The Bible and the Ancient Near East

Cyrus Herzel Gordon, 1909 - 2001 Dr. Cyrus H. Gordon was born in 1909 in Philadelphia. He earned his bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate of Semitics. He is perhaps best known for his greatest scholarly achievement, a series of books on the on an ancient language known as Ugaritic. From 1956 to 1973, Gordon was a professor of Near East Studies at Brandeis University, and chairman of the department of Mediterranean Studies from 1958 to 1973. From '73 til '89, he was a professor of Hebrew Studies at New York University, which is eventually from where he retired. Along with his responsibilities as a professor, Gordon held the post of Director of N. Y. U.'s Center for Ebla Research. Gordon was considered a great scholar and an expert on ancient languages. His autobiography, "A Scholar's Odyssey" won an award from the Jewish Book Council. Gordon Died at his home in Massachusetts on March 30, 2001. Gary A. Rendsburg is professor of Near Eastern studies at Cornell University.