May 2023 – workshop in Graz

The members of the NCN-DFG project “The Dawn of Monotheism? Judean Religion(s) in the Persian and Early Hellenistic Period in Light of Iconographic, Epigraphic, and Biblical Sources” met for a very successful workshop at the University of Graz (3–4 May 2023). In this context, Łukasz Niesiołowski-Spano, Katharina Pyschny, Krystyna Stebnicka, Paolo Giorgio Campi, and Sarah Hollaender discussed fundamental issues related to their common research aim, related to the reconstruction of the religious landscape of Judah in the post-exilic period. They also presented their own research projects, which deal with a variety of sources from different angles (e.g., concepts of religion, theories of leadership, editorial history, onomastics, and imagery as a semiotic system). They benefited greatly from this fruitful, reciprocal exchange, both in terms of strengthening their collaborations and gaining valuable feedback on their individual research projects.

In addition, team members had the opportunity to visit the exhibition ‘Jewish Life in Graz’ at the Graz Museum, which is dedicated to the history of the Jewish population from its first documentary mention to the present; Prof. Gerald Lamprecht from the Center for Jewish Studies kindly guided them through the exhibition.