Margaretha Folmer
University Lecturer Hebrew and Aramaic
- Name
- Dr. M.L. Folmer
- Telephone
- +31 71 527 2513
- m.l.folmer@hum.leidenuniv.nl
- ORCID iD
- 0000-0003-2439-2347
Margaretha Folmer is a University Lecturer at the Leiden University Institute for Area Studies.
Fields of interest
Imperial Aramaic; Targumic literature; Biblical literature; Qumran Aramaic and Dead Sea Scrolls; Rabbinic Literature; History of Aramaic and Hebrew language; Languages in contact; Bilingualism; Comparative Semitics; Hebrew and Aramaic magical literature.
Research
Description of Jewish Palestinian Aramaic Description: The aim of this project is to provide for a detailed linguistic description of the Palestinian Aramaic language from the period of Middle Aramaic and the period of Late Aramaic. This description will be based on the inscriptional material, which has increased enormously since the publication of Dalman's grammar in 1905 (G. Dalman, Grammatik des jüdisch-palestinischen Aramäisch, Leipzig 1905). With their variety in place, date of origin and textual genre these inscriptions allow for a linguistic investigation of Jewish Palestinian Aramaic in its Apure form, without later textual revisions and errors which are inherent to texts with a long textual history.
CV
2006-2007 Teacher of Talmudic Aramaic, Levisson Institute, Amsterdam (Academy for Progressive Jewish Rabbis).
1998 - Lecturer of Aramaic, Dept. of Hebrew and Aramaic, Universiteit Leiden
1991- Teacher of Hebrew, Faculty of Theology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam,
1991-1992 Teacher of Hebrew, Dept. of Hebrew and Aramaic, Rijksuniversiteit Leiden
1995 Defence of doctoral dissertation “The Aramaic Language in the Achaemenid Period. A Study in Linguistic Variation (promotor: Prof. dr. J. Hoftijzer). Universiteit Leiden, September 2005.
1987-1995 Ph.D. student, Rijksuniversiteit Leiden.
1984-1985 Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem
1977-1986 Student of Semitic Languages (Major: Hebrew, minor: Arabic; Comparative Semitic Languages; Cultural Anthropology), Rijksuniversiteit Leiden (MA degree: May 1986).
1971-1977 Gymnasium Haganum, The Hague.
Key publications
- Folmer, M.L. (2001). The use of morphological features to distinguish Aramaic dialects The case of the pronominal suffix sing.3rd masc. in Jewish Palestinian Aramaic. Dutch Studies (Leiden) (Rugtitel: DS-NELL), IV(2), pp. 175-188.
- Folmer, M.L. (2003). Some Peculiarities in the Spelling of the Aramaic Bar Kochba Letters in Comparison with Contemporary Aramaic Documents from the Judean Desert Caves. Dutch Studies (Leiden) (Rugtitel: DS-NELL), 1(2), pp. 59-74.
- Folmer, M.L. (2003). Methatesis in Jewish Aramaic: A So-Called 'Pan-Semitic' Feature Recondsidered. In Baasten, M.F.J. & Peursen, W.Th. van (Ed.), Hamlet on a Hill. Semitic and Greek Studies Presented to Professor T. Muraoka on the Occasion of his Sixty-Fifth Birhday. (pp. 233-244). Leuven: Peeters.
- Folmer, M.L. (2004). Response to Paul Flesher, 'The Aramaic Dialect of the James Ossuary Inscription'. Aramaic Studies, 2(1), pp. 56-62.
- Verheij, A.J.C. & Folmer, M.L. (2004). Basisgrammatica van het bijbels Hebreeuws. Oefenboek. Delft: Eburon, 73 pp.
- Folmer, M.L. (2003). Officiele Aramese correspondenties uit de satrapie Egypte. In Demaree, R.J. & Veenhof, K.R. (Ed.), Zij schreven geschiedenis. Historische documenten uit het Oude Nabije Oosten (2500 - 100 v. Chr.). (pp. 387-397). Leiden/Leuven: Ex Oriente Lux/Peeters.
Teaching
Current: Imperial Aramaic; Biblical Aramaic; Qumran Aramaic; Targumic Aramaic; Jewish Palestinian Aramaic; Jewish Babylonian Aramaic; Northwest Semitic epigraphy; Cultural History of Aramaic
Past: Biblical Hebrew Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam: Biblical Hebrew (current) and Modern Hebrew (in the past)
University Lecturer Hebrew and Aramaic
- Faculty of Humanities
- Leiden Institute for Area Studies
- SMES Hebreeuws en Aramees
- Faculty of Humanities
- Leiden Univ Centre for Linguistics
- LUCL Taalwetenschap
- Folmer M.L. & Elitzur-Leiman R. (2023), A Jewish Aramaic curse tablet from Antioch, Aramaic Studies 21(1): 64-111.
- Folmer M.L. (2023), Characteristics of the Aramaic Akhvamazda Letters from Ancient Bactria. In: Garrison M. & Henkelman W.F.M. (Eds.), The Persian world and beyond: Achaemenid and Arsacid studies in honour of Bruno Jacobs no. 6. Münster: Zaphon. 124-141.
- Folmer M.L. (2022), Contribution of Elephantine Aramaic to Aramaic studies. In: Folmer M.L. (Ed.), Elephantine revisited: new insights into the Judean community and Its neighbours. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns. 124-141.
- Folmer M.L. (Ed.) (2022), Elephantine revisited: new insights into the Judean community and its neighbours. University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns.
- Folmer M. (Director) (2022), Mr. Elephantine: An interview with B. Porten short film. [film].
- Folmer M.L. (2021), Taxation of Ships and their Cargo in an Aramaic Papyrus from Egypt (TAD C3.7). In: Kleber K. (Ed.), Taxation in the Achaemenid Empire. Classica et Orientalia no. 26. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. 261-300.
- Folmer M. (2020), 'Hi Ahutab': Ostraca from Elephantine with Letters in Aramaic (5th c. BCE and beyond). In: Caputo C. & Lougovaya J. (Eds.), Using Ostraca in the Ancient World: New Discoveries and Methodologies. Materiale Textkulturen. Heidelberg: De Gruyter. 145-164.
- Folmer M.L. (2020), Aramaic as lingua franca. In: Hasselbach-Andee R. (Ed.), A companion to near eastern languages. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley and sons. 373-399.
- Folmer M.L. (2017), De Achikar-traditie, Wijsheid. Amsterdamse Cahiers voor Exegese van de Bijbel en zijn Tradities 31: 73-83.
- Folmer M.L. (2017), Bactria and Egypt. Administration as Mirrored by the Aramaic Sources. Jacobs B., Henkelman W.F.M. & Stolper M.W. (Eds.), Die Verwaltung im Achämenidenreich - Imperiale Muster und Strukturen / Administration in the Achaemenid Empire - Tracing the Imperial Signature. Akten des 6. Internationalen Kolloquiums zum Thema »Vorderasien im Spannungsfeld klassischer und altorientalischer Überlieferungen« aus Anlass der 80-Jahr-Feier der Entdeckung des Festungsarchivs von Persepolis, Landgut Castelen bei Basel, 14.-17. Mai 2013. no. Classica et Orientalia 17. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag. 413-454.
- Henkelman W.F.M. & Folmer M.L. (2016), Your Tally is Full! On Wooden Credit Records in and after the Achaemenid Empire. In: Kleber K. & Pirngruber R. (Eds.), Silver, Money and Credit: A Tribute to Robartus J. van der Spek on the Occasion of his 65th Birthday on 18th September 2014. no. 128. Leiden: Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten. 133-239.
- Folmer M.L. (2016), On Marrying and Divorcing a Demon: Marriage and Divorce Themes in the Jewish, Christian and Pagan World. In: Houtman A., Kadari T., Poorthuis M. & Tohar V. (Eds.), Religious Stories in Transformation: Conflict, Revision and Reception. Jewish Christian Perspectives no. 31. Leiden/Boston: Brill. 275-299.
- Folmer M.L. (2014), The Translation of Biblical Hebrew Clauses with כְּ / ב + Construct Infinitive in Targum Onqelos, Aramaic Studies 11(2): 113-144.
- Folmer M.L. (2013), Rare Demonstrative Pronouns in Targum Onqelos. In: Botta A.F. (Ed.), In the Shadow of Bezalel. Aramaic, Biblical and Ancient Studies in Honor of Bezalel Porten. Leiden / Boston: Brill. 89-124.
- Folmer M.L. (2013) De nieuwe 'Lettinga. Review of: Lettinga J.P., Baasten M.F.J. & Peursen W.T. van (2012), Grammatica van het Bijbels Hebreeuws; Leerboek van het Bijbels Hebreeuws. Leiden: Brill. Alef Beet : tijdschrift van de Vereniging tot Bevordering van de Kennis van Hebreeuws 23(1): 39-46.
- Folmer M.L. (2012), In Memoriam Jaap Hoftijzer, Alef Beet : tijdschrift van de Vereniging tot Bevordering van de Kennis van Hebreeuws 22(1): 3-7.
- Folmer M.L. (2012), Old and Imperial Aramaic. In: Gzella H. (Ed.), Languages from the World of the Bible. Boston/Berlin: De Gruyter. 128-159.
- Folmer M.L. (2011), Imperial Aramaic as Administrative Language of the Achaemenid Period. In: Streck M.P., Weninger S., Khan G. & Watson J.C.E. (Eds.), The Semitic Languages: An International Handbook. Berlin / New York: De Gruyter Mouton. 587-598.
- Folmer M.L. (2011), A Jewish Childbirth Amulet from the Bibliotheca Rosenthaliana. In: Peursen W.Th. van & Dyk J.W. (Eds.), Tradition and Innovation in Biblical Interpretation. Leiden: Brill. 223-241.
- Folmer M.L. (2010), The importance of syntactic studies in determining the dialectal affinity of Targum Onqelos, exemplified by the case of the nota objecti. Rapoport-Albert A. (Ed.). Ninth Zohar Workshop, 21 June 2007. London.
- Folmer M.L. (2010), leHena: "Dienerin". In: Gzella H. (Ed.), Theologisches Wörterbuch zum Alten Testament. Aramäisches Wörterbuch. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.
- Folmer M.L. (2010), ma:'n "Gefäss". In: Gzella H. (Ed.), Theologisches Wörterbuch zum Alten Testament. Aramäisches Wörterbuch. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.
- Folmer M.L. (2010), nehar "Fluss". In: Gzella H. (Ed.), Theologisches Wörterbuch zum Alten Testament. Aramäisches Wörterbuch. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.
- Folmer M.L. (2010), melaH "Salz". In: Gzella H. (Ed.), Theologisches Wörterbuch zum Alten Testament. Aramäisches Wörterbuch. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.
- Folmer M.L. (2010), Tjb "gut sein". In: Gzella H. (Ed.), Theologisches Wörterbuch zum Alten Testament. Aramäisches Wörterbuch. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.
- Folmer M.L. (2010), ktb "schreiben". In: Gzella H. (Ed.), Theologisches Wörterbuch zum Alten Testament. Aramäisches Wörterbuch.. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.
- Folmer M.L. (2010), kena:t "Genosse". In: Gzella H. (Ed.), Theologisches Wörterbuch zum Alten Testament. Aramäisches Wörterbuch. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.
- Folmer M.L. (2009), Aramaic Inscriptions in Egypt. In: Azab Kh. & Mansour A. (Eds.), Journey of Writing in Egypt. Alexandria: Bibliotheca Alexandrina. 114-123.
- Folmer M.L. (2009), Alt- und Reichsaramäisch. In: Gzella H. (Ed.), Sprachen aus der Welt des Alten Testaments. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft. 104-131.
- Folmer M.L. (2008), The Use and Form of the nota objecti in Jewish Palestinian Aramaic Inscriptions. Gzella H. & Folmer M.L. (Eds.), Aramaic in its Historical and Linguistic Setting. . Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. 131-158.
- Gzella H. & Folmer M.L. (Eds.) (2008), Aramaic in its Historical and Linguistic Setting. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.
- Folmer M.L. (2007), Hebreeuwse kraamkameramuletten uit de collectie van de Bibliotheca Rosenthaliani, Alef Beet : tijdschrift van de Vereniging tot Bevordering van de Kennis van Hebreeuws 17(2): 3-16.
- Folmer M.L. (2007), A Jewish Childbirth Amulet for a Girl. Bassten M.F.J. & Munk R. (Eds.), Studies in Hebrew Language and Jewish Culture. Presented to Albert van der Heide on the Occasion of his Sixty-Fifth Birthday. Dordrecht: Springer. 41-56.
- Folmer M.L. (2004), Response to Paul Flesher, 'The Aramaic Dialect of the James Ossuary Inscription', Aramaic Studies 2(1): 56-62.
- Verheij A.J.C. & Folmer M.L. (2004), Basisgrammatica van het bijbels Hebreeuws. Oefenboek. Delft: Eburon.
- Folmer M.L. (2004) Review. Review of: Muffs Y. (2003), Studies in the Aramaic Legal Papyri form Elephantine (with a prolegomenon by Baruch A. Levine) no. 2. Leiden: Brill. Aramaic Studies 2: 272-273.
- Folmer M.L. (2004) Review. Review of: Bengtsson P.A. (2001), Passover in Targum Pseudo-Jonathan Genesis no. 2. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wisell. Aramaic Studies 2: 263-265.
- Folmer M.L. (2003), Methatesis in Jewish Aramaic: A So-Called 'Pan-Semitic' Feature Recondsidered. Baasten M.F.J. & Peursen W.Th. van (Eds.), Hamlet on a Hill. Semitic and Greek Studies Presented to Professor T. Muraoka on the Occasion of his Sixty-Fifth Birhday. emeritaat prof. T. Muraoka. Leuven: Peeters. 233-244.
- Folmer M.L. (2003), Officiele Aramese correspondenties uit de satrapie Egypte. Demaree R.J. & Veenhof K.R. (Eds.), Zij schreven geschiedenis. Historische documenten uit het Oude Nabije Oosten (2500 - 100 v. Chr.). Zeventigjarig bestaan Vooraziatisch-Egyptisch Genootschap Ex Oriente Lux. Leiden/Leuven: Ex Oriente Lux/Peeters. 387-397.
- Folmer M.L. (2003), Some Peculiarities in the Spelling of the Aramaic Bar Kochba Letters in Comparison with Contemporary Aramaic Documents from the Judean Desert Caves, Dutch Studies in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures (Rugtitel: DS-NELL) 1(2): 59-74.
- Folmer M.L. (2001), The use of morphological features to distinguish Aramaic dialects. The case of the pronominal suffix sing.3rd masc. in Jewish Palestinian Aramaic, Dutch Studies in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures (Rugtitel: DS-NELL) IV(2): 175-188.
- Folmer M.L. & Soldt W.H. van (1999), De Noordwestsemitische talen. In: Loose A.A. (Ed.), De Talen van het Oude Nabije Oosten. Leuven: Peeters.
- Folmer M.L. (Ed.) (1999), . Phoenix: bulletin uitgegeven door het Vooraziatisch-Egyptisch Genootschap Ex Oriente Lux.
- Folmer M.L. & Soldt W.H. van (1999), De Noordwestsemitische talen, Phoenix: bulletin uitgegeven door het Vooraziatisch-Egyptisch Genootschap Ex Oriente Lux 44: .
- Folmer M.L. (Ed.) (1998), . Phoenix: bulletin uitgegeven door het Vooraziatisch-Egyptisch Genootschap Ex Oriente Lux.
- Folmer M.L. (Ed.) (1997), . Phoenix: bulletin uitgegeven door het Vooraziatisch-Egyptisch Genootschap Ex Oriente Lux.
- Folmer M.L. (1997) Boekbespreking. Review of: Stefanovic Z. (1997), The Aramaic of Daniel in the Light of Old Aramaic. Sheffield. Bibliotheca Orientalis 54: 748-756.
- Folmer M.L. (1996), Instances of socalled (k)zy-recitativum in Aramaic texts from the Achaemenid Period, Dutch Studies in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures (Rugtitel: DS-NELL) II: 145-155.
- Folmer M.L. (Ed.) (1996), . Phoenix: bulletin uitgegeven door het Vooraziatisch-Egyptisch Genootschap Ex Oriente Lux.
- Folmer M.L. (19 September 1995), The Aramaic Language in the Achaemenid Period. A Study in Linguistic Variation (Dissertatie, Leiden University). Leuven: Peeters. Supervisor(s): Hoftijzer J.
- Folmer M.L. (Ed.) (1995), . Phoenix: bulletin uitgegeven door het Vooraziatisch-Egyptisch Genootschap Ex Oriente Lux.
- docent Hebreeuws; sinds maart 2013 universitair docent