James C. VanderKam | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1946 (age 78–79) |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for |
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| Awards | Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 2022 |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | Calvin College (BA, 1968), Calvin Theological Seminary (BD, 1971), Harvard University (PhD, 1976) |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Hebrew Bible,Second Temple Judaism,Dead Sea Scrolls |
| Institutions | North Carolina State University,University of Notre Dame |
| Notable works |
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James C. VanderKam (born 1946) is an American scholar of the Hebrew Bible and Second Temple Judaism,John A. O'Brien Professor of Hebrew Scriptures,Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame. [1] His research centers on the Dead Sea Scrolls and related literature,including Enoch and Jubilees . He served as general editor of the Journal of Biblical Literature ,co edited the two volume Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls,and edited multiple volumes in the official Discoveries in the Judaean Desert series. [1] [2] [3]
VanderKam earned a BA in classics from Calvin College in 1968,then a BD from Calvin Theological Seminary in 1971. During seminary studies he taught introductory Greek at Calvin. He subsequently studied in Scotland as a Fulbright recipient before doctoral work at Harvard University,where he completed the PhD in 1976. [4] [5] [6]
VanderKam joined the faculty of North Carolina State University in 1976,where he taught for fifteen years,then moved to the University of Notre Dame in 1991. He later held the John A. O'Brien chair in Hebrew Scriptures and now holds emeritus status. [4] [1] His editorial and field leadership includes service as general editor of the Journal of Biblical Literature and as editor of thirteen volumes in Discoveries in the Judaean Desert . [2] [1] He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2022. [1]
In 2011,colleagues and former students honored VanderKam with a Festschrift titled A Teacher for All Generations,celebrating both his sixty-fifth birthday and twenty years of distinguished service at Notre Dame. The volume was published in the Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism series. [7]
| Title | Year | Role | Publisher | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Dead Sea Scrolls Today [8] | 1994,rev. 2010 | Author | Wm. B. Eerdmans | Introductory survey of the scrolls,widely used in courses |
| Calendars in the Dead Sea Scrolls:Measuring Time [9] | 1998 | Author | Wm. B. Eerdmans | Study of calendrical texts and systems |
| From Revelation to Canon:Studies in the Hebrew Bible and Second Temple Literature [10] | 2000 | Author | Brill | Collected essays on scripture,high priesthood,Enoch,and Jubilees |
| Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls [3] | 2000 | Co editor with Lawrence H. Schiffman | Oxford University Press | Two volume reference work |
| An Introduction to Early Judaism [11] | 2001,2nd ed. 2022 | Author | Wm. B. Eerdmans | Survey of history,texts,and institutions in the Second Temple period |
| The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls [12] | 2002 | Co author with Peter W. Flint | HarperSanFrancisco | Synthesis for scholarly and general audiences |
| From Joshua to Caiaphas:High Priests After the Exile [13] | 2004 | Author | Fortress Press | Reference study on Second Temple high priests |
| Jubilees,A Commentary in Two Volumes (Hermeneia) [14] | 2018 | Author | Fortress Press | Comprehensive critical commentary |