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Rivkah Gillian Glass
Research topic
Epiphany, Conversion, and Women in Second Temple Judaism and Early Christianity
Faculty
Home Town
North Vancouver
Country
Canada
Selected Award(s)
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
I am pursing a graduate degree in Religious Studies because I love myths, legends, fables, fairy tales, and all other forms of narrative, and I went where that love took me. I want to understand what stories can mean and do, how they are used, to what purposes they have been put.
Why did you decide to study at UBC?
So many reasons. The top three are the interdisciplinary nature of the department at UBC, wanting to work with Rob, and that Vancouver and the West Coast are my home.
What is it specifically, that your program offers, that attracted you?
My program is a part of the Department of Classical, Near Eastern, and Religious Studies. I have a background in classical studies, and incorporate that into my work. The program in Religious Studies is a part of a brilliantly interdisciplinary department, which allows me to work broadly and deeply in my fields of interest.
What was the best surprise about UBC or life in Vancouver?
I grew up here, but moved away for my undergraduate and master degrees. The most surprising thing about moving back to Vancouver has been rediscovering it on my own terms as an adult. It's a very different place now, compared to the city of my childhood memories.
I chose UBC for many reasons, the top 3 are, the interdisciplinary nature of the department at UBC, my supervisor, and that Vancouver and the West Coast are my home.
What aspect of your graduate program do you enjoy the most or are looking forward to with the greatest curiosity?
All of it.
What do you like to do for fun or relaxation?
Move! I run, rock climb, do yoga, walk, hike, or cycle.
What advice do you have for new graduate students?
Find your own rhythm—there is no "one size fits all" way to be a graduate student.
Learn more about Rivkah Gillian's research
My research considers the shifting perceptions of gender, religious authority, and the boundaries of identity during the tumultuous period that saw the end of Temple-based Judaism (70 C.E.), and the rise of Rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity. As a case study, I use "Joseph and Aseneth," a Greek romance and a religious fairy-tale, which elaborates on the relationship between Joseph from the Hebrew Bible and his pagan, Egyptian wife Aseneth. Because the story revolves around the young woman Aseneth’s attraction to Joseph and her religious conversion, the story’s representations of sexuality, love and epiphany allow me to probe for answers about gender, identity, and religious authority, all of which are themes of importance to the understanding of paradigmatic shifts in the Ancient World.