WordPress asked me to put some information in here about myself for my reader(s) to gain a better understanding of me and what I am about. Well, I am a professional biblical scholar who focuses on the Hebrew Bible and its permutations, especially the Greek texts generally identified under the rubric of “Septuagint”. I am an American who lives and works in Germany. Currently, my research focuses on the Torah / Pentateuch and Former Prophets / Deuteronomistic History. Within the context of that general research, I am writing a commentary on 1 Kings 1–15 for the International Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament series.

I  recently finished my second book, focusing on the character Balaam in the Bible and cognate literature.

In general, I am pretty iconoclastic, so hopefully that doesn’t offend you. One of my favorite past times is pointing out the foibles and quirks of traditional practices and understandings of texts. Maybe you’ll find something I say of interest. Maybe not.

For work, I travel regularly. I also try to travel not for work and will hopefully be able to publish about both varieties of travel.

I am married and have one daughter. These circumstances mean that I cook with some regularity. Lookout for some recipes here, as well.

Finally, I love film and science fiction. Sometimes I try to combine that with my work, sometimes I use it to escape from work.