Penn State Professor To Present “The Myth of the Dead Sea Scrolls” Lecture

February 17, 2017
Daniel Falk

Daniel Falk, Ph.D., courtesy photo

Follow us on Twitter: @BaylorUMedia
Media contact: Terry Goodrich, (254) 710-3321

WACO, Texas (Feb. 17, 2017) – Daniel Falk, Ph.D., professor of classics and ancient Mediterranean studies and the Chaiken Family Chair in Jewish Studies at Penn State University, will lecture on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at Baylor University.

The lecture, hosted by the Institute for Studies of Religion (ISR), entitled “The Myth of the Dead Sea Scrolls,” will start with reviewing popular conceptions of the Dead Sea Scrolls and move to consider what was important to the communities who wrote and cherished these scrolls.

“Daniel Falk is one of the leading people in the studies of the Dead Sea Scrolls,” said Philip Jenkins, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of History in ISR. “He’s a very lively, interesting, cutting-edge scholar and just in the last couple of weeks they’ve announced a new Dead Sea Scroll cave, so it’s a very exciting time for the Dead Sea Scrolls. It’s one of the most exciting studies of Judaism and Christianity.”

Falk is an expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls and his research focuses on prayer and biblical interpretation in early Judaism and Christianity. He has written two books – “Daily, Sabbath and Festival Prayers in the Dead Sea Scrolls” and “Parabiblical Texts: Strategies for Extending the Scriptures in the Dead Sea Scrolls.” Falk has also written several articles and is the co-editor of six books.

Falk will speak at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 21 in Cox Lecture Hall in Armstrong Browning Library, 710 Speight Ave. This event is free and open to the public.


by Kelsey Dehnel, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.

ABOUT THE INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDIES OF RELIGION

Launched in August 2004, the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion (ISR) exists to initiate, support and conduct research on religion, involving scholars and projects spanning the intellectual spectrum: history, psychology, sociology, economics, anthropology, political science, epidemiology, theology and religious
studies. The institute’s mandate extends to all religions, everywhere, and throughout history, and embraces the study of religious effects on prosocial behavior, family life, population health, economic development and social conflict. While always striving for appropriate scientific objectivity, ISR scholars treat religion with the respect that sacred matters require and deserve. For more information, visit www.baylorisr.org