2000 Ph.D. New York University (Hebrew and Judaic Studies)
Doctoral Dissertation: The Rise to Power of the Judaean Priesthood:
The Impact of the Achaemenid Empire, B. A. Levine, Chair).
Major: Hebrew Bible (B. A. Levine);
Minor: History of the Jews in Late Antiquity (L. Schiffman)
1993 M.A. University of Michigan (Near Eastern Studies)
1978 Ph.D. University of Michigan (Psychology: Experimental, Cognitive)
Doctoral Dissertation: Perceptual Learning with Ill-Defined Categories
Fellowships and Grants:
1993-1997 Henry Mitchell MacCracken Fellow, New York University
1979-1984 National Science Foundation Grant -$115,250. Perceptual Learning with Ill-Defined Categories
Professional Experience:
2005 – Present Visiting Scholar, Frankel Center for Judaic Studies and the Department of Near Eastern Studies,
University of Michigan
2001 – Present Instructor, Washtenaw Community College Emeritus Program.
1997 –2005 Visiting Scholar, Department of Near Eastern Studies, University of Michigan.
2002 – 2005 Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Religion, Central Michigan University
Extended Learning Program, Livonia MI
2003 -Fall Visiting Assistant Professor, Rothberg School, Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
1996 – 1997 Teaching Assistant, Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, New York University.
Academic Societies:
Society of Biblical Literature; American Society for Oriental Research;
American Oriental Society; Canadian Society of Biblical Studies;
International Society for Iranian Studies.
Academic Services:
2007-2009 Chair: Steering Committee -1st Esdras Consultation, Society of Biblical Literature
2005-2006 Editorial Board: Journal of Biblical Studies; Ad Hoc Reviewer – Israel Science Foundation
2000-2004 Steering Committee Persian Period Group, Society for Biblical Literature
External Reviewer: Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses
Publications:
Book:
The Priest and the Great King: Temple Palace Relations in the Persian Empire. BJSUCSD
10 (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2004).
Reviews to date:
K. A. Ristau, Journal of Biblical Literature 124 (2005):546-48.
Richard J. Bautch, Catholic Biblical Quarterly 68 (2006): 110-113.
Michael Heltzer, Transeuphratène 31 (2006): 150-154.
M. Barker, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 29 (2005): 40-41.
J. Cataldo, Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 6 (2006).
V. Jigoulov, Journal of the American Oriental Society 125 (2005): 339.
Articles:
Temple Building in Ezra-Nehemiah. In M. J. Boda and J. R. Novotny, From the Foundations to the Crenellations: Essays on Temple Building in the Ancient Near East and Hebrew Bible. AOAT (Ugarit-Verlag), in press.
The Concept of "Impure Birth" in Fifth Century Athens and Judea. In In the Wake of Tikva Frymer-Kensky: Tikva Frymer-Kensky Memorial Volume, R. H. Beal, S. Holloway, and J. Scurlock, eds. (Gorgias Press), in press.
Ezra’s Use of Documents in the Context of Hellenistic Rules of Historiography. In I. Kalimi, A New Perspective on Ezra-Nehemiah: Story and History, Literature and Interpretation (Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns), in press.
Cyrus, Darius, and the House of the God Who Dwells in Jerusalem. In the Shahpur Shahbazi Memorial Volume: Special Supplement to the Iranian Journal of Archaeology and History, in press.
Because of the Dread Upon Them-Fear and Uncertainty in the Persian Empire. In F. Hakimzadeh, The Forgotten Empire – Persia Under the Achaemenids (London: The Iran Heritage Foundation), in press.
Who Wrote Ezra-Nehemiah and Why did they? In M. J. Boda and P. Redditt, Unity and Disunity in Ezra-Nehemiah. (Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2008), 75-97.
From Xeno- Philia to -Phobia – Jewish Encounters with the Other. In Y. Levin, A Time of Change: Judah and its Neighbors During the Persian and Early Hellenistic Periods (London: T&T Clark, 2007), 179-204.
Comment on Pekudey – Another View. In Reform Jewish Women’s Torah Commentary (New York: URJ Press, 2007), 560.
Commentary on Parashat Shemini. In Reform Jewish Women’s Torah Commentary (New York: URJ Press, 2007), 615-29.
Did Second Temple High Priests Possess the Urim and Thummim? Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, Volume 7: Article 3 (2007).
Why Did Joseph Shave? BAR, Vol. 33, No. 4, July/August 2007: 36-41,74.
The House of the God Who Dwells in Jerusalem, Review article of P. Bedford’s Temple Restoration in Early Achaemenid Judah, 2001, and of J. Schaper’s Priester und Leviten im achaëmenidischen Juda, 2000,” JAOS, Vol. 126, No.1, January/March 2006: 89-102.
Historians Can Use the Scientific Method. Transeuphratène 31, 2006, 125-27.
The ‘Am Hā’āretz in Ezra 4:4 and Persian Imperial Administration, in O. Lipschits and M. Oeming, eds. Judah and Judaeans in the Persian Period (Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2006), 123-45.
A Greek Religious Association in Second Temple Judah? A Comment on Nehemiah 10, Transeuphratène 30 (2005): 77-96.
Cyrus the Messiah. Bible Review , Vol.19, No. 5, October 2003: 26-33, 44.
A Silver Coin of Yohanan Hakkôhen. Transeuphratène 26 (2003): 65-85, Pls. II-V.
A Governor of Byblos from Sippar. N.A.B.U. 36 (2003).
The Land Lay Desolate: Conquest and Restoration in the Ancient Near East, in O. Lipschits and J. Blenkinsopp, Judah and Judeans in the Neo-Babylonian Period (Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2003): 21-54.
Cyrus the Messiah? The Historical Background to Isaiah 45:1. Harvard Theological Review 95 (2002): 373-93.
The High Places (Bāmôt) and the Reforms of Hezekiah and Josiah: An Archaeological Investigation. Journal of the American Oriental Society 122 (2002): 437-65.
The Political Struggle of Fifth-Century Judah. Transeuphratène 24 (2002): 61-73.
You Shall Appoint Judges: Ezra’s Mission and the Rescript of Artaxerxes, in J. W. Watts, Persia and Torah: The Theory of Imperial Authorization of the Pentateuch, SBL Symposium Series (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2001), 63-89.
(With D. N. Freedman) “Was there a Jubilee Year in pre-Exilic Judah?” Excursus in J. Milgrom, Leviticus 23-27, Anchor Bible (2001):2257-70.
Toward the Ur-Text of Esther. JSOT 88 (2000): 49-57.
Book Reviews and Encyclopedia Entries:
Review of Oded Lipschits, The Fall and Rise of Jerusalem, Winona Lake, Ind.: EisenbraunS, 2005. PP. XIV +474, MAPS, JAOS, in press.
Esdras, First Book of, New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible (Abingdon Press, in press).
Review of M. E. Stevens, Temples, Tithes, and Taxes: The Temple and the Economic Life of Ancient Israel (Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson, 2006), in Interpretation, 61 (2007): 447-8.
Review of Sefer Moshe: the Moshe Weinfeld Jubilee Volume. Studies in the Bible and the Ancient Near East, Qumran, ad Post-Biblical Judaisms. Edited by H. Cohen, A. Hurvitz, and S. Paul, Journal of the American Oriental Society 125 (2005): 339-40.
4Q117 – 4QEzra, The Open Scrolls Project, www.openscrolls.org.
Review of D. S. Vanderhooft’s The Neo-Babylonian Empire and Babylon in the Latter Prophets, Harvard Semitic Museum Monographs 59 (Scholars Press, 1999), JAOS 122 (2002): 592-93.
Review of Rethinking the Foundations. Historiography in the Ancient World and in the Bible. Essays in Honour of John Van Seters, S. McKenzie, T. Roëmer, and H. Schmid, Eds. (De Gruyter), JAOS, 122, (2002): 135-36.
Review of Paul Heger’s Three Biblical Altar Laws, AJS Review 26 (2002): 109-11.
Review of Edward Ball’s In Search of True Wisdom: Essays in Old Testament Interpretation in Honour of Ronald E. Clements (JSOT Sup., Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1999), in M. A. Sweeney, ed. RBL 2001: 208-11.
Review of Henry McKeating’s The Book of Jeremiah (Epworth Commentaries), RBL, 2001: 208-11.
“Levites,” in Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, 2000: 803-04.
“Levi,” in Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, 2000: 802-03.
“Kohath,” in Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, 2000: 778.
“Merari,” in Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, 2000: 885.
“Reader’s Guide to Chronicles,” in Readers’ Guide to Judaism, 2000: 115-16.
“Reader’s Guide to Ezra, Nehemiah,” in Readers’ Guide to Judaism, 2000: 176-177.
Books and Articles in Preparation:
Books:
Ezra-Nehemiah: A Commentary, Eerdmans Critical Commentary Series (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Press).
Was 1st Esdras First? An Investigation into the Priority of First Esdras. L.S. Fried, Ed.
Articles:
The Nehemiah Memoir and Covenant Renewal, Review article of T.Reinmuth’s Der Bericht Nehemias. Zur literarischen Eigenart, traditionsgeschichtliche Prägung und innerbiblischen Rezeption des Ich-Berichts Nehemias, Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis, vol. 183, 2002, and M. W. Duggan’s The Covenant Renewal in Ezra-Nehemiah (Neh 7:72B-10:40). An Exegetical, Literary, and Theological Study,” SBL Dissertation Series 184, 2001), to appear in JAOS.
Review of Diana Edelman’s The Origins of the ‘Second’ Temple: Persian Imperial Policy and the Rebuilding of Jerusalem, London: Equinox, 2005. Pp. vii+440, MAPS., to appear in JAOS.
Review of Centrality Practiced: Jerusalem in the Religious Practice of Yehud and the Diaspora in the Persian Period. By Melody Dl. Knowles. Archaeology and Biblical Studies, vol. 16. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2006. pp. vii + 181. $24.95 (paper), to appear in JAOS.
Presentations and Invited Addresses:
“The Concept of "Impure Birth" in Fifth Century Athens and Judea.” Memorial Panel for Tikva Frymer-Kenski. Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, San Diego, Nov. 2007.
“ Why the Story of the Three Youths, i.e., Why 1st Esdras?” Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, San Diego, Nov. 2007.
“Prophetic Foundations of Jewish Culture,” invited address to the Seminar on Foundations of Jewish Culture, University of Michigan, September 19, 2006.
“Yohanan Hakkohen, A Second-Temple Priest with Urim and Thummim,” Society of Biblical Literature’s 125th Anniversary Program; The 2005 Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Nov. 2005.
“Because of the Dread Upon Them.” The World of the Achaemenid Empire – Conference of the Iran Heritage Foundation, London, September 29- October 1, 2005.
“From Optimism to Doubt – Jewish Encounters with the Other.” Session on Jewish Responses to Hellenism in the 4th Century BCE, World Congress of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, July 31-Aug. 4, 2005. Invited address.
“Respondent on a Panel Discussion of my The Priest and the Great King.” Persian Period Group. National Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, San Antonio, TX, Nov. 2004. Invited respondent.
“The Status of Megiddo in the Persian Empire.” The Megiddo Excavations, Israel, July 2004. Invited address.
“Who Wrote Ezra-Nehemiah? And Why Did They?” Paper presented at the National Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, Nov. 2003, Atlanta.
“A Religious Association in Second Temple Judah? A Comment on Nehemiah 10,” VIéme Colloque International sur La Transeuphratène à L’Époque Perse, Paris, November 6-8, 2003. Invited address.
“The Role of the Temple in the Achaemenid Empire,” 2003 International SBL, Cambridge England, July 20-25.
“The ‘Am Ha’Aretz and Achaemenid Imperial Policy,” International Conference on Judah and Judaeans in the Achaemenid Period, Heidelberg, July 16-18, 2003. Invited address.
“The Rise to Power of the Judaean Priesthood: The Impact of the Achaemenid Empire,” January 16, 2003, Hebrew University, Jerusalem. Invited address.
“Priests and Politics in a Persian Province,” January 17, 2003, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva. Invited address.
“The ‘People of the Land’ – A New Look,” Annual Conference of the Association of Jewish Studies, Los Angeles, December, 2002.
“Response to ‘Cult, Priesthood, and Temple’,” International Conference on the 6th Century BCE: Between Myth and Reality, Tel Aviv, May, 2001. Invited respondent.
“You Shall Appoint Judges: Ezra’s Mission and the Rescript of Artaxerxes,” National Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, Nashville, Nov. 2000.
“Cyrus, the Messiah? The Historical Background to Isaiah 45:1,” Presented at the National Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, Nashville, Nov. 2000.
“Cyrus and the Priests of Marduk,” Presented at the Midwest Meeting of The American Oriental Society, Chicago, 2000.
“An Achaemenid Governor in Jerusalem’s Court,” Presented at the Society of Iranian Studies Biennial Conference, Bethesda, May, 1998.
“The High Places (Bāmôt) and the Reforms of Hezekiah and Josiah,” National Meeting of the American Oriental Society, New Orleans, April, 1998.
“The Political Struggle in Fifth Century Judah,” Presented at the AAR/SBL Annual Meeting, San Francisco, November, 1997.
"Third Isaiah and the Zadokite Priesthood." Presented at the AAR/SBL Annual Meeting, Kansas City, November, 1991.
“Third Isaiah and the Temple Cult: A New Interpretation of Isaiah 66:3-4a.” AAR/SBL Midwest Region. Chicago, February, 1991.
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