R. J. van der Spek
Encyclopedia
Robartus Johannes van der Spek (born September 18, 1949 in Zoetermeer
) is a Dutch
ancient historian, specializing in the Seleucid Empire. He is professor at VU University Amsterdam, and is currently working on the Babylonian Chronicles
of the Hellenistic
Age (a collection of cuneiform
tablets in the British Museum
).
Van der Spek studied history at Leiden University
.
Zoetermeer
Zoetermeer is a city in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 37.06 km² . A small village until the late 1960s, it had 6,392 inhabitants in 1950...
) is a Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
ancient historian, specializing in the Seleucid Empire. He is professor at VU University Amsterdam, and is currently working on the Babylonian Chronicles
Babylonian Chronicles
The Babylonian Chronicles are many series of tablets recording major events in Babylonian history. They are thus one of the first steps in the development of ancient historiography...
of the Hellenistic
Hellenistic period
The Hellenistic period or Hellenistic era describes the time which followed the conquests of Alexander the Great. It was so named by the historian J. G. Droysen. During this time, Greek cultural influence and power was at its zenith in Europe and Asia...
Age (a collection of cuneiform
Cuneiform
Cuneiform can refer to:*Cuneiform script, an ancient writing system originating in Mesopotamia in the 4th millennium BC*Cuneiform , three bones in the human foot*Cuneiform Records, a music record label...
tablets in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
).
Van der Spek studied history at Leiden University
Leiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
.
Publications
- L. de Blois & R. J. van der Spek, An Introduction to the Ancient World (1997 Routledge; London, New York)
- I. Finkel & R. J. van der Spek, Babylonian Chronicles of the Hellenistic World (forthcoming)
External links
- Babylonian chronicles
- Cuneiform sources for the history of Hellenistic Babylonia.Edition and Analysis: information about the BCHP Project in the scientific portal NARCIS (KNAW)
- Interview (in Dutch)
- Personal page contains overview of all publications