Dr. David Rolph Seely

Bio

Dr. David Rolph Seely currently enjoys teaching as Professor of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University. He earned his undergraduate degree from BYU cum laude with High Honors in Classical Greek with a Latin minor and an Archaeology minor in 1981. Since then he has gone on to earn a Masters in Classics also from BYU and earned his Doctorate Degree in 1990 from the University of Michigan in Near Eastern Studies. Dr. Seely has earned many accolades during his tenure as professor such as the Alcuin Fellowship in 2004 and in 2006 earning Honors Co-Professor of the Year with his wife Jo Ann. Early in his career, from 1984 to 1987, he was assistant to David Noel Freedman, the editor of the Anchor Bible Dictionary, and contributed articles in that edition.

Dr. Seely has diligently studied many languages in order to enhance his scholarship. These include Italian, French, German, Spanish, Greek, Latin, Biblical Hebrew, Ugaritic, Aramaic and Akkadian. Dr. Seely focuses his research on the Book of Mormon, Biblical Studies, Classical History and Languages, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Online Publications

David Rolph Seely, "The Masada Fragments," BYU Studies 36:3 (1996).

David Rolph Seely, "Reading the Old Testament in Light of the Restoration: A Comprehensive Bibliography of LDS Writings on the Old Testament (1830–1997)," BYU Studies 37:2 (1997–98), 155–57.

Lee Donaldson, V. Dan Rogers, and David Rolph Seely, "I Have a Question," Ensign, Feb 1994, 60–63.

David Rolph Seely, "I Have a Question," Ensign, Jan. 1994, 54.

Dana M. Pike and David Rolph Seely, "'Upon All the Ships of the Sea, and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish': Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies: 14:2, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, 2005, 12–25.

David Rolph Seely, "Lehi & Jeremiah: Prophets, Priests, & Patriarchs," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies: 8:2, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, 1999, 24–35.

David Rolph Seely, "Lehi's Altar and Sacrifice in the Wilderness," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies; 10:1, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, 2001, 62–69.

David Rolph Seely, "Praise, Prayer, and Worship at Qumran," in LDS Perspectives on the Dead Sea Scrolls, eds. Donald W. Parry, Dana M. Pike; Maxwell Institute: Provo, Utah, 1997.

David Rolph Seely, and JoAnn H. Seely, "Josephus's Portrayal of Jeremiah: A Portrait and a Self-Portrait," in The Disciple as Scholar: Essays on Scripture and the Ancient World in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson, ed. Stephen D. Ricks; Maxwell Institute: Provo, Utah, 2000.

Kent P. Jackson, Frank F. Judd Jr., and David R. Seely, "Chapters, Verses, Punctuation, Spelling, and Italics in the King James Version," TRE, 7:2 (2006), 40–64.

David Rolph Seely, "The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Roundtable Discussion Celebrating the Sixtieth Anniversary of Their Discovery, Part 1," TRE, 8:3 (2007), 126–46.

Highlighted Publications

David Rolph Seely, William J. Hamblin. "Solomonic Themes in Byzantine Churches and Art." Athens Institute for Education and Research: 5^th International Conference on History. Athens, Greece. December 29, 2007.

David Rolph Seely, "The Latter-day Saints and the Five Books of Moses." Society of Biblical Literature National Meeting, San Diego, Nov. 19, 2007.

David Rolph Seely, William J. Hamblin. Solomon's Temple: Myth and History. London/New York: Thames & Hudson, 2007. Nine editions and six translations: German, French, Dutch, Norwegian, Romanian and Spanish.

David Rolph Seely, "'Seek and Ye Shall Find': The History of the Division of the Biblical Text." Thirty-Fifth Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium: How the New Testament Came to Be. October 27, 2006.

David Rolph Seely, W. Kenneth Hamblin, Erica Lamb Holland. "Old Testament Bibliography: Latter-day Saint Publications, 1997-2005." BYU Studies 45:1 (2006): 143-71.

David Rolph Seely, Dana M. Pike. "'Upon All the Ships of the Sea and Upon All the Ships of Tarshish': Revisiting 2 Nephi 12:16 and Isaiah 2:16." Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 14:2 (2005): 12-25.

David Rolph Seely, "The Distinctive Terminology of the Sectarian Texts from Qumran: A Comprehensive Survey." Paper read at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature in Philadelphia, November 21, 2005.

David Rolph Seely, "The Restoration as Covenant Renewal." Pages 311-36 in Sperry Symposium Classics: The Old Testament. Ed. Paul Y. Hoskisson. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 2005. Revised and up-dated version of a paper published in 1987 by the same title.

David Rolph Seely, "The Language of Barkhi Nafshi (4Q434-438) and Citation and Allusion to the Bible." Paper delivered at the Society of Biblical Literature International Meeting, Singapore, June 28, 2005.

David Rolph Seely, "Irony and Humor in the Book of Jeremiah." Paper delivered at The Fourth Annual Meeting of The Biblical Colloquium West, San Diego, CA, Feb. 18, 2005.

David Rolph Seely, "The Image of the Hand of God in the Book of Exodus." Pages 38-54 in God's Word for Our World. Vol. 1. Biblical Studies in Honor of Simon John de Vries, eds., J. Harold Ellens, Deborah L. Ellens, Rolf P. Knierim, Isaac Kalimi. London/New York: T&T Clark International, 2004.

David Rolph Seely, "The History of the Temple: From the Beginning to Kirtland." Paper delivered at the Statistics Department of Statistics Department Annual Dinner, April 15, 2004. Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.

David Rolph Seely, Jo Ann H. Seely. "Lehi and Jeremiah: Prophets, Priests, and Patriarchs. Pages 356-80 in Glimpses of Lehi's Jerusalem. Eds. John W. Welch, David Rolph Seely, Jo Ann H. Seely. Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2004. Revised version of article published in The Journal of Book of Mormon Studies in 1999.

David Rolph Seely, Fred E. Woods. "How Could Jerusalem, 'That Great City,' Be Destroyed?." Pages 595-610 in Glimpses of Lehi's Jerusalem. Eds. John W. Welch, David Rolph Seely, Jo Ann H. Seely. Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2004.

David Rolph Seely, "Timeline: World Events of the Time of Lehi." Pages 50-51 and end sheets in Glimpses of Lehi's Jerusalem. Eds., John W. Welch, David Rolph Seely, Jo Ann H. Seely. Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2004.

David Rolph Seely, "Further Reading: Bibliography." Pages 647-56 in Glimpses of Lehi's Jerusalem. John W. Welch, David Rolph Seely, and Jo Ann H. Seely. Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2004.

David Rolph Seely, "Religion in Lehi's Jerusalem." Paper delivered at the Portland BYU Alumni Association 2^nd Annual Portland Symposium on the Book of Mormon entitled Echoes and Glimpses: The Truth of the Book of Mormon. Sat., Oct. 11, 2003, Portland, Oregon.

David Rolph Seely, "Voices from the Past: The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Latter-day Saints. Paper delivered at the Washington D.C. Temple Visitors' Center, Saturday, September 13, 2003.

David Rolph Seely, "The Community of the Renewed Covenant: Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls After Fifty Years. Paper delivered at the Washington D.C. Temple Visitors' Center, Friday, September 12, 2003.

David Rolph Seely, Jo Ann H. Seely. "Jesus: Prophet, Priest and King." Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior. Eds. Paul H. Peterson, Gary L. Hatch, and Laura Card. Provo, Utah: BYU Religious Studies Center, 2002, 251-73.

David Rolph Seely, "David Roberts and the Rediscovery of the Holy Land." Paper delivered at the Brigham Young University Museum of Art, Provo, Utah, December 12, 2002.

David Rolph Seely, "Genesis 15: A Latter-day Saint Reading." Revelation, Reason, and Faith: Essays in Honor of Truman G. Madsen. Eds. Donald W. Parry, Daniel C. Peterson, and Stephen Ricks. Provo, Utah Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2002, 339-64.

David Rolph Seely, "Lehi's Altar and Sacrifice in the Wilderness," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 10:1 (2001): 64-69, 80.

David Rolph Seely, S. Kent Brown. "Jeremiah's Imprisonment and the Date of Lehi's Departure." Religious Educator 2 (2001): 15-31.

David Rolph Seely, Steven W. Booras, Douglas M. Chabries. "The Herculaneum Scrolls." IS&T Reporter: "The Window on Imaging," Vol. 16.2 (April 2001):1-4.

David Rolph Seely, "Damascus Document (Zadokite Fragment)," "Resurrection," Articles in the Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, ed. David Noel Freedman. Grand Rapids, Mich.: William B. Eerdmans, 2000.

David Rolph Seely, Book Review. "'The Old Adorns the New': Reading the Book of Mormon in Light of the Bible." Review of S. K. Brown's, From Jerusalem to Zarahemla. FARMS Review of Books Volume 12, Number 2. Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2000, 39-43.

David Rolph Seely, "Implanting Pious Qualities as a Theme in the Barki Nafshi Hymns." Pages 321-31 in The Dead Sea Scrolls Fifty Years after their Discovery 1947-1999. Proceedings of the Jerusalem Congress, July 20–25, 1997, eds. Lawrence H. Schiffman, Emanuel Tov, and James C. VanderKam. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society in cooperation with the Shrine of the Book, 2000.

David Rolph Seely, "Barkhi Nafshi." Pages 76-77 in Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls, eds. by Lawrence H. Schiffman and James C. VanderKam. Oxford University Press, 2000.

David Rolph Seely, "Introduction to the Dead Sea Scrolls." Chicago Area Young Single Adult Conference Session held at the Field Museum, Chicago, May 27, 2000.

David Rolph Seely, Jo Ann H. Seely. "Josephus's Portrayal of Jeremiah: A Portrait and a Self-Portrait." Pages 339-58 in The Disciple as Scholar: Essays on Scripture and the Ancient World in Honor of Richard Lloyd Anderson. Provo, UT: The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 2000.

David Rolph Seely, Moshe Weinfeld. Lament by a Leader. Pages 335-42 in Qumran Cave 4 XX, Poetical and Liturgical Texts, Part 2, eds. Esther Chazon and et al. Discoveries in the Judaean Desert XXIX Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.

David Rolph Seely, Moshe Weinfeld. Barkhi Nafshi. Pages 255-334 in Qumran Cave 4 XX, Poetical and Liturgical Texts, Part 2, eds. Esther Chazon and et al. Discoveries in the Judaean Desert XXIX Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. "4Q434-438. 4QBarkhi Nafshi^a-e: Introduction," 255-65; "4QBarkhi Nafshi^a, 434," 267-86; "4QBarkhi Nafshi^b, 435," 287-93; "4QBarkhi Nafshi^c, 436, 295-305; "4QBarkhi Nafshi^d, 437, 307-25; "4QBarkhi Nafshi^e, 438," 327-34.

David Rolph Seely, "Abinadi, Moses, Isaiah, and Christ: O How Beautiful upon the Mountains Are Their Feet." Pages 201-16 in The Book of Mormon: The Foundation of Our Faith: the 28^th Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1999.

David Rolph Seely, "Teaching Holiness from the Book of Leviticus." Old Testament Symposium, The Twenty-Third Annual Church Educational System Religious Educator's Symposium, Brigham Young University, 10-12 August, 1999.

David Rolph Seely, "Finding Nourishment in the Covenant of Abraham." The Summer Inservice Mini-Symposium, Utah Salt Lake Valley East Area, Church Educational System, June 18, 1999.

David Rolph Seely, "4Q437: A First Look at an Unpublished Barki Nafshi Text." Pp. 147-160 in The Provo International Conference on the Dead Sea Scrolls: Technological Innovations, New Texts, & Reformulated Issues. Eds. by Donald W. Parry, Eugene Ulrich. Leiden: Brill, 1999.

David Rolph Seely, "Reading the Old Testament in Light of the Restoration: A Comprehensive Bibliography of LDS Writings on the Old Testament (1830-1997)." Brigham Young University Studies 37:2 (1997-98):155-279.

David Rolph Seely, "Nephi's Use of Isaiah 2-14 in 2 Nephi 12-30." Pages 151-69 in Isaiah in the Book of Mormon. Eds. Donald W. Parry, John W. Welch. Provo, Utah: The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1998.

David Rolph Seely, "I Have A Question: 'The events surrounding the building of the tower of Babel . . .'" With Lee Donaldson and V. Dan Rogers. Liahona (March 1998) 46-48. Reprinted from the Ensign, February 1994:60-61.

David Rolph Seely,"Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of the Lord Thy God in Vain." Pages 49-66 in The Ten Commandments for Today. Ed. John G. Scott. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1997.

David Rolph Seely, "Implanting Pious Qualities as a Theme in the Barki Nafshi Hymns." Paper read at "The Dead Sea Scrolls--Fifty Years After Their Discovery: Major Issues and New Approaches," An International Congress, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, July 20-25, 1997.

David Rolph Seely, "Praise, Prayer, and Worship at Qumran." Pages 95-114 in LDS Perspectives on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Eds. Donald W. Parry, Dana M. Pike. Provo, Utah: The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1997.

David Rolph Seely, "The Masada Fragments, the Qumran Scrolls, and the New Testament." Pages 287-301 in Masada and the World of the New Testament. Eds. John F. Hall, John W. Welch. BYU. StudiesMonographs. Provo: Brigham Young University, 1997.

David Rolph Seely, "The Masada Fragments, the Qumran Scrolls, and the New Testament." BYU Studies 36:3 (1996-97), 287-301. Also appeared in book form.

David Rolph Seely, "'The Circumcised Heart' in 4Q434 Barki Nafshi." Revue de Qumran 17 (1996) 527-35.

David Rolph Seely, Book Review. The Dead Sea Scrolls Catalogue: Documents, Photographs and Musuem Inventory Numbers, by Stephen A. Reed, Marilyn J. Lundberg, and Michael B. Phelps. Pages 187-90 in Hebrew Studies 37 (1996).

David Rolph Seely, "The Barki Nafshi Texts: 4Q434-439." Pages 194-214 in Current Research & Technological Developments on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Eds. Donald W. Parry, Stephen D. Ricks. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1996.

David Rolph Seely, "4Q437: A First Look at an Unpublished Barki Nafshi Text." Paper read at the 1996 International Conference on the Dead Sea Scrolls. July 15-17, 1996. Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. Cosponsored by Brigham Young University and the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies.

David Rolph Seely, "Praise, Prayer, and Worship at Qumran." Paper read at a conference entitled LDS Perspectives on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Saturday, March 23, 1996, Brigham Young University. Cosponsored by Brigham Young University Religious Education and The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies. Expanded version to appear in the publication of the proceedings. Video distributed by F.A.R.M.S.

David Rolph Seely, Book Review: "Avraham Gileadi, The Literary Message of Isaiah." Pages 69-79 in Review of Books on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 8, No. 1. Ed. Daniel C. Peterson. Provo: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1996.

David Rolph Seely, "The Raised Hand of God as a Covenant Oath Gesture." Pages 411-21 in Fortunate the Eyes that See: Essays in Honor of David Noel Freedman in Celebration of His Seventieth Birthday. Eds. Astrid B. Beck, Andrew H. Bartelt, Paul R. Raabe, Chris Franke. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1995.

David Rolph Seely, "The Barki Nafshi Texts: 4Q434-439." Paper read at Judean Desert Scrolls Conference 1995 at the Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies, April 1995.

David Rolph Seely, "Shedding Light on the Dead Sea Scrolls." Pages 1-6 in Religious Studies Newsletter Vol. 9, No. 2 Jan. 1995.

David Rolph Seely, Richard Neitzel Holzapfel. My Father's House: The History and Symbolism of the Temple in the New Testament, 290 pp. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1994.

David Rolph Seely, "Josephus's Portrayal of and Self-Identification with Jeremiah." Paper presented at the AAR/SBL Rocky Mountain-Great Plains Regional Meeting, Boulder Colorado, April 23, 1994.

David Rolph Seely, "The Bible and the Dispensations from Adam to Abraham." Pages cxxxii-cxl in B. H. Roberts' The Truth, the Way, The Life: An Elementary Treatise on Theology. Ed. John W. Welch. Provo: BYU Studies, 1994. Also the footnotes for chapters 16-18, 34-38.

David Rolph Seely, "The Allegory of the Olive Tree and the Use of Related Figurative Language in the Ancient Near East and the Old Testament." Pages 290-304 in The Allegory of the Olive Tree. Eds. Stephen D. Ricks, John W. Welch. Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book and F.A.R.M.S., 1994.

David Rolph Seely, John W. Welch. "Zenos and the Texts of the Old Testament." Pages 322-46 in The Allegory of the Olive Tree. Eds. Stephen D. Ricks, John W. Welch, Salt Lake and Provo: Deseret Book and F.A.R.M.S., 1994.

David Rolph Seely, Lee Donaldson, V. Dan Rogers. "I Have A Question: 'The events surrounding the building of the tower of Babel . . .'" Ensign 24:2 ( February 1994): 60-61.

David Rolph Seely, "I Have a Question: 'What does it mean when the Lord said he would create for Adam "an help meet for him"'?' Ensign 24:1 (January 1994): 54-55.

David Rolph Seely, "Kings and Chronicles." "The Book of Jonah." "The Lord is Our Judge and Our King (Isaiah 18-33)." "The Lord Will Bring Salvation (Isaiah 51-66)." "The Ministry of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1, 25-29, 32-45, 52)." "I Am with Thee, to Deliver Thee (Jeremiah 1-20)." "A Prophet over the Nations (Jeremiah 21-24, 30-31, 46-51)." "Ecclesiastes." "The Song of Solomon." In Studies in Scripture: Volume Four: 1 Kings to Malachi. Ed. Kent P. Jackson. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1993.

David Rolph Seely, "Arabah," "Shur, Wilderness of," "Sin, Wilderness of," "Zin, Wilderness of," Articles in the Anchor Bible Dictionary. Ed. David Noel Freedman. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1992.

David Rolph Seely, "The Use of Allegory in the Old Testament and the Ancient Near East." Paper delivered at the Fifth Annual F.A.R.M.S. Book of Mormon Lecture entitled "The Olive and Jacob 5," March 21, 1992.

David Rolph Seely, John W. Welch. "The Olive in the Old Testament." Paper delivered at the Fifth Annual F.A.R.M.S. Book of Mormon Lecture entitled "The Olive and Jacob 5," March 21, 1992.

David Rolph Seely, "Jehovah, Jesus Christ," "Prophecy," "Prophecy in Biblical Times." Articles in Encyclopedia of Mormonism. Ed. Daniel H. Ludlow. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1992.

David Rolph Seely, "The Ten Commandments in the Book of Mormon." Complete version distributed by Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies. Provo, Utah: F.A.R.M.S., 1991. Edited version pages 166-81 in Doctrines of the Book of Mormon, The 1991 Sperry Symposium. Eds. Bruce A. Van Orden, Brent L. Top. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, 1992.

David Rolph Seely, "The Image of the Hand of God in the Book of Mormon and the Old Testament." Pages 140-50 in Rediscovering the Book of Mormon. Eds. John L. Sorenson, Melvin Thorne. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book and Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1991.

David Rolph Seely, The Hand of God in the Exodus Traditions. Ph.D. Dissertation, The University of Michigan, 1990. University Microfilms, Inc., 1990.

David Rolph Seely, "An Introduction to 1 and 2 Samuel." Pages 259-270 in Studies in Scripture,Volume Three: The Old Testament--Genesis to 2 Samuel. Eds. Kent P. Jackson, Robert L. Millet. Salt Lake City, Utah: Randall Books, 1985.

David Rolph Seely, "Samuel: Prophet, Priest, Judge, and Anointer of Kings (1 Samuel)." Pages 271-280 in Studies in Scripture, Volume Three: The Old Testament--Genesis to 2 Samuel. Eds. Kent P. Jackson, Robert L. Millet. Salt Lake City, Utah: Randall Books, 1985.

David Rolph Seely, "The World Through Proverbs," Century Two 2 (1977) 13-15.

Curriculum Vitae

Curriculum Vitae PDF