Dr. Benjamin Wold

My research interests are broadly focused on the historical and cultural study of ancient Judaism and nascent Christianity. I am particularly fascinated by the Dead Sea Scrolls and the ways that this archaeological discovery at Qumran changes our understanding of intellectual trends and patterns in the late Second Temple period. My newest book titled "Qumran Wisdom and the New Testament: Exploring Early Jewish and Christian Textual Cultures" was published by Cambridge University Press in December 2022. This book offers interrelated studies on sections of James, Matthew and the Pauline Letters to explore resonances with Jewish wisdom motifs broadly conceived. I am currently working on a new monograph on the Gospel of John in light of the Dead Sea Scrolls. In terms of my biography, a native of Washington State, my journey to Ireland followed an international path, from Portland, Oregon (BA), to Jerusalem (MA), and then Durham University, UK (Ph.D.) where I worked with Loren Stuckenbruck. Following a post-doctoral period at Durham University I received an Alexander von Humboldt award which was taken up in Tübingen, Germany where I worked at the Institut für antikes Judentum und hellenistische Religionsgeschicte. I began at Trinity College Dublin in 2007. One of my interests is archaeology and material culture. I have regularly volunteered at archaeological excavations, including twice at Qumran. I have held fellowships at the American School of Overseas Research (Albright Institute) in Jerusalem; once with an award from the National Endowment for the Humanities (2012/13) and again as a Senior Fellow (2017). I am presently accepting applications from prospective Ph.D. students who are interested to research in the intersection of Second Temple Judaism and New Testament literature. In the School of Religion, I am co-founder and current Director of the Trinity Centre for Biblical Studies and coordinate the post-graduate research seminar for biblical and cognate studies. I am also currently the Director of Research (School of RTPS) My undergraduate teaching consists of the following modules: Semester 1 Jewish Thought and Practice (REU12731), The Apostle Paul: Life and Letters (REU33114), and co-teaching Introducing the Hebrew Bible (REU12101); Semester 2 The Historical Jesus and the Gospels (REU22111), The Dead Sea Scrolls (REU44722), and co-teaching Introducing the New Testament and Early Christianity (REU12112) Supervision Students: Krueger Tumiwa (1st year Ph.D.), Maicol Cortes (2nd year Ph.D.), Irene Barbotti (3rd year Ph.D.), Simon Brummer (3rd year Ph.D.), Jadesmon Saragih (3rd year Ph.D.), Jesse Sykes (4th year Ph.D.) Selected Publications: Monographs: Benjamin Wold, Qumran Wisdom and the New Testament (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2023). Benjamin Wold, 4QInstruction: Divisions and Hierarchies, Studies in the Texts of the Desert of Judah 123 (Leiden: Brill, 2018). Benjamin Wold, Women, Men, and Angels: The Qumran Wisdom Document Musar le-Mevin and its Allusions the Genesis Creation Traditions (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2005). Edited Books: Benjamin Wold, Daniel Machiela, Jeff Garcia, Chad Pierce (ed.), "Bring Them into the Land": The Holy Land in Ancient Judaism and Nascent Christianity: Essays in Honor of R. Steven Notley (Eugene, OR, Wipf & Stock, 2025). Benjamin Wold, Jan Dochhorn, Susanne Rudnig-Zelt (ed.), Das Böse, Der Teufel, und Dämonen - Evil, the Devil, and Demons, WUNT.II (Tübingen, Mohr Siebeck, 2016). Benjamin Wold, Loren Stuckenbruck, Stephen Barton (ed.), Memory in the Bible and Antiquity, WUNT (Tübingen, Mohr Siebeck, 2007).

  Apocalypticism   Historical Jesus Studies   Jewish studies   New Testament   Qumran Studies   Second temple Judaism