John Strugnell
John Strugnell (born May 25, 1930 in Barnet , † November 30, 2007 in Cambridge (Massachusetts) ) was a British orientalist and from 1984 to 1990 editor of the Dead Sea Scrolls .
Life
John Strugnell was born on May 25, 1930 in Barnet, England. He received his education at St Paul's School, then studied classical philology, ancient history and oriental languages at Oxford . Although he never completed his dissertation, he was accepted into the international editorial team of the Dead Sea Scrolls at the age of 23. Since the original funding of the edition soon ran out and the editors were occupied with other obligations, the edition of the Discoveries in the Judaean Desert soon stalled . Strugnell received a position at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago in 1956/57 . There he met his wife Cécile Pierlot, daughter of the former Belgian Prime Minister Hubert Pierlot . Both lived in Jerusalem until 1960, when Strugnell accepted a position at Duke University . From 1966 until his retirement in 1991, Strugnell was Professor of Christian Origins at Harvard Divinity School . In 1984 Strugnell was appointed editor in chief of the Discoveries in the Judaean Desert , despite his depression and alcohol problems known at the time. He was the first to give assignments to other researchers, such as B. the publication of the Sabbath sacrifice songs to Carol Newsom , and also involved Israeli and Jewish researchers. When he gave an interview to the Israeli daily Haaretz in 1990, apparently under the influence of alcohol, in which he made derogatory comments about Judaism, this caused a stir far beyond the boundaries of the subject. Strugnell was replaced as editor-in-chief by Emanuel Tov . Nevertheless, he continued to maintain friendly relations with his colleagues and continued to be involved in the edition. Some of his Israeli and Jewish colleagues even published a letter of support in the Chicago Tribune. Although the number of Strugnell's publications is limited, it is all the more important insofar as they are the publication of such important Qumran texts as 4QMMT ( Halakhic Letter ) and 4QInstruction ( Musar leMevin ). Strugnell died on November 30, 2007 in Cambridge, Massachusetts . He left behind his former wife Cécile, two sons, David and Andrew and three daughters, Anne-Christine, Claire, and Monique, and five grandchildren.
Works (selection)
- Elisha Qimron; John Strugnell: Miqsat Ma'ase ha-Torah. DJD X: Qumran Cave 4.V. Oxford: Clarendon, 1994.
- John Strugnell; Daniel J. Harrington; Torleif Elgvin, in consultation with JA Fitzmyer (ed.): 4QInstruction (Musar leMevin): 4Q415ff. DJD XXXIV: Qumran Cave 4.XXIV. Oxford: Clarendon, 1999.
literature
- John J. Collins: In memoriam John Strugnell. In: Revue de Qumran 23 (2007/2008), 309-311.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Strugnell, John |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British orientalist and expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 25, 1930 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Barnet |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 30, 2007 |
| Place of death | Cambridge, Massachusetts |