Yael Landman

Assistant Professor of Bible

Department: Bible

Biography

BA, University of Pennsylvania; PhD, Yeshiva University

Dr. Yael Landman is assistant professor of Bible. Her most recent book, Legal Writing, Legal Practice: The Biblical Bailment Law and Divine Justice (Brown Judaic Studies, 2022), examines the biblical laws of bailment (i.e., temporary safekeeping) in Exodus 22 as a lens through which to explore the relationship of law in the biblical law collections and law-in-practice in ancient Israel. This book exposes a vision of divine justice at the heart of pentateuchal law and further traces continuities between ancient Near Eastern and early Jewish law. 

At JTS, Dr. Landman teaches courses about the Bible, its history of interpretation (including Jewish exegesis and modern critical methods) and receptions, and its ancient Near Eastern contexts. Prior to arriving at JTS, she taught at the University of Pennsylvania, Yeshiva University, and the Drisha Institute, and also served as acquisitions editor for Gorgias Press. 

Grants, Fellowships, and Awards

  • Littauer Faculty Research Fund, Jewish Studies Program, University of Pennsylvania (2022)
  • Affiliated Fellow, Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, University of Pennsylvania (2019–2020)
  • Visiting Research Fellow, Department of Judaic Studies, Brooklyn College (2017–2019)
  • Paula E. Hyman Mentorship Program, Association for Jewish Studies (2017–2018) 
  • Dissertation Completion Fellowship, Association for Jewish Studies (2016–2017) 
  • Doctoral Scholarship Grant, Memorial Foundation for Jewish Studies (2014–2015 and 2015–2016) 
  • Gorgias Press Book Grant (2014) 
  • Visiting Doctoral Scholar-in-Residence, the Tikvah Center for Law and Jewish Civilization, New York University School of Law (2013-2014) 
  • Center for Jewish Law and Contemporary Civilization Fellowship, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (2011–2013) 

Publications

Lectures

  • “An Eye for an Eye in the Ancient Near East,” Drisha (West Milford, NJ, 2022)
  • “The Rabbis’ Four Bailees: From Cuneiform Law to Classical Judaism,” Harvard Law School (virtual, 2022)
  • “‘Like a Daughter’: Uncovering Adoption in Nathan’s Parable (2 Samuel 12:4–14),” Association for Jewish Studies Conference (Chicago, 2021) 
  • “Confessions of a False Swearer: Penitence and Penalties in Leviticus 5:20–26, Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting,” Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting (virtual, 2021)
  • “A Discussion on the New Translation of the Magerman Edition Koren Tanakh,” Yeshiva University (virtual, 2021)
  • “A Mother Gets Custody: Law and Narrative in Genesis 21:14–21,” Columbia Hebrew Bible Seminary (virtual, 2021)
  • “A Lost Cause? Unpacking the Bible’s Lost Property Laws,” Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting (virtual, 2020)
  • “Livestock Law and Prophetic Pastures: Herding in Ezekiel 34 and Zechariah 11,” Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting (San Diego, CA, 2019) 
  • “Locust, Fire, Anakh, Fruit: Unriddling Amos’ Visions,” Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Yemei Iyun in Bible and Jewish Thought (Bronx, 2019)
  • “Of Loss and Lambs: A New Understanding of Genesis 31:39,” Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting (Denver, CO, 2018) 
  • “Israel as Zonah (prostitute): Unpacking a Metaphor,” Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Yemei Iyun in Bible and Jewish Thought (Bronx, 2018)
  • “Wherefore Legal Fictions? A Case Study in Ancient Near Eastern, Roman, and Early Jewish Law,” Association for Jewish Studies Annual Conference (Washington DC, 2017)
  • “Is There a Biblical ‘Law’? Law in the World of the Bible,” Center for Jewish History (New York, 2017)