Art and Parshanut: Murder in the Making

Artistic renderings of Biblical scenes provide a unique lens through which to view the ancient text. The artists' choices highlight textual and conceptual difficulties and simultaneously convey possible interpretations of Biblical ambiguities, acting like Midrash to fill in gaps in the text. This class explores a selection of artwork and more traditional exegesis on the stories of Kayin and Hevel and Lemekh and his wives, delving into the first murders in history. One is a well known story, the other often forgotten, but together they touch on universal themes such as the human desire for acceptance and the pain of rejection, the deterioration of society and cycles of violence, and the possibility and power of repentance.