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Professor
Ph.D. 1986 Harvard University,
Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
1980 Hebrew University in
Jerusalem, Visiting year as an ITT International Fellow
M.A. 1979 University of
Wisconsin--Madison, Hebrew and Semitic Studies
B.A. 1978 University of
Wisconsin--Madison, Hebrew and Semitic Studies
Email: tjl@jhu.edu
Curriculum
Vitae
THEODORE J. LEWIS (PhD Harvard, 1986), the first Blum-Iwry Professor in Near Eastern Studies, joined Johns
Hopkins' Department of Near Eastern Studies in 2002.
His research focuses on the religions of ancient Israel and Syria. In addition to the texts
of the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament), he works with alphabetic cuneiform
texts from the ancient Syrian city of Ugarit.
These texts (now analyzed with new epigraphic tools such as computer
digitizing) are our most important archival material for understanding the
Late Bronze Age and Iron Age religions of Syria
and Israel.
Lewis concentrates his work on two core issues: understanding the
Hebrew Bible as an ancient Near Eastern text, and studying Israelite and
Syrian religion through both text and material culture. His most recent
work has been in the following five areas: the iconography of divine
images, royal icons of power and persuasion, the failed messiahship
of Zerubbabel, the use of blood rituals in
ancient treaties, and family religion in ancient Syria.
Lewis is an academic trustee of the W. F. Albright Institute of
Archaeological Research in Jerusalem.
He is general editor of the book series Writings
from the Ancient World (co-published by the Society of Biblical
Literature and E. J. Brill) and past editor of the journals Near Eastern Archaeology (for the American School of Oriental Research) and Hebrew Annual Review . He is the author of Cults of the Dead in Ancient Israel and Ugarit ,
and co-author of Ugaritic Narrative Poetry . He has recently
co-edited (with Gary Beckman) Text,
Artifact, and Image: Revealing Ancient Israelite Religion (Brown
Judaic Studies). He is currently writing The
Religion of Ancient Israel for the Anchor Bible Reference
Library series.
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