Wed. Apr 22nd, 2026

Matthew Saunders

Matthew Saunders is a PhD student in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at Johns Hopkins University. He researches the languages and literatures of the ancient Near East, especially Aramaic Studies, Ugaritic Studies, and Comparative Semitics.
Image of Martin Noth The Deuteronomistic History: Two Milestones in the History of Scholarship 5 min read

The Deuteronomistic History: Two Milestones in the History of Scholarship

Matthew Saunders September 4, 2024
One of my doctoral seminars this semester is on the Deuteronomistic History (DtrH). This post is the first in a series that analyzes recent and current scholarship on the DtrH. In this inaugural post, we discuss Martin Noth’s initial theory of a single exilic author and Frank Moore Cross’s expansion to two deuteronomistic redactions, one during Josiah’s reign and the other during the exile.... Read More
AI generated image of my Spring and Summer 2024 in review. Spring and Summer 2024 Semesters in Review at JHU 5 min read

Spring and Summer 2024 Semesters in Review at JHU

Matthew Saunders September 1, 2024
TL;DR: During the Spring and Summer 2024 semesters at JHU, I completed various advanced seminar courses, various projects, and extracurricular activities. I also traveled for research and vacation across Europe and the USA. For Fall 2024, I will continue my coursework both at JHU and CUA, anticipating a demanding but fulfilling semester.... Read More
copenhagen_logo Copenhagen: Digital Applications in Assyriology 4 min read

Copenhagen: Digital Applications in Assyriology

Matthew Saunders August 30, 2024
TL;DR: Today marked the end of my final summer school before commencing the Fall 2024 academic semester at Hopkins. I participated in the Digital Applications in Assyriology Nordic Summer School held at the University of Copenhagen from August 12-16 followed by a presentation of our final projects on August 30. Highlights included learning computational methods for digital Assyriology and collaborating with Adel Oubraham on a project comparing cuneiform collections from the British Museum and the Louvre.... Read More
Leiden SSLL and Amsterdam ISBL 6 min read

Leiden SSLL and Amsterdam ISBL

Matthew Saunders August 7, 2024
TL;DR: For the past three weeks, I attended Leiden University’s Summer School in Languages and Linguistics, where I engaged in courses on Semitic and Indo-European languages, followed by the 2024 International Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature in Amsterdam, which offered a plethora of insightful talks. Here’s a brief recap of the enriching experiences and valuable insights gained from both events.... Read More
Venice Digital and Public Humanities Summer School 3 min read

Venice Digital and Public Humanities Summer School

Matthew Saunders July 14, 2024
TL;DR: I spent the past week at the Ca' Foscari University of Venice's Digital and Public Humanities Summer School. The five-day program focused on historical, archaeological, cultural, artistic, and literary materials from Venetian sites and institutions with an emphasis on gaining competency in both applying computational methods as well as digitizing sources and results. The best part was the social atmosphere, enhancing my appreciation for Venice's cultural heritage, valuable connections with fellow scholars, and of course aperol spritz!... Read More
Universeit Antwerpen Logo Antwerp Digital Humanities Summer School 4 min read

Antwerp Digital Humanities Summer School

Matthew Saunders July 6, 2024
TL;DR: I attended the University of Antwerp’s 5-day Digital Humanities Summer School, gaining skills in XML, TEI, GitHub, and Transkribus. I participated in engaging lectures, hands-on sessions, and a social program, culminating in the creation of a digital scholarly edition. The experience significantly enhanced my research capabilities and professional network.... Read More