Shemaryahu Talmon

Shemaryahu Talmon (; born Zam Zelmanowicz; 1920 in Skierniewice, Poland – December 15, 2010) was J. L. Magnes Professor of Bible at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, known particularly for his work in the Hebrew University Bible Project.

A Holocaust survivor from Buchenwald concentration camp, Talmon immigrated to Mandatory Palestine and became a prominent biblical scholar, contributing significantly to the study of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible. He was a leader in interfaith dialogue and served as rector of the University of Haifa. In 1997, Talmon was awarded the Israel Prize for Biblical studies.

Early life

Talmon was born in Poland in 1920, growing up and studying in the city of Breslau (which was then part of Prussia). He was educated at the Jüdisches Reform-Real Gymnasium in Breslau, Germany. He was a detainee at Buchenwald concentration camp during the Holocaust. During that time his parents and two sisters were killed, he managed to emigrate to Palestine.

Education

He obtained a PhD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1956. His thesis was on the text and versions of the Tanakh, especially "double meanings" in Biblical texts. He subsequently extended and refined his thesis, and contributed to many areas of biblical study.

Publications His publications include "Qumran and the History of the Biblical Text" (1975), "King, Cult, and Calendar" (1986), "Gesellschaft und Literatur in der Hebräischen Bibel" (1988), "The World of Qumran from Within" (1989) and hundreds of articles in scholarly journals.

Awards In 1997, Talmon was awarded the Israel Prize, for Biblical studies.