Peter Machinist

Peter Machinist is the Hancock Research Professor of Hebrew and Other Oriental Languages at Harvard University, affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, serving the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, the Committee on the Study of Religions, and the Harvard Divinity School. He previously held academic positions at Case Western Reserve University, the University of Arizona, and the University of Michigan. His current and former visiting roles include the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of Munich.

Education:

• AB, Harvard University
• MPhil, Yale University
• PhD, Yale University

His research focuses on the cultural, intellectual, and social history of the ancient Near East, particularly ancient Israel and the Hebrew Bible, alongside ancient Mesopotamia. Key areas include the ideology of imperialism, group identification, ancient historiography, mythology, prophecy, Assyrian history, and the history of biblical and Near Eastern scholarship.

Scientific awards:

• Honorary Doctorate from the University of Zurich in 2009.