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Research Groups: Convergence and Divergence in Pentateuchal Theory: Bridging the Academic Cultures of Israel, North America, and Europe

[RG # 134] Convergence and Divergence in Pentateuchal Theory: Bridging the Academic Cultures of Israel, North America, and Europe

Sept. 1, 2012 - July 1, 2013

Organizer:

Bernard M. Levinson (University of Minnesota)
Konrad Schmid (University of Zurich)
Baruch Schwartz (The Hebrew University)

 

The Pentateuch lies at the heart of western Humanities, and the question of the formation of the Pentateuch represents one of the foundational topics in the discipline of academic bibilical studies. Despite its importance to the discipline, recent scholarship on this question has become increasingly divided on fundamental questions like dating, the existence of literary sources, and the role of authors or editors in shaping the final document. In effect, three separate academic cultures have emerged, those of Israel, Europe and North America, each promoting its own model, and without sufficient intellectual exchange between scholars in the various communities regarding their own assumptions. Our research group was created to address this problem, to bring about greater dialogue among leading proponents of the different scholarly models, and to move towards a shared discourse.

 

2012-2013 Research Groups 2012-2013

Members

men

Jan Christian Gertz

FELLOW
Heidelberg University
Jan Christian Gertz is a professor of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible in the Faculty of Theology at Heidelberg University.
men

Shimon Gesundheit

FELLOW
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Shimon Gesudheit is a senior lecturer in the Bible Department of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His research interests include Biblical law, narrative, theology, prophecy, medieval and modern Jewish exegesis, and literary history of the Hebrew Bible.
av

Sara Japhet

FELLOW
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Sara Japhet is Yehezken Kaufmann Professor Emerita of the Bible department at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Among her research interests are Biblical religion and literature, the Restoration period (literature, history and theology), Biblical law and the history of Jewish exegesis.
men

Bernard Levinson

FELLOW
University of Minnesota
Bernard M. Levinson serves as Professor of Classical and Near Eastern Studies and of Law at the University of Minnesota, where he holds the Berman Family Chair in Jewish Studies and Hebrew Bible.
av

Dalit Rom-Shiloni

FELLOW
Tel Aviv University
Dalit Rom-Shiloni is the Head of the Hebrew Bible Department, within the Department of Hebrew Culture Studies at Tel Aviv University.
men

Konrad Schmid

FELLOW
University of Zurich
Konrad Schmid is a professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Judaism in the Faculty of Theology at the University of Zurich.
men

Baruch J. Schwartz

FELLOW
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Baruch J. Schwartz is the Avraham Mordechai Shlansky Senior Lecturer in Biblical History at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
men

Benjamin D. Sommer

FELLOW
Jewish Theological Seminary
Benjamin Sommer is a professor of Bible and Ancient Semitic Languages at the Jewish Theological Seminary. His research focuses on the history of the Israelite religion, biblical theology, Pentateuch, Psalms, and the relationships between biblical thought and later Jewish theology.

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