Joan Taylor

Joan Taylor is a Professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies within the Faculty of Arts & Humanities at King's College London. Her interdisciplinary research bridges literature, language, history, and archaeology to examine early Christian texts and Second Temple Judaism within their socio-historical contexts.

Her primary research focuses include: New Testament studies with emphasis on historical figures (Jesus, John the Baptist, Mary Magdalene); Dead Sea Scrolls and Qumran archaeology; Alexandrian Judaism including Philo of Alexandria; women's roles in early Christianity; and the archaeology of Christian holy sites across Palestine. Taylor employs a contextualizing methodology that integrates literary analysis with archaeological evidence.

Her recent publications reveal consistent engagement with gender studies in religious contexts, historical Jesus research, and archaeological analysis of sacred spaces. Key themes across her 109 research outputs include the interplay between textual traditions and material evidence, particularly regarding women's leadership roles and the spatial organization of ancient religious communities.

• Iren Levi-Sala Prize (1995)

Taylor has secured significant research funding including a Wellcome Research Grant for her pharmacological analysis of Essene practices, a British Academy grant for her Philo commentary, and Leverhulme Trust support for projects on Coptic Apocrypha and 'Babatha’s Sisters'. Her current active project examines social and economic relationships behind early Christian texts using papyrological resources. She has supervised 11 postgraduate students and contributed to public understanding through media engagements including the 'Jesus' Female Disciples' documentary and advising on Fern Britton's Holy Land Journey.