Professor STEVE MASON

Professor STEVE MASON The University of Aberdeen School of Divinity, History & Philosophy Kirby Laing Chair of New Testament Exegesis work +44 (0)1224 273039 pref steve.mason@abdn.ac.uk www.stevemason.eu pref KCF 12, King's College NB: I am away in Berlin for 2013 (Theologische Fakultaet, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, Berlin D-10099, Germany), and Jan-April 2014 at the University of Groningen, Qumran Institute

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Web Links

Project on Ancient Cultural Engagement  http://pace.mcmaster.ca

Research Project -- Flavius Josephus: Translation and Commentary:

http://www.brill.nl/brill-search/results/title%3A%22josephus%20commentary%22

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Biography

As a beginning undergraduate I had the good fortune to stumble into the religious studies department of McMaster University (Hamilton, Canada) when E. P. Sanders, Ben F. Meyer, Albert Baumgarten, and Alan Mendelson were forging the field of 'Judaism and Early Christianity' from historical and literary perspectives. It blew my mind and hooked me for life. That good fortune continued (mostly) in grad school, first at McMaster with the same teachers and then in Toronto with Richard Longenecker, Schuyler Brown, John Hurd, Joseph Plevnik, and others (Ph.D. University of St. Michael's College, 1986). After comprehensives I received funding from Canada's Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) for year-long research stays at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (working mostly with Daniel R. Schwartz) and the University of Tübingen (with Martin Hengel and Otto Betz).

By the time I finished the Ph.D. I viewed my field as the history of the eastern Roman provinces, with a focus on Judaea from 200 BCE to 200 CE, including the origins of Christianity and Jewish-Roman-Christian relations.

After bouts of employment as a security guard and in part-time academic work, I found  full-time work at Memorial University of Newfoundland (Religious Studies), York University in Toronto (Humanities, Classical Studies, Religious Studies, and finally [Ancient] History), The Pennsylvania State University (Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies), and since July 2011, the University of Aberdeen (Divinity and Religious Studies). For my last eight years at York I was privileged to hold the (Tier I) Canada Research Chair in Greco-Roman Cultural Interaction, based in the History Department.

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Research Interests

I research, teach, and supervise dissertations in many aspects of early Christianity and its Hellenistic-Roman-Jewish environments, the latter beginning from  the Seleucid-Hasmonean period and extending to include Jewish-Christian-Roman relations in the late fourth century and the aftermath of the Emperor Julian's brief reign (361-363 CE). Across this half-millennium I am not on top of everything. My special interests are in: problems of historical method and analytical categories, Graeco-Roman historiography and rhetoric, ancient moral philosophy, the apostle Paul, synoptic gospels, and the historical figure of Jesus, Roman Judaea from 170 BCE to 135 CE (including Galilee and southern Syria generally), Roman provincial administration in the East, the Judaean-Roman War, social and religious life in Hellenistic and Roman Judaea (including the priesthood and temple, Pharisees, Essenes, and Sadducees), the interpretation of our main narrative source for Roman Judaea -- the thirty volumes by the ancient historian Flavius Josephus, Jewish-Christian relations to Julian,  and ... the rapidly proliferating digital tools that make it mostly easier but sometimes harder to study these subjects.

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Current Research

I am currently completing a book on the Judaean-Roman War of 66 to 74 CE, which -- the subject, not my book -- is of enormous importance to Western history (i.e., the development of Roman government, the history of Judaism, and the self-understanding and growth of Christianity). The book, commissioned by Cambridge University Press, is about the war itself. I have recently sent off essays and presented talks on spin-off topics: the fall of Machaerus and Masada, the causes of the war, ancient rhetoric and history-writing (relating these to the NT Book of Acts), the regional crisis precipitated by King Herod's death (4 BCE), the historical problem of the Essenes, Josephus' environment in Flavian Rome, the the later volumes of the Antiquities in their Roman context, and purity and pollution in Josephus' War.

In the summer of 2011 I co-sponsored an archaeological excavation at Horvat Tsalit (or Chalis) in southern Israel, near Beer-Sheva, with Drs. Peter Fabian and Haim Goldfus of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. This was a village occupied only between the time of King Herod (ruled 37-4 BCE) and the Bar-Kochba Revolt (ended 135 CE). So it offers the promise of illuminating Judaean village life in a specific period of relevance also for the study of Christian origins.

I continue to develop an online database called the Project on Ancient Cultural Engagement or PACE, which is for the time being housed at http://pace.mcmaster.ca. 

I lead a team of fourteen international scholars who are providing the first comprehensive English-language commentary to the thirty Greek volumes of Flavius Josephus, a contemporary of the gospel writers (lived 37 to about 100 CE). We are including a new English translation of his works. Of our twelve planned large-format English volumes, six have appeared. In addition to editing the volumes, I have written two myself (Judaean War 2 and Life of Josephus). After the book on the War I am planning to prepare the commentary on Josephus' Judaean War Book 4 with a new translation.

For calendar year 2013 I am at the Humboldt University in Berlin (host Prof. Dr. Jens Schroeter), thanks to a Research Award (Forschungspreis) from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (unrelated to the university). For the first term of 2014 I plan to be in Groningen, working with the Qumran Institute (Director and host Prof. Dr. Mladen Popovi?) as the first Smilde Fellow.

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Research Grants

2014:  Smilde Fellowship at the Qumran Institute of Groningen University, January - April. Host: Professor Dr. Mladen Popovi?.

2013:  Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung Forschungspreis (Research Award) the Humboldt University, Berlin. Sponsor/host: Professor Dr. Jens Schröter, Humboldt-Universitaet Berlin.

Various Dates  Research Grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (1991 - 1994/5, 1998 - 2001/2, 2002 - 2005, 2005 - 2008/9).

2001–2003: Killam Research Fellowship. This grant paid for a two-year research leave, which I spent partly on Visiting Fellowship at All Souls College (two terms) and at Wolfson College (two terms), University of Oxford; partly at Trinity College Dublin.

2003:  Infrastructure Grants from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Ontario Innovation Trust in connection with the Project on Ancient Cultural Engagement (PACE), in conjunction with the Canada Research Chair in Greco-Roman Cultural Interaction (held at York University, 2003 - 2011).

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Teaching Responsibilities

DR 1044: The Founders of Christianity: Introduction to the New Testament

DR 2055: Reading NT Greek I

DR 3075: New Testament Texts: Epistles -- English  (course coordinator Dr. Leonhardt-Balzer)

DR 3593: The World of the New Testament

in future HC3002: Jewish Environment of the New Testament

DR 4083: Recovering the Historical Jesus

DR 5566: Biblical Exegesis

 

 

 

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Publications

Contributions to Journals

Articles

• Mason, SNS. (in press). 'Josephus, Publication, and Audiences: A Response'. Zutot, vol 8, no. 1, pp. 1-14.
• Mason, SNS. (2012). 'Speech-Making in Ancient Rhetoric, Josephus, and Acts: Messages and Playfulness. Part II'. Early Christianity, vol 3, no. 2, pp. 147-171.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1628/186870312800778185
• Mason, SNS. (2011). 'Speech-Making in Ancient Rhetoric, Josephus, and Acts: Messages and Playfulness. Part I'. Early Christianity, vol 2, no. 4, pp. 1-23.
• Mason, SNS. (2011). 'Being Earnest, Being Playful: Speech and Speeches in Josephus and Acts'. Sapientia Logos, vol 3, no. 2, pp. 101–182.
• Mason, SNS. (2007). 'Jews, Judaeans, Judaizing, Judaism: Problems of Categorization in Ancient History'. Journal for the Study of Judaism, vol 38, no. 4-5, pp. 457-512.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1163/156851507X193108
• Mason, SNS. (2007). 'Review: Yuval Shahar, Josephus Geographicus: The Classical Context of Geography in Josephus'. Henoch, vol 29, no. 1, pp. 159-166.
• Mason, SNS. (2003). 'Contradiction or Counterpoint?: Josephus and Historical Method'. Review of Rabbinic Judaism, vol 6, pp. 145-188.
• Mason, SNS. (2000). 'Aufstandsführer, Kriegsgefangener, Geschichtschreiber: Der jüdische Historiograph Flavius Josephus und seine Bedeutung für das Verständnis des Neuen Testaments'. Zeitschrift für Neues Testament, pp. 11-21.
• Mason, SNS. (1995). 'Method in the Study of Early Judaism: A Dialogue with Lester Grabbe'. Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol 115, no. 3, pp. 463-472.
• Mason, SNS. (1992). 'Fire, Water, and Spirit: John the Baptist and the Tyranny of Canon'. Studies in Religion / Sciences Religieuses, vol 21, pp. 163-180.
• Mason, SNS. (1990). 'Pharisaic Dominance Before 70 CE and the Gospels’ Hypocrisy Charge (Matt 23:2-3)'. Harvard Theological Review, vol 83, no. 4, pp. 363-381.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1017/S0017816000023841
• Mason, SNS. (1989). 'Was Josephus a Pharisee?: A Re-Examination of Life 10-12'. Journal of Jewish Studies, vol 40, no. 1, pp. 31-45.
• Mason, SNS. (1988). 'Josephus on the Pharisees Reconsidered: A Critique of Smith/Neusner'. Studies in Religion / Sciences Religieuses, vol 17, no. 4, pp. 445-469.
• Mason, SNS. (1988). 'Priesthood in Josephus and the ‘Pharisaic Revolution''. Journal of Biblical Literature, vol 107, no. 4, pp. 657-661.

Reviews of Books, Films and Articles

• Mason, SNS. (1992). 'Gabriele Boccaccini, Middle Judaism: Jewish Thought 300 BCE to 200 CE (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1991'. Toronto Journal of Theology, pp. 308-314.

Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings

Chapters

• Mason, SNS. (in press). 'Pollution and Purification in Josephus’s Judean War'. C Ehrlich, A Reinhartz, A Runesson & E Schuller (eds), in: Purity and Holiness in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity: Essays in Memory of Susan Haber. Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, pp. 181-207.
• Mason, SNS. (in press). 'Josephus' Judaean War'. Z Rodgers & H Chapman (eds), in: Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Josephus. Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 1.
• Mason, SNS. (in press). 'Josephus' Autobiography (Life of Josephus)'. Z Rodgers & H Chapman (eds), in: Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Josephus. Wiley-Blackwell.
• Mason, SNS. (in press). 'Josephus as a Roman Author'. Z Rodgers & H Chapman (eds), in: Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Josephus. Wiley-Blackwell.
• Mason, SNS. (in press). 'Why did Jews go to War with Rome in 66-67 CE?: Realist-Regional Perspectives'. PJ Tomson & J Schwartz (eds), in: Jews and Christians in the First and Second Centuries: How to Write their Histories. Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden.
• Mason, SNS. (2012). 'The importance of the Latter Half of Josephus’ Antiquities for a Roman Audience'. G Hata & A Moriya (eds), in: Pentateuchal Traditions in the Late Second Temple Period: Proceedings of the International Workshop in Tokyo, August 28-31, 2007. Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism, vol. 158, Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden, pp. 129-156, International Workshop on Pentateuchal Traditions in the Late Second Temple Period, Tokyo, Japan, 28-31 August.
• Mason, SNS. (in press). 'Josephus: introduction, life, and texts'. A Wright, R Herms & B Embry (eds), in: Early Jewish Literature: Introduction and Reader. Baylor University Press, Waco.
• Mason, SNS. (2011). 'The Historical Problem of the Essenes'. PW Flint, J Duhaime & KS Baek (eds), in: Celebrating the Dead Sea Scrolls: A Canadian Collection. Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, USA, pp. 201-251.
• Mason, SNS. (2011). 'What is History?: Using Josephus for the Judaean-Roman War'. M Popovic (ed.), in: The Jewish Revolt against Rome: Interdisciplinary Perspectives. Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden, pp. 155–240.
• Mason, SNS. (2011). 'The Writings of Josephus: their Significance for New Testament Study'. SE Porter & T Holmén (eds), in: The Handbook for the Study of the Historical Jesus, 4 vols.. Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden, pp. 4.1639–1686.
• Mason, SNS. (2009). 'Of Despots, Diadems, and Diadochoi: Josephus and Flavian Politics'. WJ Dominik, J Garthwaite & PA Roche (eds), in: Writing Politics in Imperial Rome. Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden, pp. 323-49.
• Mason, SNS., Osterloh, K. (ed.) & Gardner, G. (ed.) (2008). 'The Greeks and the Distant Past in the Judean War of Flavius Josephus'. in: Antiquity in Antiquity. Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, pp. 93-130.
• Mason, SNS. (2007). 'Essenes and Lurking Spartans in Josephus’ Judaean War: from Story to History'. Z Rodgers (ed.), in: Making History: Josephus and Historical Method. Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism, Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden, pp. 219-261.
• Mason, SNS. (2007). 'Josephus’ Pharisees: the Narratives'. J Neusner & B Chilton (eds), in: In Quest of the Historical Pharisees. Baylor University Press, Waco, pp. 3-38.
• Mason, SNS. (2007). 'Josephus' Pharisees: the Philosophy'. J Neusner & BD Chilton (eds), in: In Quest of the Historical Pharisees. Baylor University Press, Waco, pp. 39-64.
• Mason, SNS. (2005). 'Of Audience and Meaning: Reading Josephus’ Bellum Iudaicum in the Context of a Flavian Audience'. J Sievers & G Lembi (eds), in: Josephus and Jewish History in Flavian Rome and Beyond. Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism, vol. 104, Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden, Netherlands, pp. 71-100.
• Mason, SNS. (2005). 'Figured Speech and Irony in T. Flavius Josephus'. J Edmondson, S Mason & J Rives (eds), in: Flavius Josephus and Flavian Rome. Oxford University Press, Oxford, United Kingdom, pp. 244-288.
• Mason, SNS. (2003). 'Flavius Josephus in Flavian Rome: Reading On and Between the Lines'. AJ Boyle & WJ Dominik (eds), in: Flavian Rome: Culture, Image, Text. Leiden, pp. 559-589.
• Mason, SNS. (2002). 'Josephus and his Twenty-Two Book Canon'. LM MacDonald & JA Sanders (eds), in: The Canon Debate: The Origins and Formation of the Bible. Hendrickson, Peabody, Mass., pp. 110-127.
• Mason, SNS. (1998). 'An Essay in Character: The Aim and Audience of Josephus’s Vita'. F Siegert & JU Kalms (eds), in: Internationales Josephus-Kolloquium Münster 1997: Vorträge aus dem Institutum Judaicum Delitzschianum. LIT Verlag, Münster, pp. 31-77.
• Mason, SNS. (1996). 'Josephus' Contra Apionem: An Invitation to Judean Philosophy'. LH Feldman & JR Levison (eds), in: The Character and Significance of Josephus’ Contra Apionem : Studies in Its Character and Context With a Latin Concordance to the Portion Missing in Greek. Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden, pp. 187-228.

Entries for Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

• Mason, SNS. (2010). 'Josephus: Jewish Antiquities'. JJ Collins & D Harlow (eds), in: Dictionary of Early Judaism. Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., Grand Rapids, pp. 828-832.
• Mason, SNS. (2010). 'Josephus'. M Gagarin & P Bing (eds), in: Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome. vol. 4, Oxford University Press, New York, pp. 4.131-34.
• Mason, SNS. (2000). 'Josephus: Value for the Study of the New Testament'. C Evans & S Porter (eds), in: Dictionary of New Testament Backgrounds. Inter-Varsity Press, Downer's Grove, IL, pp. 596-600.
• Mason, SNS. (2000). 'Pharisees'. C Evans & S Porter (eds), in: Dictionary of New Testament Backgrounds. Inter-Varsity Press, Downer's Grove, IL, pp. 782-787.
• Mason, SNS. (2000). 'Jewish Theologies and Sects'. C Evans & S Porter (eds), in: Dictionary of New Testament Backgrounds. Inter-Varsity Press, Downer's Grove, IL, pp. 1221-1230.
• Mason, SNS. (2000). 'Josephus and Judaism'. J Neusner, AJ Avery-Peck & WS Green (eds), in: Encyclopaedia of Judaism. 1 edn, vol. 2, Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden, pp. 2.546-563.
• Mason, SNS. (1999). 'Sadducees'. DN Freedman (ed.), in: Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., Grand Rapids, pp. 1150-1151.
• Mason, SNS. (1999). 'Pharisees'. DN Freedman, AB Beck & AC Myers (eds), in: Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., Grand Rapids, pp. 1043-44.
• Mason, SNS. (1999). 'Josephus'. DN Freedman, AB Beck & AC Myers (eds), in: Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., Grand Rapids, pp. 736-737.
• Mason, SNS. (1999). 'Josephus Flavius'. W Doniger (ed.), in: Merriam-Webster’s Encyclopaedia of World Religions. Merriam-Webster, Springfield, Mass., pp. 580-581.
• Mason, SNS. (1999). 'Early Jewish and Christian Uses of Philosophy'. RH Popkin (ed.), in: The Columbia History of Western Philosophy. Columbia University Press, New York, pp. 111-118.

Contributions to Conferences

Papers

• Mason, SNS. 'Josephus' Portrait of the Flavian Triumph: in Historical and Literary Context'. Paper presented at The Roman Triumph in Principate and Late Antiquity, Berlin, Germany, 4/10/12 - 6/10/12, pp. 1.

Books and Reports

Books

• Mason, SNS. 'The Judaean-Roman War of 66 to 74: A Historical Inquiry'. Cambridge University Press, New York.
• Mason, SNS. (2009). 'Josephus, Judea, and Christian Origins: Methods and Categories'. Hendrickson, Peabody, Mass.
• Mason, SNS. (2008). 'Flavius Josephus: Translation and Commentary (series ed. Steve Mason): volume 1b: Judean War 2'. Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden.
• Mason, SNS. (2007). 'Yosefusu to Shinyaku-Seisho'. Lithon, Tokyo.
• Mason, SNS. (ed.) & Barclay, J. (2006). 'Flavius Josephus: Translation and Commentary: Against Apion'. vol. 10, Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden.
• Edmondson, J., Mason, SNS. & Rives, J. (eds) (2005). 'Flavius Josephus and Flavian Rome'. Oxford University Press, Oxford, United Kingdom.
• Mason, SNS. (ed.), Begg, CT. & Spilsbury, P. (2005). 'Flavius Josephus: Translation and Commentary: Vol. 5: Judean Antiquities 8-10'. Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden.
• Mason, SNS. & Robinson, T. (2004). 'Early Christian Reader'. Hendrickson, Peabody, MA, USA.
• Mason, SNS. (ed.) & Begg, CT. (2004). 'Flavius Josephus: Translation and Commentary: Vol. 4: Judean Antiquities 5-7'. vol. 4, Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden.
• Mason, SNS. (2003). 'Josephus and the New Testament'. 2nd rev. ed. edn, Hendrickson, Peabody, Mass.
• Mason, SNS. (2001). 'Flavius Josephus: Translation and Commentary: Volume 9: Life of Josephus'. vol. 9, Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden.
• Mason, SNS. (ed.) & Feldman, LH. (2000). 'Flavius Josephus: Translation and Commentary: Vol. 3: Judean Antiquities 1-4'. vol. 3, Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden.
• Mason, SNS. (ed.) (1998). 'Understanding Josephus: Seven Perspectives'. Sheffield Academic Press, Sheffield.
• Mason, SNS. (1991). 'Flavius Josephus on the Pharisees: A Composition-Critical Study'. Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden.

Non-textual Forms

Data Sets and Databases

• Mason, SNS., (2006). 'Project on Ancient Cultural Engagement (PACE)'. , 2006, Data set/Database, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.

Web Publications and Websites

• Mason, SNS., (2011). 'Oxford Bibliographies Online: Jewish Studies: Flavius Josephus'. , 2011, Web publication/site, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  [Online] DOI: 10.1093/OBO/9780199840731-0049

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