The Bible continues to play an outsized role in debates surrounding matters of sex and death. In this course, students explore key texts of the Hebrew Bible that concern reproduction, intermarriage, death, and violence, and learn to situate these texts within their ancient Near Eastern context. Particular attention is paid to the purity and pollution system of ancient Israel and how this affected the way sex and death were regulated in the Bible. Students also learn about the history of interpretation of the Bible in relation to key issues such as abortion, LGBTIQ rights, the death penalty, and war. Hebrew not required.