Donald W. Parry

Bio

Dr. Parry, Professor of Hebrew Bible and Dead Sea Scrolls at Brigham Young University, is married to Camille Mills, from Las Vegas, Nevada; they have six children. He has served as a member of the International Team of Translators of the Dead Sea Scrolls since 1994. He is also a member of several other professional organizations, including the Princeton Dead Sea Scrolls Society, Princeton, New Jersey, the International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament, Groningen, The Netherlands, Society for Biblical Literature, Atlanta, Georgia, and the National Association of Professors of Hebrew, Madison, Wisconsin. Parry served as a member of the Board of Directors of Brigham Young University's Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts from 1987–2005.

Donald W. Parry (Ph.D., University of Utah) is Associate Professor of Hebrew Language and Literature in the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages at Brigham Young University. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) at Brigham Young University.

Dr. Parry has authored or edited more than 27 books, 10 of which pertain to the Dead Sea Scrolls. He has translated the Dead Sea Scroll's books of Samuel (1 Samuel and 2 Samuel) and the book of Isaiah. He has also published Poetic Parallelisms in the Book of Mormon (2007); A New Edition of the Great Isaiah Scroll: Transcriptions and Photographs (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1998). Many of his books are written for the Latter–day Saint community, including Understanding Isaiah (Deseret Book, 1998); Understanding the Book of Revelation (Deseret Book, 1998); Understanding the Signs of the Times (Deseret Book, 1999); Temples of the Ancient World (Deseret Book, 1993), plus others.

Dr. Parry continues to research the Dead Sea Scrolls and present his findings at symposia and conferences. He has also written and published more than 80, which have appeared in the Ensign; Bulletin of American Schools of Oriental Research; Revue de Qumran; Textus; and BYU Studies, as well as various conference proceedings at other places. Many of his articles pertain to Book of Mormon topics.

One of Dr. Parry's major projects was the creation of a computerized database of the Qumran scrolls. The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS), in conjunction with Brigham Young University, developed this reference library which includes photographs of the scrolls and scroll fragments, transcriptions of the writings on the scrolls into Modern Hebrew characters and English translations of the Hebrew texts.

Currently, Dr. Parry is assigned to the book of Isaiah in the new edition of the standard Hebrew Bible called Biblia Hebraica Quinta.

Online Publications:

Parry, Donald W. "'Thus Saith the Lord': Prophetic Language in Samuel's Speech." Journal of Book of Mormon Studies. 1, no. 1, 181–3.

———. "Review of 'The Book of Isaiah: A New Translation with Interpretive Keys from the Book of Mormon.'" FARMS Review. 4, no. 1, 52–62.

———. "Sinai as Sanctuary and Mountain of God." In By Study and Also By Faith: Essays in Honor of Hugh Nibley on the Occasion of His Eightieth Birthday. 1990, 482–500.

———. "Introduction." In LDS Perspectives on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Edited by Donald W. Parry, and Dana M. Pike.

———. "The Contribution of the Dead Sea Scrolls to Biblical Understanding." In LDS Perspectives on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Edited by Donald W. Parry and Dana M. Pike.

———. "The FARMS–BYU Dead Sea Scrolls Electronic Database." In LDS Perspectives on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Edited by Donald W. Parry and Dana M. Pike.

———. Stephen D. Ricks, "The Dead Sea Scrolls: Questions and Responses for Latter–day Saints."

———. "Messiah Becomes the New King: Notes on Isaiah 9:3–7." The Disciple as Scholar: Essays on Scripture and the Ancient World in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson. Edited by Donald W. Parry, Stephen D. Ricks and Andrew Hedges. Provo: FARMS, 2000, 305–21.

———. "Introduction." In The Temple in Time and All Eternity. Edited by Donald W. Parry and Stephen D. Ricks.

———. "Seven Promises to Those Who Overcome: Aspects of Genesis 2—3 in the Seven Letters." In The Temple in Time and Eternity. Edited by Donald W. Parry, and Stephen D. Ricks.

———. "The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Roundtable Discussion Celebrating the Sixtieth Anniversary of Their Discovery, Part 1." Religious Educator. 8, no. 3, 126–46.

———, Dana M. Pike. "Introduction." In LDS Perspectives on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Edited by Donald W. Parry and Dana M. Pike. Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

———. "The Contribution of the Dead Sea Scrolls to Biblical Understanding." In LDS Perspectives on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Edited by Donald W. Parry and Dana M. Pike. Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

———. "The FARMS–BYU Dead Sea Scrolls Electronic Database." In LDS Perspectives on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Edited by Donald W. Parry and Dana M. Pike. Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute.

———. "1QIsa^A (The Great Isaiah Scroll): An Ancient or Medieval Scroll?"

———. "I Have a Question." Ensign. July, 1996, 60–61.

———, Jay A. Parry. "Israelite Names—Witness of Deity." Ensign. December, 1990, 52.

———. "After This Manner…Pray Ye." Ensign. January, 1996, 34.

———. "The Flood and the Tower of Babel." Ensign. January, 1998, 35.

———. "I Have a Question." Ensign. December, 1992, 28–30.

Highlighted Publications:

Parry, Donald W. "Linguistic Profile of the Nonbiblical Qumran Texts: A Multidimensional Approach." 4QMMT to Resurrection: Mélanges qumraniens en hommage à Émile Puech. Edited by Florentino García Martínez, Annette Steudel and Eibert Tigchelaar. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2006, 217–41.

———. "How Many Vessels? A Examination of MT 1 Sam 2:14//4QSama 1 Sam 2:16." Studies in the Hebrew Bible, Qumran, and the Septuagint. Presented to Eugene Ulrich. Edited by Peter Flint, Emanuel Tov, and James VanderKam. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2006, 84–95.

———. "4QSama, the Canon, and the Community of Lay Readers." The Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls. 1. Edited by James H. Charlesworth. Baylor University Press, 2006, 167–82.

———. Die Schriftrollen vom Toten Meer: Fragen und Antworten für Heilige der Letzten Tage. LDS Books Schubert & Roth OHG, Bad Reichenhall, 2005. (Translation of The Dead Sea Scrolls: Questions and Responses for Latter–day Saints, by Donald W. Parry and Stephen D. Ricks).

———. Discoveries in the Judaean Desert: 4QSama, Vol. XVII. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2005.

———. Dead Sea Scrolls Reader: Poetic and Liturgical Texts. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2005.

———. Dead Sea Scrolls Reader: Parabiblical Texts. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2005.

———. "Symbolic Action as Prophecy in the Old Testament." Sperry Symposium Classics: The Old Testament. Edited by Paul Y. Hoskisson. Deseret Book: Salt Lake City, 2005, 337–55.

———. Dead Sea Scrolls Reader: Additional Genres and Unclassified Texts. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2005.

———. Dead Sea Scrolls Reader: Exegetical Texts. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2004.

———. Dead Sea Scrolls Reader: Calendrical and Sapiential Texts. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2004.

———. Dead Sea Scrolls Reader: Texts Concerned with Religious Law. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2004.

———. "The 'Word' or the 'Enemies' of the Lord? Revisiting the Euphemism in 2 Sam 12:14." Studies in Hebrew Bible, Septuagint, and Dead Sea Scrolls in Honor of Emanuel Tov. Edited by Shalom Paul, et al. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2003, 367–78.

———. "2 Nephi 19//Isaiah 9," "2 Nephi 20//Isaiah 10," "2 Nephi 21//Isaiah 11," "2 Nephi 8//Isaiah 51:1–52:2," "Hebrew Language," "Understanding Isaiah," "Pronouncing Guide," "Prophetic Speech Forms," "Prophetic Tense, Prophetic Perfect," "Temples," "Tree of Life," "Parallelism." Book of Mormon Reference Companion. Edited by Dennis Largey, et al. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003, 373–5.

———. "Hebraisms and Other Peculiarities in the Book of Mormon." Echoes and Evidences of the Book of Mormon. Provo: Institute for the Preservation and Study of Ancient Religious Texts, Brigham Young University, 2002, 155–89.

———. "Unique Readings in 4QSama." The Bible as Book: The Hebrew Bible and the Judaean Desert Discoveries. Proceedings of the Conference Held at Hampton Court, Herefordshire, 18–21 June 2000. Edited by Edward D. Herbert and Emanuel Tov London: The British Library and Oak Knoll Press, 2002, 209–19.

———. "Who Shall Ascend into the Mountain of the Lord? Three Biblical Temple Entrance Hymns." In Reason, Revelation, and Faith: Essays in Honor of Truman G. Madsen. Edited by Donald W. Parry, Daniel C. Peterson and Stephen D. Ricks. Provo: FARMS, 2002, 729–42.

———. Harmonizing Isaiah: Combining Ancient Sources. Provo: BYU Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts, 2001.

———. Visualizing Isaiah. Provo: BYU Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts, 2001.

———. "The Challenge of 4QSama and the Canon." The Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Edited by James H. Charlesworth. N. Richland, TX: Bibal Press, 2001, 219–39.

———. "4QSama and the Royal Song of Thanksgiving (2 Sam 22/ /Ps 18)." Sapiential, Liturgical and Poetical Texts from Qumran. Proceedings of the Third Meeting of the International Organization for Qumran Studies, Oslo, 1998. Edited by Daniel Falk, et al. Leiden: Brill, 2000, 146–59.

———, Stephen D. Ricks, The Dead Sea Scrolls: Questions and Responses for Latter–day Saints. Provo: FARMS, 2000.

———. "The Voices from the Past: The Dead Sea Scrolls Open a Window to the World Christ Knew." Meridian Magazine. July, 2000.

———. "Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible." Meridian Magazine. August, 2000.

———. "The Dead Sea Scrolls: Translation and Publication." Meridian Magazine. September, 2000.

———. "The Dead Sea Scrolls: Sectarian Texts." Meridian Magazine. October, 2000.

———. "The Aftermath of Abner's Murder." Textus 20 (2000): 83–96.

———. "More Fragments from 4QSam^a (4Q51): A Preliminary Edition of 1 Samuel 14:24–24:22." The Dead Sea Scrolls—Fifty Years after Their Discovery: Proceedings of the Jerusalem Congress, July 20–25, 1997. Edited by Lawrence H. Schiffman, Emanuel Tov, and James C. VanderKam. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 2000, 19–29.

———. "Messiah Becomes the New King: Notes on Isaiah 9:3–7." The Disciple as Scholar: Essays on Scripture and the Ancient World in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson. Edited by Donald W. Parry, Stephen D. Ricks and Andrew Hedges. Provo: FARMS, 2000, 305–21.

———. "The Book of Mormon as Literature." The Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 5 vols. Edited by Daniel H. Ludlow, et al. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1992, 1:181–5. Reprinted in Scriptures of the Church, 121–28. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1995, and To All the World: The Book of Mormon. Provo: FARMS, 2000, 171–76.

———, Stephen D. Ricks, and Andrew Hedges. "The Disciple as Witness." "The Disciple as Scholar" Essays on Latter–day Saint History and Doctrine in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson. Provo: FARMS, 2000.

———. Understanding the Signs of the Times. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1999.

———, Stephen D. Ricks. "Seven Promises to Those Who Overcome: Aspects of Genesis 2–3 in the Seven Letters." The Temple in Time and Eternity. Provo: FARMS, 1999, 121–42.

———, Stephen D. Ricks. The Temple in Time and Eternity. Provo: FARMS, 1999.

———. "4QSama (4Q51): A Preliminary Edition of 1 Sam 25:3–31:4." The Provo International Conference on the Dead Sea Scrolls: New Texts, Reformulated Issues, and Technological Innovations. Edited by Donald W. Parry and Eugene C. Ulrich. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1998, 58–71.

———, Jay A. Parry. Understanding Isaiah. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1998.

———. "The Flood and the Tower of Babel." Ensign 28 (January 1998): 34–41.

———. "Nephi's Keys to Understanding Isaiah (2 Nephi 25:1–8)." Isaiah in the Book of Mormon. Edited by Donald W. Parry, John W. Welch. Provo: FARMS, 1997, 47–65.

———. "Power through Repetition: The Dynamics of Book of Mormon Parallelism." Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited: The Evidence for Ancient Origins. Edited by Noel B. Reynolds. Provo: FARMS, 1997, 295–309.

———. "Vocabulary in Isaiah 2–14, 29, 48–54." Isaiah in the Book of Mormon. Edited by Donald W. Parry, John W. Welch. Deseret Book and FARMS, 1997, 409–22.

———. Isaiah in the Book of Mormon. Edited by Donald W. Parry, John W. Welch. Provo: FARMS, 1997.

Frank Moore Cross, Donald W. Parry. "A Preliminary Edition of a Fragment of 4QSam^b (4Q52)." Bulletin of American Schools of Oriental Research. 306 (1997): 63–74.

———. LDS Perspectives on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Edited by Donald W. Parry, Dana M. Pike, Provo: FARMS, 1997.

———. "Notes on Divine Name Avoidance in Scriptural Units of the Legal Texts of Qumran." Qumran Legal Texts: Essays in Honor of Joseph M. Baumgarten. Edited by Moshe Bernstein. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1997, 437–49.

———. "1QIsa^a Great Isaiah Scroll," "11QTemple," "56Hev46 Bar Kokba," "1QS Rule of the Community," "Targum of Job." Ancient Scrolls from the Dead Sea: Photographs and Commentary on a Unique Collection of Scrolls. Edited by Jerry Bradford. Provo: FARMS, 1997, 32.

———. "The Contribution of the Scrolls to Biblical Understanding." LDS Perspectives on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Edited by Donald W. Parry and Dana Pike. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1997, 47–71.

———. "The Book of Mormon: Integrity and Textual Consistency." Scholars Testify. Edited by Susan Easton Black. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1996, 209–21.

———. "The Book of Mormon Confirms Significance of Writings of Isaiah." Church News, July 6, 1996: 11–12.

———. "After This Manner . . . Pray Ye." Ensign 26 (January 1996): 34–39.

———. "How was the Book of Mormon pronouncing guide developed and what is its chief purpose?" Ensign 26 (1996): 60–61.

———. "Retelling Samuel: Echoes of the Books of Samuel in the Dead Sea Scrolls." Revue de Qumran. 17 (Decembre 1996): 293–306.

———. "4QSama and the Tetragrammaton." In Current Research and Technological Developments: Proceedings of the Conference on the Judaean Desert Scrolls. Jerusalem, April 30, 1995. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1996, 106–25.

———. "Washings and Anointings." The Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 5 vols. Edited by Daniel H. Ludlow, et al. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1992, 4:1551. Reprinted in Scriptures of the Church, Edited by Daniel H. Ludlow. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1995.

———. Temples of the Ancient World: Ritual and Symbolism. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1994.

———. "Demarcation between Sacred Space and Profane Space: The Temple of Herod Model." Temples of the Ancient World: Ritual and Symbolism. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1994, 413–39.

———. "Garden of Eden: Prototype Sanctuary," "The Temple in Heaven: Its Description and Significance" "The Meaning of the Temple." Temples of the Ancient World: Ritual and Symbolism. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1994, xi–xxiv, 126–51, 515–32.

———. "Symbolic Action as Prophecy in the Old Testament." Thy People Shall Be My People and Thy God My God. Edited by Paul Y. Hoskisson. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1994, 84–100.

———. "Ritual Anointing with Olive Oil in Ancient Israelite Religion." The Allegory of the Olive Tree. Edited by Stephen D. Ricks, John W. Welch. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1994, 262–89.

———. "Temple Worship and a Possible Reference to a Prayer Circle in Psalm 24." BYU Studies 32 (1993): 57–62.

———. "'Pray Always': Learning to Pray as Jesus Prayed." The Book of Mormon: 3 Nephi 9–30, This is My Gospel. Edited by Monte S. Nyman, Charles D. Tate, Jr. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1993, 137–48.

———. "And It Came to Pass." Ensign 22 (December 1992).

———. "'Thus Saith the Lord': Prophetic Language in Samuel's Speech." Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 1 (1992): 181–183; republished in Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon. Edited by John W. Welch, Melvin J. Thorne. Provo: FARMS, 1999, 204–7.

———. "Teaching in Black and White: Antithetic Structure in the Book of Alma, Its Form and Function." The Book of Mormon: Alma, The Testimony of the Word. Edited by Monte S. Nyman, Charles D. Tate, Jr. Provo: Religious Studies Center, 1992, 281–90.

———. Stephen D. Ricks, John W. Welch. A Bibliography on Temples of the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean World. New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 1991.

———, Jay Parry. "Israelite Names—Witnesses of Deity." Ensign 20 (December 1990): 52–54.

———. "Sinai as Sanctuary and Mountain of God." By Study and Also By Faith, Essays in Honor of Hugh W. Nibley, Vol. 1. Edited by John M. Lundquist, Stephen D. Ricks. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1990, 482–500.

———. "Hebrew Literary Patterns in the Book of Mormon." Ensign 19 (October 1989): 58–61.

———. "Temples and Sanctuaries in the Ancient Near East: A Bibliography." Provo: FARMS, 1989.

———. "Hebrew Parallelisms of the Book of Mormom." Provo: FARMS, 1988.

———. "Hebrew Parallelisms Listed in Textual Sequence." Provo: FARMS, 1988.

———. "Hebrew Parallelisms According to Classification." Provo: FARMS, 1988.

———. "The Garden of Eden: Sacred Space, Sanctuary, Temple of God." Explorations: A Journal for Adventurous Thought 5 (Summer 1987): 83–107.

———. "Egyptian Temple Ritual: The Role of Ramses II." Insight 3 (Summer 1986): 9–11.

———. "The Judges of Israel." Studies in Scripture: The Old Testament. Edited by Kent P. Jackson, Robert Millet. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985, 237–47.