James Tabor
Encyclopedia
James D. Tabor is Chair of the Department of Religious Studies
at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
where he has taught since 1989. He previously held positions at Ambassador College
(1968-70 while a student), the University of Notre Dame
(1979–85), and the College of William and Mary
(1985–89).
but lived all over the world as the son of an Air Force
officer. He was raised in the Churches of Christ and attended Abilene Christian University
where he earned his B.A. degree in Greek and Bible. While earning his M.A. from Pepperdine University
he taught Greek and Hebrew part-time at Ambassador College
, founded by Herbert W. Armstrong
, founder and president of the Worldwide Church of God
.
Tabor earned his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago in 1981 in New Testament and Early Christian Literature, with an emphasis on Christian
origins and ancient Judaism
, including the Dead Sea Scrolls
, John the Baptist
, Jesus
, James the Just
, and Paul of Tarsus
.
The author of several books, he is frequently consulted by the media on these topics and has appeared on numerous television and radio programs.
In 1992 Tabor turned to an analysis of attitudes toward religious suicide
and martyrdom in the ancient world, the results of which appeared as A Noble Death, published by HarperSanFrancisco in 1992 (co-authored with Arthur Droge). Although the book is centered on the history of such ideas in antiquity, the results of this research have had immediate application in our current discussion of the ethics of volunteer death and assisted suicide. Prof. Tabor's book has been used as a standard by ethicists, lawyers, and physicians who are participating in the current debate. Tabor has also published a wide variety of scholarly and more popular articles in books, journals, and magazines.
In 1995, he published Why Waco? Cults and the Battle for Religious Freedom in America (University of California Press), which he co-authored with Eugene Gallagher, and which was one of the first books to explore what had actually happened in Waco, Texas
. In dealing with the Waco crisis, both during and after the tragedy, Tabor was able to make direct use of his academic specialties in ancient apocalypticism
and messianism, religious martyrdom and suicide, and the use of Biblical prophetic texts as applied to the modern situation involving the Branch Davidians. In 1995 he testified before Congress as an expert witness on Waco and has urged both government officials and media spokespersons to drop the use of the prejudicial label "cult," and approach such new religious groups with a combination of critical evaluation and a sympathetic attempt to enter the world view of those involved.
In 1997 he wrote that he is "tentatively convinced that the Los Lunas inscription offers solid evidence that ancient Israelites explored and settled in the New World in the centuries before the Common Era".
In 2006 Tabor published The Jesus Dynasty, which interprets Jesus
as an apocalyptic Messiah whose extended family
founded a royal dynasty in the days before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. He included archaeological data as well as textual interpretations of biblical texts, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and ancient historical sources. The form of Christianity that grew out of this movement, led by the apostle Paul, was, according to Tabor, a decisive break with the Ebionite-like original teachings of John the Baptist
and Jesus.
, an effort to produce a historical-linguistic translation of the Bible with notes. In 2006 Tabor completed an edited volume with Prof. Eugene Gallagher, Crossing the Bounds: Humanity and Divinity in Late Antiquity (E.J. Brill, 2006).
Tabor is involved in research on a tomb found in 1980 in Jerusalem in the area of east Talpiot. It contained ossuaries with the names Jesus son of Joseph, two Marys, a Joseph, a Matthew, and a Jude son of Jesus. In his latest book, The Jesus Dynasty, Tabor had discussed the possibilities that this tomb might be linked to Jesus of Nazareth and his family. He was a consultant for the film, The Lost Tomb of Jesus produced by James Cameron
and Simcha Jacobovici
and shown in March, 2007. Tabor is working on his own formal publication of the results of his three years of research on this tomb.
Religious studies
Religious studies is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives.While theology attempts to...
at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte , also known as UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte, is a public research university located in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States...
where he has taught since 1989. He previously held positions at Ambassador College
Ambassador College
Ambassador College was a four-year, liberal arts college run by the Worldwide Church of God. The college was established in 1947 in Pasadena, California by radio evangelist Herbert W. Armstrong, leader of what was then the Radio Church of God, later renamed the Worldwide Church of God...
(1968-70 while a student), the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
(1979–85), and the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
(1985–89).
Background
Tabor was born in TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
but lived all over the world as the son of an Air Force
Air force
An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
officer. He was raised in the Churches of Christ and attended Abilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University is a private university located in Abilene, Texas, affiliated with Churches of Christ. ACU was founded in 1906, as Childers Classical Institute...
where he earned his B.A. degree in Greek and Bible. While earning his M.A. from Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
he taught Greek and Hebrew part-time at Ambassador College
Ambassador College
Ambassador College was a four-year, liberal arts college run by the Worldwide Church of God. The college was established in 1947 in Pasadena, California by radio evangelist Herbert W. Armstrong, leader of what was then the Radio Church of God, later renamed the Worldwide Church of God...
, founded by Herbert W. Armstrong
Herbert W. Armstrong
Herbert W. Armstrong founded the Worldwide Church of God in the late 1930s, as well as Ambassador College in 1946, and was an early pioneer of radio and tele-evangelism, originally taking to the airwaves in the 1930s from Eugene, Oregon...
, founder and president of the Worldwide Church of God
Worldwide Church of God
Grace Communion International , formerly the Worldwide Church of God , is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Glendora, California, United States. Since April 3, 2009, it has used the new name Grace Communion International in the US...
.
Tabor earned his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago in 1981 in New Testament and Early Christian Literature, with an emphasis on Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
origins and ancient Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, including the 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...
, John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
, Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, James the Just
James the Just
James , first Bishop of Jerusalem, who died in 62 AD, was an important figure in Early Christianity...
, and Paul of Tarsus
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
.
The author of several books, he is frequently consulted by the media on these topics and has appeared on numerous television and radio programs.
Works and publications
His first book was a study of the mysticism of the apostle Paul titled Things Unutterable (1986), based on his University of Chicago dissertation. The Journal of Religion named it one of the ten best scholarly studies on Paul of the 1980s.In 1992 Tabor turned to an analysis of attitudes toward religious suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
and martyrdom in the ancient world, the results of which appeared as A Noble Death, published by HarperSanFrancisco in 1992 (co-authored with Arthur Droge). Although the book is centered on the history of such ideas in antiquity, the results of this research have had immediate application in our current discussion of the ethics of volunteer death and assisted suicide. Prof. Tabor's book has been used as a standard by ethicists, lawyers, and physicians who are participating in the current debate. Tabor has also published a wide variety of scholarly and more popular articles in books, journals, and magazines.
In 1995, he published Why Waco? Cults and the Battle for Religious Freedom in America (University of California Press), which he co-authored with Eugene Gallagher, and which was one of the first books to explore what had actually happened in Waco, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. In dealing with the Waco crisis, both during and after the tragedy, Tabor was able to make direct use of his academic specialties in ancient apocalypticism
Apocalypticism
Apocalypticism is the religious belief that there will be an apocalypse, a term which originally referred to a revelation of God's will, but now usually refers to belief that the world will come to an end time very soon, even within one's own lifetime...
and messianism, religious martyrdom and suicide, and the use of Biblical prophetic texts as applied to the modern situation involving the Branch Davidians. In 1995 he testified before Congress as an expert witness on Waco and has urged both government officials and media spokespersons to drop the use of the prejudicial label "cult," and approach such new religious groups with a combination of critical evaluation and a sympathetic attempt to enter the world view of those involved.
In 1997 he wrote that he is "tentatively convinced that the Los Lunas inscription offers solid evidence that ancient Israelites explored and settled in the New World in the centuries before the Common Era".
In 2006 Tabor published The Jesus Dynasty, which interprets Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
as an apocalyptic Messiah whose extended family
Desposyni
The term Desposyni refers to alleged blood relatives of Jesus. The term was coined by Sextus Julius Africanus, a writer of the early 3rd century. Some scholars argue that Jesus' relatives held positions of special honor in the Early Christian Church...
founded a royal dynasty in the days before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. He included archaeological data as well as textual interpretations of biblical texts, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and ancient historical sources. The form of Christianity that grew out of this movement, led by the apostle Paul, was, according to Tabor, a decisive break with the Ebionite-like original teachings of John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
and Jesus.
Recent research
Tabor serves as Chief Editor of the Original Bible ProjectOriginal Bible Project
The Original Bible Project is a project to produced a re-ordered new translation of the Bible in English led by James Tabor. The Project is a non-profit organisation...
, an effort to produce a historical-linguistic translation of the Bible with notes. In 2006 Tabor completed an edited volume with Prof. Eugene Gallagher, Crossing the Bounds: Humanity and Divinity in Late Antiquity (E.J. Brill, 2006).
Tabor is involved in research on a tomb found in 1980 in Jerusalem in the area of east Talpiot. It contained ossuaries with the names Jesus son of Joseph, two Marys, a Joseph, a Matthew, and a Jude son of Jesus. In his latest book, The Jesus Dynasty, Tabor had discussed the possibilities that this tomb might be linked to Jesus of Nazareth and his family. He was a consultant for the film, The Lost Tomb of Jesus produced by James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
and Simcha Jacobovici
Simcha Jacobovici
Simcha Jacobovici is a Canadian film director, producer, free-lance journalist, and writer. He is a three-times Emmy winner for Outstanding Investigative Journalism....
and shown in March, 2007. Tabor is working on his own formal publication of the results of his three years of research on this tomb.
Books
- The Jesus Dynasty: A New Historical Investigation of Jesus, His Royal Family, and the Birth of Christianity, Simon & Schuster, 2006, ISBN 0743287231 & ISBN 0007220588 (described as "His most ambitious project to date" http://www.religiousstudies.uncc.edu/jdtabor/bio.html)
- Invitation to the Old Testament (with Celia Brewer Sinclair), 2005, ISBN 0687495903
- Why Waco?: Cults and the Battle for Religious Freedom in America (with Eugene V. Gallagher), 1995, ISBN 0520208994
- A Noble Death: Suicide and Martyrdom Among Christians and Jews in Antiquity (with Arthur J Droge), 1992, ISBN 0060620951
- Things Unutterable: Paul's Ascent to Paradise in Its Graeco-Roman, Judaic and Early Christian Contexts, 1986, ISBN 0819156434 & ISBN 0819156442 (based on Tabor's University of Chicago dissertation. Named by the Journal of Religion as one of the ten best scholarly studies on PaulPaul of TarsusPaul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
of the 1980s. http://www.religiousstudies.uncc.edu/jdtabor/bio.html)
External links
- TaborBlog
- The Jewish Roman World of Jesus
- The Jesus Dynasty
- The Original Bible Project
- Article by Dr. Tabor at the Society of Biblical Literature on the Talpiot Tomb
- Letter to the Editor of SBL by Dr. Tabor
- Biblioblogs.com Interview with James Tabor
- Interview of Dr. Tabor by Discovery Channel
- Why Waco? by University of California Press
- James Tabor entry at Internet Movie Database
- Interview with Professor Kloner which discusses James Tabor