Seek Ye Words of Wisdom — Studies of the Book of Mormon, Bible, and Temple in Honor of Stephen D. Ricks

Edited by Donald W. Parry, Gaye Strathearn, and Shon D. Hopkin

Stephen D. Ricks

Donald W. Parry

Gaye Strathearn

Shon D. Hopkin

Jointly published by The Interpreter Foundation and BYU Religious Education

This volume of scholarly essays—published as a Festschrift tribute to Stephen D. Ricks, Professor of Hebrew and Cognate Learning in the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages at Brigham Young University—was edited by three of his former students who are now all on the faculty at BYU. The essays were contributed by former students, colleagues, and friends in appreciation of Professor Ricks and his influence on their lives. The contents listed here represent areas of academic and personal interest to him.

Amazon

Paperback: $29.99

Kindle Replica eBook: $9.99

Book of Mormon Studies

“Wicked Traditions” and “Cunning Arts”: Wise Men, Sorcery, and Metalwork in Nephite Society — Dan Belnap
“A Still Small Voice”: Three Permutations of Qôl Dĕmāmâ Daqqâ in the Book of Mormon — Matthew L. Bowen
Columbus among the Lamanites — Andrew H. Hedges
Manipulating Text to Reinforce the Message: Content Informs Form in the Bible and Book of Mormon — Paul Y. Hoskisson
The Lord Works from the Inside Out: “Cleanse the Inner Vessel” — Camille Fronk Olson
A Great Leap Backward: Where Matters Stand Now regarding the Book of Mormon’s “Secret Combinations” — Daniel C. Peterson
All Kindreds Shall be Blessed: Nephite, Jewish, and Christian Interpretations of the Abrahamic Covenant — Noel B. Reynolds
Hebrew Words Reflected in the Book of Mormon — John A. Tvedtnes

Biblical Studies

Paragraphs and Verses in the Scriptures — Kent P. Jackson
Women, Eve, and the Mosaic Covenant: A Latter-day Saint Theological Reading — Shon D. Hopkin
Eve’s Role as a “Help” (‘Ezer) Revisited — Donald W. Parry
Restoration Insights into Barrenness and Divine Intervention — Shirley Smith Ricks
Remembering and Keeping the Sabbath Day in the Late Second Temple Period: What Modern Latter-day Saints Might Learn about Sabbath Worship — Gaye Strathearn
The Symbolism of Two Sons in the Parable of the Prodigal Son — John W. Welch

Temple and Ritual Studies

The Reach, the Handclasp, and the Embrace: Gestures of the Gods in the Ancient Egyptian Abydos Formula — David Calabro
From the Egyptian Temple through the Hebrew Bible to the Book of Mormon — John Gee
Seeking the Sacred: Replicating the Holy Sepulchre and Jerusalem Pilgrimage — Jennifer C. Lane
Rituals, Magic, and Outsiders in Tannaitic Judaism: The Case of the Customs of the Amorites — Avram R. Shannon

Stephen D. Ricks

Stephen D. Ricks completed his BA in Ancient Greek and MA in the Classics at Brigham Young University, and then received his PhD in ancient Near Eastern religions from the University of California, Berkeley and the Graduate Theological Union. While completing his doctoral work he spent two years studying at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is now professor of Hebrew and Cognate Learning at Brigham Young University where he has been a member of the faculty for nearly thirty years.

Donald W. Parry

Donald W. Parry, Abraham O. Smoot Professorship, is a professor of the Hebrew Bible at Brigham Young University. Parry has authored or edited 40 books on the Bible, Dead Sea Scrolls, and related topics. His latest title, Exploring the Isaiah Scrolls and Their Textual Variants, was published by E. J. Brill, Leiden, NDL, 2020. He has served as a member of the International Team of Translators of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Jerusalem, since 1994. Parry is a member of several other professional organizations, including the International Organization of Qumran Studies, Groningen, NDL; The International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament, Groningen, NDL; the Society for Biblical Literature, Atlanta, GA; and the National Association of Professors of Hebrew, Madison, WI.

Gaye Strathearn

Gaye Strathearn was born and raised in Australia. She participated in the Jerusalem Study Abroad in Fall 1987 and came to Brigham Young University as a student in 1989, where she earned a BA and MA in Near Eastern Studies. She received a PhD in New Testament at the Claremont Graduate University. Her areas of expertise are New Testament and Christian Origins. Her areas of research are the bridal chamber ritual in Gnosticism, the life and teachings of Paul, and the gospel of Matthew. She is currently teaching at the BYU Jerusalem Center.

Shon D. Hopkin

Shon D. Hopkin is an Assistant Professor of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University. He received his BA and MA degrees in Ancient Near Eastern Studies from Brigham Young University, focused on the Hebrew Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls, and his PhD in Hebrew Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. He has written books and articles on Isaiah, Psalms, The Day of Atonement, the Book of Mormon, medieval Jewish literature, and Mormonism. He frequently teaches and lectures on temple-related topics in Leviticus, Isaiah, Psalms, Hebrews, and the Book of Mormon.

Donate Now

Donate to the cause

The Interpreter Foundation is a nonprofit organization. All journal publications and video presentations are available for free by digital download and streaming. The price of hard copy versions of journal articles covers only the cost of printing; books are typically priced to help cover both upfront pre-publication expenses and royalties to authors when applicable. In some cases, the Foundation may subsidise publication costs to keep retail prices affordable. The Foundation does not profit from sales of its publications.

Donate

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

All journal publications and video presentations are available for free by digital download and streaming. The price of hard copy versions of journal articles covers only the cost of printing; books are typically priced to help cover both upfront pre—publication expenses and royalties to authors when applicable. In some cases, the Foundation may subsidize publication costs to keep retail prices affordable.