CONTINUING WORK on a commentary on the Ascension of Isaiah, a spectacular apocalypse that sheds light on ancient Judaism, Christianity, and Gnosticism, Elliott Professor of Religion Robert G. Hall will be on sabbatical leave during the spring and plans to work through the Ethiopic text of Isaiah’s ascent to the seventh heaven. Isaiah will see God sending Jesus down through all the heavens to earth and Sheol, and will watch as Jesus manifests his glory in Sheol, earth, and each heaven, reconstituting them by the vision of God. The text is preserved only in third-hand translations and fragments, and it requires painstaking work to establish the best recoverable text. The commentary will eventually appear in the series Commentaries on Early Jewish Literature, published by De Gruyter Press.

Hall has also begun notes on Hebrews and agreed to write a commentary on the book for Deo Press. He gave an address on pre-creational imagery in Hebrews at a section of the Society of Biblical Literature, and he has revised the paper for an article on Jesus’ inheriting the name “Son” in Hebrews. His study involved the question of how Enoch becomes Son of Man in 1 Enoch 71 and Hebrews’ reading of Psalms 45, 102, and 110. Th e article, “Pre-existence, Naming and Investiture in the Similitudes of Enoch and in Hebrews,” will appear in a volume of essays edited by David DeSilva.

For some years Hall has contributed to the Ancient Jewish and Christian Mysticism group of the Society of Biblical Literature. Recently the group has begun New Testament Mysticism Project, a commentary in the light of ancient Project mystical writings on passages from the New Testament. Hall presented a paper on Matthew 13.43 at the last Society of Biblical Literature meeting and has revised it for publication. He is currently writing on John 12.37-41 for the coming meeting, and both papers will appear in the commentary.

Hall has been at the College since 1985 and was promoted to the rank of professor in 2000. He earned the B.A. degree from Davidson College, the M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminar, and the Ph.D. from Duke University. 

BEYOND THE Classroom FOR THE Classroom
Hampden-Sydney College Faculty Scholarship 2005-2008
A report by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty