under Greco-Roman and Persian domination. This will involve the study of various Jewish groups that were active in this period, such as Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, as well as the study of post-Biblical Jewish literature including the Dead Sea scrolls. Students will gain an appreciation of the complexity of Judaism and its importance in ancient society.