Top Schools for Hebrew Bible?

[newenglandshawn]

In your estimation, what are the top 5-10 programs for Hebrew Bible and in what order would you put them?

[la sarar]

i think it depends on the sub-field or your specific area of concentration. 

[newenglandshawn]

Okay, well humor me anyway! Pick a sub field.

[Qaus-gabri]

How about YOU give a sub-field, then we can better provide our opinions.

 

Lit-Crit? Theological/Exigetical? HB and the ANE? Israelite Religion? Second Temple Judaism?

[newenglandshawn]

Theological/exegetical!

[Body Politics]

And Jweinbender's interest level just went into the negatives.

Edited January 21, 2013 by Body Politics

[newenglandshawn]

I didn't think it would be THIS hard to get a straight answer!

[Lux Lex Pax]

This isn't my area, but I think Emory and PTS are supposed to be good at theological interpretations of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible.

[cadences]

Ok, I'll bite, because I actually do want to! jweinbender, any suggestions for Hebrew Bible and ANE, please?

[la sarar]

Ok, I'll bite, because I actually do want to! jweinbender, any suggestions for Hebrew Bible and ANE, please?

 

I guess for HB and ANE, U of Chicago, Johns Hopkins are great places. Harvard is still good but some professors left the department. I think Austin, Brandeis, NYU are also nice places to study, right?

At Yale and Brown they are separated in different departments so you may have to decide where to apply. 

[newenglandshawn]

Into which departments is it divided at Brown and Yale?

[belichick]

I didn't think it would be THIS hard to get a straight answer!

welcome to academia. never a straight answer.

 

At Harvard you have Levenson, Teeter, Machinist, Coogan. Not too shabby!!!

[newenglandshawn]

Thanks, Belichick! As a die-hard Patriots fan your name is killing me!

Are you at Harvard?

I have definitely acquainted myself with a lot of Levenson's work especially. He seems to be rare in HB these days in that he is willing to do theology.

[ûl ʾašerātō]

There are a number of good Hebrew Bible programs out there. As mentioned above, which is best for you always depends on your particular interests. Here are a few programs with their home department in parentheses. 

 

Yale (Religious Studies); Harvard (NELC; CSR; Divinity) Chicago (NELC or Divinity School); Johns Hopkins (NES); Brown (Religious Studies); Brandeis (NEJS); UT-Austin (MELC); Duke (GDR); NYU (HJS); Cornell (NES); UCLA (NELC); Berkeley (NES); Boston College (Theology); Michigan (NES); Emory (GDR); Wisconsin-Madison (HSS); Toronto (NMEC); Claremont Lincoln (Religion), among many others. 

 

 

 

I guess for HB and ANE, U of Chicago, Johns Hopkins are great places. Harvard is still good but some professors left the department. I think Austin, Brandeis, NYU are also nice places to study, right?

At Yale and Brown they are separated in different departments so you may have to decide where to apply. 

 

At Yale study of the Hebrew Bible is done in the Religious Studies department, not the NELC department. However, you have full access to the resources of the NELC department (except funding, but funding isn't a problem at Yale). Yale might be the most competitive program in Hebrew Bible to get accepted into. 

 

At Brown study of the Hebrew Bible is done in the Religious Studies department as well, not the Egyptology and Ancient Western Asian Studies department. 

 

Chicago has the benefit of having the Oriental Institute, which is ridiculously good. You can pursue HB/ANE in either the NELC department (OI) or the Divinity school, the latter of which has committed itself to becoming first rate again (which includes tuition+stipend and limiting the length of their program). 

 

Hopkins has McCarter and Lewis, who are both fantastic. The department probably focuses more on ANE than on HB, which is a bit different than the others on the list. If you're more interested in pure HB, this probably isn't the best place for you, even though they have a very good department. 

 

NYU is top notch with Smith and Fleming. The department has produced some very good dissertations in recent years, and is well liked by its students. 

 

Brandeis has a mixed reputation among some, even though what they offer is quite good (for historical criticism and HB/ANE). They have graduated a number of excellent scholars who have gotten very good jobs. 

 

UT-Austin has Hackett and Huehnergard (among others) who ran Harvard's grad programs in Hebrew Bible and Comparative Semitics for about 20 years. UT has really committed itself to building a first rate program, which is unique in the current financial climate among academic institutions (and that at a public university!). However, the program only began in 2008 so they have yet to graduate a student from the program (this semester should produce its first graduate, as far as I know). So, the program isn't as well established as some of the others, even if it has great promise. 

 

 

welcome to academia. never a straight answer.

 

At Harvard you have Levenson, Teeter, Machinist, Coogan. Not too shabby!!!

 

Harvard is struggling right now, much more so than this list suggests. Machinist is extremely near retirement, and Coogan is already retired (though he teaches part time). Levenson and Teeter are both very good. However, Teeter is focused on the later period, and Levenson cannot maintain the department by himself (especially since the NELC department isn't his home department). Rumors have come out of Harvard that they were going to replace Hackett and Huehnergard since they left 4 years ago, but these rumors have yet to become realized. 

 

This info really just scratches the surface. I haven't even mentioned the strength of other departments, such as Emory, Duke or UCLA. But, hopefully this will give you an idea, even if it only provides a basis for more discussion. 

[newenglandshawn]

Thanks for the very thorough run-down. Where are you presently studying?

No thoughts on PTS? Is their HB program not among the best (at least in theology/exegesis, as another suggested)? I read somewhere else that PTS was getting too conservative. This is fine (and, in fact, preferable) by me, but I'm sure that for others it would be a concern.

[ûl ʾašerātō]

I'm currently at Yale Divinity School, pursuing an MAR in Hebrew Bible. 

 

I do not believe that PTS is what it has been in the past, but that much can be said about a number of programs. C.L. Seow does excellent work, but I'm not really familiar with the other HB faculty. At a place like PTS you will get the chance to spend more time focused on theology of the HB as opposed to a place like Yale or Harvard (even less so than Yale), where you will spend more time focused on critical approaches (though, those approaches can be varied). 

 

If you want to be at a place where theology and exegesis intermix with good comparative work, I would highly recommend considering Emory. They are one of the few programs accepting multiple students each year, though that doesn't necessarily make it any easier to get accepted there. The HB faculty are top notch, and they are still building the program into what it will someday become. 

[la sarar]

Harvard is struggling right now, much more so than this list suggests. Machinist is extremely near retirement, and Coogan is already retired (though he teaches part time). Levenson and Teeter are both very good. However, Teeter is focused on the later period, and Levenson cannot maintain the department by himself (especially since the NELC department isn't his home department). Rumors have come out of Harvard that they were going to replace Hackett and Huehnergard since they left 4 years ago, but these rumors have yet to become realized. 

 

This info really just scratches the surface. I haven't even mentioned the strength of other departments, such as Emory, Duke or UCLA. But, hopefully this will give you an idea, even if it only provides a basis for more discussion. 

 

Prof. Machinist will retire in two years and he will be away for a year at Goettingen. But he's a really great professor and nice to everyone. He told me that the department will replace him as soon as possible, but seeing what they have done to replace Profs. Huehnergard and Hackett, I'm not confident in this. I'm currently doing a master's at Harvard and have asked Prof. Machinist when the seminar of comparative Semitics will be offered. He said 2013 spring but now it's cancelled again.

Prof. Stager has just retired. Harvard is living on visiting archaeology professors from Israel.

Prof. Teeter is great, but he is at the Div. School and so far it is still not certain whether he will get a tenure.

 

But if you like ANE in general Prof. Steinkeller is still very active and they are hiring a new 1st millennium expert.  

[newenglandshawn]

Prof. Machinist will retire in two years and he will be away for a year at Goettingen. But he's a really great professor and nice to everyone.

You said that Machinist is nice to everyone. What is Levenson like?

[sacklunch]

I remember in my intermediate Hebrew course my professor said that during Hebrew readings with Levenson (had him as an adviser years ago) would make his students read "OH SHIT" when translating hineh. He has to be a cool guy, right??!

[Body Politics]

I liked him a lot already, but damn, that makes me love JDL.

Edited January 23, 2013 by Body Politics

[johnharpertap]

You said that Machinist is nice to everyone. What is Levenson like?

 

 

I am a PhD student in the Biblical field. I know first-hand (trying not to gossip here) that this professor has lots of problems with his graduate students. Kind of an abusive relationship. It happens that there are certain professors extremely problematic, everybody knows about it and nobody addresses the issue. Unless you do your research properly and thoroughly you might end up experiencing a nightmare and, in the end, quitting the program. I have also hear that that's the case at Vanderbilt with a New Testament professor. I always  encourage students to report these issues so the word gets out and people are informed.

[la sarar]

I am a PhD student in the Biblical field. I know first-hand (trying not to gossip here) that this professor has lots of problems with his graduate students. Kind of an abusive relationship. It happens that there are certain professors extremely problematic, everybody knows about it and nobody addresses the issue. Unless you do your research properly and thoroughly you might end up experiencing a nightmare and, in the end, quitting the program. I have also hear that that's the case at Vanderbilt with a New Testament professor. I always  encourage students to report these issues so the word gets out and people are informed.

 

Really? You mean Levenson? He looks nice and humble though...and of course very funny.

[la sarar]

You said that Machinist is nice to everyone. What is Levenson like?

 

He is also nice and his lectures are hilarious. 

[search the scriptures]

Hello,

 

I am looking to get into a Ph.D. program in the Hebrew Bible.  I just started an M.A. in Biblical Studies at Providence College.  Any thoughts on if this will prepare me well to get into a good HB Ph.D. program?  While Providence College is not really known for its Old Testament studies, the program does offer Introductory Hebrew and Intermediate Hebrew.  I also think that PC has pretty good name recognition at other colleges that I will be applying to in 2 years (as opposed to some seminaries) but am wondering how true this is.

 

And advice would be greatly appreciated!  Exegesis is the area I would like to focus on.

 

Thanks,

Tim

[xypathos]

Hello,

 

I am looking to get into a Ph.D. program in the Hebrew Bible.  I just started an M.A. in Biblical Studies at Providence College.  Any thoughts on if this will prepare me well to get into a good HB Ph.D. program?  While Providence College is not really known for its Old Testament studies, the program does offer Introductory Hebrew and Intermediate Hebrew.  I also think that PC has pretty good name recognition at other colleges that I will be applying to in 2 years (as opposed to some seminaries) but am wondering how true this is.

 

And advice would be greatly appreciated!  Exegesis is the area I would like to focus on.

 

Thanks,

Tim

 

From looking at the department list for graduate courses, the department is very much dedicated to focusing on Christianity. This is certainly understandable given that it's a small Catholic school.

 

Also, if you're wanting to go into HB, you're going to need more than an intermediate Hebrew. So, I imagine you'll be doing an additional M* once you finish with Providence if you're looking for some of the more well established PhD programs.