Skip to main content

UNO to Host Biblical Archaeology Conference

Work at the Bethsaida dig site. Image courtesy Karin Nobbs.

Work at the Bethsaida dig site. Image courtesy Karin Nobbs.

Biblical scholars from around the world will unveil their latest findings at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) later this month. UNO will host the Batchelder Conference for Biblical Archaeology Thursday, Nov. 12 – Saturday, Nov. 14 at the Thompson Alumni Center.

Now in its 17th year, the annual conference is open to the public with no pre-registration required. A one-time $10 admission fee (accepted at the door) covers the entire conference. Students will be admitted free of charge, and are asked to bring a student ID.

Dr. Lawrence H. Schiffman will open the conference Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m. with his talk, “Archaeology and Text: Khirbet Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls.” Schiffman is Director of the Global Network for Advanced Research in Jewish Studies at New York University, and a professor in the school’s Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies.

Dr. James D. Tabor will deliver the conference’s second featured address Friday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. His talk is titled “How an Enochian Vision of the Cosmos Took Over the World: Ascent to Heaven, Astral Immortality, and the World to Come in Emerging Judaism and Early Christianity.” Tabor is an expert in ancient Judaism and early Christianity and a professor in the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Department of Religious Studies.

Twelve other scholars will present during the day on Friday and Saturday. The full conference schedule can be found here: http://www.unomaha.edu/international-studies-and-programs/bethsaida/_files/docs/batchelder-glance.pdf

UNO’s Bethsaida Biblical Archaeology project will remain a major focus of the conference this year. Since 1990, UNO has led a consortium of institutions in uncovering and studying artifacts at the site on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. Bethsaida is one of the most frequently mentioned towns in the New Testament, which describes it as the hometown of five apostles and the site where Jesus performed several miracles.

The annual Batchelder Conference is named in honor of Clifton B. Batchelder and his wife, Anne Stuart Batchelder - former Nebraska political leaders and longtime trustees of the Omaha community. The couple gave an endowment for the conference to ensure that it would be supported annually.

For questions or media requests, please contact:

Sam Petto, UNO Media Relations Coordinator
unonews@unomaha.edu
402.554.2704

or

Charley Reed, UNO Associate Director of Media Relations
unonews@unomaha.edu
402.554.2129

Related Links

Learn More about the Batchelder Conference

Researchers Find Rare Coin, Other Artifacts at Bethsaida Dig Site

Lovers' Coin Found at Dig Site

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha

Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

Become a fan of UNO on Facebook: facebook.com/unomaha and follow UNO's Twitter updates at twitter.com/unomaha.