He earned his BA from Nyack College and an MA, MPhil, and PhD in Hebrew and Judaic Studies from New York University. Jeff’s research interests include, the historical Jesus, the Synoptic Gospels, Second Temple Judaism, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Rabbinic literature, early Jewish and Christian biblical interpretation, and the archaeology and geography of the Land of Israel. He has written encyclopedia notices and articles on the Gospels’ use of the Old Testament and Jesus’ view of the Jewish Law, as well as on various archaeological sites in Jerusalem. Jeff has been traveling to Israel for over a decade in the capacity of student and leader and contributed to the 2016 excavation season. Jeff will contribute to the historic and socio-cultural research efforts that will be used to analyze material finds.