Oren Ableman
Dead Sea Scrolls Curator-Researcher, Israel Antiquities Authority
What will you be researching while a fellow at the Frankel Institute and how does it relate to your work overall?
I will be researching reactions to the Roman Empire within a set of apocalyptically-oriented Jewish texts. In these texts the Romans are always portrayed in a very negative way and are usually seen as the ‘Evil Empire’ that must be destroyed. In the past, I have researched this theme within the Dead Sea Scrolls. During my time at the Frankel Institute, I am working on comparing the Dead Sea Scrolls to other Jewish text from the same general period. By making this comparison I hope to show both similar and different reactions to the Roman domination of Judea by various Jewish groups.
What is the most common misconception about this area of research?
Far too often there is a divide between the study of Jewish history in the Second Temple period and Jewish apocalyptic texts written at this time. I find it impossible to understand certain apocalyptic texts without taking into consideration the fact that they were written as a reaction to Roman domination. It is therefore important to read these texts within their Roman context and compare them to contemporary Roman literature and artwork.
At the same time, few studies of the Roman Empire take Jewish apocalyptic literature into consideration. This is a problem since the Jewish apocalyptic texts are the best-preserved corpus of literature where one of the ethnic groups subjugated by the Romans expressed their discontent with the Empire. As such, this helps us better understand the dynamics of power between the Romans and the various ethnic groups they subjugated.
What has been your greatest success in academic/teaching, research, etc.?
Working as a curator-researcher in the Dead Sea Scrolls Unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority I have had the privilege of working with the physical fragments of the Scrolls. In the course of my curatorial work, I have encountered several fragments that had not been published before. Although most of these fragments were rather small and contained very little text, I successfully deciphered them and, in some cases, reconstructed more extensive portions of the text. It is amazing to know that I was the first person in 2000 years to read these texts.
What do you hope to gain from this experience? How has your time at the University of Michigan impacted your research so far?
During my time as a Frankel fellow, I have learned a lot from the other fellows in the program. Each one of us brings our own expertise to the table, and it is amazing to see the synergy that happens in our discussions. Thanks to these discussions, I have been exposed to theories I was not very familiar with that will be very useful for my future research.
