Researcher in Arabic Papyrology (M/F)

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Researcher in Arabic Papyrology (M/F)

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Job description

Offer DescriptionAssist project leaders in the creation and maintenance of a textual database
Edit, translate, and analyze an unpublished corpus of Arabic papyri
Engage in scientific outreach and disseminationThe candidate will be recruited as part of the Émergences project “The Archives of an Egyptian Merchant of the 9th Century in the Heart of Paris: Study of a Documentary and Literary Collection Reflecting a Society in Transition (ArchiMEg)”, generously funded by the city of Paris. The project focuses on the study of the archives, preserved at the Louvre Museum, of an Arab merchant who lived in the wealthy Egyptian province of Fayyum during the 9th century-a period of intellectual and economic prosperity for the Nile Valley.
Comprising more than 250 documents written on papyrus, this is one of the richest archival collections to have survived from medieval Egypt. In addition to a significant number of letters, the archives contain legal documents, accounting records, literary texts, and prayers that the merchant recorded as acts of piety. These documents provide insights into many aspects of the economic and social life of medieval Egypt; they also offer a glimpse into the daily life of this family, revealing their joys, sorrows, fears, and aspirations, as well as the intellectual and religious environment in which they lived.
The project has two primary objectives:
To make these archives accessible by producing an edition, translation, and commentary.
To offer a comprehensive analysis of the merchant’s life and the historical, socio-economic, and cultural context in which it unfolded.
The project also has a heritage and cultural mission, aiming to highlight a rare and exceptional French patrimony, enabling both Parisian and international audiences to discover, through the life of an Egyptian notable, a society where Christians and Muslims coexisted peacefully. Beyond the study of an individual’s history, this project seeks to enhance understanding of the early centuries of Muslim Egypt, both in political and socio-economic terms.
Through this study, the project also aims to promote public knowledge of the history of Islam in the Middle Ages, highlighting its richness and diversity. By doing so, it hopes to challenge certain religious fundamentalist narratives that deny the existence of diversity within medieval and contemporary Islam, instead drawing on an idealized and imagined version of early Islamic faith.
The recruited candidate will assist the project leaders, Naïm Vanthieghem (IRHT-CNRS) and Mathieu Tillier (Sorbonne University), in the creation and maintenance of a textual database encompassing all published and unpublished papyri from the merchant archives. They will also support the project leaders in editing, translating, and studying a portion of the unpublished corpus known as the archives of the Fayyum cloth merchants.
Their scholarly work will result in the publication of a volume, collaboratively edited with the project leaders, featuring previously unpublished papyri. The candidate will also participate in conferences to present the project and deliver a public lecture to raise awareness of these archives among Parisian audiences.The Institute for Research and History of Texts (IRHT) is a specialized research unit of the CNRS (UPR 841). Founded in 1937, the institute is dedicated to fundamental research on ancient and medieval manuscripts as well as early printed materials. It examines the history of texts written in the major cultural languages of the Mediterranean region-Latin, Romance languages, Hebrew, Greek, Coptic, Syriac, and Arabic-from multiple perspectives: the materiality of writing, script and decoration, textual content, iconography, dissemination, and reception.From its inception, the IRHT has also served as a documentary center with a film and photo archive that today houses reproductions of manuscripts from around the world, along with an extensive library (including text editions, specialized works, and journals). Over the years, it has produced numerous files and records on medieval manuscripts and the transmission of texts.

With an international reputation, the IRHT brings together high-level specialists in all areas of the scholarly history of writing, books, libraries, texts, and the art of illumination. Their philological, lexicographical, historical, paleographical, and codicological research aims to date and localize manuscripts, identify and establish the texts they contain, prepare critical editions, and reconstruct the history of their production, circulation, reception, and use from Antiquity to the early Renaissance. This work results in the production of numerous research tools made available to scholars worldwide.The selected candidate will work under the supervision of Naïm Vanthieghem and collaborate with the teams from the Arabic section and the papyrology section, which include ten researchers and two engineers. The position allows for remote work and may involve accompanying the team on documentary missions abroad.Where to apply WebsiteRequirementsResearch Field History Education Level PhD or equivalentResearch Field History Education Level PhD or equivalentResearch Field History Education Level PhD or equivalentLanguages FRENCH Level BasicResearch Field History » Ancient history Years of Research Experience 4 – 10Research Field History » Archaeology Years of Research Experience 4 – 10Research Field History » Medieval history Years of Research Experience 4 – 10Additional InformationEligibility criteria1. Knowledge / ExpertiseIn-depth knowledge of Arabic, particularly medieval Arabic.
Strong knowledge of medieval Egyptian history, preferably the history of Abbasid Egypt.
Proficiency in written and spoken French is an asset; the selected candidate must commit to taking French language courses if they do not already possess a minimum proficiency.
Advanced proficiency in written and spoken English (level B2: ability to correspond, read technical documentation, and deliver oral presentations in English).
Knowledge in the field of manuscripts and the history of ancient libraries is an advantage.
Experience in papyrology, codicology, or epigraphy is an asset.
Proficiency in basic office software, particularly Excel, is essential; experience with FileMaker Pro is an advantage.2. SkillsStrong ability to decipher and translate handwritten texts.
Proficiency in interpreting and commenting on unpublished texts.
Ability to synthesize the content of sources effectively.3. Personal AttributesEnjoys teamwork.
Intellectual curiosity.
Ability to work within an international academic environment.
Capacity for autonomous work.
Skilled in coordinating work across teams.
Strong sense of pedagogy and synthesis.Additional commentsPossibility of contract extension beyond 8 months
Option for remote work Website for additional job detailsWork Location(s)Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Institut de recherche et d’histoire des textes Country France City AUBERVILLIERS GeofieldContact CityAUBERVILLIERS WebsiteSTATUS: EXPIREDShare this page

Expected salary

Location

Aubervilliers, Seine-St-Denis

Job date

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 05:12:53 GMT

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