The Internal Organization of Papyrus Amherst 63
The Internal Organization of Papyrus Amherst 63
Based on the 2018 published edition of Papyrus Amherst 63 Professor van der Toorn’s lecture will allow attendees of the workshop to engage with the most recent scholarship on the subject of the internal organization of the document. His general subject will focus on how the document is organized, but will also engage with students and other participants about any issue that arises in connection with the papyrus.
Professor Karel van der Toorn’s Bio
Karel van der Toorn is currently professor of Religion and Society at the University of Amsterdam. He studied Hebrew Bible and Semitic languages in Paris and Amsterdam; did his PhD on Sin and Sanction in Israel and Mesopotamia (1985). He wrote extensively on Israelite religion in the context of ancient Near Eastern civilisation. He published an edition of Papyrus Amherst 63, along with translation and commentary, in 2018 (in the series Alter Orient und Altes Testament, 448; Münster: Ugarit-Verlag). His latest book Becoming Diaspora Jews: Behind the Story of Elephantine (Yale University Press, 2019) explores the significance of Papyrus Amherst 63 for the history of the Jewish community at fifth century BCE Elephantine, Egypt.
Citation
van der Toorn, Karel. "The Internal Organization of Papyrus Amherst 63," Pourdavoud Center Workshop - The Puzzling Papyrus: New Perspectives on Papyrus Amherst 63. November 18, 2020
About the Speaker
Karel van der Toorn
University of Amsterdam
Van der Toorn has been Professor of Religion and Society at the University of Amsterdam since 2011. His teaching and research focus on religious minorities and religion in the context of modern democracy. He began his academic career as a religious studies scholar at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where he received his doctorate in 1985. He subsequently became Professor of Ancient Religions at Utrecht University and Leiden University, and Director of the Leiden Institute for the Study of Religions.
In 1998, Van der Toorn was appointed Professor of Ancient Religions at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities. From 2006 to 2011, he was President of the Executive Boards of the UvA and the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS).
In 2007, Van der Toorn's book "Scribal Culture and the Making of the Hebrew Bible" was published by Harvard University Press . In it, he describes the position of professional scribes in the oral culture of the early Middle East and their role in the creation of the Bible. Van der Toorn is currently working on a book about religion in modern democracy, focusing on India, Turkey, France, and the United States.