Kevin van Bladel

Kevin van Bladel is Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Yale University, where he teaches in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. He has previously held faculty positions at The Ohio State University and the University of Southern California, where he co-founded the Middle East Studies Program. He earned his PhD and MPhil from Yale University and holds a BA and MA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

His research centers on the philology and history of the Near East between 200 and 1200 CE, with a focus on the sociolinguistic and cultural transitions during the Arab conquests, the transmission of scholarly traditions across languages (especially Arabic, Persian, Syriac, Greek, and Sanskrit), and the intellectual history of late antiquity. He is particularly known for his work on the Arabic reception of Hermes Trismegistus and the origins of Mandaeism.

His recent publications reflect a broad engagement with the classical traditions of the Near East, including studies on Middle Persian literature, the translation movement in Baghdad, Arabicization and Islamization, and the institutional history of Islamic studies. His work often bridges philology, history, and religious studies, advocating for an integrated 'Classical Near East' framework.

His scholarly contributions include influential monographs such as The Arabic Hermes and From Sasanian Mandaeans to Ṣābians of the Marshes, and numerous articles in top journals and edited volumes. He has also contributed reference entries to the Encyclopaedia of Islam.

• Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Yale University (2017–present)
• Associate Professor and Chair, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, The Ohio State University (2013–2017)
• Assistant/Associate Professor of Classics, University of Southern California
• PhD, Yale University (2004)

He has taught a wide range of ancient languages and courses on the empires of ancient Iran, the history of the Near East, and the cultures of late antiquity. His academic service includes participation in major research initiatives and scholarly networks, and he maintains an active presence through publications and digital scholarship.