Paul Edgar

PhD Candidate, Ancient Near East Languages and Cultures

・Fellow, Mellon Foundation Engaged Scholar Initiative

・Fellow, Clements Center for National Security

Paul Edgar studies the languages and civilizations of the Late Bronze Age Near East, focusing on statecraft, strategy, and war. The two great powers of the era, Egypt and Hatti, anchored the very first international system. The great kingdoms, and the small kingdoms caught in the middle, left behind volumes of diplomatic letters and treaties which speak to our own moment in history: the return of geopolitics amongst deeply integrated economies. It is also the international system and era that gave birth to the ancient nation of Israel. The linguistic, textual, and cultural history contained in the Hebrew Bible are indelibly rooted in this milieu.

Paul is a Mellon Foundation Engaged Scholar, intent on making his research legible, interesting, and helpful to the public. He is also a graduate fellow with the Clement Center for National Security. While in the U.S. Army, Paul was an Olmsted Scholar, becoming fluent in Modern Israeli Hebrew and studying at Tel Aviv University from 2003-2005. Other highlights of Paul’s military service include: service in the 75th Ranger Regiment and the 173rd Airborne Brigade; Commander of 4th Battalion, 3rd U.S. Infantry; Executive Assistant to the Commander of the Kingdom of Jordan Special Operations Command; Operations Officer of 4th Brigade (Airborne), 25th Infantry; and Liaison to the Government of Israel for the United States Security Coordinator.