Lauren Monroe

Lauren Monroe is an Associate Professor in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at Cornell University, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. Her work bridges the Hebrew Bible, Biblical Hebrew, and Syro-Palestinian archaeology, focusing on the evolution of Israelite identity and its textual-archaeological interplay.

Education

• PhD in Bible and Ancient Near East from the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies, New York University

Research Interests

• Hebrew Bible and Biblical Hebrew pedagogy
• Archaeological analysis of ancient Israel, particularly gender and ethnicity
• Historical intersections of biblical texts and Syro-Palestinian stratigraphy
• Origins of monotheism and its representation in Judean reforms

Publications & Research Trends
Monroe’s scholarship examines how 7th-century BCE Judean religious reforms, ancient inscriptions from Yemen, and Ugaritic texts inform biblical narratives. Her 2011 monograph investigates Josiah’s violent rites as pivotal in shaping monotheistic identity, while her upcoming projects address the Joseph traditions and the Song of Deborah.

Academic Leadership
She teaches courses such as Introduction to the Hebrew Bible, Archaeology of Gender, and Origins of Monotheism, emphasizing original Hebrew texts and archaeological context. She has led Cornell students on excavations in Israel at Tel Zayit, Tel Rehov, and Abel Beth Maacah.