Assistant Professor of Ancient Middle East Studies
they/them | he/him
jdegrado@umich.edu
Ancient History;
Affiliate Faculty;
Middle East;
Religion;
Gender and Sexuality
Education/Degree:
PhD, The University of Chicago, 2018
About
I study the history and religions of the ancient Middle East, with a focus on categories such as gender and empire. I am especially interested in how modern history and politics affect our reconstruction of the past, including the legacy of Orientalism in Assyriology and biblical studies. My current work engages postcolonial theory to explore the relationship between the Neo-Assyrian empire and its client states. Recent publications include an analysis of the representation of foreigners in Assyrian art and a co-authored study on the wanderings of the Mesopotamian baby-killing demon Lamashtu.
Fields of Study
- ancient Middle East and Mediterranean
- history
- religion
- empire
- gender
