Dr. Noam Mizrahi
Jerusalem, Israel
Research Fellow in Qumran Studies
Department of Old Testament Studies
(Seminar für Altes Testament, Theologische Fakultät)

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen has a special place in the history of biblical scholarship, being the alma mater of some of the greatest minds in the field since the 18th century until this very day. In fact, for many Bible scholars around the world, the name of Göttingen is synonymous with the best achievements of German and European scholarship in unraveling the intricate process of the development and formation of biblical literature and theology. Backed by two important projects of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences, the Septuagint Project and the Qumran Dictionary, the Department of Old Testament constitute today one of the most advanced and vibrant centers of biblical research. It was, therefore, very exciting for me to be invited here (from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel) in order to pursue a two-year project on the biblical scrolls from the Judean Desert, and I very much enjoy the generous hospitality of my department and the collegial atmosphere there.

Anyone who spent some time abroad as a post-doc or held a fellowship as a visiting scholar knows how important it is to have an efficient office for international students and scholars that will help us in finding our way in the unknown realms of a new and confusing bureaucracy. There are so many unknown factors that need to be taken into consideration, that it is virtually impossible to go through this experience alone while conducting our research at the same time. The Welcome Centre has been most helpful in this respect. The staff handle professionally and courteously the unavoidable paperwork that accompanies the move to a new country and a new academic institution. The Centre also initiated various activities and workshops that were both highly informative and brought together people I was happy to meet and stay in touch with later on. Life here would have been much more difficult without the Welcome Centre, so thank you very much and keep on the good work!