What did the rabbis who lived in the Greco-Roman world think about chariot races, theater performances, athletic competitions and gladiator shows? How did their responses to spectacle compare and contrast with their Christian contemporaries? What can the sources tell us about ancient Jewish life? Join Professor Loren Spielman of Portland State University as he leads us through the labyrinth of Greco-Roman/Jewish interactions.

Professor Loren Spielman specializes in Ancient Jewish History. His research and courses engage in the work of breaking down preconceptions about the Jewish past. Professor Spielman’s first book, Jews and Entertainment in the Ancient World, argues against the long-standing belief that Jews were predominantly resistant to the popular entertainments of the ancient world: athletics, theater, horse races and gladiators. His work examines the links between the Bible and history and investigates the intersections between ancient Judaism, early Christianity and Greco-Roman culture.  A native of Brooklyn, NY, Professor Spielman enjoys exploring the beauty of the Pacific Northwest with his wife and two children.