About the project

The Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database project aims to provide a structured and critical survey of scholarly literature on the vocabulary of classical Hebrew. As it grows, it will offer an in-depth resource to complement traditional dictionaries, and also provide pointers to further research. This international, cooperative project involves a growing number of research centres with coordination provided by PThU Utrecht.

Read the foundational description of the project (1994) and H.G.M. Williamson’s description of the SAHD-approach (2015).

The currently participating centres include the following universities: VU-Amsterdam, Bonn, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Florence, Oxford, Leiden, Rome, PThU Utrecht.

In 2017 the Dutch-Flemish KLY project was incorporated into the more comprehensive SAHD project.

Chairs of SAHD

1991 – 1994: Prof. dr. Jacob Hoftijzer
1995 – 2008: Prof. dr. Takamitsu Muraoka
2008 – 2016: Prof. dr. Holger Gzella
2019 – 2024: Prof. dr. Klaas Spronk
2024 – present: Dr. Paul Sanders

Secretaries of SAHD

1991 – 1994: Prof. dr. Graham Davies
1994 – 2000: Dr. David Reimer
2000 – 2020: Prof. dr. Hugh Williamson
2020 – 2024: Dr. Paul Sanders