Fantastic Rabbinic Tales

The rabbis of the Talmud and Midrash had a literary tradition of fantastic narrative and fantasy! Their traditions are in many ways the precursors to the modern genres of science fiction, science fantasy, and even horror. Even Dante was aware of rabbinic midrashim, but that’s another topic.

In this short series, we will explore three famous rabbinic narratives.

• The Midrash of the Death of Moses, in which Moses kills Death

• The Magic Tzitzit, in which a rabbinical student gets the reward of two lifetimes!

• Shimon Bar Yochai: the Rabbi with the Deadly Laser Beam Eyes

All sources will be presented in translation, and no prior knowledge or study of rabbinic literature is expected.

For questions or to request accommodations contact:

Rebecca Leavey
[email protected]