Maxwell Benster (UK/USA)

I am a first year MPhil student in Theology, studying Judaism in antiquity. I am originally from New York but have lived in the UK since the age of two. I recently completed a BA in Theology at Oxford where I was awarded prizes for the best performance in the Final Honours School examinations and the best performance in biblical Hebrew.

My undergraduate thesis looked at celestial writing in ancient Judaism, focusing on moments – attested across a range of texts from different periods – where names and sins are said to be erased from heavenly books. I am fascinated by writing in Jewish antiquity, in particular what it means to conceptualise writing as divine; how celestial writing is understood to be efficacious in the earthly realm; what it then means to subsequently record this in writing; and how human writing is, as a result, given immense authority. Alongside pursuing interests in writing in ancient Judaism, I want to think more about aspects of Second Temple Judaism, with a particular focus on the Dead Sea Scrolls. I am also interested in archaeology, Hebrew philology, Rabbinic Judaism, and Patristics. Outside of my studies, I enjoy reading novels and books about geopolitics, as well as playing tennis.

In my work, I aim to put the study of ancient Judaism in conversation with other disciplines and methodologies. This is one of the many reasons I am so excited about joining such an interdisciplinary community. I am profoundly grateful to the Ertegun Graduate Scholarship Programme for giving me the opportunity to continue studying what I love and to become a part of such a vibrant and intellectually enriching community.