M.A. in the Bible & the Ancient Near East

General Information

As a student in this M.A. in The Bible and the Ancient Near East at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, you will receive the necessary training for further academic study at the doctoral level. Our alumni have been admitted to top doctoral programs in the field and several are now faculty members at universities and colleges around the world.

The M.A. in The Bible and the Ancient Near East at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem focuses on contemporary Biblical Studies (Hebrew scriptures) and provides grounding in both Biblical Hebrew and Akkadian, with the option to study Modern Hebrew at the beginners through advanced levels. In addition, students acquire a sound knowledge of the history and culture of the Ancient Near East, and take courses in biblical archaeology and philology.

Faculty & Research

The M.A. in the Bible & the Ancient Near East faculty is a highly credentialed group with extensive teaching and research experience. The head of the M.A. program, Prof. Nili Wazana, specializes in the history of the Biblical period and classical prophetic literature. Prof. Michael Segal, currently the Dean of the Faculty of the Humanities, specializes in early Second Temple period literature, Qumran literature, as well as the Greek and Aramaic translations of the Bible. Prof. Baruch Schwartz specializes in priestly literature and classical prophetic literature. Other faculty members’ focuses include Ancient Near East history, and literature, and reception history.