It is with immense sorrow that I must share the news of the sudden loss of my Doktorvater, Hector Patmore. In his many roles as husband, father, friend, priest, professor, and colleague, Hector left a lasting mark on those who knew him, and who now grieve his passing.HT Drew Longacre at the OTTC Blog and many others.Hector received his PhD in Theology at the University of Durham in 2008. He went on to pursue postdoctoral research at the Protestant Theological University of the Netherlands in Kampen (2008-2012). The next six years would take him to Cardiff University, where he became Senior Lecturer in Biblical Studies and Ancient Judaism. In 2019, he and his family moved to Leuven, following his promotion to Associate Professor (2019-2025) and eventually Full Professor in Biblical Studies (2025). Hector also led more than twenty study programmes in Israel and the Palestinian territories. From 2020-2025, he acquired a prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant for the project TEXTEVOLVE, studying the evolution of the Targums.
Hector’s research interests included the development of Jewish beliefs in Antiquity, in particular in the field of demonology; New Testament literature in the context of Judaism; the translation and interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, especially the Targums; and the exchange of ideas between Jews and Christians in Antiquity. His many publications, including his two monographs (Adam, Satan and the King of Tyre [2012]; The Transmission of Targum Jonathan in the West [2015]) show a rare breadth and depth of scholarship, and reflect the high standards he placed upon his work.
Very sorry to hear of the tragic death of Professor Patmore at the age of 45 in a hiking accident in Scotland. Requiescat in pace.
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