Biographical Info of Alan W. Todd
I am currently a fifth year Ph.D. candidate working on my dissertation, which examines the development of early Jewish meal practices in Roman Palestine in the context of Greco-Roman dining customs. I intend to show that Jewish meals consisted of more than dietary restrictions; Jews’ formal meals were composed of a set of ritualized practices that allowed them to experiment with socio-religious values. Jews experimented with particular dining customs so as to find a place within their social milieu of Mediterranean society. My other scholarly interests include archaeology of Greco-Roman Palestine, ancient Jewish art and architecture, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the early rabbinic movement, early Jewish and Christian relations, and early Jewish and Christian interpretation of Scripture. When I am away from school, I love spending time with my wife, playing guitar, practicing yoga, volunteering at my community garden and helping my own grow, and taking care of my bonsai tree.
