University of California, Berkeley / Department of Near Eastern Studies
Professor Ronald Hendel
Ronald Hendel is the Norma and Sam Dabby Professor of Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies. He approaches the Hebrew Bible from a variety of angles: literary, anthropological, historical, linguistic, and textual. He is the author of numerous articles and books, including recently, Remembering Abraham: Culture, Memory, and History in the Hebrew Bible (Oxford University Press, 2005). He is the editor-in-chief of a new critical edition of the Hebrew Bible (the Oxford Hebrew Bible project: http://ohb.berkeley.edu) and is currently writing a commentary on Genesis for the Anchor Bible series. He is also a semi-regular columnist for the Biblical Archaeology Review.
Education
Ph.D. (1985) Harvard University
Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Field: Biblical History and Northwest Semitic Philology
M.A. (1984) Harvard University
Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
A.B. (1981) Harvard College
Concentration: Folklore and Mythology
Magna cum laude with Highest Honors
Publications
Books
Remembering Abraham: Culture, Memory, and History in the Hebrew Bible. New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.
The Text of Genesis 1–11: Textual Studies and Critical Edition. New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.
The Epic of the Patriarch: The Jacob Cycle and the Narrative Traditions of Canaan and Israel. Harvard Semitic Monographs 42; Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1987.
Edited Book
William L. Moran, The Most Magic Word: Essays on Babylonian and Biblical Literature, ed. R. Hendel. Catholic Biblical Quarterly Monograph Series 54. Washington, DC: Catholic Biblical Association, 2002.
Book in Progress
Genesis 1-11: A Commentary. Anchor Bible 1A. New York: Doubleday.
Articles
“Israelite Religion” and Introduction and Annotations to Genesis. Pp. xliv-xlviii, 3-82 in The HarperCollins Study Bible, ed. H. W. Attridge. New York: HarperCollins, 2006.
“Genesis 1-11 and Its Mesopotamian Problem.” Pp. 23-36 in Cultural Borrowings and Ethnic Appropriations in Antiquity, ed. E. Gruen. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 2005.
“Israelite Religion.” Pp. 4742-50 in Encyclopedia of Religion, ed. L. Jones. 2nd ed. Detroit: Macmillan, 2004.
“Analogy in Priestly Thought.” Journal of Ritual Studies 18 (2004): 172-85.
“The Nephilim Were On the Earth: Genesis 6:1-4 and Its Ancient Near Eastern Context.” Pp. 11-34 in The Fall of the Angels, eds. C. Auffarth and L. Stuckenbruck. Leiden: Brill, 2004.
“ Israel Among the Nations: Biblical Culture in the Ancient Near East.” Pp. 42-75 in Cultures of the Jews: A New History, ed. D. Biale. New York: Schocken Books, 2002.
“Exodus: A Book of Memories.” Bible Review 18/4 (2002): 38-45, 52-53.
“The Exodus in Biblical Memory.” Journal of Biblical Literature 120 (2001): 601-22.
“‘Begetting’ and ‘Being Born’ in the Pentateuch: Notes on Historical Linguistics and Source Criticism.” Vetus Testamentum 50 (2000): 38-46.
“ Qumran and a New Edition of the Hebrew Bible.” Pp. 197-217 in The Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Vol. I: The Hebrew Bible and Qumran, ed. J. Charlesworth. North Richland Hills, Tx.: Bibal Press, 2000. Reprinted, Waco, Tx.: Baylor University Press, 2006.
“The Text of the Torah after Qumran: Prospects and Retrospects.” Pp. 8-11 in The Dead Sea Scrolls: Fifty Years after their Discovery, eds. L. H. Schiffman, E. Tov, and J. C. VanderKam. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 2000.
“On the Text-Critical Value of Septuagint Genesis: A Reply to Rösel.” Bulletin of the International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies 32 (2000): 31-34.
“The Most Original Bible Text: How to Get There.” Bible Review 16/4 (2000): 28-39.
“Scriptures: Translations.” Pp. 836-39 in Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls, eds. L. H. Schiffman and J. C. VanderKam. New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.
“Pentateuch,” “Adam,” and “Jacob.” Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, ed. D. N. Freedman. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000.
Revision of P. Kyle McCarter, Jr., “The Patriarchal Age.” Pp. 1-31 in Ancient Israel: From Abraham to the Roman Destruction of the Temple, ed. H. Shanks. 2nd ed. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall; Washington, DC: Biblical Archaeology Society, 1999.
“Aniconism and Anthropomorphism in Ancient Israel.” Pp. 205-28 in The Image and the Book: Iconic Cults, Aniconism, and the Veneration of the Holy Book in Israel and the Ancient Near East, ed. K. van der Toorn. Leuven: Peeters, 1997.
“The Poetics of Myth in Genesis.” Pp. 157-70 in The Seductiveness of Jewish Myth, ed. S. D. Breslauer. SUNY Series in Judaica: Hermeneutics, Mysticism, and Religion. Albany: SUNY Press, 1997.
“The Secret Code Hoax.” Bible Review 13/4 (1997): 23-24.
“In the Margins of the Hebrew Verbal System: Situation, Tense, Aspect, Mood.” Zeitschrift für Althebraistik 9 (1996): 152-81.
“Sibilants and šibbōlet (Judges 12:6).” Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 301 (1996): 69-75.
“The Date of the Siloam Tunnel Inscription: A Rejoinder to Rogerson and Davies.” Biblical Archaeologist 59 (1996): 233-37.
“Tangled Plots in Genesis.” Pp. 35-51 in Fortunate the Eyes that See: Essays in Honor of David Noel Freedman, eds. A. B. Beck, A. H. Bartelt, P. R. Raabe, and C. A. Franke. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.
“Prophets, Priests, and the Efficacy of Ritual.” Pp. 185-98 in Pomegranates and Golden Bells: Studies in Biblical, Jewish, and Near Eastern Ritual, Law, and Literature in Honor of Jacob Milgrom, eds. D. P. Wright, D. N. Freedman, and A. Hurvitz. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 1995 .
“4Q252 and the Flood Chronology of Genesis 7–8: A Text-Critical Solution.” Dead Sea Discoveries 2 (1995): 72-79.
“The Shape of Utnapishtim’s Ark.” Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 107 (1995): 128-29.
“Nehushtan,” “Serpent,” and “Vampire.” Cols. 1157–59, 1404-12, 1673-74 in Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible, eds. K. van der Toorn, B. Becking, and P. W. van der Horst. Leiden: Brill, 1995.
“Finding Historical Memories in the Patriarchal Narratives.” Biblical Archaeology Review 21/4 (1994): 52-59, 70-72.
“Cain and Abel,” “Nephilim,” “Nimrod,” “Sons of God,” and “Ziggurat.” Pp. 97, 556, 557, 713, 829-30 in The Oxford Companion to the Bible. New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993.
“History of the English Bible: New Translations.” Vol. 3: 718 in The Encyclopedia Americana. New York: Grolier, 1993.
“Worldmaking in Ancient Israel.” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 56 (1992): 3-18.
“Genesis, Book of.” Vol. 2: 933-41 in The Anchor Bible Dictionary, ed. D. N. Freedman. New York: Doubleday, 1992.
“When God Acts Immorally: Is the Bible a Good Book?“ Bible Review 7/3 (1991): 34-37, 46-50. Reprinted, pp. 16-25 in Approaches to the Bible: The Best of Bible Review, vol. 2, ed. H. Minkoff. Washington, DC: Biblical Archaeology Society, 1995.
Contributing writer, ABC’s of the Bible. Reader’s Digest General Books. Pleasantville, NY: Reader’s Digest Association, 1991.
“Sacrifice as a Cultural System: The Ritual Symbolism of Exodus 24:3–8.” Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 101 (1989): 366-90.
“Images of God in Ancient Israel.” Bulletin of the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society 8 (1989): 81-82.
“The Social Origins of the Aniconic Tradition in Early Israel.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 50 (1988): 365-82.
“Of Demigods and the Deluge: Toward an Interpretation of Genesis 6:1–4.” Journal of Biblical Literature 106 (1987): 13-26.
“When the Sons of God Cavorted with the Daughters of Men.” Bible Review 3/2 (1987): 8-13. Reprinted, pp. 167-77 in Understanding the Dead Sea Scrolls: A Reader from the Biblical Archaeology Review, ed. H. Shanks. New York: Random House, 1992.
“The Flame of the Whirling Sword: A Note on Genesis 3:24.” Journal of Biblical Literature 104 (1985): 671-74.
“Ezekiel Saw the Wheel: A Case Study in the Conflict of Mythologies.” The Harvard Advocate (Autumn 1983): 26-28, 56-57.
Articles in Process
“The Oxford Hebrew Bible: Prologue to a New Critical Edition.” Recently submitted to Vetus Testamentum.
“Either/Or: The Historical and the Literary in Biblical Studies.” Recently submitted to Journal of Biblical Literature.
“Other Edens.” Essays in Honor of Lawrence E. Stager, ed. D. Schloen. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, forthcoming.
“Table and Altar: The Anthropology of Food in the Priestly Torah.” To Break Every Yoke: Essays in Honor of Marvin Chaney, eds. R. Coote and N. Gottwald. Sheffield: Sheffield-Phoenix Press, forthcoming.
“Culture, Memory, and History: Reflections on Method in Biblical Studies.” The New Biblical Archaeology: From Text to Turf, ed. T. E. Levy. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, forthcoming.
“Isaiah and the Transition from Prophecy to Apocalyptic.” Essays in Honor of Shalom Paul, eds. A. Hurowitz and B. Schwartz. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, forthcoming.
“Leitwort Style and Literary Structure in the J Primeval Narrative.” Sacred History, Sacred Literature: Essays in Honor of Richard E. Friedman, ed. S. D. Overton. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, forthcoming.
“The Archaeology of Memory: King Solomon, Chronology, and Biblical Representation.” Confronting the Past: Archaeological and Historical Essays on Ancient Israel in Honor of William G. Dever, eds. S. Gitin, J. E. Wright, and J. P. Dessel. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, forthcoming.
Columns
“Is There a Biblical Archaeology?” Biblical Archaeology Review 32/4 (2006): 20.
“Genesis and the Cathedrals.” Bible Review 21/5 (2005): 10, 50.
“Dating Creation.” Bible Review 21/3 (2005): 12.
“Twenty Years That Have Passed.” Bible Review 21/1 (2005): 10.
“Amending Marriage.” Bible Review 20/5 (2004): 8.
“Eve Ate the Apple.” Bible Review 20/3 (2004): 8.
“The Ten Commandments and the Courthouse.” Bible Review 20/1 (2004): 8.
“Was There a Temple in Jerusalem?” Bible Review 19/5 (2003): 8, 42.
“The Search for Noah’s Flood.” Bible Review 19/3 (2003): 8.
“What Difference Does a Century Make?” Bible Review 19/1 (2003): 10.
“That Old Time Religion.” Bible Review 18/5 (2002): 12, 58.
“It Ain’t Necessarily So.” Bible Review 18/3 (2002): 10.
“The Birth of the Canon.” Bible Review 18/1 (2002): 8.
“The Empire of David - or Not?” Bible Review 17/5 (2001): 8.
“Of Doubt, Gadflies and Minimalists.” Bible Review 17/3 (2001): 8.
“King David Loves Bathsheba.” Bible Review 17/1 (2001): 6.
“Of Sacred Leopards and Abominable Pigs.” Bible Review 16/5 (2000): 8.
“Where is Mt. Sinai?” Bible Review 16/3 (2000): 8.
“Teaching Creation in Kansas.” Bible Review 16/1 (2000): 12.
“Going Around in Circles.” Bible Review 15/4 (1999): 13.
“Our Bodies, Our Bibles.” Bible Review 15/2 (1999): 14.
“Getting Back to the Garden of Eden.” Bible Review 14/6 (1998): 17, 47.
“Reconstruction Project: The Hebrew Bible.” Bible Review 14/4 (1998): 23, 55.
“The Law in the Gospel.” Bible Review 14/2 (1998): 20, 52.
“The Plain Sense of Scripture.” Bible Review 13/6 (1997): 17, 47.
“Knocking on Heaven’s Gate.” Bible Review 13/4 (1997): 20.
Honors and Grants
Frank Moore Cross Publications Award, American Schools of Oriental Research, 1998, for The Text of Genesis 1–11
National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship for University Teachers, 1991-92
National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipend, 1988
Mitchell Dahood Memorial Prize in Biblical Hebrew and Northwest Semitic, Society of Biblical Literature, 1985, for Part II of The Epic of the Patriarch
Courses
Undergraduate
Jewish Civilization I: The Biblical Period
History and Historiography in the Hebrew Bible
Genesis
Aspects of Israelite Religion
The Hero in the Bible and the Ancient Near East
Gender, Love, and Sexuality in the Bible and Modern Poetry (with Professor Chana Kronfeld)
Graduate
Advanced Biblical Hebrew Texts
Ancient and Modern Hebrew Literary Texts (with Professor Robert Alter)
Historical Linguistics of Biblical Hebrew
University Service
Chair, Program in Jewish Studies, 2002-3 and 2006
Chair, Department of Near Eastern Studies, 2000-2
Member, Faculty Steering Committes of the Programs in Jewish Studies, Religious Studies, Near Eastern Religions, Ancient History and Mediterranean Archaeology, and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies
