Melissa Sayyad Bach

Melissa Sayyad Bach serves as a Teaching Associate Professor in the Section of Biblical Exegesis at the Faculty of Theology, University of Copenhagen, specializing in the interdisciplinary nexus of biblical studies and cognitive sciences with primary focus on Dead Sea Scrolls and Old Testament interpretation.

Her academic qualifications include a Ph.D. in Theology (2021) and M.A. in Theology (2017), both from the University of Copenhagen, following postdoctoral research completed in 2021.

Dr. Bach's research program integrates cognitive frameworks like Construal Level Theory with traditional exegetical methods to analyze religious cognition in ancient communities. She investigates apocalyptic authority structures, textual transmission mechanisms in Qumran literature, and material dimensions of biblical texts across historical periods. Her work reveals how cognitive processes shaped communal identity formation and interpretive stability in Second Temple Judaism, particularly through analysis of the Community Rule and Aramaic Enochic literature.

Publication trends demonstrate consistent advancement of cognitive-historiographical approaches to biblical texts, with recent works examining loneliness/community dynamics, apocalyptic visions, and materiality of scripture. This interdisciplinary trajectory bridges religious studies, cognitive science, and social theory to reconstruct ancient religious experiences.

Her scholarly recognition includes the Martesens Jubilæums Stipendie (2018). Conference leadership includes the Apocalypticism and Authority conference (2023) and Vision, Narrative, and Wisdom in Aramaic Texts symposium (2017).

No information regarding student advising or research grants appears in available materials. Dr. Bach maintains active scholarly networks but no dedicated laboratories or formal research teams are documented.