Prof. Dr. Jan Christian Gertz

Academic Position Full Professor of Old Testament Studies / Hebrew Bible   Contact Kisselgasse 1 69117 Heidelberg Tel.: +49 6221/54-3309 E-Mail: jan.gertz@ts.uni-heidelberg.de Office hours Thursdays 11:00 - 13:00 only after prior registration via e-mail (sekretariat.gertz@ts.uni-heidelberg.de).

News

Personal Information

• Born in 1964 in Hannover, Germany 

Curriculum Vitae

• Since 2020 full member of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences
• 2012-2013 Fellow at the Israel Institute for Advanced Studies at the Hebrew University Jerusalem
• 2011 Offer of a chair at the University of Tübingen (declined)
• 2009 Offer of a chair at Humboldt University of Berlin (declined)
• 2007/08 Member in Residence at the Center for Theological Inquiry (CTI), Princeton NJ
• Since 2004 Full Professor of Old Testament Studies/Hebrew Bible at the University of Heidelberg
• 2000-2004 Full Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Archaelogy at the Faculty of Protestant Theology in Mainz
• 1999 Heisenberg fellowship of the German Research Foundation (DFG)
• 1999 Fellow of the German Protestant Institute of Archaeology in Amman/Jordan
• 1998 Habilitation in Old Testament Studies in Göttingen
• 1994–1999 Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Protestant Theology in Mainz
• 1993 Dr. theol. University of Göttingen
• 1990–1993 Teaching Assistant at the Faculty of Theology at the University of Göttingen
• 1990 First theological exam in Hannover
• 1983–1990 Studies of Theology, Philosophy and Ancient Near Eastern
• Languages at the Universities of Bonn, Vienna and Hamburg

Most Important Publications

• Die Gerichtsorganisation Israels im deuteronomischen Gesetz (FRLANT 165), Göttingen 1994
• Tradition und Redaktion in der Exoduserzählung. Untersuchungen zur Endredaktion des Pentateuch (FRLANT 186), Göttingen 2000
• Abschied vom Jahwisten. Die Komposition des Hexateuch in der jüngsten Diskussion, hg. von J.C. Gertz, K. Schmid, M. Witte (BZAW 315), Berlin – New York 2002
• Grundinformation Altes Testament, UTB 2745, hg. von J.C. Gertz gemeinsam mit A. Berlejung, K. Schmid und M. Witte, Göttingen 2006, 6. überarbeitete und erweiterte Auflage 2019
• T&T Clark Handbook of the Old Testament. An Introduction to the Literature, Religion and History of the Old Testament, hg. von J. C. Gertz gemeinsam mit A. Berlejung, K. Schmid und M. Witte, London - New York 2012
• The Formation of the Pentateuch. Bridging the Academic Cultures of Europe, Israel, and North America, hg. von J.C. Gertz, B.M. Levinson, D. Rom-Shiloni, K. Schmid (FAT 111), Tübingen 2016
• Das erste Buch Mose (Genesis). Die Urgeschichte Gen 1-11, ATD 1, Göttingen 2018, 2. durchges. Aufl. 2021

Full Bibliography

Areas of Specialization in Teaching and Research

• Literary history of the Old Testament
• Ancient near eastern and biblical history of law
• Pentateuch
• Biblical Prehistory

Research Projects

• Toponyms in the Book of Deuteronomy
• Toponyms in the Book of Genesis
• Genesis 1-11 as a Test Case for the Diachronic Analysis of Biblical Texts and Their Dating
• SFB Collaborative Research Centre "Material Text Cultures": C02 - Tales of the Scriptural as the Basis of a 'Textual Anthropology' of the Old Testament

Administration, Service to the Field

• 2019-2020 Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Theology
• 2017-2021 Chairman of the Old Testament section in the Academic Society for Theology (Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft für Theologie e.V.)
• Since 2016 DFG Review Board Theology
• Since 2011 Scientific Advisory Board, with Markus Hilgert, Bernd Schneidmüller, Melanie Trede and Christian Witschel of the of the book series “Materiale Textkulturen”, de Gruyter Publishers, Berlin
• 2013–2019 Equal Opportunities Ombudsman of the Faculty of Theology
• 2011–2018 Deputy Speaker of the SFB Collaborative Research Centre 933 “Material Text Cultures. Materiality and Presence of Writing in Non-Typographic Societies” and project leader of C02 “Tales of the Scriptural as the Basis of a 'Textual Anthropology' of the Old Testament”
• 2010–2016 Member of the DFG Senate Committee on Research Training Groups and the DFG Grants Committee on Research Training Groups
• 2008–2014 Steering Committee Society of Biblical Literature (Pentateuch-Group)
• 2008–2010 Dean of the Faculty of Theology
• 2006–2019 Personal Tutor of the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
• 2006–2012 Member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Heidelberg Foundation
• 2006–2010 Director of the International Academic Forum Heidelberg (IWH)
• 2003–2005 Member of the SFB Collaborative Research Centre 295 „ Cultural and linguistic contacts: Processes of change and their historical dimensions in North Eastern Africa and West Asia“ and project leader A11 “Ancient Near East Treaty Law”
• 1998–1999 Vicar (extra-occupational) at the Protestant-Lutheran St. Jacobi parish in Göttingen (2006 ordained in Baden)

Supervision of doctoral and post-doctoral degrees
(habilitation)

Materials

Course Materials can be found on Moodle 

Information for preparing a seminar paper.