John is Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College. He has pioneered the study of Ancient Near Eastern cosmology and its impact on our understanding of the Old Testament—and the work of Moses and Genesis in particular. This kind of study has only been possible in recent years as vast treasures of ancient texts and inscriptions are being discovered and translated. The result is that we understand the cosmology of ancient peoples in far more depth than previous generations.
John is a world leader in using this research—in two groundbreaking ways. Firstly, he aligns Moses and the Old Testament to this world and is not afraid to position it and read it as what it is—an ancient text. But secondly, this study allows John (and us) to discover the truly unique facets of the Old Testament and in particular Moses’ writings. So on one hand, he takes us back and helps us read Moses as an ancient author who was in many ways typical of his time, but on the other hand, he then helps us grasp the sheer innovation and paradigm shift from ancient cultures that Moses’ narrative represents.
.png)