Dr. Mira Balberg

Biography

Mira Balberg is a Professor and the David Goodblatt Endowed Chair in Ancient Jewish Civilization at the University of California, San Diego. She earned her PhD from Stanford University in 2011. Her research primarily focuses on ancient Mediterranean religious history, specifically the emergence and development of Judaism in antiquity from 200 BCE to 500 CE. Balberg is particularly interested in the cultural contacts between Jews and surrounding communities as well as imperial forces that shaped the Middle East during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Her main area of expertise lies in rabbinic Judaism, especially in the context of Roman Palestine during late antiquity. She examines how Jewish literature from the Hellenistic and Roman era interprets and transforms biblical institutions, concepts, and values while engaging in a dialogue with Greek, Roman, and early Christian cultures. Balberg's publications include significant works such as 'Purity, Body, Self in Early Rabbinic Literature' (2014), 'Blood Thought: Reinvention of Sacrifice in Early Rabbinic Literature' (2017), and 'Fractured Tablets: Forgetfulness and Fallibility in Late Ancient Rabbinic Culture' (2023), each exploring critical aspects of rabbinic literature and cultural intersections.

Research Interests