Ezra's legacy in the Dead Sea Scrolls

The Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society presents an AIAS Zoom Series Lecture.

Presented by Professor Charlotte Hempel (University of Birmingham), followed by a question and answer session.

Abstract

Ezra, the Father of Judaism, who brought the law back from Babylon to Jerusalem, is a surprisingly silent figure in the Dead Sea Scrolls, where Jewish legal debate features prominently. He is again absent in the famous praise of key figures in Jewish history offered by the 2nd-century BCE priestly sage Ben Sira, who only mentions the returned exiles Zerubbabel, Jeshua and Nehemiah. Ezra is missing as well from 2 Maccabees, where Nehemiah alone appears as the builder of the temple and altar. This talk presents fresh perspectives on the legacy of Ezra in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Speaker profile

Charlotte Hempel is Professor of Hebrew Bible and Second Temple Judaism at the University of Birmingham and has published extensively on the Dead Sea Scrolls and Hebrew Bible. Most recently Bloomsbury published the state of the art The T&T Clark Companion to Dead Sea Scrolls, which she edited with George Brooke.

Registration

The talk is free to members and non-members. Please confirm your attendance by email to: secretary@aias.org.uk. A Zoom link will be shared around 48 hours before the event.