When Politics and Religion Clash: A Crash Course on Sefer Yirmiyahu

Yirmiyahu, like most other prophets, rebukes the nation on issues relating to idol worship and ethical behavior. However, at a certain point in his career, Yirmiyahu finds himself in a unique and most uncomfortable position, when God demands that he tell the people (and the King) to surrender to the Babylonian army. In our class, we will explain when and why this happens, and how it affects our understanding of not only the book of Yirmiyahu, but also the underlying reason for the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the first Temple.