• Research Foci

    • Iconography of the southern Levant
    • Gender History and Archaeology
    • Rituals and Ritual Theory
    • Levantine Glyptics
    • Feminist, gender and queer theory in dialogue with exegesis

  • CV

    Academic Education

    Habilitation (University of Münster)
    PhD defense, Title: Stamp Seals as Prism for the Gender History of the Southern Levant: Archaeological, Epigraphic, Iconographic and Exegetical Explorations (summa cum laude)
    PhD Student in Hebrew Bible Studies (University of Bern)
    M.A. equiv. exams in Protestant Theology
    Studies in Protestant Theology (Universities of Erlangen, Münster, Basel, Tübingen)
    Studies in Islamic Theology and Arabic (University of Münster)
    Ecumenical Studies in Theology (Near East School of Theology, Beirut)
    Graduation

    Positions

    PostDoc assistant in Hebrew Bible Studies (University of Münster)
    Marcia and Oded Borowski/Barton Research Fellowship (W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research, Jerusalem)
    Researcher / staff member „Stamp Seals from the Southern Levant” SNF SINERGIA Project
    Guest Lecturer in Hebrew Bible (University of Basel)
    Assistant in Hebrew Bible (Bern)

    Honors

    Helga-Weippert-Award in the category Best dissertation / habilitation in the area of historical and archaeological research on ancient Palestine/Israel – German Society for the Exploration of Palestine
    Marcia and Oded Borowski/Barton Research Fellowship – W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research (AIAR), Jerusalem
    Sean W. Dever Memorial Prize in the category Awarded for the best paper presented at a conference in 2021 about a topic in the field of Syro-Palestinian or Biblical Archaeology for the paper. – W.F. Albright Institute for Archaeological Research, Jerusalem
    EABS Student Prize Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies in the category Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies – European Association of Biblical Studies
    Hanna Jursch Young Scientist Award – Protestant Church of Germany
    Scholarship of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Württemberg – Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Württemberg
    Scholarship for study abroad – German National Committee of the Lutheran World Federation

    External Functions

    Lectio Difficilior: Europäische elektronische Zeitschrift für Feministische Exegese (Editorial board, Co-editor)
    European Association of Biblical Studies (Iconography and the Bible, Research Unit Organization und Co-Chair)
    European Association of Biblical Studies (EABS) (Technical assistant)
    University of Bern (Senate member for the intermediate staff)

  • Teaching

  • Projects

    • A Social-Material Approach to Gender and Literary Practices in the Iron Age II–III Southern Levant (since )
      Project Carried out outside the University Münster
    • Stamp Seals as Prism for the Gender History of the Southern Levant: Archaeological, Epigraphic, Iconographic and Exegetical Explorations ( – )
      Project Carried out outside the University Münster

  • Publications

    • . “Sexualitäten zwischen Normierung und Ambiguität im hebräischen Text und seiner Auslegungsgeschichte.” in Queer Theology. Perspektiven aus dem deutschsprachigen Raum, Vol. 41 of Queer Studies, edited by Lara Kneubühler and Miriam Löhr. (Bielefeld: Transcript Verlag, ). doi: 10.14361/9783839473382.
    • , , , , , , , and . ““On Vulture’s Wings…”: A Recent Find from Tel Lachish (Israel) Displaying a Vulture, a Caprid, a Snake and a Twig.” in „Trinkt von dem Wein, den ich mischte!“ / „Drink of the Wine which I Have Mingled!“ Festschrift für Silvia Schroer, Vol. 303 , edited by Stefan Münger, Nancy Rahn and Patrick Wyssmann. (Löwen: Peeters Publishers, ). doi: 10.5167/uzh-253138.
    • . “Where Are Your Daughters, Jerusalem? The Embodiment of Gender and Family Relations in Iron Age Levantine Material Culture.” in Exploring Gender Dynamics Across the Ancient Near East , wEdge, edited by Ellie Bennett, Megan Cifarelli, Omar N’Shea and Allison Thomason. (Münster, Forthcoming).
    • Biermann, Bruno, Klein Cardoso, Silas, Porzia, Fabio, and Uehlinger, Christoph, eds. “Challenging Dichotomies and Biases in the Study of the Ancient Southern Levant.” Special Issue Die Welt des Orients S ().
    • . “Beyond Binaries in Levantine Archaeology and Biblical Studies: Challenging Binary Binds in Epigraphy and Iconography.” Die Welt des Orients, № 54 (S): 97–111.
    • , , , and . “Introduction: Challenging Dichotomies and Biases in the Study of the Ancient Southern Levant.” Die Welt des Orients, № 54 (S): 6–18.
    • . “Sensing Bodies, Touching Artefacts. Material Culture, Embodiment, and Metaphor in Song 8.6.” in Song of Songs in Sense, Sight, Sound and Space, Vol. 112 of Hebrew Bible Monographs, edited by Annette Potgieter, Stefan Fischer and Gavin Fernandes. (Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, ).
    • . ““Male until Proven Otherwise?”: Searching for Women with the Help of Inscribed Stamp Seals from Jerusalem.” Near Eastern Archaeology, № 87 (1): 34–40. doi: 10.1086/727577.
    • . “Männliche Herrschaft und Körperdiskurse zwischen Feminisierung und Virilität in Ezechiel 23.” Lectio difficilior, № 2021 (2): 1–35. doi: https://www.lectio.unibe.ch/de/archiv/bruno-biermann-maennliche-herrschaft-und-koerperdiskurse-zwischen-feminisierung-und-virilitaet-in-ezechiel-23.html?file=files/ausgaben/2021/02-2021/beitragbiermannpdf.pdf&cid=2506.

  • Scientific Talks

    • Biermann, Bruno : “A Social-Material Approach to Gender and Writing in the Iron Age Southern Levant”. Annual Meeting of the European Association of Biblical Studies in Sofia, Sofia, .
    • Biermann, Bruno : “The In\Visibile Female Body? Gender and the Schematic Body in the Iron Age Southern Levant”. Annual Meeting of the European Association of Biblical Studies, Sofia, .
    • Biermann, Bruno : “Gender\Ambiguity in the Material Culture of the Southern Levant: Reflections on the Field(s)”. Religion Beyond Binary, Religious Studies Department, Frankfurt, .
    • Biermann, Bruno : “Beyond Binaries in Biblical Studies and Levantine Archaeology”. 24th Congress of the International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament, Zürich, .
    • Biermann, Bruno : “Un\stable Names? Embodiment and Inscribed Seals from the Iron Age II–III Southern Levant”. Annual Meeting of the European Association of Biblical Studies, Toulouse, .
    • Biermann, Bruno : “Mystical Unification, Heterosexual Marriage, or Queer Sex? The Significance of Sexuality in the Interpretation of the Song of Songs”. Annual Meeting of the European Association of Biblical Studies, Toulouse, .
    • Biermann, Bruno : “Where Are Your Daughters, Jerusalem? The Embodiment of Gender and Family Relations in Iron Age Levantine Glyptics”. Gender and Methodology in the Ancient Near East 5, Helsinki, .
    • Biermann, Bruno : “Sensing Bodies, Touching Artifacts: Reconsidering the Relationship between Material Culture, Embodiment, and Metaphor in Song 8.6”. Alttestamentliches Kolloquium der Theologischen Fakultät Zürich, Zürich, .
    • Biermann, Bruno : “Gender in between Embodiment, Material Culture, and Literature: A Case Study of Levantine Stamp Seals”. (En)Tangled? Gender and Religion Throughout History, Zürich, .
    • Biermann, Bruno : “Relating Seals from the Southern Levant and Gender Archaeology. Theoretical and Practical Considerations”. Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, San Antonio, .
    • Biermann, Bruno : “Intersecting Stamp Seals and Gendered Bodies”. Annual Meeting of the American Society of Overseas Research, Chicago, .
    • Biermann, Bruno : “Wearing a Seal as Conceptual Metaphor and Bodily Experience”. Annual Meeting of the European Association of Biblical Studies, Wuppertal, .
    • Biermann, Bruno : “Wearing a Seal as Conceptual Metaphor. Tracing a Conceptual Metaphor In the Song of Songs and Its Relation to Bodily Experience”. Graduate Symposium of the European Association of Biblical Studies, Mainz, .