USC.edu

Bruce Zuckerman

Professor Emeritus of Religion,
Email bzuckerm@usc.edu

Center, Institute & Lab Affiliations

  • InscriptiFact Project,
  • USC West Semitic Reserach Project,

Biography

Bruce E. Zuckerman is a Professor in the School of Religion at the University of Southern California, where he teaches courses in the Hebrew Bible, the Bible in Western Literature, the Ancient Near East, and Archaeology. He received his Ph.D. in ancient Near Eastern Languages from Yale University and is a specialist in Northwest Semitic languages and biblical studies. Besides his teaching responsibilities, he directs the USC Archaeological Research Center and both the West Semitic Research and InscriptiFact Projects. He is also the Myron and Marian Casden Director of the Casden Institute for the Study of the Jewish Role in American Life. He specializes in photographing ancient texts including numerous projects involving the Dead Sea Scrolls. His book, Job the Silent: A Study in Biblical Counterpoint, was published in 1991 by Oxford University Press and The Leningrad Codex; A Facsimile Edition, for which he and his brother Kenneth did the principal photography, was published in 1998. He is also co-author with Zev Garber of Double Takes; Thinking and Rethinking Issues of Modern Judaism in Ancient Contexts, published in 2004. He is currently leading an effort to disseminate electronic images of ancient texts through the West Semitic Research and InscriptiFact Projects (www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/wsrp; www.inscriptifact.com). In 2006 he was awarded the Albert S. Raubenheimer Award in the Humanities for “outstanding performance in the three areas of teaching, scholoarship and service within the University.” This is the highest academic honor awarded by the USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences.

Education

  • Ph.D. Ancient Near Eastern Languages, Yale University, 5/1980
  • B.A. English, Princeton University, 6/1969

  • Summary Statement of Research Interests

    Professor Zuckerman studies the ancient Near East, Northwest Semitic languages and literatures, and the archaeology of the Near East and the Greco-Roman world. He also directs the West Semitic Research Project and the USC Archaeological Research Collection, and is codirector of the InscriptiFact Project. He is an expert in reproducing ancient biblical and Near Eastern documents, including Dead Sea Scrolls. Zuckerman has particular interest in helping the university integrate the latest technological advances in multimedia more seamlessly into the classroom environment.

  • Contracts and Grants Awarded

    • 2012 Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program Grant: A Technological Lending Library, (Institute of Museum and Library Services), Bruce Zuckerman, Leta Hunt, $399,714, 07/01/2012 – 07/01/2015
    • Imaging Lending Library, (Andrew W. Mellon Foundation), Bruce Zuckerman, Leta Hunt, $30,000, 04/2012 – 05/2014
    • Establishing a center for image documentation and distribution of ancient texts/artifacts, (Univ. of IL/Cyprus Res. and Educ. Foundation), Bruce Zuckerman, Leta Hunt, $107,825, 2012-2013
    • Grant from Y. H. Cho in support of Korean documentation of ancient Korean inscribed Buddhist statuar, Bruce Zuckerman, $20,000, 2012-2013
    • “Integrating Spectral and Reflectance Transformation Imaging Technologies for the Digitization of Ma, (National Endowment for the Humanities), Bruce Zuckerman, Todd Hanneken, $20,075, 05/2013 – 06/2013
    • Extension of Grant to Document the Persepolis Fortification Archive, (Andrew W. Mellon Foundation), Matthew Stolper, Bruce Zuckerman, $636,000, 04/01/2011 – 03/30/2013
    • Dead Sea Scroll Documentation Project, Spikestaad, Norway, Bruce Zuckerman, $15,000, 2010-2011
    • Bridge Funding to Support USC for the Persepolis Fortification Archive Project, (Farhang Foundation), Bruce Zuckerman, $5,000, Spring 2011
    • Khorsabad Neo Assyrian Bas Reliefs Documentation, (Cuneiform Digital Libary Iniitiative, UCLA), Bruce Zuckerman, $3,200, Spring 2011
    • Renewal: Emergency Rescue Project to Preserve, Publish and Distribute the Persepolis Fortification A, (Andrew W. Mellon Foundation), Matthew Stolper (Oriental Institute, Univ. of Chicago), Bruce Zuckerman, $700,000, 12/2008 – 12/2010
    • Grant of $88,018 from the USC Provost to support substantial upgrade for the InscriptiFact Image Dat, (Office of the Provost, USC), Bruce Zuckerman, $88,018, 2009-2010
    • Developing Advanced Technologies For The Imaging Of Cultural Heritage Objects, (Institute For Museum and Library Science), Zuckerman, Bruce E, $600,000, 10/01/2006 – 06/30/2010
    • Emergency Rescue Project To Preserve Publish And Distribute The, (Andrew W. Mellon Foundation), Matthew Stolper (Oriental Institute, Univ. of Chicago), Bruce Zuckerman, Leta Hunt, $600,000, 01/01/2007 – 12/31/2009
    • The InscriptiFact Project: A Proposal for UIUC/USC Collaboration, (University of Illinois, Urbana), Zuckerman, Bruce, Hunt, Leta, $56,000, 07/01/2007 – 06/30/2009
    • Grant from the Council of Deans for seed funding of a consortial network for the InscriptiFact Image, (University of Illinois (Urbana Champaign)), Bruce Zuckerman, Leta Hunt, $80,000, 01/2007 – 01/2009
    • Inscriptifact Infrastructure Consortium Planning and Undergraduate Research Through the InscrptiFact Image Database, (Mellon Foundation), Zuckerman, Bruce E, Hunt, Leta, $50,000, 08/15/2006 – 12/11/2007

  • Book

    • Zuckerman, B. E., Garber, Z. (2004). Double Takes: Thinking & Rethinking Issues of Modern Judaism in Ancient Contexts. University Press of America.
    • Zuckerman, Bruce E; Zuckerman, K; Lundberg, Marilyn J.; Beck, A., Freedman, D, Sanders, J. (Ed.). (1998). Facsimile Edition of the Leningrad Codex. lv and 1016 pp.. Eerdmans/Brill.
    • Zuckerman, B. E. (1991). Job the Silent. Oxford University Press.

    Book Chapters

    • Zuckerman, B., Lundberg, M., Pattengale, J., Reichstadt, H., Zuckerman, K. (2013). Using Cutting-edge Technologies to Revisualize the Past. Book of Books pp. 118-125. Jerusalem: Bible Lands Museum.
    • Zuckerman, B., Hunt, L., Liundberg, M. (2010). Concrete Abstractions: Ancient Texts as Artifacts and the Future of Their Documentation and Distribution in the Digital Age in Text Comparison and Digital Creativity. pp. 149-171. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
    • Zuckerman, B. (2010). The Dynamics of Change in the Computer Imaging of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Ancient Inscriptions, book chapter in Theories of Method in the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls. pp. 69-88. Grand Rapids Michigan: Eerdmans.
    • Zuckerman, B., Hunt, L., Lundberg, M. (2009). Strategies for the Development of a Digital Library in Developing Sustainable Digital Libraries: Socio-Technical Perspectives. IGI Global.

    Essay

    • Zuckerman, B. (2011). New Eyeballs on Ancient Texts. (Hershel Shanks, Ed.). pp. 28, 69. Washington, DC. Biblical Archaeology Review.

    Journal Article

    • Zuckerman, B., Lundberg, M., Hunt, L. (2014). InscriptiFact: Internet Access ot High-Resolution Images of Ancient Inscriptions and Artifacts from the Near Eastern and Mediterranean Worlds. Near Eastern Archaelogy. Vol. 77 (3), pp. 238-242.
    • Zuckerman, B., Tov, E. (2014). Repositioning of fragments and Reconstruction of the text for E. Tov, “New Fragments of Amos,” Dead Sea Discoveries 21 (2014) pp. 3-13; see figs. 1 and 2 on pp. 12-13. (refereed). Dead Sea Discoveries. Vol. 21, pp. Figs. 1 and 2 pp. 12-13.
    • Zuckerman, B., Hunt, L., Lundberg, M. (2011). Getting Beyond the Common Denominators. Literary and Linguistic Computing.
    • Zuckerman, B., Hunt, L., Lundberg, M. (2008). Non-Geographic Spatial Search in a Specialized Academic Digital Library. International Journal of Technology, Knowledge & Society. Vol. 4 (2), pp. 127-136.
    • Zuckerman, B. (2006). Shading the Difference: A Perspective on Epigraphic Perspectives of the Kheleifeh Jar Stamp Impression. Maarav. Vol. 11, pp. p.233-252; 259-274 (illustrations).
    • Zuckerman, B. E., Hunt, L., Lundberg, M. (2006). InscriptiFact, A Tool for Study of Ancient Near Eastern Inscriptions; Impact on Scholarly Practice. International Journal of Technology, Knowledge & Society. Vol. 1, pp. 115-126.
    • Zuckerman, B. E., Lundberg, M. J., Tappy, R. E., McCarter, P. (2006). An Abecedary of the Mid-Tenth Century B. C. E. from the Judaean Shephelah. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research/ASOR. Vol. 344, pp. 4-46.
    • Zuckerman, B. E., Hunt, L., Lundberg, M. (2005). InscriptiFact: A Virtual Archive of Ancient Inscriptions from the Near East. Journal of Digital Libraries. Vol. 5 (3), pp. 153-166.
    • Zuckerman, B. (2005). Where are the Files? Where is the Smoke? The Real and Super-Real in Mel Gibson’s The Passion. Shofar. Vol. 5 (3), pp. 129-136.
    • Zuckerman, B., Barkay, G., Lundberg, M., Vaughn, A. (2004). The Amulets from Ketef Hinnom; A New Edition and Evaluation. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research. Vol. 334, pp. 41-71.

    Research Report

    • Zuckerman, B., Zuckerman, K., Lundberg, M. J. (2010). “New Fragments and New Technologies, I: Report on the Documentation of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Collection of the Syrian Orthodox Church. Orion Newsletter.
    • Zuckerman, B., Unsworth et al., J. (2006). Our Cultural Commonwealth; The Report of the American Council of Learned Societies Commission on Cyberinfrastructure for the Humanities and Social Sciences. American Council of Learned Societies.

    Monograph

    • Zuckerman, B., Darnell, J., Lundberg, M., Dobbs-Allsopp, F. W., McCarter, P. K. (2005). Two Early Alphabetic Inscreptions form the Wadi el-Hol (Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research 59, Part II. American Schools of Oriental Research.
    • Image Database, InscriptiFact is a high resolution distributed image database of ancient Near Eastern texts and early Jewish/Christian texts. InscriptiFact I is currently accessed on the Internet as a platform independent Java application with 50,000 high resolution images and is in active use by scholars in 37 countries . , 1998-2013
    • Electronic Article, “The Dynamics of Change in the Computer Imaging of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Ancient Inscriptions”; revised and enlarged article in electronic form iwth interactive and animated illustrations. Done in collaboration with the Institute of Multimedia Literacy., 2010-2011
    • USC Dornsife Dean’s Award for Distinguished Service, Fall 2015
    • USC Endowed Chair, Myron and Marian Casden Director, 2005/08/16-2015/08/15
    • Festschrift: Puzzling Out the Past: Essays in Honor of Bruce Zuckerman, 2011-2012
    • Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting: “In Honor of Bruce Zuckerman”; special session of the “Paleographical Studies in the Ancient Near East” section; Nov. 22, 2010, Fall 2010
    • USC Center for Excellence in Teaching, Faculty Fellow, CET Fellow, 2000-2003; Distinguished Fellow 2003-, 2000-2009
    • Elected National Fellow, Explorers Club, 2008-2009
    • USC Innovative Teaching Award, Innovations in Mentoring Award, USC Mellon Mentoring Program, 2006-2007
    • USC Raubenheimer Outstanding Senior Faculty Award, Albert S. Raubenheimer Award in the Humanities, the highest academic honor awarded by the USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences. Awarded for “outstanding performance in the three areas of teaching, scholoarship and service within the University.” , 2006-2007
    • “Search for New Heroes” Award by Computerworld in the education category for the InscriptiFact Image Database, 2003-2004
    • Citation from the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program “for Exemplary Leadership, Dedication and Service.” , 2003-2004
    • USC Outstanding Service Award of the Association of Trojan Leagues, recognizing excellence in the fields of teaching, research and service to the student community and alumni, 2002-2003
    • Biblical Archaeology Society Publication Award, “Special Citation” awarded to The Leningrad Codex: A Facsimile Edition, 1999-2000
    • Special Citation from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for “Commitment to Minority Higher Education Achievement-1988-2000.”, 1999-2000
    • USC General Education Teaching Award, 1997-1998

  • Administrative Appointments

    • Director, 08/16/2011 – 08/15/2014

    Committees

    • Member, Library/Senate Advisory Committee, 2008 – 2009
    • Member, Board of Trustees, USC Hillel, 2006 – 2009
    • Co-Chair, Co-coordinator at USC for the Mellon-Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program, 1999 – 2009
    • Member, Member of the University Committee on Advancement, Promotion and Tenure, 2004 – 2006

  • Editorships and Editorial Boards

    • Editor, Casden Institute Annual Review, 2007 –
    • Senior Editor, Maarav, A Journal for the Study of Northwest Semitic Languages and Literatures, 1999 –
    • Managing Editor, Maarav, A Journal for the Study of Northwest Semitic Languages and Literatures, 1978 – 1999