Curriculum Vitae

Steve A. Wiggins, Ph.D.

Address:
Nashotah House Episcopal Seminary, 2777 Mission Road, Nashotah, Wisconsin 53058
Telephone: (262) 646-6523 (office/voice mail)
E-mail: stephwig@nashotah.edu

Curriculum Vitae

CURRENT POSITION

Associate Professor of Hebrew and Old Testament; from July 1996. Academic Sub-Dean from December 1998: nominated by colleagues. Nashotah House Episcopal Seminary, Nashotah, Wisconsin.
Assistant Professor from August 1992 - June 1996: promoted at the initiative of the seminary.
Aspects of this position include:

teaching all Hebrew Bible courses, including biblical Hebrew
preparation of class material, grading exams and papers
tutoring students in Hebrew and supervising reading courses
reading Master's level theses and examining Master's level students
committee work
student advisory duties
Registrar, appointed from July 1995 to June 1999 (concurrent with full teaching load)
Academic Sub-Dean in charge of the academic program of the seminary, from 1998 (concurrent with full teaching load).

EDUCATIONAL RECORD

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Edinburgh, 1992; Edinburgh, Scotland.

Field: Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
Thesis: "Athirat, Asherah, Ashratu: a Reassessment According to the Textual Sources"
Supervisor: Professor J. C. L. Gibson, Department of Hebrew and Old Testament Studies
Examiners: Doctor N. Wyatt, Department of Religious Studies, University of Edinburgh (internal); Doctor W. G. E. Watson, Universities of Newcastle and Barcelona (external)
Classes completed at the University of Edinburgh (the University does not keep doctoral-level transcripts):

Ugaritic Translation (three years)
Hebrew Translation (two years)
Northwest Semitic Epigraphy (one year)
Akkadian Translation (one semester)
Ugaritic Religion (one semester)
Egyptian Religion (one semester).

Master of Theological Studies, Boston University, 1987; Boston University School of Theology, Boston, Massachusetts.

Master of Theological Studies in Biblical Studies and Church History, cum laude.

Bachelor of Arts, Grove City College, 1985; Grove City, Pennsylvania.

Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, highest honors in major (Religion).

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Nashotah House (three credit-hour courses)

Annual Required Courses from 2000

Hebrew Bible 1: Introduction to Hebrew. Language Instruction.
Hebrew Bible 2: Introduction to the Hebrew Bible I. General Survey.
Hebrew Bible 3: Introduction to the Hebrew Bible II. General Survey.

Annual Required Courses, 1992-2000

Hebrew Bible 1: Introduction to Hebrew. Language Instruction.
Hebrew Bible 2: Introduction to the Pentateuch. General Survey.
Hebrew Bible 3: Introduction to the Prophets. General Survey.
Hebrew Bible 4: Introduction to the Writings. General Survey.

Occasional Elective Courses, 1992-99

Hebrew 2: Hebrew Reading. Language Instruction (1993).
Hebrew Bible 12: The Psalms in Worship. Seminar (1997).
Hebrew Bible 14: The Psalms. Seminar (1999).
Hebrew Bible 15: Primeval History? Genesis 1-11. Seminar (2001).
New Testament 1: Introduction to the Gospels. General Survey (1994).
Old Testament 10: The Book of Hosea. Seminar (1994).
Old Testament 11: The Social Background to the Old Testament. Seminar (1995).
Old Testament 125: The Book of Genesis. Seminar (1993).

Other Teaching Experience

1991-92	Teaching Assistant, University of Edinburgh. Taught Religion 1 tutorial; one hour weekly in conjunction with Religious Studies Department, prepared for and facilitated discussion on matters covered in the class.
1985-86	Greek Tutor, Boston University.
1984-85	Teaching Assistant, Grove City College. Taught GREK 312 (Third-year Greek), a three-hour course team-taught with and under the supervision of the Head of the Religion Department, taught one half of the class sessions, prepared and instructed Greek translation.
1982	Religion-Philosophy Tutor, Grove City College.

Other Relevant Experience

1987	Archaeological Volunteer, Hebrew University, Jerusalem. Invited to be trained as square supervisor while working on an archaeological dig at Tel Dor.
1986	Library Assistant, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts. Technical Services assistant at Boston University School of Theology Library. Creating and editing files on OCLC system and cataloging.

PUBLICATIONS

Book

1993 A Reassessment of 'Asherah': A Study According to the Textual Sources of the First Two Millennia B.C.E. Alter Orient und Altes Testament, Band 235. Kevelaer: Verlag Butzon & Bercker; Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener Verlag.

Articles

forthcoming a " The Weather under Baal: Meteorology in KTU 1.1-6," accepted for publication in Ugarit Forschungen 32, December 2000. forthcoming b "Of Asherahs and Trees: Some Methodological Questions," accepted for publication in the Journal of Ancient Near Eastern Religions 1, November 1999.
1999a "The Current State of Ugaritic Studies and Technology," with Theodore J. Lewis. In The Handbook of Ugaritic Studies. Handbuch der Orientalistik 39. W. G. E. Watson and N. Wyatt, editors. Leiden: E. J. Brill: 734-746.
1999b "Tempestuous Wind doing Yhwh's Will: Perceptions of the Wind in the Psalms," Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament 13/1: 3-23.
1998a "What's in a Name? Yarih at Ugarit," Ugarit Forschungen 30: 761-779.
1998b "Asherah Again: T. Binger's Asherah and the State of Asherah Studies," review article. Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages 24/1: 231-240.
1997a "Between Heaven and Earth: Absalom's Dilemma," Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages 23/1: 73-81.
1997b "A Rejoinder to J. Glen Taylor," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 73: 109-112.
1996a "Yahweh: the God of Sun?" Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 71: 89-106.
1996b "Shapsh, Lamp of the Gods," in Ugarit, religion and culture. Proceedings of the International Colloquium on Ugarit, religion and culture: Edinburgh, July 1994 Essays presented in honour of Professor John C. L. Gibson. Ugaritisch-Biblische Literatur, Band 12. N. Wyatt, W. G. E. Watson and J. B. Lloyd, editors. Munster: Ugarit Verlag: 327-350.
1995 "Asherah: Books, Articles, and Dissertations," in Women in the Biblical World: A Study Guide. By Mayer I. Gruber. Volume 1: Women in the World of Hebrew Scripture. American Theological Library Association Bibliography Series, No. 38. Lanham, MD, and London: Scarecrow Press: 227-232.
1993 "Old Testament Dagan in the Light of Ugarit," Vetus Testamentum 43: 268-274.
1991 "The Myth of Asherah: Lion Lady and Serpent Goddess," Ugarit Forschungen 23: 383-394.

Electronic Publications

Ugaritic Tablets Digital Edition, with B. E. Zuckerman, W. T. Pitard, T. J. Lewis, F. W. Dobbs-Allsopp, and J. A. Hackett. Site: www.relst.uiuc.edu/utde.

Zehnder, Markus Philipp. Wegmetaphorik im Alten Testament (Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fur die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 268). Berlin and New York: Walter de Gruyter, 1999. Society of Biblical Literature Online Book Reviews, site: http://www.bookreviews.org/Reviews/3110163004.html.

Book Reviews

Balentine, Samuel E. The Torah's Vision of Worship (Overtures to Biblical Theology). Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1999. Catholic Biblical Quarterly 62 (2000): 713-14.

Binger, Tilde. Asherah: Goddesses in Ugarit, Israel and the Old Testament (JSOTSup 232, CIS 2). Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1997. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 311 (1998): 98-99.

Burkert, Walter and Fritz Stolz, eds. Hymnen der Alten Welt im Kulturvergleich (Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 131). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht: Gottingen, 1994. Catholic Biblical Quarterly 57 (1995): 618-19.

Dietrich, Walter and Martin A. Klopfenstein (eds.), Ein Gott allein? JHWH-Verehrung und biblischer Monotheismus im Kontext der israelitischen und altorientalischen Religionsgeschichte (Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 139). Fribourg: Editions universitaires; Gottingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1994. Catholic Biblical Quarterly 58 (1996): 181-82.

Edelman, Diana V., ed. The Triumph of Elohim: From Yahwisms to Judaisms. (Contributions to Biblical Exegesis and Theology 13). Kampen: Pharos, 1995. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 305 (1997): 89-90.

Fox, Everett. The Five Books of Moses: A New Translation with Introductions, Commentary and Notes (The Schocken Bible 1). New York: Schocken Books, 1995. Anglican Theological Review 79 (1997): 595-96.

Gleis, Matthias. Die Bamah (Beihefte zur Zeitschrift fur die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 251). Berlin and New York: Walter de Gruyter, 1997. Catholic Biblical Quarterly 62 (2000): 122-23.

Hadley, Judith M. The Cult of Asherah in Ancient Israel and Judah: Evidence for a Hebrew Goddess. Cambridge: University Press, 2000. Review to be published in the Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research.

Handy, Lowell K. Among the Host of Heaven: The Syro-Phoenician Pantheon as Bureaucracy. Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns, 1994. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 297 (1995): 94-5.

Henshaw, Richard A. Female and Male: The Cultic Personnel. The Bible and the Rest of the Ancient Near East (Princeton Theological Monograph Series 31). Allison Park, PA: Pickwick, 1994. Journal of Biblical Literature 114/4 (1995): 711-12.

Hiebert, Theodore. The Yahwist's Landscape: Nature and Religion in Early Israel. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996. Catholic Biblical Quarterly 59 (1997): 541-2.

Hoppe, Leslie J. The Holy City: Jerusalem in the Theology of the Old Testament. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 2000. Review to be published in Catholic Biblical Quarterly.

Janzen, Waldemar. Old Testament Ethics: A Paradigmatic Approach. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1994. Anglican Theological Review 76 (1994): 524-26.

Mettinger, Tryggve N. D. No Graven Image? Israelite Aniconism in Its Ancient Near Eastern Context (ConBOT 42) Stockholm: Alqvist & Wiksell, 1995. Catholic Biblical Quarterly 58 (1996): 719-20.

Williams, Prescott H. Jr. and Theodore Hiebert, eds. Realia Dei: Essays in Archaeology and Biblical Interpretation in Honor of Edward F. Campbell, Jr. at His Retirement. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1999. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 321 (2001): 93-95.

Works in Progress

Ugaritic Tablets Digital Edition, with B. Zuckerman, W. T. Pitard, T. J. Lewis, F. W. Dobbs-Allsopp, J. A. Hackett, and B. B. Schmidt. For publication on CD-ROM, currently negotiating publisher.
Astral Deities of Ugarit: Shapash, Yarich and Athtar, prospective book.
Weathering the Psalms: The Meaning and Function of Weather in the Psalms, current book project.
"Is glgl ever Whirlwind?", prospective article.

RESEARCH

Areas of Expertise

Hebrew Bible (contextual method) with special concern for feminist interpretation, Semitic goddesses, comparative religions of the ancient Near East, ancient Near Eastern culture, epigraphy, archaeology.

Languages

Classical Hebrew, Ugaritic, Phoenician and Northwest Semitic dialects, Epigraphic South Arabian, Akkadian and Greek (koine). Additional reading knowledge: German, French, Spanish and Italian.

Current Projects

Editor/epigrapher with the Ugaritic Tablets Digital Edition section of the West Semitic Research Project based at the University of Southern California (Bruce Zuckerman) and the University of Illinois (Wayne Pitard). Other collaborators are: Jo Ann Hackett (Harvard University), F. W. Dobbs-Allsop (Yale University), Theodore Lewis (University of Georgia), and Brian Schmidt (University of Michigan). Based on completely new macro-photographs of the texts, this project has as its goal the continuous publication of a comprehensive, electronically digitized, photographic edition of all known Ugaritic tablets, with epigraphic commentary, on the world-wide web .
Individual research project on the perception of weather and celestial phenomena in the ancient world. Project goal: to publish books on Northwest Semitic understanding of atmospheric and astronomic phenomena.

Papers Presented

"Wheels, Whirlwinds, and Tumbleweeds: galgal in the Hebrew Bible": accepted for presentation at the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, Denver, November 2001
"Baal as the Storm God of Ugarit": presented at the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, Nashville, 19 November 2000.
"Cutting Down Asherahs: The Goddess and the Tree": presented at the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, Boston, 20 November 1999.
"Does Yarikhu Drive the Moon?": presented at the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, Orlando, 23 November 1998.
"A Paradigm for Suspended Rulers: Absalom and Athtar": presented at the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, San Francisco, 23 November 1997.
"What Does Attar have to do with Absalom?": presentation to Nashotah House Faculty Seminar, 12 November 1996.
"Shapshu: the Forgotten Goddess": presented at the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, Chicago, 21 November 1994.
"The Myth of Asherah: Lion Lady and Serpent Goddess": presented at the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, San Francisco, 22 November 1992.
"Who is Asherah and What is She Doing Here with Yahweh?": invited presentation to University of Edinburgh Old Testament Seminar, 16 May 1990.

Consultations

Neal T. Stephenson, Snow Crash. New York: Bantam Books, 1992. Consulted on the topic of Asherah (cited in the acknowledgments).
Seattle Area Technical Book Club, 1999. Consulted in a telephone conference on the topics of goddess worship and deluge-origins theory.

ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES

Current Position

Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO), Oconomowoc Public School District, active member from 2000. Representative to the Summit Elementary School Effectiveness Team.
Summit Elementary School Building Committee, from 2000.
Assistant Biblical Literature Book Review Editor for Anglican Theological Review, 1997.
Abstractor for Old Testament Abstracts, 1994 to present. Abstracts appear from volume 17 (1994) to the present.
Faculty Committees at Nashotah House: Tenure Policy, fall 1994; Master of Sacred Theology, fall 1994 to present; Academic Policy, fall 1994 to present; General Curriculum of the Seminary, spring 1995; Student Evaluation Review, spring 1998; Convocation, summer 1999.
Member of the Information Technology for Theological Teaching grant writing team, spring 1999.
Faculty representative to the Board of Trustees of Nashotah House, fall 1995 to fall 1997. Trustee Committee: Academic Affairs.
Seminary Academic Sub-Dean and Registrar.
Member of the Milwaukee area Hebrew Bible Reading Group, 1995 to present.

University of Edinburgh: Divinity Student Council, postgraduate representative, 1990-1991; Postgraduate representative to the Faculty, 1990-1991.
Boston University: Theological Student Association, Master of Theological Studies Representative, 1985-1986; School of Theology Judicial Committee, convener, 1986-1987.
Grove City College: Alpha Epsilon Chi housing group, 1982-1985; Round Table service honorary, 1982-1983.

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

American Academy of Religion. Member from 1998 to 2000.
American Schools of Oriental Research. Member from 1990 to present.
Society for Old Testament Study (United Kingdom). Inducted as Associate Member, January 1994.
Society of Biblical Literature. Member from 1990 to present.

RESEARCH AWARDS

Professional

1997	(April): Lilly Small Grants Program, administered by the Association of Theological Schools. Awarded grant for purchase of computer software for the Ugaritic Tablets Digital Edition project.
1996	(May): Nashotah House Foundation Grant, Nashotah House Seminary. Provided funds to purchase computer hardware necessary to participate in the Ugaritic Tablets Digital Edition project.

Doctoral

1989-1991	University of Edinburgh Postgraduate Studentship.
1989-1991	Overseas Research Student Scheme Award.
1990-1991	The Frank D. Howard Fellowship, Boston University.
1989	The William Jackson and Anna Worden Lowstuter Fellowship, Boston University.
1988	The Edmund M. Beebe Fellowship for Graduate Studies, Boston University.

Undergraduate

1985	The John A. Courtney Award in Religion-Philosophy, Grove City College.
1985	Scroll and Key Academic Honorary, Grove City College.
1983	The Appalachian Scholarship, Presbyterian Church. The Laura M. Smedley Scholarship, Grove City College.
1982-1984	The Edward F. Olechovsky Scholarship for Classical Study, for excellence in Greek, Grove City College.
1981-1982	The Frank D. and Clara R. Williams Scholarships, private, for high school grades.
1981	The Glen and Mary Sutherland Scholarship, Grove City College.
1981	The William H. Locke Scholarship, private, for high school grades.

REFERENCES

Available upon request. stephwig@nashotah.edu

Click on the appropriate link to view this year's syllabi for:

Click to return to Nashotah House Course Resources page.

This page was last modified on 5 April 2001.

forthcoming a	" The Weather under Baal: Meteorology in KTU 1.1-6," accepted for publication in Ugarit Forschungen 32, December 2000.	forthcoming b	"Of Asherahs and Trees: Some Methodological Questions," accepted for publication in the Journal of Ancient Near Eastern Religions 1, November 1999.
1999a	"The Current State of Ugaritic Studies and Technology," with Theodore J. Lewis. In The Handbook of Ugaritic Studies. Handbuch der Orientalistik 39. W. G. E. Watson and N. Wyatt, editors. Leiden: E. J. Brill: 734-746.
1999b	"Tempestuous Wind doing Yhwh's Will: Perceptions of the Wind in the Psalms," Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament 13/1: 3-23.
1998a	"What's in a Name? Yarih at Ugarit," Ugarit Forschungen 30: 761-779.
1998b	"Asherah Again: T. Binger's Asherah and the State of Asherah Studies," review article. Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages 24/1: 231-240.
1997a	"Between Heaven and Earth: Absalom's Dilemma," Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages 23/1: 73-81.
1997b	"A Rejoinder to J. Glen Taylor," Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 73: 109-112.
1996a	"Yahweh: the God of Sun?" Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 71: 89-106.
1996b	"Shapsh, Lamp of the Gods," in Ugarit, religion and culture. Proceedings of the International Colloquium on Ugarit, religion and culture: Edinburgh, July 1994 Essays presented in honour of Professor John C. L. Gibson. Ugaritisch-Biblische Literatur, Band 12. N. Wyatt, W. G. E. Watson and J. B. Lloyd, editors. Munster: Ugarit Verlag: 327-350.
1995	"Asherah: Books, Articles, and Dissertations," in Women in the Biblical World: A Study Guide. By Mayer I. Gruber. Volume 1: Women in the World of Hebrew Scripture. American Theological Library Association Bibliography Series, No. 38. Lanham, MD, and London: Scarecrow Press: 227-232.
1993	"Old Testament Dagan in the Light of Ugarit," Vetus Testamentum 43: 268-274.
1991	"The Myth of Asherah: Lion Lady and Serpent Goddess," Ugarit Forschungen 23: 383-394.

Steve A. Wiggins, Ph.D.