Research Activity in the Department of History, Philosophy and Judaic Studies

Faculty members in the department perform research in their various areas of specialization.

History
The Biblical Period: Archaeology, economics in the Iron Age, gender and ideology
The Ancient World: History and archaeology of the classical world and ancient Israel; Jewish history in the Second Temple period, in light of the writings of the Sages and Greek and Latin sources; early Christianity; the Bar Kokhba revolt.
The Middle Ages: Relations between Jews and Christians, from the birth of Christianity to the beginning of the modern age; the Judeo-Christian debate; the holy space, especially in the Holy Land, and pilgrimages by members of the three monotheistic religions to whom the land is sacred; the cultural and social history of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem; the history of the Jews in Spain. The Modern Age: The study of nationalism; the history of the Jews in Muslim Lands in the modern era; Eastern European Jewry; German-speaking Jews in the Land of Israel.
Middle-Eastern Studies: Research covering the period from the dawn of Islam until today, emphasizing Arabic-speaking societies, dealing with issues including religious-ideological history; social, cultural and religious history.

Philosophy
Researchers in the area of Philosophy study philosophy of the mind and cognitive science; philosophy of language; moral philosophy; philosophy of history; political thought; post-modern philosophy; the history of philosophy.

Judaic Studies
Researchers in the area of Judaic Studies study the writings of the Sages; Jewish philosophy in the Middle Ages; Jewish mysticism; Jewish ethical literature.

Researchers in the department present their studies in monthly departmental forums (on the ancient world, the middle ages, the modern age and the Middle East) to which they invite researchers from other universities.