Ilya Dines is an historian whose research interests focus on medieval encyclopedism, education, and manuscripts. He currently directs the "Cataloguing Project of Western Manuscripts" at the National Library of Israel. After receiving his Ph.D. ("A Critical Edition of the Bestiaries of the Third Family") from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, he led the "Theophilus Project" at the Thomas Institute, University of Cologne. During the past several years at the University of Cambridge and the University of Beer Sheva he has been working on an edition of "Distinctiones Theologicae" of William de Montibus. His publications include his forthcoming "Westminster Bestiary: Text and Commentaries" and, in collaboration with Chet Van Duzer, "Apocalyptic Cartography: Thematic Maps and the End of the World in a Fifteenth-Century Manuscript".
Altough tremendously distinct from all other bestiaries, the five manuscripts of the Third Family (England; 13th century) have received much less scholarly attention than the bestiaries of other families. Ilya Dines discusses their features and origin.