Rembrandt, the great 17th century Dutch Calvinist artist, is famous for his portraits; but he also painted or etched many images of biblical stories. Do his scenes from the Hebrew Bible reveal a pattern of borrowing from sophisticated rabbinic interpretations in the Talmud and Midrash? If so, how did he obtain access to these esoteric sources? Jerry Rabow will consider the evidence by examining some prominent artworks by Rembrandt together with their related biblical texts and ancient and medieval commentaries. Read more
