Biography


1956 Born in Oberhausen (Rheinland)
1975-1980 Studies in Theology at the Universities of Göttingen and Jerusalem
1980-1985 Studies in Jewish History and Literature at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem; pastoral training in the Lutheran Church of Hannover
1985-1994 Research fellow at the Institute of Jewish Studies, Free University Berlin, secretary of DFG projects „Translation of the Hekhalot Literature“, „Synoptic Edition of the Talmud Yerushalmi”
1988 Dr. theol., Kirchliche Hochschule Berlin
1994-1997 Assistant professor at the Institute of Jewish Studies, Free University Berlin, collaborator of the Center for Hebrew textual research; member of the Leibniz research team on „The Talmud Yerushalmi and its Greco-Roman context“
1996 Habilitation at the Philosophical Faculty of the Free University in Berlin, venia legendi for Judaistik (Jewish studies)
1997-2024 Full professor for New Testament und ancient Judaism, Director of the Institute of Jewish studies at Göttingen University; member of Verband der Judaisten in Deutschland and the European Association for Jewish Studies



Research interests


  • Rabbinic literature und theology.
  • Intertextual exegesis of the New Testament.
  • Early Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah, Hasidism.
  • German and Hebrew Jewish literature of the 20th century.



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