Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences
Netherlands
fellow
Isaac Kalimi
2023-2024
Home institution
Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz; University of Chicago
Country of origin (home institution)
Germany
Discipline(s)
History of ideas
Literature
Religious sciences
Theme(s)
Cultural Studies
Religion
Fellowship dates
›
Biography
Isaac Kalimi was born in North-Iran in December 1952 and emigrated to Israel. Grown up in the Sephardic Jewish traditions his education included studies at the Chasidic School, and Talmudic Academy in Jerusalem (1963-1971), B.A. and M.A. at the Hebrew University (1973-1978) in Hebrew Bible and History of the Jewish people. From 1981-1986 he widened his fields to Ancient Near East Studies (history, literature, languages, religions) and comparative literature at Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University from where he received his Ph.D. in 1990. Post-doctoral studies followed at the University of Heidelberg (1989-1990).
He held teaching and research posts at numerous universities worldwide, including Jerusalem, Chicago, Evanston, Cleveland, Boston, Greenville, Heidelberg, Berlin, Luzern, Kampen, Salzburg, Brussels, Uppsala, Mainz, and Amsterdam.
Isaac Kalimi published widely in English, German, Hebrew, and Polish: 32 monographs, edited, and co-edited books by leading international publishers; over 100 peer-reviewed articles in top-ranked periodicals; over 50 articles in Encyclopedias, Dictionaries and Scientific Lexicons, and many reviews.
Kalimi is considered as one of the most prolific, original thinkers, and an influential scholar today, and considered a pioneer of intercultural and interdisciplinary academic interactions between Jews and Christians.
Research Project
The Book of Esther: A Commentary (New Cambridge Bible Commentaries series, Cambridge University Press)
The book of Esther is a highly contentious writing within the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, with a deep divide between Jews and Christians. The Jews hold the book in high esteem and consider it integral to their interpretation, theology, liturgy, festivals, literature, and art. In contrast, Esther does not feature in Christian theology, literature, and liturgy, and the book has often been ignored or even condemned, along with Jews and Judaism.
Professor Isaac Kalimi aims to shed new light on Esther from literary, historical, and theological perspectives and provide a comprehensive and innovative reference work for generations of scholars, teachers, students, Jewish and Christian clergy, intellectuals, and interested laypeople.
Research Interests:
Biblical interpretation; Jewish-Christian relations; Book of Esther; religious literary analysis