Jewish Studies

Jewish studies is a multidisciplinary field that examines the history, thought, texts, cultures, and communities of the Jewish people from antiquity to the present. It draws on biblical and rabbinic scholarship, history, philosophy, languages, sociology, and literary and cultural studies to explore one of the oldest continuous civilisations in the world and one of its most consequential contributions to human thought. The field encompasses the Hebrew Bible and Talmud, the development of Jewish law and theology, the diaspora experience across many countries and centuries, and the challenges and transformations of modernity, including the Holocaust and the establishment of Israel.

At Oxford, this three-year full-time degree is taught within one of the world's leading centres for Jewish and Hebrew studies, with research strengths spanning ancient languages, medieval philosophy, modern Jewish history, and contemporary Jewish thought. The tutorial system gives you intensive engagement with primary sources in their original languages, where possible, and with leading scholars in the field. You will study Hebrew, engage with biblical and post-biblical literature, explore the intellectual history of Judaism from the ancient Near East through medieval philosophy and the early modern period to Enlightenment, Zionism, and contemporary debates.

The programme develops exceptional skills in close textual reading, historical analysis, and philosophical argument.

Graduates in Jewish studies go on to work in academia, education, journalism, interfaith relations, heritage, Jewish community organisations, diplomacy, publishing, and the civil service. The combination of linguistic ability, historical depth, and philosophical sophistication that the degree develops is valued in any field requiring the ability to engage with complex texts and ideas across cultural boundaries. Many graduates continue to doctoral research in Jewish studies, Hebrew, Near Eastern languages, or history.