This year’s Speaker’s Lectures (2025) are given by Prof. Judith H. Newman (Toronto). Below is a description of the lecture series.
The modern conception of time and history as linear and irreversible is a naturalized assumption in biblical scholarship and (mis)shapes our understanding of the textual legacy of ancient Israel and early Judaism. Paying attention to native timescapes in relation to text and ancestral figures, this series reevaluates the temporal textures of some of the open-ended and dynamic stories across the lifespan of Jacob/Israel.
Lectures will be held at the Harris Lecture Theatre, Oriel College. Please consult at the Oriel College porter’s lodge for the 4-digit code to enter the Harris Lecture Theatre.
See the PDF for a full schedule of lectures and their times as they vary.
Lecture 1
Thursday 5 June, 10:00 – 11:30
The Anticipatory Past:
Rethinking Time and Text in Jewish Antiquity
Lecture 2
Monday 9 June, 14:30 – 16:00
Birth and Re-Creations
Lecture 3
Thursday June 12, 10:00 – 11:30
Transformational Encounters
Lecture 4
Monday June 16, 14:30 – 16:00
The Latter Days
Lecture 5
Tuesday June 17, 12:00 – 13:30
with Professor Hindy Najman (Oriel College)
The Future of Prayer and Hermeneutics in Biblical Studies
