On the Promise and Challenges of Digital Humanities for the Study of Jews and Judaism in Late Antiquity

• In Event: Who’s Afraid of Numbers? Jewish Studies and the Prospects of Digital Humanities

Abstract

This talk will focus broadly on the potential of Digital Humanities (DH) for contributing to (or even transforming) the academic study of Jews and Judaism in Late Antiquity. I will discuss the application, both ongoing and potential, of DH approaches such as textual analysis tools; GIS; social network analysis; and image analysis. I will also discuss the importance of standards and "linked open data" as well as the relationship (and occasional tension) between creating interfaces that appeal to academic and non-academic audiences. Finally, some of the challenges (institutional, financial, and political) will be addressed.

Author

• Michael L. Satlow, Brown University