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Lecture

Jewish Book Week
Haman: The True Story of a Villain

Wednesday 4.03.2026

Summary

Jewish Book Week presents Haman: The True Story of a Villain

Infamous as the antagonist in the book of Esther, Haman is portrayed as a villain across Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Adam J. Silverstein traces his evolution from the ancient Near East to the present in the first book-length study, Haman: A Biography. He examines the evidence for a historical Haman and analyses the vast material showing how readers of the Bible and Qur’ān have understood him over two millennia. The Max Schloessinger Chair of Islamic Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem joins us online to discuss.

The 2026 Jewish Book Week video recordings and festival news will be shared on the Jewish Literary Foundation website. Learn more here.

Warm thanks to the Jewish Literary Foundation for sharing these events with the LU community.

Literature 174 lectures
Jewish History & Culture 745 lectures

Jewish Book Week

Jewish Book Week 2026 London’s longest running literary festival at Kings Place and online, presenting the best in contemporary Jewish ideas through debates, talks and performances. Learn more about this year’s events: Jewish Book Week
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