Weiss, Meir

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WEISS, MEIR

WEISS, MEIR (1902–1998), Bible scholar. Born in Budapest, he became a rabbi and received a doctorate from the Royal Science University of Hungary in Semitic linguistics, history of the Ancient Near East, and Roman history. He immigrated to Israel in 1945 and worked as a teacher and principal in various schools. From 1957 he lectured in Bible at Bar-Ilan University and from 1960 at The Hebrew University, where he became a professor in 1972. He was a pioneer among modern biblicists in his holistic appreciation of each book for its own sake; he published collections of articles and a commentary on Job. In 1990 he received the Israel Prize for Jewish studies. Among his writings are Ha-Mikra ki-Demuto (1967, 1987); The Story of Job's Beginning (1983); Mikra'ot ke-Havanatam (collected essays; 1987); Sefer Amos (1992); Emunot ve-De'ot be-Mizmorei Tehillim (2001).

[Fern Lee Seckbach]