Finnish School

Septuagint Scholar Interview: Raija Sollamo

It is a distinct pleasure for me to post another Septuagint scholar interview in my ongoing series of posts (see numerous others here). Today we have the privilege of hearing from a very well established scholar in the discipline, Dr. Raija Sollamo, who is professor emerita of Biblical Languages in the Faculty of Theology at the University of Helsinki.

Aside from her work in Septuagint scholarship, Dr. Sollamo also has the distinct privilege of having been the first female professor in the field of theology in Finland and was elected the 1994 Woman of the Year by the Finnish business and Professional Women Association. As you will see in her interview below, Dr. Sollamo has also played a significant role in carrying on and expanding study of the syntax of the Septuagint in Finland. (more…)

Soisalon-Soininen Volume Published

It is exciting to see the publication of a long-awaited volume in the discipline. Tuukka Kauhanen and Hanna Vanonen have edited The Legacy of Soisalon-Soininen: Towards a Syntax of Septuagint Greek in the DSI series with V&R. This volume is the result of the delightfully alliterative Soisalon-Soininen Symposium on the Septuagint that was held in Helsinki back in 2017. I posted about this event beforehand (here and here) and also provided a brief review as well. (more…)

LXX Post-Doc in Helsinki, Finland

Many people who come to Septuagint scholarship quickly recognize that, while it is a small and specialized discipline, it is one with a rich history. In terms of its recent developments, Septuagint scholarship would not be what it is without the so-called “Finnish School” based at the University of Helsinki. I have written a little bit about this branch of scholarship in the past. Most recently it was related to the symposium held two years ago in honor of the esteemed scholar Ilmari Soisalon-Soininen (1917-2002). You can read more about that event and its honoree here. (more…)