What is a living being?

The seminar explores the concept of the “living being” from different academic perspectives, with a particular focus on the role of plants in the biblical and ancient Near Eastern worldview. Following a brief introduction to ancient understandings of living beings and questions of modern ethics, participants will examine selected texts from the Old Testament and the ancient Near Eastern context to uncover different ideas of life. Together, the group will discuss what concepts of plants and other living beings emerge from these texts—and what implications they may have for the human relationship with plants.