Professor Dr. Wally Cirafesi

Biography

Wally Cirafesi is an Associate Senior Lecturer in New Testament Studies at Lund University, engaging in research that explores the socio-cultural worlds of ancient Judaism and early Christianity. His doctoral research, which was published in 2022, focused on the relationship between the Gospel of John and the constructions of Jewish identity in antiquity during the Temple period and the time of the Mishnah. He continues to investigate New Testament texts within their ancient social and cultural contexts, with a recent publication digging into the micro-history of Jewish-Christian relations in ancient Capernaum during the transition from Byzantine to Islamic rule in Palestine. Cirafesi’s current projects are dedicated to understanding the material and social histories of ancient synagogues, particularly how they functioned as sites for Jewish-Christian interaction. As a Pro Futura Scientia Fellow at the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study, he is leading a new interdisciplinary theme on Ancient Synagogues and the Human Sensorium through the Pufendorf Institute for Advanced Studies in the upcoming academic year.

Research Interests

Awards