Almost two years ago exactly I posted an announcement about a new consultation at the annual ETS meeting devoted to Septuagint studies. The session that followed later that year (2015) was the trial run of what would subsequently become the Septuagint Studies consultation, which – through a series of events quite beyond my control – I am now chairing along with a wonderful group of scholars on the steering committee.

The consultation will exist for three years (2016-2018), which means that this upcoming session in November is our second of three. Last year’s session had a great showing and was a success by all accounts. You can read about it here and here. If you are not aware, this year’s ETS conference will be held in Providence, Rhode Island (as opposed to Boston where SBL will take place) from 15-17 November.

Septuagint Studies at ETS

Being a consultation means we don’t have an open paper proposal system, but instead have to invite speakers each year. That being the case, our goal for this consultation has been to bring in some of the most well-respected evangelical scholars working in the discipline, along with one postgraduate student, each year. We’ve approached things like this in order to “showcase” this area of study to the ETS crowd and demonstrate its relevance and importance to the topics more frequently discussed at the annual conferences.

As I’ve said before, however, If you want to be part of “the guild” in Septuagint studies, look no further than the IOSCS, which is and will continue to be the premier venue for the study of the Greek Old Testament and other versions. Joining is very affordable and you get a journal subscription (JSCS) to boot.

The 2017 Session

Thursday, 16 November 2017
3:00 – 6:10pm | Convention Center – Room 553 A

Moderator: William A. Ross
(University of Cambridge)

3:00 PM – 3:40 PM

John D. Meade (Phoenix Seminary)*
“The Septuagint and the Biblical Canon”

 

3:50 PM – 4:30 PM

Marieke Dhont (Université de Lorraine)
“Language, Translation Technique, and Hellenization among Greek-Speaking Jewry”

 

4:40 PM – 5:20 PM

Peter J. Gentry (The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)
“The Septuagint and Origen’s Hexapla”

 

5:30 PM – 6:10 PM

Caleb T. Friedeman (Wheaton College)
“‘Nebuchadnezzar . . . preserved the words in his heart’: The Purpose of Dan 4:28 OG”

 

Join Us!

If you’re planning to be at ETS this year we’d love to have you join us. It should be a fascinating time of discussion. P.S. If you are a postgraduate student interested in Septuagint studies, it might be a good idea to contact me about possibly presenting next year in Denver.

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* N.B. I have interviewed John about some of his work in Septuagint studies (here), and he has recently revived his blog LXX Studies – check it out!