The Biblical Creation in Its Ancient Near Eastern Context with Dr. Joseph Lam
The Biblical Creation in Its Ancient Near Eastern Context with Dr. Joseph Lam
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Date, Time, and Location
Sunday, December 7 at 3:30 pm
First United Methodist Church
325 N. Broad St., Brevard, NC
Join us for a fascinating look at the Hebrew Bible’s creation accounts. Drawing insights from Hebrew, Ugaritic, and other Semitic texts, Professor Lam will reveal surprising connections between these familiar stories and the broader religious traditions of the ancient Levant — shedding fresh light on how language, mythology, and belief shaped early understandings of our world. Professor Lam has taught at UNC since 2011. He is the author of Patterns of Sin in the Hebrew Bible (Oxford, 2016), and has produced an online course for The Great Courses titled Creation Stories of the Ancient World, which explores the most prominent origin stories from the ancient Mediterranean world.
Joseph Lam
Joseph Lam
Professor Lam has taught at UNC since 2011. He is the author of Patterns of Sin in the Hebrew Bible (Oxford, 2016), and has produced an online course for The Great Courses titled Creation Stories of the Ancient World, which explores the most prominent origin stories from the ancient Mediterranean world.
Jews on Broadway: Shaping the Spotlight with Dr. Laura Becker
Jews on Broadway: Shaping the Spotlight with Dr. Laura Becker
April 27th, 2025 @ 3:30
The Parker Concert Hall, 349 Andante Ln, Brevard, NC 28712
Explore the captivating history of Jewish contributions to American Musical Theatre, a fundamental aspect of American culture and entertainment. This engaging session will highlight how Jewish composers, lyricists, producers, and directors played a significant and transformative role in creating iconic shows and shaping the theater industry. It will also examine elements of traditional Jewish culture and the Jewish-American experience that encouraged and empowered Jews to excel in this art form and embrace it as audience members. The lecture will be followed by a choral concert featuring songs from five iconic musicals by Jewish composers from Broadway’s Golden Era, accompanied by commentary. Join us in celebrating Jewish talent's legacy and lasting influence in shaping Broadway's magic!
About Dr. Becker
About Dr. Becker
Laura Becker is a specialist in American social and cultural history. She received her BA and MA in history from Brown University and her PhD at the University of Pennsylvania. Now retired, she held faculty positions at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA, Clemson University, the University of Miami, and Florida International University in Miami. She ended her academic career as Assistant Principal for Secular Studies and AP US History teacher at the modern Orthodox Weinbaum (now Katz) Yeshiva High School in Boca Raton, FL.
A lifelong music lover, Laura has attended numerous Broadway musicals and participated in a wide range of vocal and instrumental ensembles. Since she and her husband moved to the Carolina Upstate in 2013, she has directed the choir at the Temple of Israel in Greenville, SC, and at the temple’s bi-annual ShalomFest. Laura is also the founder and director of the OLLI singers at Furman University. She enjoys teaching the History of the American Musical Theatre and other topics in American social and cultural history at Furman’s Osher Lifelong Learning (OLLI) Institute for Retirees.
The Living Sea Scrolls: New Histories of Jewish-Muslim Relations from the Middle Ages
The Living Sea Scrolls: New Histories of Jewish-Muslim Relations from the Middle Ages
August 17, 2025 @ 3:30
Location St. Philip's Episcopal Church.
Craig Perry, author of Slavery and the Jews of Medieval Egypt (January 2026) and co-editor of The Cambridge World History of Slavery: Volume 2, AD 500 – AD 1420, will speak on the results of his research from the Cairo Geniza, a storehouse of Jewish letters and books over hundreds of years. Drawing on this material, he will explore the history of everyday life in Islamic Medieval Egypt and suggest hopeful ways for managing an alternative, shared future.
About Dr. Craig Perry
About Dr. Craig Perry
Dr. Craig Perry is an Assistant Professor at Emory University, jointly appointed in the Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies and the Tam Institute for Jewish Studies. He earned his Ph.D. in History from Emory University and holds both a Master of Arts in Teaching and a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Area Studies with a minor in History from Duke University. Dr. Perry's research focuses on the social and cultural history of the medieval Middle East, Jewish history, the Cairo Geniza, and the history of slavery. He co-edited The Cambridge World History of Slavery: Volume 2, AD 500 – AD 1420, published by Cambridge University Press in 2021.
Biblical Creation Stories with Prof. Joseph Lam
Biblical Creation Stories with Prof. Joseph Lam
Join Professor Joseph Lam, a leading scholar of ancient Near Eastern languages and literature, for a fascinating look at the Hebrew Bible’s creation accounts. Drawing insights from Hebrew, Ugaritic, and other Semitic texts, Professor Lam will reveal surprising connections between these familiar stories and the broader religious traditions of the ancient Levant—shedding fresh light on how language, mythology, and belief shaped early understandings of our world.
December 7th, 2025
Location TBD
About Professor Joseph Lam
About Professor Joseph Lam
Joseph Lam is a scholar of ancient Near Eastern languages, specializing in the Hebrew Bible and texts from Ugarit. Through linguistic and literary analysis, his work illuminates religious thought and practice in Syria-Palestine during the 2nd and 1st millennia BCE. He also researches general questions in Hebrew and comparative Semitic linguistics.
Lam’s first book, Patterns of Sin in the Hebrew Bible (Oxford, 2016), uses metaphor theory to explore Israelite understandings of sin, examining key metaphors like “burden,” “account,” “path,” and “stain.” His current project reconsiders sin and sacrifice in ancient Israel by comparing sacrificial traditions from the broader region. He has produced a Wondrium course on “Creation Stories of the Ancient World,” serving on the SBL Council, and teaches Classical Hebrew and other ancient languages at Carolina.
To learn more about Professor Lam's work, click here
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