The story of Israel as a desert people who transitioned from semi-nomadic origins to a more settled lifestyle in arable areas of the land of Canaan, is well known. But how did this transition affect Israel’s understanding of the land, both desert and cultivated and both past and present? Dr. Gary A. Rendsburg combines the worlds of archaeology, the environment, and the Bible to illuminate the ancient Jewish past and Israel’s relationship to the land in this multi-media presentation.

Gary Rendsburg holds the Blanche and Irving Laurie Chair in Jewish History at Rutgers University, where he serves as chair of the Department of Jewish Studies and holds an appointment in the History Department. He earned his PhD in Hebrew Studies from New York University and has a special interest and expertise in the ancient near east. Widely published, his forthcoming book is The Bible and Solomon’s Vineyard, co-authored with Scott B. Noegel.

Recorded Sunday, October 25, 2009 at Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies.