Opening lecture: Genesis in its earliest narratives and introduction to the lecture series

Through the lens of their personal trials, Job and Jonah gaze into the depths of the sea and confront the Leviathan—the rebellious king and enduring symbol of Anankē (necessity or fate).

Tracing the trajectory of "classical" prophecy—from its emergence to its disappearance—through its divinatory and apostolic dimensions, the nature of expectation, and its major themes.

An exploration of the tension between two visions of Wisdom in biblical wisdom literature. In Proverbs, Wisdom is personified as God's companion and the guardian of cosmic order. In Ecclesiastes (Qohelet), by contrast, Wisdom is ultimately called into question under the sign of vanity.

From Alexander the Great to Trajan: conceptions of destiny in the works of Josephus, Aristobulus, and Philo of Alexandria, explored through history, biblical exegesis, and philosophy.

Fractures and continuities, borrowings and rejections, eclecticism and elitism, boldness and irony within the Talmudic and Midrashic corpus.

From medieval Kalām to the Renaissance, from the Haskalah to the present day: Jewish conceptions of destiny through changing understandings of space, time, and human freedom.

The major developments of Jewish mysticism from antiquity to the present day, exploring its dialogue with Eastern wisdom, Gnosticism, and Neoplatonism.

An exploration of humanity's desire to probe destiny through divinatory practices, and of the changing judgments these practices have inspired throughout history.

A retrospective of the rich and diverse Jewish tradition of astrology, from Alexandria to the present day, despite enduring reservations.

History and its representation through great figures.

The “inevitabilities” of our shared destiny.

Concluding lecture: the “primordial cycles” (1.) of death and love.