(Old Testament) Hebrew Bible Research Seminar

This Seminar is chaired on a termly basis by Professor Katharine Dell, Professor Nathan MacDonald and Dr Arjen Bakker

It hosts papers from both invited visitors and Cambridge scholars on the broad theme of the interpretation of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, as well as the historical and archaeological contexts, Hebrew language, reception of the Bible, and some second temple topics.

It is the main gathering for graduate students, scholars and visiting scholars in the University interested in the field of Old Testament studies.

Visitors are welcome to attend, and are invited to contact one of the chairs in advance to introduce themselves. Suggestions of possible speakers or topics may also be made to the chairs.

Related seminars are also hosted by the Cambridge Forum for Jewish Studies.

EasterTerm 2026

Meetings will be held on Wednesdays in the Faculty of Divinity

Runcie Room at 2:30 pm followed by tea at 4pm in the Selwyn Room

May 6 – Wolfgang Zwickel (Mainz), The History of Akko according to Textual References with some Insights into Unpublished Archaeological Material

May 20 – Sara Kipfer (Dortmund), Drought, War, Locust Plague and the Day of YHWH in the Book of Joel

June 3 – Orit Peleg-Barkat (Jerusalem), “A Song of Ascents… Let Us Go to the House of the LORD” (Psalm 122:1): Ascending to the Temple in Late Second Temple Period Jerusalem

Further information: Prof Nathan MacDonald nm10011@cam.ac.uk & Dr Arjen Bakker afb58@cam.ac.uk

All warmly welcome.