Academic Publications

In order of publication.

Books

  • The Rabbinic Targum of Lamentations: Vindicating God, Studies in the Aramaic Interpretation of Scripture, vol. 3, (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2003).
  • The Proselyte and the Prophet: Character Development in Targum Ruth in Supplements to Aramaic Studies, vol. 14, (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2016).
  • Beautiful and Terrible Things: A Christian Struggle with Suffering, Grief, and Hope, (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2020).

Articles and Book Chapters

  • “The Date, Provenance, and Sitz im Leben of Targum Lamentations,” in The Journal of the Aramaic Bible 1, (1999), pp. 5-29.
  • “The Role of the midat dinah in the Targumim,” in Studies in Scripture in Early Judaism and Christianity, The Interpretation of Scripture in Early Judaism and Christianity, 7, ed. Craig A. Evans, (Sheffield: Sheffield Press, 2000), pp. 364-74.
  • “Vindicating God,” in The Journal of the Aramaic Bible1/2 (2001), pp. 27-40.
  • “Targum Lamentations 1.1-4: A Theological Prologue,” in Targum and Scripture: Studies in Aramaic Translation and Interpretation in Memory of Ernest G. Clarke. In Studies in the Aramaic Interpretation of Scripture, vol. 2, (Leiden: Brill, 2002), pp. 175-83.
  • “The Use of Eschatological Lists In The Targumim To The Megillot,” Journal For The Study Of Judaism, 40 (2009), pp. 493-509.
  • “Targum Lamentations” in Great Is Thy Faithfulness? Reading Lamentations As Sacred Scripture. Ed., Parry, Robin A, and Heath Thomas. Eugene, Or.: Pickwick Publications, (2011), pp. 70-77.
  • “Appendix 2: A Translation of Targum Lamentations” in Great Is Thy Faithfulness? : Reading Lamentations As Sacred Scripture. Ed., Parry, Robin A, and Heath Thomas. Eugene, Or.: Pickwick Publications, (2011), pp. 228-47.
  • “‘God Is Not in This Classroom’ or Teaching the Bible in a Secular Context.” In Teaching the Bible in the Liberal Arts Classroom. Ed. Holland, Glenn S. and Jane S. Webster. Sheffield, UK: Sheffield Phoenix Press, (2012), pp. 73-79.
  • “The Conversion of Ruth in Targum Ruth.” In Review of Rabbinic Judaism, Vol. 16, No. 2 (2013), pp133-46.
  • “Exegetical Similarities and the Liturgical Use of the Targumim of the Megilloth,” in Aramaic Studies 12 (2014), pp. 1-13.
  • “What Shall We Remember, The Deeds or The Faith of Our Ancestors?
  • A Comparison of 1 Maccabees 2 and Hebrews 11.” In Earliest Christianity within the Boundaries of Judaism. Essays in Honor of Bruce Chilton. Ed., Neusner, Jack and Craig Evans. Leiden: Brill, 2016, pp. 107-19; (5,341 words).
  • “The Five Scrolls.” In The Textual History of the Bible, Vol. 1C. Ed., Lange, Armin, and Emanuel Tov. Leiden: Brill, 2016, pp. 402-9; (4,881 words).
  • “Jesus in the Talmud.” In The Reception of Jesus in the First Three Centuries. Ed., Keith, Chris, Helen K. Bond, and Jens Schröter. New York: Bloomsbury, 2019; (5,754 words).
  • “Months Names in the Bible.” In Linguistic and Philological Studies of the Hebrew Bible and its Manuscripts, Studia Semitica Neerlandica, Vol. 75. Ed., Beiler, Vincent, and Aaron D. Rubin. Leiden: Brill, (2023), pp. 156-66 (3841 words).
  • “The Relationship Between Lamentations 1.15, Isaiah 63.3, Joel 3.13, and Their Targumim.” In Mallephana Rabba: Aramaic Studies in Honor of Edward M. Cook. Ed., Litke, Andrew W. New Jersey: Gorgias Press, (2023), pp. 225-35; (3102 words).
  • “Buechner, Memory, and History.” In The Buechner Review (December, 2023); (3,070 words).

Dictionary & Encyclopedia Entries

In The Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, ed. David N. Freedman, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000):
  • “Adino,” p. 20.
  • “Chezib,” p. 234.
  • “Dial of Ahaz,” p. 344.
  • “Jashubi-Lehem,” p. 674.
  • “Kiriathaim,” p. 744.
  • “Lilith,” p. 810.
  • “Maonites,” p. 855.
  • “Pahath-Moab,” p. 997.
  • “Rod,” p. 1134.
  • “Sun,” p. 1257.
  • “Zuzim,” p. 1425.
In The Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of Scripture. Eds., Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Craig G. Bartholomew, Daniel J. Treier, and N. T. Wright, (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic Press, 2005):
  • “Lamentations,” (1500 words) pp. 426-28.
  • “Targum,” (694 words) pp. 780-81.
In The Brill Encyclopaedia of Early Religious and Philosophical Writings, eds., Jacob Neusner and Alan J. Avery-Peck, (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2007):
  • “Targum Canticles” (249 words)
  • “Targum Ruth” (249 words)
  • “Targum Lamentations” (243 words)
  • “Targum Kohelet” (248 words)
  • “Targum Esther” (252 words)
  • “Targum Psalms” (258 words)
  • “Targum Job” (254 words)
  • “Targum Proverbs” (252 words)
  • “Targumim to the Ketuvim” (512 words)
  • “Targum Chronicles” (243 words)
In Ancient Literature for New Testament Studies: Targums and Early Rabbinic Literature, forthcoming:
  • “Targum Ruth” (3377 words)
  • “Targum Lamentations” (3908 words)
  • “Targum Esther” (4012 words)

Papers Read

  • “Targum Lamentations 1.1-4: A Theological Prologue.” XVth Conference of the International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament, 14 July 1995, Cambridge University.
  • “The Exegetical Intent of Targum Lamentations.” The 1995 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, 19 November 1995, Philadelphia.
  • “Synagogue or Beit haSefer? The Origin and Use of Targum Lamentations.” The Royal Irish Academy International Conference, 18 March 1997, Dublin.
  • “The Role of the midat dinah in the Targumim.” The 1998 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, 14 November 1998, Orlando.
  • “The use of ‘Dramatic Heightening’ as a Translation Technique in the Targumim.” The 2000 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, 19 November 2000, Nashville.
  • “Translational Technique in Targum Lamentations.” The Third International Organization for Targumic Studies Meeting, 2-3 August 2001, Basel, Switzerland.
  • “The Theology of Targum Lamentations.” The 2002 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, 24 November 2002, Toronto.
  • “‘God is not in this classroom’ or Reading the Bible in a Secular School.” The 2006 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, 18 November 2006, Washington, D.C.
  • “The Use of ‘Eschatological Lists’ within the Targumim to the Megillot.” The Vth Congress of the International Organization for Targumic Studies, 12-13 July 2007, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
  • “The Rabbinic Reception of Lamentations.” The Annual Meeting of the Catholic Biblical Association, 4 August 2008, Fordham University.
  • “Proselytization in Targum Ruth.” The 2008 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, 24 November 2008 Boston, MA.
  • “Recovery and Restoration Through Scripture.” The 2009 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, 23 November 2009, New Orleans, LA.
  • “Boaz: Centrally Marginalized.” The 2010 Mid-Atlantic Regional Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, 12 March 2010, New Brunswick, NJ.
  • “The Figure of Boaz in Targum Ruth.” The VIth Congress of the International Organization for Targumic Studies, 4-6 August 2010, Helsinki, Finland.
  • “The Character of Ruth in her Targum.” The 2012 International Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, 22-26 July 2012, Amsterdam.
  • “On Exegetical Similarities Between the Targumim of the Megillith.” The VIIth Congress of the International Organization for Targumic Studies, 3-9 August 2013, Munich.
  • “The Liturgical Use of the Megilloth in Early Judaism and Its Effect on the Targumim.” The 2013 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. 23 November 2013, Baltimore, MD.
  • “What Shall We Remember, The Deeds or The Faith of Our Ancestors? A Comparison of 1 Maccabees 2 and Hebrews 11.” The 2014 International Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, 6-10 July 2014, Vienna, Austria.
  • “The Life of a Blog from Cradle to Maturity(?).” The 2015 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. 22 November 2015, Atlanta, GA.
  • “’The Lord has trodden as in a wine press.’ A note regarding TgLam 1:15 and Isa. 63:3.” The International Organization for Targumic Studies,  9-12 July 2018, London, UK.
  • “The Relationship Between Lamentations 1:15, Isaiah 63:3, Joel 3:13 and Their Targumim.” The 2018 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. 17-21 November 2018, Denver, Colorado.
  • “Why Mahlon and Chilion Died, According to the Targum.” The 2019 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. 24 November 2019, San Diego, CA.