PROFESSOR JAMES KUGEL, one of my teachers, gave a lecture earlier this month at the University of Utah:

Professor from Tel Aviv delivers Divine Lecture (Daily Utah Chronicle)

By Steve Gehrke
Published: Friday, March 12, 2004

James L. Kugel, a former professor of Hebrew Literature at Harvard University and current professor of the Bible at Bar Ilan University in Tel Aviv, spoke at the U yesterday about perceptions about God across religious bounds Thursday afternoon.

While at Harvard, Kugel's course, "The Bible and Its Interpreters," frequently attracted more than 900 students.

"His research on various interpretations of the Bible, including Jewish and Christian, has expanded centuries-old views and understandings of the Bible," said U professor of Hebrew Harris Lenowitz.

[...]

The lecture was a summary of Kugel's book, The God of Old: Inside the Lost World of the Bible, which was published last year.

Kugel's main topic of focus revolved around the biblical passage that reads, "A person cannot see me and go on living."

"That's why, when he does come down to Mount Sinai or elsewhere, he's surrounded by a protective cloud...to protect us from dying," Kugel said. "Very often he'll send angels or messengers."

Kugel centered the remainder of the lecture on divine messengers.

[...]

I was a teaching assistant for "The Bible and It's Interpreters" back in the old days when it only had about 250 students.