Martin Goodman (historian)
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Martin David Goodman, FBA (born 1 August 1953) is a British historian and academic, specialising in
Roman history The history of Rome includes the history of the city of Rome as well as the civilisation of ancient Rome. Roman history has been influential on the modern world, especially in the history of the Catholic Church, and Roman law has influenced ma ...
and the history and literature of the
Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
in the Roman period.


Early life and education

Goodman was born into an English Jewish family. Goodman noted that " e family practised little beyond a Sabbath-eve dinner each Friday, an annual family Seder and occasional attendance at services in
Bevis Marks Synagogue Bevis Marks Synagogue, officially Qahal Kadosh Sha'ar ha-Shamayim ( he, קָהָל קָדוֹשׁ שַׁעַר הַשָׁמַיִם, "Holy Congregation Gate of Heaven"), is the oldest synagogue in the United Kingdom in continuous use. It is loc ...
." Goodman's paternal grandfather was the secretary of the London congregation of the Iberian Jews for many years. Goodman was educated at Trinity College, Oxford, (B.A.) where he studied classical language and literature, ancient history and philosophy ('' Literae Humaniores''). He completed his
Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...
(DPhil) degree in 1980: his
doctoral thesis A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...
was titled ''State and society in Roman Galilee, AD 132-212''. In 2010 he was awarded the degree of DLitt.


Academic career

Goodman began his academic career as a research fellow, holding the Kaye Junior Research Fellowship at the Oxford Centre for Postgraduate Hebrew Studies from 1976 to 1977. He was then a
lecturer Lecturer is an List of academic ranks, academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. T ...
in ancient history at the
University of Birmingham , mottoeng = Through efforts to heights , established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...
from 1977 to 1986.'GOODMAN, Prof. Martin David', ''
Who's Who 2017 ''Who's Who'' is a reference work. It is a book, and also a CD-ROM and a website, giving information on influential people from around the world. Published annually as a book since 1849, it lists people who influence British life, according to i ...
'', A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016; online edn, Nov 201
accessed 16 Aug 2017
/ref> In 1986, Goodman was elected a
Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...
of
Wolfson College, Oxford Wolfson College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Located in north Oxford along the River Cherwell, Wolfson is an all-graduate college with around sixty governing body fellows, in addition to both research and ...
. He was awarded the Title of Distinction of Professor of
Jewish Studies Jewish studies (or Judaic studies; he, מדעי היהדות, madey ha-yahadut, sciences of Judaism) is an academic discipline centered on the study of Jews and Judaism. Jewish studies is interdisciplinary and combines aspects of history (esp ...
by the
University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...
in 1996. From 2014 to 2018, he was the President of the
Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies The Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies (OCHJS) is a recognised independent centre of the University of Oxford, England. Its research fellows teach on a variety of undergraduate and master's degrees in Oriental studies, and it publishes ...
. He has edited the ''
Journal of Roman Studies The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies (The Roman Society) was founded in 1910 as the sister society to the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies. The Society is the leading organisation in the United Kingdom for those interest ...
'' and the ''
Journal of Jewish Studies A journal, from the Old French ''journal'' (meaning "daily"), may refer to: *Bullet journal, a method of personal organization *Diary, a record of what happened over the course of a day or other period *Daybook, also known as a general journal, a ...
''. He is past President of the British Association for Jewish Studies, past secretary of the European Association of Jewish Studies, and he is a fellow and governor of the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies.


Research and teaching

Goodman teaches
Roman history The history of Rome includes the history of the city of Rome as well as the civilisation of ancient Rome. Roman history has been influential on the modern world, especially in the history of the Catholic Church, and Roman law has influenced ma ...
and
Jewish history Jewish history is the history of the Jews, and their nation, religion, and culture, as it developed and interacted with other peoples, religions, and cultures. Although Judaism as a religion first appears in Greek records during the Hellenisti ...
. He has written extensively on Jewish history in the Graeco-Roman period, including the religious and political conditions of the Jews, and their interactions with other peoples of the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
.


Honours and awards

In 1996, Goodman was elected
Fellow of the British Academy Fellowship of the British Academy (FBA) is an award granted by the British Academy to leading academics for their distinction in the humanities and social sciences. The categories are: # Fellows – scholars resident in the United Kingdom # C ...
(FBA). In 2010, he was made an
honorary fellow Honorary titles (professor, reader, lecturer) in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties. This practice primarily exists in the UK and Germany, as well as in m ...
of
Trinity College, Oxford (That which you wish to be secret, tell to nobody) , named_for = The Holy Trinity , established = , sister_college = Churchill College, Cambridge , president = Dame Hilary Boulding , location = Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BH , coordinates ...
. His book, ''Oxford Handbook of Jewish Studies,'' won the
National Jewish Book Award The Jewish Book Council (Hebrew: ), founded in 1944, is an organization encouraging and contributing to Jewish literature.Judaea Judea or Judaea ( or ; from he, יהודה, Standard ''Yəhūda'', Tiberian ''Yehūḏā''; el, Ἰουδαία, ; la, Iūdaea) is an ancient, historic, Biblical Hebrew, contemporaneous Latin, and the modern-day name of the mountainous south ...
: The Origins of the Jewish Revolt Against
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
, A.D. 66-70 '', Cambridge, 1987 *''Mission and Conversion:
Proselytizing Proselytism () is the policy of attempting to convert people's religious or political beliefs. Proselytism is illegal in some countries. Some draw distinctions between ''evangelism'' or '' Da‘wah'' and proselytism regarding proselytism as invol ...
in the Religious History of the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
'', Oxford, 1994 *''The Roman World, 44 BC-AD 180'', London, 1997 . *(ed.) ''Jews in a
Graeco-Roman World The Greco-Roman civilization (; also Greco-Roman culture; spelled Graeco-Roman in the Commonwealth), as understood by modern scholars and writers, includes the geographical regions and countries that culturally—and so historically—were di ...
'', Oxford, 1998 *(joint ed.) ''
Apologetics Apologetics (from Greek , "speaking in defense") is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse. Early Christian writers (c. 120–220) who defended their beliefs against critics and ...
in the Roman Empire:
Pagans Pagans may refer to: * Paganism, a group of pre-Christian religions practiced in the Roman Empire * Modern Paganism, a group of contemporary religious practices * Order of the Vine, a druidic faction in the ''Thief'' video game series * Pagan's ...
, Jews and
Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
'', Oxford, 1999 *''State and Society in Roman Galilee AD 132-212'', 2nd edition, London 2000 *(ed.) ''Oxford Handbook of Jewish Studies'', Oxford, 2002 *''Judaism in the Roman World, Collected essays'', Leiden, 2007 *''Rome and Jerusalem: The Clash of Ancient Civilizations'', New York, 2007 *(joint ed.) ''Rabbinic Texts and the History of Late Roman Palestine'', Oxford, 2010 *''A History of Judaism'', Penguin Books Ltd, London, 2017. Princeton University Press, 2018 .


''Rome and Jerusalem: The Clash of Ancient Civilizations''

B. Weinstein, professor emeritus at
Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...
describes the work as a "page turner" because of its clarity and style. Weinstein also notes that Goodman has provided a huge number of primary sources. Rose Mary Sheldon offers a more critical review. Recognising his expertise in both Roman and Jewish history, Sheldon comments that while the text is clear and logical it uses minimal footnotes and is aimed towards a general audience. Sheldon also claims that Goodman's arguments in favour of a lack of conflict between Romans and Jews between 6-60 CE "do not hold water". Sheldon does conclude that Goodman has written an accurate historical survey of Roman-Jewish relations. ''
Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
'' observes that Goodman has backed his account with archaeological evidence and ancient commentary with the result of producing a "scholarly tour de force". Its criticism is that Goodman has given more space to Romans than Jews. Jay Freeman in ''
Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...
'' holds Goodman's work to be a "definitive account" for historians of both the Roman and Jewish worlds. Freeman also states that Goodman has convincingly illuminated the role of the Jewish-Roman conflict in shaping relations between Jews and Christians. David Noy of the
University of Wales, Lampeter University of Wales, Lampeter ( cy, Prifysgol Cymru, Llanbedr Pont Steffan) was a university in Lampeter, Wales. Founded in 1822, and incorporated by royal charter in 1828, it was the oldest degree awarding institution in Wales, with limited ...
describes in ''The Journal of Roman Studies'' that the picture portrayed in the book is a "compelling one". However, Noy criticizes Goodman's over reliance on Josephus.
Erich S. Gruen Erich Stephen Gruen ( , ; born May 7, 1935) is an American classicist and ancient historian. He was the Gladys Rehard Wood Professor of History and Classics at the University of California, Berkeley, where he taught full-time from 1966 until 2008 ...
gives a highly positive review and recommends this book for it "demands attention" because it is a "sweeping survey" that aims to reach an audience beyond academia. Describing Goodman as "too good a historian" he observes that Goodman has approached the subject in a "masterly fashion". Gruen's conclusion is that Goodman is committed to "thorough and scrupulous" scholarship.


References


External links


Homepage
at Oriental Institute, Oxford.

at Faculty of Theology, Oxford. {{DEFAULTSORT:Goodman, Martin 1953 births Living people British historians of religion Historians of antiquity Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford Fellows of Wolfson College, Oxford Fellows of the British Academy Academics of the University of Birmingham Historians of Jews and Judaism English Jews