Membership
Join the Society
Open to those with a scholarly interest in the Old Testament — university teachers, clergy, research students and independent scholars.
What membership brings
Members receive the Society's Book List, can attend both annual meetings, and join a network of scholars sustained for over a century.
The Book List
The Society's annual survey of new work in Old Testament study.
Both meetings
Winter and summer meetings, with papers and discussion.
Discounts
Reduced prices on selected Society publications.
The network
Colleagues across the British Isles and internationally.
Current subscription: £30 per year (£15 for low-income members)
Online card payment is being set up on the new website. To pay your subscription now, please contact the Treasurer at sotstreasurer@gmail.com.
How to apply
- 01
Attend as a guest
Members-to-be are encouraged to attend a meeting as a guest first — usually the summer conference.
- 02
Be proposed and seconded
Your application must be proposed and seconded by members of the Society in good standing.
- 03
Application considered
Applications are considered at the Business Meeting of each conference, and membership begins after it.
The detail
The membership application form can be downloaded here (Membership-Form 2025). Completed forms should be emailed to the Secretary (see below).
Benefits of membership include receipt of the Society’s book list, discounts on selected publications, as well as information about the activities of the society. The current subscription rate is £30/annum for full membership and £15/annum for members on low income (e.g. students, retired, unwaged).
Those seeking membership in the Society will normally:
- have knowledge of Biblical Hebrew
- have completed or be completing a doctoral qualification in a biblical or cognate discipline (but thesis/dissertation-stage Masters-level applications may be considered where appropriate)
- have studied the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible formally at least to degree level
Your application to join must be proposed and seconded by members of the Society in good standing. It is recommended that those wishing to be considered for membership attend a meeting of the Society as a guest before seeking membership. This will also allow those who do not know members to find a proposer and seconder. The Society aims to have an informal welcome session for new members and first-time attenders at every Summer conference.
Applications for membership are considered at each meeting of the Society, during the Business Meeting session. Applications should reach the Secretary (by email: secretary.sots@gmail.com) preferably no later than 30th November for the Winter On-line Meeting and no later than 30th June for the Summer Meeting, although where possible we will try to process applications arriving between these dates and the relevant meeting. Note: if accepted, your membership will only begin after the relevant meeting, and therefore if you wish to attend that meeting you will have to do so as a guest. This is quite common – guests are welcome to attend everything at the meeting except the Business Meeting (at which the application will be considered).
Before you apply
Come to a meeting as a guest
There is no better way to judge whether the Society suits you than to attend a meeting first. Guests are welcome, and the summer conference in particular gives time to meet people working in your area.
An application needs a proposer and a seconder from among the membership — people you will most naturally meet at a conference. Applications are then considered at the Business Meeting, and membership begins immediately afterwards.
