He was born in Kishinev, Russia (now in Moldova) and studied in Petrograd (St. Petersburg), Russia. In 1918 he reached Germany, studying at the University of Berlin, where he taught until 1932 when he moved to France. There he taught at higher institutions and after the Nazi occupation escaped to New York. In New York Bickerman taught at the New School for Social Research, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and the University of Judaism (in Los Angeles) and from 1952 was professor at Columbia University. After his retirement in 1967, he again taught at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Bickerman wrote on many aspects of ancient history and specialized in particular in the Hellenistic world, writing basic works on the Maccabees.

Bibliography:

BICKERMAN, Elias Joseph. Four strange books of the Bible: Jonah, Daniel, Koheleth, Esther. Pp. vii, 240. New York: Schocken Books [1968, c1967]

BICKERMAN, Elias Joseph. Die Makkabaer: eine Darstellung ihrer Geschichte von den Anfaengen bis zum Untergang des Hasmonaerhauses. Pp. 77. Berlin: Schocken Verlag, 1935.

BICKERMAN, Elias Joseph. Religions and politics in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Edited by Emilio Gabba and Morton Smith. Pp. xxxvii, 641. Como: Edizioni New Press, 1985.

BICKERMAN, Elias Joseph. The God of the Maccabees : studies on the meaning and origin of the Maccabean revolt. Translated by Horst R. Moehring. Pp. xiii, 122. Leiden: Brill, 1979.

BICKERMAN, Elias Joseph. The Jews in the Greek Age. Pp. xii, 338. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1988.

BICKERMAN, Elias Joseph. Studies in Jewish and Christian history. 3 vs. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1976-<1986>