Geoffrey Herman

Prof. Geoffrey Herman holds the Chair of Ancient Judaism and Rabbinic Literature in the Department of Religious Studies at the École Pratique des Hautes Études, PSL in Paris.

He earned his Ph.D. in Jewish History, Rabbinic Period, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His academic journey has focused on the intricate religious and cultural dynamics of Jewish communities during the Sasanian Persian Empire.

Professor Herman's research specializes in Babylonian Jewish history during the Sasanian era (224-651 CE), with particular emphasis on the Exilarchate (Jewish leadership in Babylon) and cross-cultural interactions between religious communities. His scholarly approach combines textual analysis with historical context to reconstruct the social frameworks of ancient Jewish life under Persian rule.

His major publications include A Prince without a Kingdom: the Exilarch in the Sasanian Era (2012), Persian Martyr Acts under King Yazdgird I (2016), and Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians: Religious Dynamics in a Sasanian Context (2014), demonstrating his expertise in analyzing historical texts within their broader cultural frameworks.

Professor Herman has also contributed to works including The Aggada of the Bavli and Its Cultural World, Sources and Interpretation in Ancient Judaism, and A Question of Identity: Social, Political, and Historical Aspects of Identity Dynamics in Jewish and Other Contexts.

His article Ahasuerus, the Son of a Stable-Master analyzes a Talmudic passage (Megillah 12b) through the lens of Persian historical sources, particularly the story of King Ardashir I, to illuminate cultural contexts in ancient Jewish narratives.