Reading Jews in Late Antiquity

This reading group offers a comprehensive exploration of Jews during Late Antiquity, highlighting their multifaceted roles within the broader Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds. Through a close examination of literary and non-literary sources—such as papyri, inscriptions, and Rabbinic texts—we will investigate key themes in the life of Jews and Jewish communities between the Roman and Sassanian worlds, and under the rule of other religious, legal, and social frameworks.
Type: Seminar Series
Series organisers: Professor Meron Piotrkowski, Ya’el Nu’emah-Kremer
Timing: Mondays 13:00-14:00 (Weeks 2, 3 & 4)

Talks:

Monday 5 May 2025

Heresies and Heretical Beliefs
Date: 5 May 2025, 13:00 - 14:00
Speaker : Reading Group
Venue: Clarendon Institute, Walton Street OX1 2HG
Venue Details: Room 207, and online via Zoom
Organisers: TBA
Hosts: TBA

Monday 19 May 2025

Violence Against Jews and Jewish Violence
Date: 19 May 2025, 13:00 - 14:00
Speaker : Reading Group
Venue: Clarendon Institute, Walton Street OX1 2HG
Venue Details: Room 207, and online via Zoom
Organisers: TBA
Hosts: TBA

Thursday 12 June 2025

Guest Lecture: "And Rested the Seventh Day": Sabbath’s Rest in Jewish, Christian, and Greco-Roman Exegesis and Polemics
Date: 12 June 2025, 13:00 - 14:00
Speaker : Dr Shlomi Efrati
Venue: Clarendon Institute, Walton Street OX1 2HG
Venue Details: Room 207, and online via Zoom
Organisers: TBA
Hosts: TBA

Editors: Laura Spence, Belinda Clark