Pacific School of Religion

Dr. Erich Gruen, Gladys Rehard Wood Professor of History and Classics Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley will address an interesting and provocative paradox. The Jews of antiquity regularly scorned and dismissed Greek mythology for its fabricated and fantastic tales, its flawed deities and heroes, and the absence of morality in its depiction of relationships among the gods. At the same time, however, Hellenistic Jewish writers showed considerable familiarity with Greek epic poetry and drama, frequently cited Greek legends, and even blended them with their own mythic history. The lecture attempts to make sense of this ostensible tension and inconsistency in the Jewish attitude toward Greek myth. Reception to follow.

To be held in the Badè Museum Gallery, 1798 Scenic Avenue in Berkeley

See event flyer below.