Professor Michael L. Satlow holds a Ph.D. in Ancient Judaism from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (1993) and a B.A. in Jewish Studies from Yale University (1986). At Brown since 2002, he has previously taught at the University of Cincinnati, the University of Virginia, and Indiana University.
Professor Satlow’s research focuses primarily on early Judaism (particularly in Late Antiquity) and more broadly on methodological and theoretical issues in the study of Judaism. His most recent book, Creating Judaism: History, Tradition, Practice (Columbia UP, 2006) grapples with how, given the enormous diversity of Jewish beliefs and practices throughout time, a term like “Judaism” can be used meaningfully. He is currently engaged in three research projects. “Jewish Piety in Late Antiquity” examines what Jews during the time of the classical rabbis believed and did in order to worship their God. “Jews and Other Ancient Philosophers” examines how and why Jews in antiquity were considered “philosophers” by non-Jews, and the impact that this evaluation had on their own self-understanding. Finally, he continues work on an internet-accessible corpus of ancient inscriptions from Israel/Palestine.
At Brown, Satlow teaches a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate courses. His undergraduate courses include broad introductions (e.g., “Judaism”); specialized topics (e.g., “Talmud”; “Religion in the Dead Sea Scrolls”), and interdisciplinary and comparative explorations (e.g., “The Jewish Life Cycle”; “Judaism and Christianity in Conflict”; “Faith and Violence”). His graduate seminars cover fundamental skills (e.g., “The Mishnah”) and timely topics (e.g., “Orthodoxy in Antiquity”). He advises students primarily the “Ancient Judaism” and “Religions in the Ancient Mediterranean” tracks of the Ph.D. in Religious Studies, but also supports and advises students in the “Early Christianity” track.
Professor Satlow has taught extensively in the Me’ah adult education program through Hebrew College, as well as the Me’ah Graduate Institute. He has lectured widely in both academic and community venues. He is on the boards of the Journal of the American Academy of Religion and Henoch and is a co-editor of the Brown Judaic studies series. He held an ACLS Fellowship and was recently awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship.
For a pdf copy of the narrative biography submitted to the Guggenheim Foundation, click here.
For a pdf copy of Professor Satlow’s CV, click here.
Biography