The lecturer is a University Professor of Religious Studies, and The Ungerleider Distinguished Scholar of Judaic Studies at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. He holds the A.B., Magna cum laude in history, from Harvard College; the M.H.L. from The Jewish Theological Seminary of America; and the Ph.D. from Columbia University. He has held the Henry Fellowship at Oxford University and the Fulbright Scholarship at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, as well as fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Before going to Brown in 1968, he taught for four years at Dartmouth College. He holds the following academic affiliations, awards, and offices:

1960– Life Member, American Oriental Society

1965– Elected Member, American Society for the Study of Religion

1967–68 Vice President and Program Chairman, American Academy of Religion

1968–69 President, American Academy of Religion

1968– Association for Jewish Studies, Member, Founding Committee; Member, Board of Directors, 1968–1972

1968–69 Council on the Study of Religion, Member, Founding Committee; Delegate, American Academy of Religion.

1968– Fellow, Royal Asiatic Society (London)

1969 A.M. Ad Eundem, Brown University

1969– President, The Max Richter Foundation

1972 Elected Fellow, American Academy for Jewish Research, 1976-, Member, Executive Committee

1973– Editor, Studies in Judaism in Late Antiquity (Monograph Series, E. J. Brill, Leiden)

1974 University Medal for Excellence, Columbia University, Conferred May 15, 1974

1975– Editor, Studies in Judaism in Modern Times (Monograph Series, E. J. Brill, Leiden)

1975– Editor, Library of Judaic Learning (Textbook Series, Ktav Publishing House, New York)

1976 – Editorial Board, The New Review of Books and Religion (Seabury)

1976– Editor, Brown Judaic Studies (Monograph Series, Scholars Press)

1977 Visiting Professor of Rabbinic Literature, Jewish Theological Seminary of America (Graduate School, Summer Session)

He has published the following scholarly books:

A Life of Yohanan ben Zakkai. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1962. Awarded Abraham Berliner Prize in Jewish History, Jewish Theological Seminary of America, 1962. Second Edition, completely revised, 1970.

A History of the Jews in Babylonia. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
I. The Parthian Period (1965). Second printing, revised, 1969.
II. The Early Sasanian Period (1966).
III. From Shapur I to Shapur II (1968).
IV. The Age of Shapur II (1969).
V. Later Sasanian Times (1970).

Development of a Legend: Studies on the Traditions Concerning Yohanan ben Zakkai. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1970.

Aphrahat and Judaism: The Christian-Jewish Argument in Fourth Century Iran. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1971.

The Rabbinic Traditions about the Pharisees before 70. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1971. I. The Masters. II. The Houses. III. Conclusions.

Eliezer ben Hyrcanus: The Tradition and the Man. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1973. I. The Tradition. II. The Man.

The Idea of Purity in Ancient Judaism. The 1972–73 Haskell Lectures. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1973.

A History of Mishnaic Law of Purities. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
I. Kelim. Chapters One through Eleven (1974).
II. Kelim. Chapters Twelve through Thirty (1974).
III. Kelim. Literary and Historical Problems (1975).
IV. Ohalot. Commentary (1975).
V. Ohalot. Literary and Historical Problems (1974).
VI. Negaim. Mishnah-Tosefta (1975).
VII. Negaim. Sifra (1975).
VIII. Negaim. Literary and Historical Problems (1975).
IX. Parah. Commentary (1976)
X. Parah. Literary and Historical Problems (1976).
XI. Tohorot. Commentary (1976).
XII. Tohorot. Literary and Historical Problems (1976).
XIII. Miqvaot. Commentary (1976).
XIV. Miqvaot. Literary and Historical Problems (1976).
XV. Niddah. Commentary (1976).
XVI. Niddah. Literary and Historical Problems (1976).
XVII. Makhshirin (1977).
XVIII. Zabim (1977).
XIX. Tebul Yom. Yadayim (1977).
XX. Uqsin. Cumulative Index, Parts I-XX (1977).
XXI. The Redaction and Formulation of the Order of Purities in Mishnah and Tosefta (1977).
XXII. The Mishnaic System of Uncleanness: Its Context and History (1977).

The Tosefta. Translated from the Hebrew. Sixth Division: Tohorot. New York: Ktav Publishing House, 1977.

The Tosefta. Translated from the Hebrew. Fifth Division: Qodoshim. New York: Ktav Publishing House, 1978.

A History of the Mishnaic Law of Holy Things. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
I. Zebahim. Translation and Explanation (1978).
II. Menahot. Translation and Explanation (1978).
III. Hullin, Bekhorot. Translation and Explanation (1978).
IV. Arakhin, Temurah. Translation and Explanation (1979).
V. Keritot, Meilah, Tamid, Middot, Qinnim. Translation and Explanation (1979).
VI. The Mishnaic System of Holy Things: Its Context and History (1979).

He has edited the following scholarly books:

Religions in Antiquity: Essays in Memory of Erwin Ramsdell Goodenough. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1968: Supplements to Numen XIV.

Formation of the Babylonian Talmud: Studies in the Achievements of Late Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Historical and Literary-Critical Research. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1970.

The Modern Study of the Mishnah. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1973.

Soviet Views of Talmudic Judaism: Five Papers by Yu. A. Solodukho. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1973.

Christianity, Judaism, and Other Greco-Roman Cults. Studies for Morton Smith at Sixty. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1975.

I. New Testament.

II. Early Christianity.

III. Judaism before 70.

IV. Judaism after 70. Other Greco-Roman Cults.

He has written or edited the following textbooks:

The Way of Torah: An Introduction to Judaism. Encino: Dickenson Publishing Company, 1970, in Living Religions of Man series, edited by Frederick Streng.

Editor: The Life of Torah. Readings in the Jewish Religious Experience. Encino: Dickenson Publishing Company, 1974, in Living Religions of Man series, edited by Frederick Streng.

There We Sat Down: Talmudic Judaism in the Making. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1972. Second printing, New York: Ktav Publishing House, 1977.

American Judaism. Adventure in Modernity. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1972.

From Politics to Piety: The Emergence of Pharisaic Judaism. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1973.

Editor: Contemporary Judaic Fellowship, in Theory and in Practice. New York: Ktav Publishing House, 1972.

Invitation to the Talmud: A Teaching Book. New York: Harper & Row, 1973.

Editor: Understanding Jewish Theology: Classical Themes and Modern Perspectives. New York: Ktav Publishing House, 1973.

Editor: Understanding Rabbinic Judaism. From Talmudic to Modern Times. New York: Ktav Publishing House, 1974.

First-Century Judaism in Crisis. Yohanan ben Zakkai and the Renaissance of Torah. Nashville and New York: Abingdon Press, 1975.

Between Time and Eternity: The Essentials of Judaism. Encino: Dickenson Publishing Company, 1976.

Editor: Understanding American Judaism. Toward the Description of a Modern Religion. I. The Synagogue and the Rabbi. New York: Ktav Publishing House, 1975.

Editor: Understanding American Judaism. Toward the Description of a Modern Religion. II. The Sectors of American Judaism: Reform, Orthodoxy, Conservatism, and Reconstructionism. New York: Ktav Publishing House, 1975.

Let’s Learn Mishnah. Let’s Make Mishnah. New York: Behrman House, 1977 (Textbook for pre-teenagers).

He has, in addition, published the following collections of essays:

Fellowship in Judaism: The First Century and Today. London: Vallentine, Mitchell & Co., 1963.

History and Torah. Essays on Jewish Learning. London: Vallentine, Mitchell 8c Co., 1965; and New York: Schocken Books, 1965; paperback edition, New York: Schocken Books, 1967.

Judaism in the Secular Age. Essays on Fellowship, Community, and Freedom. London: Vallentine, Mitchell 8c Co., 1970; and New York: Ktav Publishing House, 1970.

Early Rabbinic Judaism. Historical Studies in Religion, Literature, and Art. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1975.

The Academic Study of Judaism. Essays and Reflections. New York: Ktav Publishing House, 1975.

Talmudic Judaism in Sasanian Babylonia. Essays and Studies. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1976.

The Academic Study of Judaism. Essays and Reflections. Second Series. New York: Ktav Publishing House, 1977.