Lester L. Grabbe

Grabbe was born in Texas in 1945. He studied at Ambassador College in Pasadena, a Bible college where he earned his bachelor's and MA. He learned Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic there. He then attended the School of Theology at Claremont Graduate University (CGU), where he earned his PhD, specializing in the Old Testament and expanding into other ancient languages including Ugaritic, Akkadian, and Coptic.{{cite book |last = Grabbe |first = Lester L. |title = Faith and Fossils: The Bible, Creation, and Evolution |publisher= Eerdmans |date = 2018 |isbn=9780802869104 |at=1. From Bible Belt to Bible Scholar }} At CGU, he was a student of William H. Brownlee. He earned a Doctor of Divinity (DD) at the University of Hull in Kingston upon Hull, UK, and became a professor of religion there where he spent the majority of his career. He took emeritus status at some point in the 2010s.

Grabbe delivered the 2008 Brownlee Memorial Lecture at CGU on the topic Exit David and Solomon? The Current Debate on the History of Ancient Israel. He is a frequent guest on both Viking Radio and BBC Radio Humberside.{{cite web|url=http://iac.cgu.edu/deslecspr08.html|title=Institute for Antiquity and Christianity|first=Ruben|last=Dupertuis|website=iac.cgu.edu|access-date=2013-10-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425183828/http://iac.cgu.edu/deslecspr08.html|archive-date=2016-04-25|url-status=usurped}}[http://www.cgu.edu/pages/8124.asp Past Brownlee Memorial Lecturers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141001003124/http://www.cgu.edu/pages/8124.asp |date=2014-10-01 }} ([http://www.cgu.edu/pages/8088.asp William H. Brownlee was the first professor of the CGS Religion Department.]{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131008140455/http://www.cgu.edu/pages/8088.asp |date=2013-10-08 }})

A festschrift was published in Grabbe's honor in 2010 for his 65th birthday.[http://www.equinoxpub.com/blog/2010/12/biblical-studies-carnival-nz-november-2010/ December 2010 Festschrift notice] "Lester Grabbe turned 65 on Nov 5 (which dates him, contrary to popular rumor, well after the Persian period)." (Birth date: 5 November 1945) Philip Davies and Diana Edelman edited the collection, offering "reflections on the practice and theory of history writing, on the current controversies and topics of major interest". The thirty included essays by his colleagues and friends also attest to Grabbe's influence on the field of biblical studies and history.{{cite book |editor-first=Philip R. |editor-last=Davies |editor2-first=Diana Vikander |editor2-last=Edelman |title=The Historian and the Bible: Essays in Honour of Lester L. Grabbe |date=2010 |publisher=T&T Clark |series=The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 530 |isbn=9780567202680 |pages=xiii-xiv }}

Grabbe has published a huge number of works, including books, journal articles, and chapters of larger commentaries. He has also served as editor on many scholarly article and essay collections.{{cite web|url=https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=au=%22Grabbe%2C%20Lester%20L.%22 |title=Grabbe, Lester L. |website=www.worldcat.org }}

Works as author

• {{cite book |last=Grabbe |first=Lester L. |date=1977 |title=Comparative Philology and the Text of Job: A Study in Methodology

|location=|publisher=Scholars Press |volume= |series= |isbn= 9780891301394 }} (an adaptation of Grabbe's thesis)

• {{cite book |last=Grabbe |first=Lester L. |date=1988 |title=Etymology in Early Jewish Interpretation: The Hebrew Names in Philo |location=Atlanta |publisher=Scholars Press |volume= |series=Brown Judaic Studies 115 |isbn=9781555400804 }}
• {{cite book |last=Grabbe |first=Lester L. |date=1992 |title=Judaism from Cyrus to Hadrian: Volume I: Persian and Greek Periods |location=Minneapolis |publisher=Fortress Press |volume= |series= |isbn=0-8006-2620-6 }}
• {{cite book |last=Grabbe |first=Lester L. |date=1992 |title=Judaism from Cyrus to Hadrian: Volume 2: The Roman Period |location=Minneapolis |publisher=Fortress Press |volume= |series= |isbn=0-8006-2621-4 }} (An edition which combined both volumes was published in 1994.)
• {{cite book |last=Grabbe |first=Lester L. |date=1993 |title=Leviticus |location= |publisher=Sheffield Academic Press |volume= |series=Old Testament Guides |isbn=1850757623 }}
• {{cite book |last=Grabbe |first=Lester L. |date=1995 |title=Priests, Prophets, Diviners, Sages: A Socio-historical Study of Religious Specialists in Ancient Israel |location=Valley Forge |publisher=Trinity Press International |volume= |series= |isbn=9781563381324 }}
• {{cite book |last=Grabbe |first=Lester L. |date=1996 |title=An Introduction to First Century Judaism: Jewish religion and history in the Second Temple period |location= |publisher=T&T Clark |isbn=9780567085061 }}
• {{cite book |last=Grabbe |first=Lester L. |date=1997 |title=Wisdom of Solomon |location= |publisher=Sheffield Academic Press |volume= |series=Guide to the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha 3 |isbn=1850757623 }}
• {{cite book |last=Grabbe |first=Lester L. |date=2004 |title=Wisdom of Solomon |location= |publisher=T&T Clark |volume= |series=T&T Clark Study Guides |isbn=978-0567084446 }}
• {{cite book |last=Grabbe |first=Lester L. |date=1998 |title=Ezra and Nehemiah |location= |publisher=Routledge |volume= |series= |isbn=0-415-14153-2 }}
• {{cite book |last=Grabbe |first=Lester L. |date=2000 |title=Judaic Religion in the Second Temple Period: Belief and Practice from the Exile to Yavneh

|location= |publisher=Routledge |volume= |series= |isbn=978-0-415-21250-2 }}

• {{cite book |last=Grabbe |first=Lester L. |date=2004 |title=A History of the Jews and Judaism in the Second Temple Period: Yehud: A History of the Persian Province of Judah |location= |publisher=T&T Clark |volume=1 |series=Library of Second Temple Studies 47 |isbn=0-5670-8998-3}}
• {{cite book |last=Grabbe |first=Lester L. |date=2008 |title=A History of the Jews and Judaism in the Second Temple Period: The Coming of the Greeks: The Early Hellenistic Period (335–175 BCE) |location= |publisher=T&T Clark |volume=2 |series=Library of Second Temple Studies 68 |isbn=978-0-567-03396-3}}
• {{cite book |last = Grabbe |first = Lester L. |title = Ancient Israel: What Do We Know and How Do We Know It? |publisher = T&T Clark |date = 2007 |isbn = 9780567032546}}
• {{cite book |last = Grabbe |first = Lester L. |title = Ancient Israel: What Do We Know and How Do We Know It? |publisher = T&T Clark |date = 2017 |edition=Revised |isbn = 978-0567670434}}
• {{cite book |last = Grabbe |first = Lester L. |title = An Introduction to Second Temple Judaism: History and Religion of the Jews in the Time of Nehemiah, the Maccabees, Hillel, and Jesus |publisher = T&T Clark |date = 2010 |isbn = 978-0567552488 }}
• {{cite book |last=Grabbe |first=Lester L. |date=2016 |title=1 & 2 Kings: An Introduction and Study Guide: History and Story in Ancient Israel |location= |publisher=T&T Clark |volume= |series=T&T Clark Study Guides to the Old Testament |isbn=9780567670861 }}
• {{cite book |last = Grabbe |first = Lester L. |title = Faith and Fossils: The Bible, Creation, and Evolution |publisher= Eerdmans |date = 2018 |isbn=9780802869104 }}
• {{cite book |last=Grabbe |first=Lester L. |date=2020 |title=A History of the Jews and Judaism in the Second Temple Period: The Maccabean Revolt, Hasmonaean Rule, and Herod the Great (174–4 BCE) |location= |publisher=T&T Clark |volume=3 |series=Library of Second Temple Studies 95 |isbn=978-0-5676-9294-8}}
• {{cite book |last=Grabbe |first=Lester L. |date=2021 |title=A History of the Jews and Judaism in the Second Temple Period: The Jews Under the Roman Shadow (4 BCE–150 CE) |location= |publisher=T&T Clark |volume=4 |series=Library of Second Temple Studies 99 |isbn=978-0-5677-0070-4}}
• {{cite book |last = Grabbe |first = Lester L. |title = The Dawn of Israel: A History of Canaan in the Second Millennium BCE |publisher =T&T Clark |date = 2022 |isbn = 9780567663214 }}
• {{cite book |last = Grabbe |first = Lester L. |title = 'The Spirit of the Lord Came Upon Me': Prophets in Ancient Israel from a Cross-Cultural Perspective |publisher =T&T Clark |date = 2024 |isbn = 9780567710703 }}

Works as an editor

• {{cite book |editor-last=Grabbe |editor-first=Lester L. |date=1997 |title=Can a 'History of Israel' Be Written? |location= |publisher=Sheffield Academic Press |volume= |series=The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 245 |isbn=978-0567043207 }}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Grabbe |editor-first=Lester L. |date=1998 |title=Leading Captivity Captive: 'The Exile' as History and Ideology |location= |publisher=Sheffield Academic Press |volume= |series=The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 278 |isbn=9781850759072 }}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Grabbe |editor-first=Lester L. |date=2001 |title=Did Moses Speak Attic?: Jewish Historiography and Scripture in the Hellenistic Period

|location= |publisher=Sheffield Academic Press |volume= |series=The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 317 |isbn=9781841271552 }}

• {{cite book |editor-last=Grabbe |editor-first=Lester L. |editor2-first=Robert D. |editor2-last=Haak |date=2001 |title='Every City Shall Be Forsaken': Urbanism and Prophecy in Ancient Israel and the Near East |location= |publisher=Sheffield Academic Press |volume= |series=The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 330 |isbn= 9781841272023 }}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Grabbe |editor-first=Lester L. |date=2003 |title='Like a Bird in a Cage': The Invasion of Sennacherib in 701 BCE |location= |publisher=Sheffield Academic Press |volume= |series=The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 363 |isbn= 9780826462152 }}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Grabbe |editor-first=Lester L. |editor2-first=Robert D. |editor2-last=Haak |date=2004 |title=Knowing the End From the Beginning: The Prophetic, Apocalyptic, and their Relationship |location= |publisher=T&T Clark |volume= |series=Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha 46 |isbn=9780567084620 }}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Grabbe |editor-first=Lester L. |editor2-first=Alice Ogden |editor2-last=Bellis |date=2004 |title=The Priests in the Prophets: The Portrayal of Priests, Prophets, and Other Religious Specialists in the Latter Prophets |location= |publisher=T&T Clark |volume= |series=The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 408 |isbn=978-0567081667}}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Grabbe |editor-first=Lester L. |date=2005 |title=Good Kings and Bad Kings: The Kingdom of Judah in the Seventh Century BCE |location= |publisher=T&T Clark |volume= |series=The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 393 |isbn= 9780567082725 }}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Grabbe |editor-first=Lester L. |date=2007 |title=Ahab Agonistes: The Rise and Fall of the Omri Dynasty |location= |publisher=T&T Clark |volume= |series=The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 421 |isbn=9780567045409 }}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Grabbe |editor-first=Lester L. |date=2008 |title=Israel in Transition: From Late Bronze II to Iron IIa (c. 1250-850 BCE): 1 The Archaeology |location= |publisher=T&T Clark |volume= |series=The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 491 |isbn=9780567599131 }} ([http://www.jhsonline.org/reviews/reviews_new/review510.htm Review] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425151920/http://www.jhsonline.org/reviews/reviews_new/review510.htm |date=2021-04-25 }})
• {{cite book |editor-last=Grabbe |editor-first=Lester L. |date=2010 |title=Israel in Transition: From Late Bronze II to Iron IIA (c. 1250-850 BCE): 2 The Texts |location= |publisher=T&T Clark |volume= |series=The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 521 |isbn= 9780567638403 }}
• {{cite book |editor2-last=Grabbe |editor2-first=Lester L. |editor-last=Becking |editor-first=Bob |date=2011 |title=Between Evidence and Ideology: Essays on the history of ancient Israel read at the joint meeting of the Society for Old Testament Study and the Oud Testamentisch Werkgezelschap, Lincoln, July 2009 |location= |publisher=Brill |volume= |series=Oudtestamentische studiën 59 |isbn= 978-9004187375 }}
• {{cite book |editor-first=Gary N. |editor-last=Knoppers |editor-link=Gary N. Knoppers |editor2-last=Grabbe |editor2-first=Lester L. |date=2011 |title=Exile and Restoration Revisited: Essays on the Babylonian and Persian Periods in Memory of Peter R. Ackroyd |location= |publisher= |volume= |series=Library of Second Temple Studies 73 |isbn=978-0567280831 |others=With Deirdre Fulton }} (a posthumous festschrift for Peter R. Ackroyd)
• {{cite book |editor-last=Grabbe |editor-first=Lester L. |editor2-first=Oded |editor2-last=Lipschits |date=2011 |title=Judah Between East and West: The Transition from Persian to Greek Rule (ca. 400-200 BCE) |location= |publisher=T&T Clark |volume= |series=Library of Second Temple Studies 75 |isbn= 9780567125613 }}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Grabbe |editor-first=Lester L. |date=2011 |title=Enquire of the Former Age: Ancient Historiography and Writing the History of Israel |location= |publisher=T&T Clark |volume= |series=The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 554 |isbn=9780567098238 }}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Grabbe |editor-first=Lester L. |editor2-first=Martti |editor2-last=Nissinen |editor2-link=Martti Nissinen |date=2011 |title=Constructs of Prophecy in the Former & Latter Prophets & Other Texts |location=Atlanta |publisher=Society of Biblical Literature |series=Ancient Near East Monographs 4 |isbn=978-1-58983-600-6 }}
• {{cite book |editor2-last=Grabbe |editor2-first=Lester L. |editor-first=Marjo A. |editor-last=Korpel |date=2015 |title=Open-Mindedness in the Bible and Beyond: A Volume of Studies in Honour of Bob Becking |location= |publisher=T&T Clark |series=The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 616 |isbn=9780567663801 }}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Grabbe |editor-first=Lester L. |date=2016 |title=The Land of Canaan in the Late Bronze Age |location= |publisher= T&T Clark |volume= |series=The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 636 |isbn= 9780567683878 }}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Grabbe |editor-first=Lester L. |editor2-last=Boccaccini |editor2-first=Gabriele |others=With Jason M. Zurawski |date=2016 |title=The Seleucid and Hasmonean Periods and the Apocalyptic Worldview |location= |publisher= T&T Clark |volume= |series=Library of Second Temple Studies 88 |isbn= 9780567666147 }}
• {{cite book |editor-last=Grabbe |editor-first=Lester L. |date=2018 |title='Even God Cannot Change the Past': Reflections on Seventeen Years of the European Seminar in Historical Methodology |location= |publisher= T&T Clark |volume= |series=The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 663 |isbn= 9780567680563 }}

Festschrift

• {{cite book |editor-first=Philip R. |editor-last=Davies |editor-link=Philip R. Davies |editor2-first=Diana Vikander |editor2-last=Edelman |title=The Historian and the Bible: Essays in Honour of Lester L. Grabbe |date=2010 |publisher=T&T Clark |series=The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies 530 |isbn=9780567202680 }}

{{reflist}}

• [https://hull.academia.edu/LesterLGrabbe Lester L. Grabbe's articles on hull.academia.edu]
• [https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=au=%22Grabbe%2C%20Lester%20L.%22 Works on WorldCat]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grabbe, Lester L.}}

Category:1945 births

Category:Living people

Category:American biblical scholars

Category:21st-century American historians

Category:American male non-fiction writers

Category:Historians of Jews and Judaism

Category:21st-century American male writers

Category:Presidents of the Society for Old Testament Study

Category:American expatriate academics in the United Kingdom

Category:American emigrants to England

Category:American historians of religion

Category:Claremont Graduate University alumni

Category:Alumni of the University of Hull

Category:Academics of the University of Hull

Category:Historians of Iran

Category:Historians of Israel

Category:American orientalists