Prof. Victor Avigdor Hurowitz
Born: 1948, USA
Academic Qualifications:
    Ph.D. 1983, Hebrew University
    Prof. 1999, Ben-Gurion University.
Academic Positions:
Department of Bible, Archaeology and Ancient Near East - Professor
Research Interests:
Bible. Assyriology. Akkadian. Ancient Near Eastern religion. Temples. Cult. Idolatry. Divination. Mesopotamian Royal inscriptions. Book of Proverbs. Wisdom Literature in Bible and Ancient Near East.
Research Projects:
Image worship and Image manufacture in ancient Israel and the ancient near east and the biblical anti-idolatry polemics.
Divination in ancient Israel and the ancient near east.
Literary aspects of Mesopotamian royal inscriptions.
Commentary on the book of Proverbs for Miqra LeYisra`el commentary series.
Temples and Cult in Ancient Israel and Mesopotamia - Ongoing research into the design and symbolism of temples including the First Temple and the Mesopotamian ziqqurrat
Abstracts of Current Research:
  • Literary aspects of Akkadian monumental literature: Series of studies of major monumental inscriptions from Mesopotamia including Codex Hammurabi, Samsuiluna A, Hinke Kudurru, Shitti-Marduk kudurru, Simbar-Shipak Inscription, Nabubaladan Sun Disk Inscription, Sargon Cylinder, Sargon''''''''s 8th Campaign, Esarhaddon''''''''s Thompson Cylinder, Assurbanipal''''s Rassam Prism, Nabopolassar''''s Imgur-Enlil Cylinder. Literary and literary-structural devices are examined with the purpose of using them to forward understanding of the texts` individual messages
  • Commentary on the Book of Proverbs, Miqra LeYisra`el: Critical, philological commentary in Hebrew on the Book of Proverbs intended for scholarly and educated general audience. Avails itself of critical and Jewish scholarship and makes maximum use of ancient near eastern comparative material. Takes particular interest in literary structures in Proverbs. Preparing the commentary is being accompanied by publication of scholarly articles on individual problems in the Book of Proverbs and Mesopotamian wisdom compositions
  • Idolatry in the ancient near east and ancient Israel and its reflection in the bible: Ongoing study of the manufacture and use of cult statues in the ancient near east, especially Mesopotamia, and the reflections of these practices in the biblical anti-idolatry polemics. Special interest in problem of how idols were considered to be living gods and how man could make a god
Publications:
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. "Is Ludlul bēl nēmeqi Wisdom Literature?" Review article of Amar Annus and Alan Lenzi, Ludlul bēl nēmeqi: The Standard Babylonian Poem of the Righteous Suffer. (State Archives of Assyria Cuneiform Texts, Volume VII; Publications of the Foundation for Finnish Assyriological Research No. 2) xvi, 72 pp. Helsinki: The Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project, 2010 Journal of Hebrew Scripture 11: (2011)
  • Avigdor Victor Hurowitz. "Can Two Walk Together? A Look at a New Akkadian Companion to the Hebrew and Aramaic of the Bible". Review article of Hayim ben Yosef Tawil, An Akkadian Lexical Companion for Biblical Hebrew: Etymological-Semantic and Idiomatic Equivalents with Supplement on Biblical Aramaic, Jersey City, New Jersey: Ktav Publishing House, Inc. 2009" Leshonenu 72: 359-382 (2010)
  • Avigdor Victor Hurowitz. “The Joseph Stories and Mesopotamian Writings: Enslaving the Egyptians (Genesis 46:13-26)” (in Hebrew), Beth Miqra (special issue: The Joseph Stories in the Bible and Throughout the Generations”, 55: 94-106 (2010)
  • Avigdor Victor Hurowitz. “As His name, So is He – Word Play in Akkadian Writings” (in Hebrew) Language Studies 11-12 [Avi Hurvitz Festschrift, ed. Aharon Maman, Steven E. Fassberg 11-12: 69-88 (2008)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. “The Wisdom of p-amlī – A Deathbed Debate between a Father and Son”, Wisdom Literature in Mesopotamia and Israel, Society of Biblical Literature Symposium Series, 36 ( : 37-51 (2007)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. “Finding New Life in Old Words – Word Play in the Gilgamesh Epic”, Ancient Near Eastern Studies Supplements 21, [Gilgamesh and the World of Assyria. Proceedings of t : 67-78 (2007)
  • Avigdor Victor Hurowitz. Assurbanipal''s Library - Monument to Mesopotamian Literature, Foundation Stone to Assyriology (Hebrew) Libraries and Book Collections, ed. Yosef Kaplan : 33-47 (2006)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. “dNarru and dZulummar in the Babylonian Theodicy (BWL 88:276-277)” Journal of the American Oriental Society 124: 177-178 (2006)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. “An Overlooked Allusion to Ludlul in Urad-Gula’s Letter to Assurbanipal” State Archives of Assyria Bulletin 14 (2002-2005): 129-132 (2006)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. “Healing and Hissing Snakes – Listening to Numbers 21:4-9” Journal des Médecines Cunéiformes 8: 13-23 (2006)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. “What Goes In Is What Comes Out - Materials for Creating Cult Statues” Text, Artifact and Image: Revealing Ancient Israelite Religion, Brown Judaic Series 346, ed. Gary : 3-23 (2006)
  • Hurowitz, V.A.. Hammurabi in Mesopotamian Tradition ``An Experienced Scribe Who Neglects Nothing``: Ancient Near Eastern Studies in Honor of Jacob Kle ed. Yitschak Sefati, Pinhas Artzi, Chaim cohen, Barry L. Eichler, Victor A. Hurowitz: 497-532 (2005)
  • Hurowitz, A.V.. YHWH`s Exalted House - Aspects of the Design and Symbolism of Solomon`s Temple Temple and Worship in Biblical Israel: Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 422 John Day, ed.: 63-110 (2005)
  • Avigdor Victor Hurowitz. “The Look of the Priest: Towards the Image of the Ideal Priest in Ancient Israel and the Ancient Near East” (in Hebrew) Moed 14 (new series 2): 19-35 (2004)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. “Healing and Hissing Snakes – Listening to Numbers 21:4-9”, Scriptura [Yehoshua Gitay Festschrift, ed. Hendrik Bosman] 87: 13-23 (2004)
  • Avigdor Victor Hurowitz. “The Jehoash Inscription Under a Magnifying Glass” (in Hebrew) ), Beth Miqra [special issue = ed. N. Shupak, The Origin of Israel: Biblical Tradition and Modern 49: 89-102 (2004)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Review Essay” of Karel van der Toorn, Bob Becking, Pieter W. van der Horst ed. Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible Second Extensively Revised Edition. Leiden, Boston, Koeln: Brill; Grand Rapids, Michigan/Cambridge, United Kingdom: William B. Eerdmans, 1999 Jewish Quarterly Review 92: 497 -505 (2002)
  • Avigdor Victor Hurowitz. The Autobiography of Lady Wisdom, The First Born Daughter of YHWH the Creator (in Hebrew) Al Happereq 19: 111-123 (2002)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Additional Elements of Alphabetical Thinking in Psalm XXXIV Vetus Testamentum 52: 326-333 (2002)
  • Vcitor Avigdor Hurowitz. RUQMAH in Damascus Document 4Qde {4Q270} 7 I 14 Dead Sea Discoveries 9: 34-37 (2002)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. OKEL in Malachi 3:11 – Caterpillar Journal of Biblical Literature 121: 327-336 (2002)
  • Vcitor Avigdor Hurowitz. Proverbs 29.22-27: Another Unnoticed Alphabetic Acrostic Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 92: 121-125 (2001)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Literary Observations on `In Praise of the Scribal Art’ Journal of the Ancient Near East Society 27 (2000): 49-56 (2001)
  • Avigdor Victor Hurowitz. Splitting the Sacred Mountain. Zechariah 14,4 and Gilgamesh V ii 4-5 (in Hebrew) Beit Miqra 46: 304-309 (2001)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. The Seventh Pillar - Reconsidering the Literary Structure and Unity of Proverbs 31 Zeitschrift fuer die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 113: 209-218 (2001)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. An Often Overlooked Alphabetic Acrostic in Proverbs 24:1-22 Revue biblique 106: 526-540 (2000)
  • Avigdor Victor Hurowitz, Shmuel Vargon. Menahem Haran: Israel Prize Laureate 5760. His Life and Scholarly Contribution (in Hebrew), Beth Miqra 45: 193-199 (2000)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Advice to a Prince - A Message From Ea State Archives of Assyriology Bulletin 12 (1998): 39-53 (2000)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Who Lost an Earring? Genesis 35:4 Reconsidered Catholic Biblical Quarterly 62: 28-32 (2000)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Two Terms for Wealth in Proverbs 8 in Light of Akkadian Vetus Testamentum 49: 252-257 (2000)
  • Avigdor Victor Hurowitz. Burial in the Bible (in Hebrew) Beth Miqra 45: 121-_145 (2000)
  • Vcitor Avigdor Hurowitz. Splitting the Sacred Mountain. Zechariah 14,4 and Gilgamesh V ii 4-5 Ugarit Forschungen 31 (1999): 241-245 (2000)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Zolelah = Peddler/Tramp/Vagabond/Beggar. Lamentations I 11 In Light of Akkadian zilulu Vetus Testamentum 49: 1-4 (1999)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Even Maskit- A New Interpretation Journal of Biblical Literature 118: 201-208 (1999)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowiz. An End to Flying Cats- Epistle of Jeremiah 22 Reconsidered Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha 20: 93-95 (1999)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz, Sol Cohen. Huqqot Ha`ammim Hebel Hu’ (Jer. 10:3) in Light of Akkadian parsu and zaqiqu Referring to Cult Statues Jewish Quarterly Review 89: 277-290 (1999)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Nursling, Advisor, Architect? Amon and the Role of Wisdom in Proverbs 8,22-31 Biblica 80: 391-400 (1999)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Canon, Canonicity and Canonization in Mesopotamia- Scholarly Model or Ancient Reality? Jewish Studies 37, 1997 37: *1-*12 (1999)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Emar GARZA and Hebrew Terms for Priestly Portions NABU 1998 No. 3 (Septembre) : 67-68 (1998)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Notes on a Recently Published Administrative Document ISrael Exploration Journal 48: 132-135 (1998)
  • Vcitor Avigdor Hurowitz. Even Maskit- A New Interpretation Journal of Biblical Literature 118: 201-208 (1998)
  • Vcitor Avigdor Hurowitz. True Light on the Urim and Thummim. Review Article of C. van Dam, The Urim and Thummim- A Means of Revelation in Ancient Israel”, (Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns, 1997) Jewish Quarterly Review 58: 263-274 (1998)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. A Forgotten Meaning of Nefes (Isaiah lviii 10) Vetus Testamentum 47: 43-52 (1997)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Reading a Votive Inscription. Simbar-sipak and the Ellilification of Marduk Revue d''assyriologie 91: 39-47 (1997)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Kesep Ober Lassoher (Genesis 23.16) Zeitschrift fuer die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 108: 12-19 (1996)
  • Avigdor Victor Hurowitz. Mesopotamian Myth in Biblical Metamorphosis (in Hebrew) Sevivot 34: 52-62 (1995)
  • Avigdor Victor Hurowitz. Thou Shalt Make Thyself an Idol (in Hebrew) Beit Miqra 40: 337-347 (1995)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. The Form and Fate of the Priestly Tabernacle Remarks on a Recent Proposal Jewish Quarterly Review 86: 127-151 (1995)
  • victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Eli''s Adjuration of Samuel (I Samuel 3:17 18) in Light of a Diviner''s Protocol from Mari (AEM I/1, 1) Vetus Testamentum 44: 483-497 (1994)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. The Cult of Ancient Israel in History, Tradition and Commentary" (Review article of J. Milgrom, Leviticus 1 16, The Anchor Bible 3a, Garden City: Doubleday, 1991 AJS Review 19: 213-236 (1994)
  • victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Joseph''s Enslavement of the Egyptians (Genesis 47:13 26) in Light of Famine Texts From Mesopotamia Revue biblique 101: 355-362 (1994)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. ABL 1285 and the Hebrew Bible Literary Topoi in Urad Gula''s Letter of Petition to Assurbanipal State Archives of Assyria Bulletin 7: 9-17 (1993)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Joel''s Locust Plague in Light of Sargon II''s Prayer to Nanaya Journal of Biblical Literature 112: . 615 621 (1993)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Some Literary Observations on the Sitti Marduk kudurru (BBSt 6) Zeitschrift fuer die Assyriologie 82: 39-59 (1992)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. The Expression uqsamim beyadam (Numbers 22:7) in Light of Divinatory Practices from Mari Hebrew Studies 33: 5-14 (1992)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz, Wayne Horowitz. Urim and Thummim in Light of a Psephomancy Ritual from Assur (LKA 137) Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society 21: 95-115 (1992)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz, Joan G. Westenholz. LKA 63 A Heroic Poem in Celebration of Tiglath pileser I''s Musru Qumanu Campaign Journal of Cuneiform Studies 42: 1-50 (1991)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. The Etymology of Biblical Hebrew ''ayin, Appearance, in Light of Akkadian shiknu Zeitschrift fuer Althebraistik 3: 90-94 (1990)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Isaiah''s Impure Lips and Their Purification in Light of Akkadian Sources Hebrew Union College Annual 60: 1 52 (1989)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Salted Incense: Exodus 30:35; Maql* VI 111 113, IX 118 120 Biblica 68: 178 194 (1987)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Another Fiscal Practice in the Ancient Near East II Kings 12:5 17 and a Letter to Esarhaddon (LAS 277) Journal of Near Eastern Studies 45: 289-294 (1986)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. The Priestly Account of Building the Tabernacle Journal of the American Oriental Society 105: 21-30 (1985)
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz. Literary Structures in Samsuiluna A Journal of Cuneiform Studies 36: 191-205 (1984)
  • Avigdor Victor Hurowitz. The Golden Calf and the Tabernacle (in Hebrew) Shnaton: an Annual for Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies 7/8: 51-59 (1984)
Books:
  • Victor A. Hurowitz, Divine Service and Its Rewards: Ideology and Poetics in the Hinke Kudurru, Beer Sheva 10, Beer Sheva: Ben-Gurion University Press, 1997
  • Victor A. Hurowitz, Inu Anum Sirum: Literary Structures in the Non-Juridical Sections of Codex Hammurabi, Occasional Publications of the Samuel Noah Kramer Fund, 15, Philadelphia: Samuel Noah Kramer Fund, University of Pennsylvania, 1994
  • Victor A. Hurowitz, I Have Built You an Exalted House: Temple Building in the Bible in Light of Mesopotamian and Northwest Semitic Writings, Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1992
Book Chapters:
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz, “The Return of the Ark (1 Samuel 6) and Impetrated Ox Omens (STT 73:100-140, All the Wisdom of the East: Studies in Near Eastern Archaeology and History in Honor of Eliezer D. Oren, .), Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 255, Mayer Gruber, Shmuel Aḥituv, Gunnar Lehmann and Zipora Talshir , 177-186, (Firbourg: Academic Press; Gttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprech, 2012
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz, “`Solomon Built The Temple and Completed It’” – Building the First Temple According to the Book of Kings”, From the Foundations to the Crenellations: Essays on Temple Building in the Ancient Near East and Hebrew Bible,Alter Orient und Altes Testament 366, M. J. Boda, J. R. Novotny, 281-302, Muenster: Ugarit-Verlag, 2010
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz, "Name Midrashim and Word Plays on Names in Akkadian Historical Writings, A WOMAN OF VALOR: JERUSALEM ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN STUDIES IN HONOR OF JOAN GOODNICK WESTENHOLZ, Biblioteca del Proximo Oriente Antiguo 8, W. Horowitz, Uri Gabbay, Filip Vukosavovic, 83-100, Madrid: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 2010
  • Avigdor Victor Hurowitz, Er Son of Shelah (I Chronicles 4:21) and the Performance of Levirate Marriage”[Hebrew], Or LeMayer, Studies in Bible, Semitic Languages, Rabbinic Literature, and Ancient Civilizations Presented to Mayer Gruber on the Occasion of his Sixty-Fifth Birthday, Shamir Yonah, 99-104, Ben-Gurion University Press, Beer Sheva, 2010
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz, “Mesopotamian Temple Names – From Cultic Landscape to Cosmic Order” , Gazing on the Deep: Ancient Near Eastern and Other Studies in Honor of Tzvi Abusch, Jeffrey Stackert, Barbara Nevling Porter, and David P. Wright, 63-86, Bethesda, Md.: CDL Press, 2010
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz, “The Divinity of Mankind in the Bible and the Ancient Near East - A New Mesopotamian Parallel”, Mishneh Todah: Studies in Deuteronomy and Its Cultural Environment in Honor of Jeffrey H. Tigay, Nili S. Fox, David Glatt-Gilead and Michael J. Williams, 263-274, Winona Lake: Indiana, Eisenbrauns, 2009
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz, “Tenth Century BCE to 586 BCE: The House of the Lord (Beyt YHHW)”, Where Heaven and Earth Meet: Jerusalem''s Sacred Esplanade, Oleg Grabar, Benjamin Z. Kedar, 14-35, Yad Ben-Zvi Press: Jerusalem; University of Texas Press: Austin, Texas, 2009
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz, “A Monument to Imperial Control – Literary Observations on the Thompson Prism of Esarhaddon (Nineveh A)”, Homeland and Exile: Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies in Honour of Bustenay Oded,Supplements to Vetus Testamentum 130 , Gershon Galil, Markham J. Geller, Allan Millard, 121-165, Leiden, Boston: Brill, 2009
  • Avigdor Hurowitz, Fort Sargon, Dur-Sharru-ukin: A Portrait of the Royal Builder [Hebrew], Royal Assyrian Inscriptions: History, Historiography and Ideology: A conference in honour of Hayim Tadmor on the Occasion of His Eightieth Birthday, 20 November, 2003, Israel Eph''al, Nadav Na''aman , 25-52 , Jerusalem: Israel Academy of Sciences, 2009
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz, “In Search of Resen (Genesis 10:12): Dur-Sharrukin?”, Birkat Shalom - Studies in the Bible, Ancient Near Eastern Literature and Post-biblical Judaism presented to Shalom M. Paul on the Occasion of his Seventieth Birthday, Ch. Cohen, V. Hurowitz, A. Hurvitz, Y. Muffs, B. Schwartz, J. Tigay, 513-526, Winona Lake, ID: Eisenbrauns, 2008
  • Avigdor Victor Hurowitz, “Towards an Image of the Mesopotamian God” (in Hebrew) , Ancient Gods:: Polytheism in Eretz Israel and Neighboring Countries from the Second Millennium BCE to the Islamic Period, Menahem Kister, Joseph Geiger, Nadav Na’aman, Shaul Shaked, 1-34 , Jerusalem: Yad Ben-Zvi Press, 2008
  • Victor Avigdor Hurowitz, “Shalom Paul: Scholar, Teacher, Friend”, Birkat Shalom - Studies in the Bible, Ancient Near Eastern Literature and Post-biblical Judaism presented to Shalom M. Paul on the Occasion of his Seventieth Birthday, Ch. Cohen, V. Hurowitz, A. Hurvitz, Y. Muffs, B. Schwartz, J. Tigay, ix-xviii, Winona Lake, ID: Eisenbrauns, 2008
Edited Collections:
  • Shamir Yona, Victor Avigdor Hurowitz, Wisdom, Her Pillars are Seven: Studies in Biblical, Post-Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Wisdom Literature. Beer Sheva 20, Beer-Sheva: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Press, 2011
  • Chaim Cohen, Victor Avigdor Hurowitz, Avi Hurvitz, Yochanan Muffs, Baruch Schwartz, Jeffrey H. Tigay, Birkat Shalom: Studies in the Bible, Ancient Near Eastern Literature and Postbiblical Judaism Presented to Shalom M. Paul of the Occasion of His Seventieth Birthday, 2 vols., Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns, 2008
  • Michael V. Fox, Victor Avigdor Hurowitz, Avi Hurvitz, Michael L. Klein, Baruch J. Schwartz, Nile Shupak, Texts, Temples and Traditions: A Tribute to Menahem Haran, Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns, 1996
  • Yitschak Sefati, Pinhas Artzi, Chaim Cohen, Barry L. Eichler, Victor A. Hurowitz, "An Experienced Scribe Who Neglects Nothing": Ancient Near Eastern Studies in Honor of Jacob Klein, Bethesda, Maryland: CDL Press, 1986
Keywords:Bible, ziqqurrat, Assyriology, Temples, Cult, Divination, Idolatry, Royal inscriptions, Wisdom Literature, Proverbs, Akkadian.
Phones:
  1. Phone: 972-8-6461036
  2. Fax: 972-8-6472913
  3. Mobile: 054-5459377
Email:victor@bgu.ac.il