Thomas Oden Lambdin
Thomas Oden Lambdin | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 31, 1927 Frederick, Maryland |
| Died | May 8, 2020 (aged 92) Manchester, New Hampshire |
| Alma mater | Franklin & Marshall College; Johns Hopkins University (Ph.D., 1952) |
| Occupations | Linguist, Scholar |
| Organizations | Johns Hopkins University; Harvard University |
| Known for | Research and teaching in Semitic and Egyptian languages; textbooks on Biblical Hebrew, Coptic, Ge'ez, Gothic |
| Notable work | Introduction to Biblical Hebrew |
Thomas Oden Lambdin (October 31, 1927 – May 8, 2020) was an American linguist and scholar of the Semitic and Egyptian languages.[1][2]
Early life and education
Lambdin was born on October 31, 1927 in Frederick, Maryland. Following his service in the U.S. Army and his deployment in Guam, Lambdin earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Franklin and Marshall College in 1948. He received his Ph.D. in 1952 from the Johns Hopkins University Department of Near Eastern Studies, where his advisor was William Foxwell Albright; his dissertation was on "Egyptian Loanwords and Transcriptions in the Ancient Semitic Languages."[3][2]
Career
After earning his doctorate, Lambdin remained at Johns Hopkins University for eight years.[2] In 1960, he joined Harvard University, and was appointed as an associate professor of Semitic Languages at Harvard in 1964.[4] He retired from Harvard in 1983 and served as Professor Emeritus until his death.[5]
He was admired not only for his research[6] and his "tireless teaching",[7] but for the quality of his introductory textbooks on Biblical Hebrew, Coptic, Ge'ez and Gothic language. The Festschrift published in his honor, Working with No Data: Semitic and Egyptian Studies Presented to Thomas O. Lambdin[8] includes a full bibliography of his publications, as well as chapters by John Huehnergard and Richard J. Clifford about their experiences as his students.[7]
Lambdin’s teaching was noted for its scope and intensity; at one point he taught year-long courses in five ancient languages simultaneously. At the same time, his textbooks have been praised for their clarity and pedagogical value. His scholarship also extended to translation work, notably the Coptic Gospel of Thomas in The Nag Hammadi library.[2]
Death
Lambdin died at his home in Manchester, New Hampshire, on May 8, 2020, at the age of 92.[2]
Works
- Lambdin, Thomas O. (1958). "The Bivalence of Coptic Eta and Related Problems in the Vocalization of Egyptian". Journal of Near Eastern Studies. 17 (3): 177–93. doi:10.1086/371466. S2CID 161100821.
- Thomas O. Lambdin. (1971). Introduction to Biblical Hebrew. London: Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd. ISBN 978-0-232-51369-1.
- Thomas O. Lambdin (1978). Introduction to Classical Ethiopic. Harvard Semitic Studies 24. Missoula, MT: Scholars Press. ISBN 0-89130-263-8.
- Thomas O. Lambdin (1983). Introduction to Sahidic Coptic. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press.
- Thomas O. Lambdin (2006). Introduction to the Gothic Language. Ancient Language Resources. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock.
References
- ^ "Thomas Oden Lambdin". Cremation Society of New Hampshire. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Huehnergard, John (Winter 2020). "Thomas O. Lambdin: Polyglot Professor of Ancient Languages". Biblical Archaeology Review. 46 (5): 21.
- ^ Freedman, David Noel (1975). The Published Works of William Foxwell Albright: A Comprehensive Bibliography. Boston: American Schools of Oriental Research. p. 223.
- ^ Hertzberg, Hendrik (April 7, 1964). "Six Linguists Named To Strengthen Dept". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
- ^ "Semitic Scholar Lambdin To Leave University Post". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
- ^ "Linguist Lambdin". Colin D Smith blog. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
- ^ a b Smith, Mark S. (1989). ""Working With No Data": Semitic and Egyptian Studies Presented to Thomas O. Lambdin". Hebrew Studies. 30: 134–.
- ^ Golomb, David M.; Hollis, Susan T., eds. (1987). Working with No Data: Semitic and Egyptian Studies Presented to Thomas O. Lambdin. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns.