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 pref KCS 12, King's College

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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

I had the incredible good luck as a beginning undergraduate to stumble into the religious studies department of McMaster University (Hamilton, Canada) when E. P. Sanders, Ben F. Meyer, Albert Baumgarten, Alan Mendelson and other great scholars were together there, forging the field of 'Judaism and Early Christianity' from historical and literary perspectives. It blew my mind and hooked me for life. That extraordinary good fortune continued (mostly) in grad school, first at McMaster with the same teachers and then Toronto with Richard Longenecker, Schuyler Brown, John Hurd, Joseph Plevnik, and others (Ph.D. University of St. Michael's College), with comprehensives followed by year-long research stays at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (with Daniel R. Schwartz) and the University of Tübingen (with Martin Hengel and Otto Betz), respectively. After bouts of employment as a security guard or in part-time academic work, I found universities willing to pay me to research and teach in this field: Memorial University of Newfoundland, York University in Toronto, and now (since July 2011) the University of Aberdeen.

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Research Interests

I am interested in researching and teaching, and supervising dissertations in, many aspects of early Christianity and its Hellenistic-Roman-Jewish environments, beginning from a good couple of centuries before Jesus to Jewish-Christian-Roman relations ca. 400 CE (=A.D.). There are one or two minor authors I don't care for, it's true, and certain kinds of questions leave me cold, but I make no judgements about others' tastes. My special interests and research preoccupations are with: problems of historical method and analytical categories in all of these related matters, the apostle Paul, the synoptic gospels, the historical figure of Jesus, Roman Judaea from, say, 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 groups such as the priesthood, Pharisees, and Sadducees), the thirty volumes by the ancient historian Flavius Josephus, Jewish-Christian relations until the Emperor Julian or so (360s CE), Graeco-Roman historiography and rhetoric, ancient moral philosophy, and ... the rapidly proliferating digital tools that make it both easier and harder to study all of this.

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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), though my book is about the war itself. It was commissioned by Cambridge University Press. This year I have sent off a number of essays or presented talks on several spin-off subjects: 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), and the historical problem of the Essenes.

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 fairly specific period that is 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). I am scheduled to write the commentary on Judaean War Book 4.

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Research Grants

2011:  Announced Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung Forschungspreis (Research Award) to be taken up at the Humboldt University, Berlin, January to December 2013. 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 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

DR 5566: Biblical Exegesis

New courses in preparation and recently approved:

The Founders of Christianity: Introduction to the New Testament (Level 1)

Jerusalem: Navel of the Earth (Level 1)

The Jewish Environment of the New Testament, to be offered in alternating years with The Graeco-Roman Environment of the New Testament (both Level 3)

Recovering the Historical Jesus (Level 4)

 

 

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Publications

Contributions to Journals

Articles

• 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). '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. (in press). 'Pollution and Purification in Josephus’s Judaean 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.
• 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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