Dr. Ella Karev

BA       Tel Aviv University, Archaeology and Classics, 2016

MA      University of Chicago, Egyptology, 2018

Thesis title: Variant Presentations in the Ptolemaic Sacerdotal Decrees (Supervisors: Prof. Janet Johnson and Prof. Brian Muhs)

PhD     (Hons.) University of Chicago, Egyptology, 2022

Dissertation title: Slavery and Servitude in Late Period Egypt (c. 900–330 BC) (Supervisors: Prof. Brian Muhs, Prof. Janet Johnson, Prof. Alain Bresson)

2023–2024      Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Turin Humanities Programme

Fondazione 1563 per l’Arte e la Cultura della Compagnia di San Paolo

Research initiative: “Slavery, Ethnicity and Race in the Mediterranean: Ideas and Attitudes from Homer to Columbus”

Visiting Scholar, University of Torino

2022–2023      Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations

Division of the Humanities, University of Chicago

2020–2021      Senior Fellow

Chicago Center for Teaching, University of Chicago

2019–2020      Greek Papyrology Fellow

Special Collections at the Regenstein Library, University of Chicago

2018–2019      Junior Fellow

Chicago Center for Teaching, University of Chicago

• Slavery and servitude in the ancient world
• Late Period and Ptolemaic Egypt
• Biometrics, self-perception, and population tracking
• Body modification
• Greek, Demotic, Coptic, and Aramaic papyrology
• Semantic and lexical flexibility
• Language interaction in multilingual societies

Monographs

1. Karev, E. (in press, forthcoming) Physical Descriptions, Biometrics, and Eikonographia in Graeco-Roman Papyri from Egypt. Harvard Egyptological Series, Brill.
2. Karev, E. (under contract) Enslavement and Othering in Ancient Egypt (c. 1200–30 BC): Prisoners, Orphans, and Foreigners. Lexington Books.

Articles and papyrological editions 

1. Karev, E. “Administrative Letter Regarding Commodities (P. Inv. Sorb. 2480)” and “Letter from the Gnôster (P. Inv. Sorb. 2479).” In A. Boud’hours and A. Delattre (eds.), Coptica Sorbonensia: Textes et documents de la 6e université d'été de papyrologie copte (P.Sorb.Copt.). 192–198. Paris, 2022.
2. Karev, E. “‘Mark them with my Mark’: Human Branding in Egypt.” Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 108 (2022): 191–203.
3. Karev, E. “Nemeh in Pharaonic Egypt: ‘Free’ or ‘Miserable’? A Case Study of Historical Semantics.” Zeitschrift für Geschichtswissenschaften 34/2 (2023): 61–78.
4. Karev, E. “Slave Sale from Hermopolis (P. Vindob. G1329 recto; sixth/seventh century).” Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists 60 (2023): 115–123.
5. Karev, E. “Debt Bondage in Late Period Egypt.” Journal of Ancient Near Eastern History 11 (2024): 1–24.
6. Karev, E. “The Reply of Jesus to Abgar in Coptic (P. Vindob. G 1329 verso).” Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists. (in press)
7. Karev, E. “A Crown Tax Receipt from 42 AD (VM 658)” Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists. (in press)
8. Karev, E. and Packard-Grams, L. “Receipt for the Date-Palm Tax on Sacred Land (VM 757)” Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists. (in press)
9. Karev, E. and Qandeil, H. “Receipt for the Date-Palm Tax on Sacred Land (VM 2542)” Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists. (in press)
10. Karev, E. and Casias, C. “Receipt for the Poll and Bath Tax (VM 649)” Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists. (in press)

Refereed chapters in edited volumes

1. Karev, E. “Ancient Egyptian Slavery.” In J. Schiel and D. Pargas (eds.), The Palgrave Handbook of Global Slavery throughout History. 41–66. London: Palgrave.
2. Karev, E. “Impairments as Biometric Modalities in Egypt as Evidenced in Greek Papyri, 241 BCE–300 CE.” In A. Morris and H. Vogel (eds.), Disability in Ancient Egypt and Egyptology: All Our Yesterdays, Routledge. (in press)

Reviews

1. Karev, E. “Review of J. Rowlandson, R.S. Bagnall, and D.J. Thompson, Slavery and Dependence in Ancient Egypt: Sources in Translation (Cambridge University Press, 2024). Journal of Near Eastern Studies (forthcoming)
2. Karev, E. “Review of J. Rowlandson, R.S. Bagnall, and D.J. Thompson, Slavery and Dependence in Ancient Egypt: Sources in Translation (Cambridge University Press, 2024). Journal of Global Slavery(forthcoming)

Notes and other

1. Karev, E. and Richardson, S. “Rethinking Slavery in the Ancient Near East.” Ancient Near East Today, vol. IX no. 10, 2021.
2. Featured in Ancient Egyptians may have used branding irons on human slaves,” by Tom Metcalfe, LiveScience.com, 2022 <https://www.livescience.com/ancient-egypt-branding-irons-slaves>
3. Karev, E. “‘So That You May Know Them’: Portraits of Individuals Described in Graeco-Roman Papyri.” Turin Global History Blog, 2024. <https://turinhumanitiesprogramme.fondazione1563.it/so-that-you-may-know-them-portraits-of-individuals-described-in-graeco-roman-papyri/>
4. Database from the monograph Physical Descriptions, Biometrics, and Eikonographia in Graeco-Roman Papyri from Egypt published by Trismegistos Corpus Data, 2024. <https://www.trismegistos.org/tmcorpusdata/25/>

2024    Alon Fellowship for outstanding young researchers

2023    Selected as the representative speaker for the Association of Ancient Historians;   

Inaugural AAH-Mommsen Society Lectures

2022    First Place winner, ‘Three Minute Thesis’ competition

2021    First Place winner, ‘Best Student Paper competition’;

American Research Center in Egypt annual meeting

2016    Kleinstub Scholarship for outstanding student of Greek

2015    Kessler Scholarship for the promotion of Egyptology