Beverly Mortensen
Encyclopedia
Beverly P. Mortensen is a musician
, composer
, and scholar of ancient Jewish religion
at Northwestern University
. In 2006, she published the book The Priesthood in Targum Pseudo-Jonathan: Renewing the Profession (Studies in Aramaic Interpretation of Scripture 4), in which she argues strongly her thesis that Targum Pseudo-Jonathan
is a late 4th-century CE work, and is meant as a manual for Jewish priests
.
A scholar of ancient Judaism, Hebrew bible
and contemporary religious thought, Mortensen has also published a book Oh Priests, showing the priest-centered authorship and readership of Targum Pseudo-Jonathan. She will also soon publish Examining Your Childhood Religion, a comparison of biblical religions with the bible and identification of their dissonance with the modern world. Published articles concern Targum
s, Aramaic translations of the Hebrew Bible.
Specific teaching interests include Temple cult and Hebrew Bible, Dead Sea Scrolls
and New Age thought. Her courses include Finding God, Dead Sea Scrolls, Moses and David: Tabernacle and Temple, and Wisdom Literature. She is director of the Village Singers, a choral group in Glencoe, Illinois
. http://www.religion.northwestern.edu/faculty/mortensen.html
in Music and Music Education from Carnegie Mellon University
, in 1961. http://music.web.cmu.edu/alumninews.php Ms. Mortensen taught music in the Pittsburgh public schools for two years, directing several choruses there. For 25 years she directed the St. Athanasius church choir in Evanston, Illinois
.
Mortensen is also a prolific composer, who has written hymns, anthems, songs, Masses
and oratorios
. She has also directed community presentations of Broadway shows and wrote and directed original musicals for schools and community groups in the Chicago
area. She was director of the Starlight Chorale in the Wallace Bowl at Gillson Park in Wilmette, Illinois. In the early 1970s she was a professional folk singer.
Later on in life, she did a PhD program in early Judaism at Northwestern University
, earning her degree in 1995. She teaches there, as an adjunct professor, classes in Hebrew Bible and Contemporary Religion. She also edits the twice yearly bibliography: ;;Newsletter for Targumic and Cognate Studies.
http://www.allvillagesingers.com/keyperson.html
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and scholar of ancient Jewish religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
. In 2006, she published the book The Priesthood in Targum Pseudo-Jonathan: Renewing the Profession (Studies in Aramaic Interpretation of Scripture 4), in which she argues strongly her thesis that Targum Pseudo-Jonathan
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan is a western targum of the Torah from the land of Israel . Its correct title is Targum Yerushalmi , which is how it was known in medieval times...
is a late 4th-century CE work, and is meant as a manual for Jewish priests
Kohen
A Kohen is the Hebrew word for priest. Jewish Kohens are traditionally believed and halachically required to be of direct patrilineal descent from the Biblical Aaron....
.
A scholar of ancient Judaism, Hebrew bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
and contemporary religious thought, Mortensen has also published a book Oh Priests, showing the priest-centered authorship and readership of Targum Pseudo-Jonathan. She will also soon publish Examining Your Childhood Religion, a comparison of biblical religions with the bible and identification of their dissonance with the modern world. Published articles concern Targum
Targum
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
s, Aramaic translations of the Hebrew Bible.
Specific teaching interests include Temple cult and Hebrew Bible, Dead Sea Scrolls
Dead Sea scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 972 texts from the Hebrew Bible and extra-biblical documents found between 1947 and 1956 on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, from which they derive their name...
and New Age thought. Her courses include Finding God, Dead Sea Scrolls, Moses and David: Tabernacle and Temple, and Wisdom Literature. She is director of the Village Singers, a choral group in Glencoe, Illinois
Glencoe, Illinois
Glencoe is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 8,723. Glencoe is located on suburban Chicago's North Shore. Glencoe is located within the New Trier High School District. Glencoe is regarded as one of the most affluent suburbs on...
. http://www.religion.northwestern.edu/faculty/mortensen.html
Life
Beverly P. Mortensen received her BFABachelor of Fine Arts
In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...
in Music and Music Education from Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
, in 1961. http://music.web.cmu.edu/alumninews.php Ms. Mortensen taught music in the Pittsburgh public schools for two years, directing several choruses there. For 25 years she directed the St. Athanasius church choir in Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
.
Mortensen is also a prolific composer, who has written hymns, anthems, songs, Masses
Mass (music)
The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the invariable portions of the Eucharistic liturgy to music...
and oratorios
Oratórios
Oratórios is a Brazilian municipality located in the state of Minas Gerais. The city belongs to the mesoregion of Zona da Mata and to the microregion of Ponte Nova.-See also:* List of municipalities in Minas Gerais...
. She has also directed community presentations of Broadway shows and wrote and directed original musicals for schools and community groups in the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
area. She was director of the Starlight Chorale in the Wallace Bowl at Gillson Park in Wilmette, Illinois. In the early 1970s she was a professional folk singer.
Later on in life, she did a PhD program in early Judaism at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, earning her degree in 1995. She teaches there, as an adjunct professor, classes in Hebrew Bible and Contemporary Religion. She also edits the twice yearly bibliography: ;;Newsletter for Targumic and Cognate Studies.
http://www.allvillagesingers.com/keyperson.html