Gary N. Knoppers

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Gerald "Gary" Neil Knoppers (November 14, 1956 – December 22, 2018) was a professor in the Department of Theology at University of Notre Dame.[1] He wrote books and articles regarding a range of Old Testament and ancient Near Eastern topics. He is particularly renowned for his work on 1 Chronicles, writing I Chronicles 1 – 9 (Anchor Bible Volume 12) and I Chronicles 10 – 29 (Anchor Bible Volume 12A), which together comprise a significant treatment of the work of the Chronicler. In May 2005 the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies granted the R. B. Y. Scott Award to Knoppers for his two-volume Anchor Bible commentary on I Chronicles[2]

Early life and education[edit]

Knoppers was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. His parents were Barthie Maria Boon Knoppers and Nicolaas Bastiaan Knoppers. Knoppers' upbringing was in the Dutch Reformed tradition.[3]

Knoppers studied at Calvin College from 1975 to 1979, where he majored in philosophy, obtaining a B.A. cum laude. He then moved on to Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary where he studied Old Testament from 1979 to 1982, graduating M.Div. Harvard University was next, and there Knoppers obtained an M.A. with distinction in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. His Harvard studies were from 1982 to 1986.[4] Knoppers obtained his Ph.D. at Harvard University in 1988. His doctoral dissertation at Harvard was entitled "What Share Have We in David?": The Division of the Kingdom in Kings and Chronicles.[5] Frank Moore Cross, Jr. directed his Ph.D.

Career[edit]

Knoppers first taught at Andover Newton Theological School for a term in spring 1986.

In the fall of 1987 he began his career at Pennsylvania State University as an instructor in Religious Studies, and then was Assistant Professor in Religious Studies from 1988 to 1994. In 1994 he became Associate Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies, Religious Studies and Jewish Studies. From 2002 to 2014 he was Professor in the Department of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies, where was the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies, Religious Studies, and Jewish Studies.[4] Knoppers also served as the head of that department from 1996 to 2006.

His scholarly concentrations are: Ancient Israelite and Near Eastern History; Ancient Historiography; Biblical Theology; The Books of Kings and Chronicles; Comparative Ancient Near Eastern Religions; Inner Biblical Exegesis; and Northwest Semitic Epigraphy.

In the fall of 2014 he left Penn State to take up an endowed professorship in Biblical Studies in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame.[6][7]

As of 2007, Knoppers had served on the following theological boards and committees:

Knoppers died of pancreatic cancer, and was survived by his wife Laura Knoppers,the George N. Shuster Professor of English Literature in Notre Dame’s Department of English, and their two children, Theresa and David.[10]

Books[edit]

Articles and shorter pieces[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Gerald Neil Knoppers
  2. ^ "CSBS Scott Award". Archived from the original on 2007-07-10. Retrieved 2007-06-16.
  3. ^ Knoppers, Gary N. I Chronicles 1 – 9, Anchor Bible Volume 12 (New York:Doubleday, 2003, p. xii.
  4. ^ a b Gerald Neil Knoppers' curriculum vitae[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ Knoppers, Gary N. I Chronicles 1 – 9, Anchor Bible Volume 12 (New York:Doubleday, 2003), p. 188.
  6. ^ "Gary Knoppers". Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  7. ^ "Gary Knoppers Leaving Penn State". Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  8. ^ "Vetus Testamentum | Brill". Archived from the original on 2013-09-29. Retrieved 2014-11-02.
  9. ^ http://www.iekat.de/appEN/nav_home.php
  10. ^ Josh Weinhold, In memoriam: Gary Knoppers, John A. O’Brien Professor of Theology,' Notre Dame News 10 January 2019.