Dr. Saul Olyan

Biography

Saul M. Olyan is the Samuel Ungerleider Jr. Professor of Judaic Studies and Professor of Religious Studies at Brown University. He focuses on the history, literature, and religion of ancient Israel, particularly the textual representations of ritual and its social dimensions, including the production of inequality. His research interests also encompass disability, death, the afterlife, social hierarchy, sexuality, purity, impurity, honor, shame, friendship, and ritual violence. Olyan has authored several books, including 'Human, Divine, Textual Relationships: Essays on the Hebrew Bible' (Brill, 2024) and 'Animal Rights in the Hebrew Bible' (Oxford University Press, 2023). He has served on various editorial boards and has been involved in numerous academic societies, reflecting his active engagement in the scholarly community. Olyan teaches courses at Brown that focus on biblical texts and issues of morality, ancient debates, and the implications of biblical interpretation for understanding contemporary social issues.

Research Interests

Experience