The Institute for Medieval Research (IMAFO), Division of Byzantine Research, of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW), Austria’s leading non-university research institution, is offering a POSTDOC POSITION (full-time, 40h per week) starting from November 01st, 2023, initially for 3 years (with the possibility of a 1-year extension.

Within the framework of the ERC Starting Grant project RevIdEM "Reviving the Ascetic Ideal in the Eastern Mediterranean. Entangled Memories of Early Egyptian Monasticism in Medieval Syriac, Arabic, and Armenian Christianity (969-1375 CE)", funded by the European Research Council (ERC, Grant Nr. 101078631, PI: Dr. Adrian C. Pirtea), the position of a researcher (PostDoc) for studying the medieval Armenian reception of Egyptian Desert Fathers literature is advertised.

The researcher will

• Carry out research on and write a monographic study of Armenian monasticism and Armenian manuscript culture in the Cilician period, with a focus on the Armenian reception of the Apophthegmata Patrum and related ascetic literature
• Co-author (with the other team members) up to two peer-reviewed research articles on the interactions between Armenian, Syriac and Copto-Arabic monasticism in the medieval period
• Contribute to a TEI/XML database of Armenian, Syriac, and Arabic manuscripts, which will be developed in the framework of the project
• Co-edit the volumes of proceedings resulting from the planned workshops and conferences organized by RevIdEM
• Actively participate in the project’s research activities: conferences, workshops, research communication, manuscript research trips (Jerusalem, Venice, Yerevan, etc.)
• Collaborate and exchange with other colleagues in the Department of Byzantine Research and the Institute for Medieval Research

Qualifications

• PhD in Armenian Studies or a closely related field
• Good working knowledge of other medieval source languages (especially Byzantine Greek, Latin, Syriac, Arabic, etc.)
• Very good knowledge of English and (recommended) German; good knowledge of Italian, French, Modern Armenian (for secondary literature)
• Significant experience in Armenian palaeography, and the analysis of Armenian manuscripts
• Basic knowledge of TEI/XML for manuscript descriptions or willingness to acquire such skills 
• Relevant publication record
• Excellent knowledge of Classical Armenian
• Capable of working in a team