Jon Levenson

Jon Levenson
Albert A. List Professor of Jewish Studies
Harvard University

Jon LevensonJon D. Levenson, Albert A. List Professor of Jewish Studies, began teaching at Harvard in 1988, having previously taught at the University of Chicago and at Wellesley College.

His work concentrates on the interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, including its reinterpretations in the “rewritten Bible” of Second Temple Judaism and rabbinic midrash. In addition, one of his courses deals with the use of medieval Jewish commentaries for purposes of modern biblical exegesis, and another focuses on central works of Jewish theology in the twentieth century.

Professor Levenson has a strong interest in the philosophical and theological issues involved in biblical studies, especially the relationship of premodern modes of interpretation to modern historical criticism. Much of his work centers on the relationship of Judaism and Christianity, both in antiquity and in modernity, and he has long been active in Jewish-Christian dialogue.

 

Selected Publications

The Love of God: Divine Gift, Human Gratitude, and Mutual Faithfulness in Judaism. Library of Jewish Ideas. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2015. 264 pp.

Inheriting Abraham: The Legacy of the Patriarch in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Library of Jewish Ideas. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2012. xvi + 244 pp.

Resurrection and the Restoration of Israel: The Ultimate Victory of the God of Life. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006. xxii + 274.

Esther. Old Testament Library. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1997. xvi + 142 pp.

The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son: The Transformation of Child Sacrifice in Judaism and Christianity. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993. Paperback, 1995. xiv + 257 pp.

The Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible, and Historical Criticism: Jews and Christians in Biblical Studies. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1993. Collection of six revised essays. 192 pp.