Dr. Bruce Wells

Associate Professor

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Biography

Bruce Wells specializes in the study of the Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near East. His scholarship is focused on legal ideas and traditions within the Pentateuch, examining the legal system and its cultural context during the Neo-Babylonian period, and the well-documented periods of antiquity. He has published extensively on texts and practices related to litigation, marriage, divorce, sexual relations, slavery, and judicial authority, as well as the nature of biblical and ancient Near Eastern law. His research is concentrated on legal documents, including trial records and contracts, alongside economic and administrative records from the ancient Near East, providing crucial data for understanding the intellectual and cultural environment of biblical authors. He is the author of "Law and Testimony: The Pentateuchal Codes" (2004), and has co-authored several works, such as "Everyday Law in Biblical Israel" (2009) with Raymond Westbrook and "Fault, Responsibility, and Administrative Law in Late Babylonian Legal Texts" (2019) with F. Rachel Magdalene Cornelia Wunsch. He is also the editor of the upcoming "Cambridge Companion to Law and the Hebrew Bible" (2024).

Research Interests

Courses

MEL 380C • Akkadian IV HEB 380C • Bible Hebrew:gen-Deutrnm R S 353M • Debating Genesis MES 342 • Law/Justice Bible CTI 354L • Law/Justice Bible J S 363 • Law/Justice Bible R S 353K • Law/Justice Bible CTI 305G • Intro Old Testament MEL 380C • Akkadian III MEL 383C • Current Issues Hebrew Bible AHC 310 • Ancient Middle East MEL 380C • Akkadian II

Requirements for University of Texas at Austin

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
GRE General
TOEFL
Total
Required:79
IELTS
Overall
Required:6.5
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Application fee
  • Official transcripts
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • CV/Resume
Specialization Notes

General requirements for the Graduate School at UT Austin apply to all programs unless otherwise specified.