Western universities have been deconstructing and disparaging the Hebrew Bible for a very long time. As a result, it is now rare for universities to offer even a single course in the study of the ancient texts in a way that permits students to appreciate the thought of ancient Israel. Students in Western countries are increasingly oblivious to the role of Biblical teachings in shaping their culture and their form of government.
Few academic institutions, whether in Israel or internationally, presently offer even a single undergraduate or graduate course in subjects such as:
To address this problem, Herzl Institute scholars have run seminars on the ideas of the Hebrew Bible, its theology and politics, and the impact of these ideas. These seminars introduce students, academics and rabbis to fields of study not readily available in any other academic or theological study environment.
The annual Seminar on the Political Philosophy of the Hebrew Bible, first held in 2024, brings American and European philosophers and political theorists to Jerusalem to study the Herzl Institute’s unprecedented academic course titled “Political Philosophy of the Hebrew Bible”. Developed by Herzl scholars, the 30-lecture course covers the first half of the Hebrew Bible and follows the story of the rise and fall of the Israelite Kingdom (the primary narrative from Genesis to Kings).
Academics who participate in the seminar prepare to teach a “Political Philosophy of the Hebrew Bible” course at their home institutions or conduct research on the political philosophy of the Hebrew Bible. The course is suitable for undergraduate or graduate students in departments of philosophy, history, political science, or religion. The group also visits key historical sites and hears lectures on current affairs.
This year’s seminar will be held from Sunday, July 26 to Friday, August 7, 2026 at the Mishkenot Sha’ananim Guest House in downtown Jerusalem.
If you are interested in attending the seminar, write to Dr. Avital Levi alevi@herzlinstitute.org.
Past Participants
Tim Burns, Baylor University
Matt Berry, University of Dallas
Ben Crenshaw, University of Mississippi
Eliyahu Levi, Herzog College
Daniel Kane, Lobel Center, Tikvah
Andrew J. Nolte, Regent University
Steve Schumaker, Colorado Christian University
Don Sweeting, Colorado Christian University
Evaluations
Professor Tim Burns from the Political Science department at Baylor University described the program:
“One of the most intellectually stimulating, thought-provoking, and informative set of seminars I have ever attended… I feel enormously blessed, and so deeply grateful, for the opportunity to study for these two wonderful weeks with scholars from the Herzl Institute. I am now scheduled to teach, in Spring 2025, an upper-level class on the Bible and politics here at Baylor and look forward to sharing the insights and experiences that the Herzl symposium has afforded me.”
Between 2013 and 2017, the Herzl Institute, with the support of the John Templeton Foundation, conducted summer student workshops for Jewish and non-Jewish students from leading universities, introducing them to these critical fields of study, and encouraging them to increase their professional and personal interests in these areas.
Workshops were led by Yoram Hazony and Joshua Weinstein, along with guest instructors. Past lecture topics include, “Biblical Political Philosophy and the Question of God’s Rule,” “Is the Biblical God Perfect Being?”, “Biblical Ethics and the Ancient Near East,” “Covenant and Compromise”. Past guest lectures include Eleonore Stump, Dru Johnson, Jaco Gericke, and Joshua Berman.
2017 Student Workshop
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2015 Student Workshop
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2014 Student Workshop
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2013 Student Workshop
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The Herzl Institute, with the support of the John Templeton Foundation, held seminars for rabbis and Jewish educators in order to deepen their understanding of the philosophical investigation of theological topics, including basic issues in academic philosophy, theology and science relevant to contemporary theology.
“Teaching Tanach as a Source of Theology and Philosophy” 2016 Workshop (English) August 1-4, 2016
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“Philosophy of the Bible” 2016 Workshop (Hebrew) August 7-9, 2016
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Herzl Institute scholars pioneered university-level instruction in these areas, conducting programs in philosophy and Jewish texts for college students from 1990 to 1994 within the framework of the Israel Academy of Liberal Arts (IALA), and from 1994 to 2012 at the Shalem Center in Jerusalem. Since 1990, more than a thousand students have participated in these innovative programs, and their influence can now be felt in the work of many Jewish educational organizations and institutions.
