James Rohr Davila

Prof James Rohr Davila is a Professor of Early Jewish Studies at the School of Divinity, University of St Andrews. He holds a PhD from Harvard University and MA/BA degrees from UCLA. His research focuses on Second Temple Judaism, Dead Sea Scrolls, Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, and Merkavah mysticism. He directs the Centre for Late Antique Studies and has supervised PhD student Yeshwanth Bakkavemana. His work integrates anthropological approaches to ritual and shamanic practices in ancient religious texts.

• Education:
  • PhD, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University
  • MA, University of California, Los Angeles
  • BA, University of California, Los Angeles

Research interests include scriptural exegesis in ancient Judaism/Christianity, Jewish magic, and divine mediator figures in early Christian origins. He has published extensively on Hekhalot literature, Pseudepigrapha, and Dead Sea Scrolls interpretation. Notable works include Hekhalot Literature in Translation (2013) and Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: More Noncanonical Scriptures (2013).

His funded projects include a Leverhulme Trust initiative (2006–2008) for Pseudepigrapha studies and a British Academy conference grant for the Society of Biblical Literature (2009). He actively participates in Dead Sea Scrolls conferences and maintains the PaleoJudaica blog.