I wanted to share with you some links to some great religious scholars that I have found on the internet.  This is by no means an exhaustive list, nor my official opinion of who is a good scholar and who is not, but it is a sampling of some sites that I have come across, especially some that I’ve been made aware of just recently.  I hope their sites/blogs will be as helpful to you as they have been to me.

Dr. James R. Davila — www.paleojudaica.blogspot.com

I mentioned Dr. Davila’s blog in my last post.  Again, Dr. Davila is the head of the School of Divinity at the University of St. Andrews in St. Andrews, Scotland.  Dr. Davila is at the very forefront of research on early Judaism, the Second Temple period, Jewish Pseudepigrapha, Jewish Mysticism, and related topics.  I have known of his research in this area for quite some time, but have only recently become acquainted with his blog.  The blog is updated almost every day and contains news, links, insights, and other items of interest for those who enjoy learning about ancient Jewish history, religion, mysticism, and related topics in Christianity, as well.  His site is a great way to keep up on what is going on in the academic world regarding these areas of interest.

His own stated research interests (according to his faculty profile at St. Andrews) include: 

• Judaism from the second temple period through late antiquity
• The Dead Sea Scrolls
• The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha
• Early Jewish mysticism (Merkavah mysticism and Hekhalot literature)
• The Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
• Ancient divine mediator figures and Christian origins
• Ancient Near Eastern literature and mythology

A small sampling of his recent publications:

 The Provenance of the Pseudepigrapha: Jewish, Christian, or Other? (JSJSup 105; Leiden: Brill, 2005)

Descenders to the Chariot: The People Behind the Hekhalot Literature (JSJSup 70; Leiden: Brill, 2001)

Liturgical Works (Eerdmans Commentaries on the Dead Sea Scrolls 6; (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2000)

Qumran Cave 4: VII Genesis to Numbers (Discoveries in the Judean Desert, vol. 12), part one: 4QGenExoda, Genb-h, Genj-k (Oxford: Clarendon, 1994), 7-78, plates I-XII.

“The Macrocosmic Temple, Scriptural Exegesis, and the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice,” Dead Sea Discoveries 9 (2002): 1-19

“The Hekhalot Literature and the Ancient Jewish Apocalypses,” in Paradise Now: Essays on Early Jewish and Christian Mysticism (ed. April Deconick; SBL Symposium Series 11; Atlanta, Ga.: Society of Biblical Literature, 2006), 105-25

“Enochians, Essenes, and Qumran Essenes” and “The Animal Apocalypse and Daniel,” in Enoch and Qumran Origins: New Light on a Forgotten Connection (ed. Gabriele Boccaccini; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2005), 35-38, 365-59

“Melchizedek, the ‘Youth,’ and Jesus,” in The Dead Sea Scrolls as Background to Postbiblical Judaism and Early Christianity, 248-74 (see above)

Shamanic Initiatory Death and Resurrection in the Hekhalot Literature,” in Magic and Ritual in the Ancient World, ed. Paul Mirecki and Marvin Meyer (Religions in the Graeco-Roman World 141; Leiden: Brill, 2002), 283-302

“The Dead Sea Scrolls and Merkavah Mysticism,” in The Dead Sea Scrolls in their Historical Context, edited by Timothy H. Lim, et. al. (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 2000), 249-64

“Of Methodology, Monotheism, and Metatron: Introductory Reflections on Divine Mediators and the Origins of the Worship of Jesus,” in The Jewish Roots of Christological Monotheism, 3-18 (see above)

“Heavenly Ascents in the Qumran Scrolls,” for The Dead Sea Scrolls after Fifty Years: A Comprehensive Assessment, ed. Peter W. Flint and James C. VanderKam ( 2 vols.; Leiden: Brill, 1999), 2:461-85

“Melchizedek: King, Priest, and God,” in The Seductiveness of Jewish Myth: Challenge or Response?, ed. S. Daniel Breslauer (Albany, N. Y.: SUNY, 1997), 217-34

“Melchizedek, Michael, and War in Heaven,” in the Society of Biblical Literature 1996 Seminar Papers (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1996), 259-72

“The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha as Background to the New Testament,”Expository Times 117 (2005): 53-57

“Assimilated to the Blogosphere: Blogging Ancient Judaism” in the SBL Forum, April 2005

The Book of Revelation and the Hekhalot Literature (PDF, 154 KB) (SBL, November 2008)

“The Hekhalot Literature and the Ancient Jewish Apocalypses” (SBL, November 2006)

“‘Scripture’ as Prophetically Revealed Writings” (SBL, November 2006)

“More Christian Apocrypha” (Ottawa Workshop on Christian Apocrypha, September-October 2006)

“More Jewish Pseudepigrapha” (International SBL, July 2006)

“Ritual in the Old Testament Apocrypha,” (Symposium on Anthropology and the Old Testament, Glasgow University, June 2004)

“The Apocalypse of Daniel: A Newly Discovered Syriac Pseudepigraphon – A Thought Experiment” (IOQS, July 2004)

“Did Christians Write Old Testament Pseudepigrapha That Appear to Be Jewish?”(Intnl. SBL, July 2004) “Is the Story of

“The Rechabites in Patristic and Parabiblical Literature” (SBL, November 2003)

“Ritual in the Jewish Pseudepigrapha” (Symposium on Anthropology and Biblical Studies, St. Mary’s College, June 2003)

Review essay on Ascent to Heaven in Jewish and Christian Apocalypses, by Martha Himmelfarb (Ioudaios Review vol. 4.017; August 1994)

Dr. Andrei Orlov — www.andreiorlov.com

For any of you who have been following Heavenly Ascents or have searched through the site, you have probably noticed a large number of references and links to the works of Dr. Andrei Orlov, my professor and adviser at Marquette University.  While not a blog, Dr. Orlov’s website is a great one to check frequently for great research in the areas of Second Temple Judaism, Pseudepigrapha, Enochic literature, and Jewish and Christian Mysticism. 

Some of Dr. Orlov’s publications that he has linked to his webpage include:

Books

The Enoch-Metatron Tradition (TSAJ, 107; Tuebingen: Mohr-Siebeck, 2005), pp. xii+383. $175.00. ISBN 3-16-148544-0. 

From Apocalypticism to Merkabah Mysticism: Studies in the Slavonic Pseudepigrapha (Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism, 114; Leiden: Brill, 2007), pp. xii+481. $207.00. ISBN 90-04-15439-6. 

The Theophaneia School: Jewish Roots of Eastern Christian Mysticism (Scrinium III; eds. B. Lourie and A. Orlov; St. Petersburg: Byzantinorossica, 2007).

L’église des deux Alliances: Mémorial Annie Jaubert (1912–1980) (Orientalia Judaica Christiana, 1; eds. Basil Lourié, Andrei Orlov, Madeleine Petit, Gorgias Press, 2009).

Articles

“Titles of Enoch-Metatron in 2 Enoch,” Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha 18 (1998) 71-86.

“Melchizedek Legend of 2 (Slavonic) Enoch,” Journal for the Study of Judaism 31 (2000) 23-38.

“The Origin of the Name ‘Metatron’ and the Text of 2 (Slavonic Apocalypse of) Enoch,” Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha 21 (2000) 19-26.

“Secrets of Creation in 2 (Slavonic) Enoch,” Henoch 22 (2000) 45-62.

“Ex 33 on God’s Face: A Lesson from the Enochic Tradition,”   Seminar Papers 39, Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting 2000 (Atlanta: Scholars, 2000) 130-47.

“‘Two Tablets’ Traditions from the Book of Giants to Palaea Historica,” Journal for the Study of Judaism 32 (2001) 137-158.

“Paradigms of the Transformational Vision in the Macarian Homilies,” Vigiliae Christianae 55 (2001) 281-298 (with A. Golitzin)

“The Heavenly Counterpart of the Visionary in the Slavonic Ladder of Jacob,” in:  Evans, Craig A. (ed.), Of Scribes and Sages (Studies in Scripture in Early Judaism and Christianity, 10; Library of Second Temple Studies, 51; London; New York: T &T Clark, 2004) 59 – 76.

“Vested with Adam’s Glory: Moses as the Luminous Counterpart of Adam in the Dead Sea Scrolls and in the Macarian Homilies” in: “Mémorial Annie Jaubert (1912—1980),” Xristianskij Vostok 4.10 (2002) 740-755.

“The Flooded Arboretums: The Garden Traditions in the Slavonic Version of 3 Baruch and in the Book of Giants” Catholic Biblical Quarterly  65 (2003) 184-201.

“Celestial Choirmaster: The Liturgical Role of Enoch-Metatron in 2 Enoch and Merkabah Tradition,” Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha 14.1 (2004) 3-29.

“Noah’s Younger Brother Revisited: Anti-Noachic Polemics and the Date of 2 (Slavonic) Enoch,”  Henoch 26 (2004) 172-187.

“‘Without Measure and Without Analogy:’ Shiur Qomah Traditions in 2 (Slavonic) Enoch,” Journal of Jewish Studies56 (2005) 224-244.

“’The Learned Savant Who Guards the Secrets of the Great Gods’: Evolution of the Roles and Titles of the Seventh Antediluvian Hero in Mesopotamian and Enochic Traditions: Part I: Mesopotamian Traditions,” Scrinium I. Varia Aethiopica. In Memory of Sevir B. Chernetsov (1943-2005) (eds. B. Lourie et al.; St. Peterburg, 2005) 248-264.

“Resurrection of Adam’s Body: The Redeeming Role of Enoch-Metatron in 2 (Slavonic) Enoch,”   From Apocalypticism to Merkabah Mysticism: Studies in the Slavonic Pseudepigrapha (JSJSup., 114; Leiden: Brill, 2006) 231-236 .

“God’s Face in the Enochic Tradition,” Paradise Now: Essays on Early Jewish and Christian Mysticism (ed. A. De Conick; Symposium Series, 11; Atlanta: SBL/Leiden: Brill, 2006) 179-193.

“The Heirs of the Enochic Lore: ‘Men of Faith’ in 2 Enoch 35:2 and Sefer Hekhalot 48D:10,” in: Old Testament Apocrypha in the Slavonic Tradition: Continuity and Diversity. (ed. L. DiTommaso and C. Böttrich, 2007) (forthcoming).

“The Heir of Righteousness and the King of Righteousness: The Priestly Noachic Polemics in 2 Enoch and the Epistle to the Hebrews,” Journal of Theological Studies 58.1 (2007) 45-65.

“Moses’ Heavenly Counterpart in the Book of Jubilees and the Exagoge of Ezekiel the Tragedian,” Biblica 88 (2007) 153-173.

“Roles and Titles of the Seventh Antediluvian Hero in the Book of the Similitudes: A Departure from the Traditional Pattern?” Enoch and the Messiah Son of Man: Revisiting the Book of Parables (ed. G. Boccaccini; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007) 110-136.

“Praxis of the Voice: The Divine Name Traditions in the Apocalypse of Abraham,” Journal of Biblical Literature127.1 (2008) 53-70.

“‘The Gods of My Father Terah’: Abraham the Iconoclast and the Polemics with the Divine Body Traditions in the Apocalypse of Abraham,” Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha 18.1 (2008) 33-53.

“The Pillar of the World: The Eschatological Role of the Seventh Antediluvian Hero in 2 (Slavonic) Enoch,” Henoch30.1 (2008) 119-135.

“In the Mirror of the Divine Face: The Enochic Features of the Exagoge of Ezekiel the Tragedian,”  The Significance of Sinai: Traditions about Sinai and Divine Revelation in Judaism and Christianity (eds. G. Brooks, H. Najman, L. Stuckenbruck; Themes in Biblical Narrative, 13; Leiden: Brill, 2008) 183-199.  

Also very interesting and useful are three webpages created for projects that Dr. Orlov helps chair:

Jewish Roots of Eastern Christian Mysticism, originator, designer, webmaster. Launched April 2002. Original contents include collection of scholarly articles and extensive bibliographies.

New Testament Mysticism Project Seminar,  originator, designer, webmaster. Launched March 2006. The official web page of the Society of Biblical Literature New Testament Mysticism Project Seminar.

The Slavonic Pseudepigrapha Project, originator, designer, webmaster. Launched December 2006. Original contents include collection of scholarly articles and extensive bibliographies.  

April DeConick – www.forbiddengospels.blogspot.com

I had the privilege of meeting Dr. DeConick through Dr. Orlov — they work together on the New Testament Mysticism Project, about which they meet at the annual Society of Biblical Literature conferences.  Dr. DeConick is a professor of Biblical Studies at Rice University in Houston.  She is a very creative and adventurous scholar who is well known for her research into “alternative” Christian traditions, including Jewish and Christian Mysticism, Gnosticism, the Nag Hammadi texts, and some of the Gospels that never quite made it into the canon (Thomas, Judas, etc.).  According to her personal website, www.aprildeconick.com, she has “a deep love for exploring the various expressions of ante-Nicene mysticism, including the spirituality of classic Gnostic thinkers.” 

Her blog, www.forbiddengospels.blogspot.com, provides a great variety of news, notes, insights, commentaries, and tidbits pertaining to Christian Apocrypha, Nag Hammadi, Lost Gospels, and many other topics of interest in the area of Judaism and early Christianity, especially the more mystical strains. She updates the blog frequently, so it is another good one to check regularly.

Dr. DeConick has a number of intriguing webpages set up related to the projects she is working on and her areas of interest:

The Forbidden Gospels Web page
Gospel of Thomas
Gospel of Judas
Information about the Mandaeans
Early Christianity Resource Page
April DeConick – Rice University Web page
Information about the Codex Judas Congress
Information about the New Testament Mysticism Project
Early Jewish and Christian Mysticism Web page

To have a look at some of the great articles she has authored which are available on her site, go to this link:  http://www.aprildeconick.com/articlesauthored.html

Also, for a look at some of the amazing books she has published (I highly recommend especially Seek to See Him), see here: http://www.aprildeconick.com/booksauthored.html

Grandpa Enoch – www.grandpaenoch.blogspot.com

Despite the cool (and fitting) pseudonym, Grandpa Enoch is a real scholar who I greatly respect.  His blog, entitled Pronaos (the hall or entry-way before the Naos, or Holy of Holies), is a great resource for the latest and greatest info, news, announcements, book releases, commentaries, and insights on items related to Temple and Ascent traditions from an LDS perspective.  Granpa Enoch is a top expert in these areas and guides readers to some wonderful insights.  Readers of Heavenly Ascents would greatly enjoy the content Grandpa Enoch provides. 

Margaret Barker – www.margaretbarker.com

It is no secret that Margaret Barker is one of my favorite religious scholars.  Her pioneering research into “temple theology” has opened up brave new roads into the interpretation of scripture and the history of Judaism and Christianity.  Her many writings provide mountains of evidence for how the roots of Christian belief can be traced back to the theology of Solomon’s Temple. These early Israelite traditions were greatly modified through the reforms of King Josiah and then during and after the Babylonian exile.  While the religion of the Jews became modified, the temple traditions were preserved in non-mainstream sources, such as the apocryphal and pseudepigraphal texts.  Early Christian beliefs were very similar to these traditions, and they had a great interest in the theology of the First Temple. In Barker’s words, “Christianity was heir to the Temple tradition and so was by no means a ‘new’ religion in the first century.”

By visiting her website, you can see a list of her many wonderful publications, all of which I highly recommend.

Also, Dr. Barker has organized a Temple Studies Group which meets periodically to hold symposia on important topics concerning the ancient temple tradition. You can find out more about the topics discussed at past and future meetings by visiting the group’s site here: http://www.templestudiesgroup.com

Other Scholars’ Sites

Dr. Rachel Elior: Professor of Jewish Philosophy at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University; Author of a number of books on Jewish Mysticism and Temple traditions – http://pluto.huji.ac.il/~mselio/index.html

Dr. Michael S. Heiser: PhD in Hebrew Bible and Ancient Semitic Languages from University of Wisconsin–Madison; Has done significant research on the Divine Council of the Elohim in the ancient Hebrew tradition – http://www.thedivinecouncil.com/

Dr. Robert Kraft: Professor of Religious Studies at University of Pennsylvania – http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/kraft.html