Fellow Lecture by Professor Dr. Friedhelm Hartenstein (Fellow of the Alfried Krupp Wissenschaftskolleg Greifswald/Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München)
The destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC and the exodus of Judah's elites to Babylonia marked the end of an era, and not just politically. The loss of kingship and the temple also marked a turning point in the self-image of those affected. The writings of the Hebrew Bible show how the crisis had a productive effect: from the 6th century BC, a profound change in the understanding of reality can be seen. YHWH, the God of Israel, was now understood as the sole creator of the world. This meant that suffering and catastrophes also became the sole responsibility of God. A new religious identity emerged: that of ancient Judaism. The lecture is dedicated to the essential justification figures of this biblically attested monotheism.
Friedhelm Hartenstein has held the Chair of Old Testament Theology and Religious History of Israel in its Ancient Near Eastern Context at the Faculty of Protestant Theology at LMU Munich since 2010. After studying in Munich, Jerusalem and Bonn, he was Professor of Old Testament Studies at the University of Hamburg from 2002 to 2010. His main areas of research are: Psalms and prophecy, pictorial history (iconography and metaphor) of the Hebrew Bible as well as hermeneutics of the biblical writings in the light of theological, philosophical and cultural studies approaches. In the academic year 2024/25 Friedhelm Hartenstein is Senior Fellow at the Alfried Krupp Wissenschaftskolleg Greifswald.
Moderation: Professor Dr. Judith Gärtner
