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The Siegal Lifelong Learning Program will host two lectures by Aaron Koller, associate professor and chair of the Robert M. Beren Department of Jewish Studies at Yeshiva University (New York). The lectures are free for members of the Siegal Lifelong Learning Program. For nonmembers, the lectures cost $5 each.

“The Invention and Development of the Alphabet”

Tuesday, Dec. 4 7 p.m. Landmark Centre (25700 Science Park Dr.) Writing systems have been around for more than 5,000 years. But the first alphabet did not emerge until some Canaanites met some Egyptians, around 2060 BCE. What motivated its development? What needs did it meet? And how did the first alphabet differ from the writing systems that existed before? In this talk, Koller will address these questions, as well as the implications for religious thought. He also will explore how Jewish thinkers have upheld the notion that the script of the Torah is sacred, alongside knowledge that the alphabet has evolved over time. Register for “The Invention and Development of the Alphabet.”

“The Garden of Eden in the Age of Science: Finding Contemporary Meaning in Biblical Narrative”

Wednesday, Dec. 5 10 a.m. Landmark Centre (25700 Science Park Dr.) With the rise of modern science in the 19th century, biblical accounts of creation stopped being read literally (outside of the most traditional religious circles). What, then, are we to do with the story of Eden? In this lecture, Koller will present the story as a foundational myth, which expresses important truths about what it means to be human. Comparison with the ancient Mesopotamian creation story—the Epic of Gilgamesh—sets parameters for exploring productivity, pain, death and the human condition. Register for “The Garden of Eden in the Age of Science: Finding Contemporary Meaning in Biblical Narrative.”