Professor Nathan MacDonald

Biography

MA, MPhil, University of Cambridge; PhD, University of Durham

Nathan MacDonald studied theology and Hebrew at Cambridge before going to Durham to complete a doctorate on the book of Deuteronomy. He taught Old Testament at the University of St Andrews from 2001–12. In 2007 he spent 8 months as a Humboldt research fellow at the Ludwig-Maximillians-Universität München. In 2008 he was awarded a Sofja-Kovalevskaja Prize which enabled him to lead a research team on Early Jewish Monotheisms at Georg-August-Universität Göttingen from 2009–14. In 2013 he took up an appointment at the University of Cambridge.

Research

Publications

Key publications:

Books

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The Making of the Tabernacle and the Construction of Priestly Hegemony (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2023)
Priestly Rule: Polemic and Biblical Interpretation in Ezekiel 44 (Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft, 476; Berlin: de Gruyter, 2015).
Not Bread Alone: The Uses of Food in the Old Testament (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008).
What did the Ancient Israelites Eat? Diet in Biblical Times (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008).
Deuteronomy and the Meaning of ‘Monotheism’ (Forschungen zum Alten Testament, II/1; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2003; 2nd edition 2012).

Edited Volumes

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(with A.R. Mein and M.A. Collins), The Mobilization of Biblical Scholarship in the First World War (Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies/ Scriptural Traces; London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2019).
(with H. Najman and J. Stökl), Ritual and Innovation in Biblical and Ancient Jewish Discourse, themed fascicle of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2018).
(with A. Mein), The Bible in America and Britain at War, themed fascicle of the Journal of Bible and Reception (Berlin: de Gruyter, 2017).
Ritual Innovation in the Hebrew Bible and Early Judaism (Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft, 468; Berlin: de Gruyter, 2016).
Covenant and Election in Exilic and Post-Exilic Judaism (Forschungen zum Alten Testament, II; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2015).
(with K. Brown) Monotheism in Late Prophetic and Early Apocalyptic Literature (Forschungen zum Alten Testament, II/72; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2014).
(with I.J. de Hulster) Divine Presence and Absence in Exilic and Post-Exilic Judaism (Forschungen zum Alten Testament II/61; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2013).
(with L. Sutter Rehmann and K. Ehrensperger) Decisive Meals: Table Politics in Biblical Literature (Library of New Testament Studies, 449; London: T&T Clark International, 2012).
(with M.W. Elliott and G. Macaskill) Genesis and Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012).
(with R.J. Bauckham, D.R. Driver, T.A. Hart) The Epistle to the Hebrews and Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009).
(with R.J. Bauckham, D.R. Driver, T.A. Hart) A Cloud of Witnesses: The Theology of Hebrews in Its Ancient Context (Library of New Testament Studies, 387; London: T&T Clark International, 2008).

Articles and Book Chapters (since 2010)

‘Turbulent Priests? Rethinking the History of the Israelite Priesthood’, in K. Schmid (ed.), Zurich 2022 (Supplements to Vetus Testamentum; Leiden: Brill, forthcoming 2023).
‘Pentateuch’, in J. Barton (ed.), Understanding the Hebrew Bible (Oxford: Oxford University Press, forthcoming 2023).
‘The Daughters of Zelophehad and the Legal Hermeneutics of the Pentateuch’, in C. Berner and H. Samuel (eds.), Book-Seams in the Hextateuch II (Forschungen zum Alten Testament; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, forthcoming 2023), pp. 69–85.
‘Did Balaam write Second Isaiah? The Relationship of the Oracles of Numbers 23–24 to Isaiah 40–55’, in A. Marshall and A. Schüle (eds.), Exodus and Erzeltern in Deuterojesaja (Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 2023), pp. 63–74.
‘The Terminology of the Cult in Isaiah 56–66’, in A. Berlejung and A.M. Maier (eds.), Writing and Re-Writing History by Destruction (Orientalische Religionen in der Antike, 45; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2022), pp. 201–212.
‘The Offerings of the Tribal Leaders, the Purification of the Levites, and the Hermeneutics of Ritual Innovation’, in L. Quick and M. Ramos (eds.), New Perspectives on Ritual in the Biblical World (Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies, 702; London: T&T Clark International, 2022), pp. 199–211.
‘Did Josiah Enact a Monotheistic Reform?’, ‘Response to Richard Hess’ and ‘Some Observations on Richard Hess’ Response’, in R.S. Watson and A. Curtis (eds.), Conversations on Canaanite and Biblical Themes: Creation, Chaos and Monotheism (Berlin: de Gruyter, 2022), pp.151–68, 171–75, 189–90.
‘Error and Response in Leviticus 10’, Ancient Jew Review [https://www.ancientjewreview.com/read/2022/2/2/error-and-response-in-lev... online February 8, 2022].
‘Whose Ḥaṭṭāʾt? Aaron’s Enigmatic Response to Moses in Lev 10:19’, Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 133 (2021)
‘Purity and Sacrifice’, in K. Dell (ed.), The Biblical World (London: Routledge, 2021), pp. 871–885.
‘Priests and Levites in Deuteronomy’, in D. Benjamin (ed.), Oxford Handbook to Deuteronomy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, forthcoming). [published online: https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190273552.001.... January 2021].
‘Isaac Watts as Interpreter of the Psalms’, in C. Körting and R.G. Kratz (eds.), Neuere Forschung zu Psalmen und Weisheit in Israel und dem Alten Orient (Forschungen zum Alten Testament; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2020).
‘“The God of the Spirits of All Flesh” (Num 16.22; 27.16)’, in D. Collett et al. (eds.), The Character of Israel’s God: God, Reality, and the Scope of the Christian Bible (Resources for Biblical Study; Atlanta: SBL Press, 2020), pp. 97–107.
‘David’s Two Priests’, in I. Koch, O. Sergi and T.C. Römer (eds.), Writing, Rewriting and Overwriting in the books of Deuteronomy and of the Former Prophets. Collected Essays in Honor of Cynthia Edenburg (Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium; Leuven: Peeters, 2019), pp. 243–262.
‘Retribution in the Book of Numbers’, in D. Hamidović, A. Thromas and M. Silvestrini (eds.), “Retribution” in Jewish and Christian Writings: A Concept in Debate (Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament II/492; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2019), pp. 13–26.
‘Fremdvölker in Numeri’, in M. Meyer-Blanck (ed.), Christentum und Europa. XVI. Europäischer Kongress für Theologie Wien 2017 (Veröffentlichungen der Wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft für Theologie 52; Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 2019), pp. 273–286.
‘The Priestly Vestments’, in C. Berner et al. (eds.), Nudity and Clothing in the Hebrew Bible (London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2019), pp. 435–448.
‘Holy War and the Great War in German Protestant Scholarship on the Old Testament’, in A. Mein, N. MacDonald and M. Collins (eds.), The Mobilization of Biblical Scholarship in the First World War (London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2019), pp. 135–161.
‘Scribalism and Ritual Innovation’, Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel 7 (2018), pp. 415–429.
‘The Date of the Shema (Deut 6:4–5)’, Journal of Biblical Literature 136 (2017), pp. 765–782.
‘The Bible in America and Britain at War’, Journal of Bible and Reception 4 (2017), 175–180.
‘Ritual Innovation and Shavu‘ot’, in N. MacDonald (ed.), Ritual Innovation in the Hebrew Bible and Early Judaism (Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 468; Berlin: de Gruyter, 2016), pp. 1–10
‘Strange Fire before the Lord: Thinking about Ritual Innovation in the Hebrew Bible and Early Judaism’, in N. MacDonald (ed.), Ritual Innovation in the Hebrew Bible and Early Judaism (Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 468; Berlin: de Gruyter, 2016), pp. 55–78.
‘Aaron’s Failure and the Fall of the Hebrew Kingdoms’, in P. Dubrovský, D. Markl and J.-P. Sonnet (eds.), The Fall of Jerusalem and the Rise of the Torah (Forschung zum Alten Testament 107; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2016), 197–209.
‘Introduction’, in N. MacDonald, Covenant and Election in Exilic and Post-Exilic Judaism (Forschungen zum Alten Testament, II; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2015), pp. xi–xiii.
'The God that the Scholarship on Ezekiel Creates’, in P. Joyce and D. Rom-Shiloni, The God Ezekiel Creates (Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies, 607; London: T&T Clark, International, 2015), pp. 193–202.
(with Ken Brown) ‘Introduction’, in N. MacDonald and K. Brown (eds.), Monotheism in Late Prophetic and Early Apocalyptic Literature (Forschungen zum Alten Testament, II/72; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2014), pp. xi–xvii.
‘The Beginnings of One-ness Theology in Late Israelite Prophetic Literature’, in N. MacDonald and K. Brown (eds.), Monotheism in Late Prophetic and Early Apocalyptic Literature (Forschungen zum Alten Testament, II/72; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2014), pp. 103–123.
‘A Text in Search of Context: The Imago Dei in the First Chapters of Genesis’, in D. Baer and R.P. Gordon (eds.), Leshon Limmudim: Essays in the Language and Literature of the Hebrew Bible in Honour of A.A. Macintosh (Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies, 593; The Hebrew Bible and its Versions; London: T&T Clark International, 2013), pp. 3–16.
‘Monotheism’, in J.B. Green and L.M. McDonald, The World of the New Testament: Cultural, Social, and Historical Contexts (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2013), pp. 77–84.
'Introduction', in N. MacDonald and I.J. de Hulster (eds.), Divine Presence and Absence in Exilic and Post-Exilic Judaism (Forschungen zum Alten Testament II/61; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2013), pp. xi-xvi.
'The Spirit of God: A Neglected Conceptualization of the Divine Presence in the Persian Period', in N. MacDonald and I.J. de Hulster (eds.), Divine Presence and Absence in Exilic and Post-Exilic Judaism (Forschungen zum Alten Testament II/61; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2013), pp. 95–120.
'A Text in Search of Context: The Imago Dei in the First Chapters of Genesis', in D. Baer and R.P. Gordon (eds.), Leshon Limmudim: Essays in the Language and Literature of the Hebrew Bible in Honour of A.A. Macintosh (Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies; London: Bloomsbury, 2013), pp. 3–16.
‘Monotheism’, in J.B. Green and L.M. McDonald, The World of the New Testament: Cultural, Social, and Historical Contexts (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2013), pp. 77–84.
‘Numbers and Deuteronomy: Common Narratives Concerning the Wilderness and Transjordan’, Journal of Ancient Judaism 3 (2012), pp. 141-165.
‘The Hermeneutics and Genesis of the Red Cow Ritual in Numbers 19’, Harvard Theological Review 105 (2012), pp. 351-371.
‘Research Report: Early Jewish Monotheism Research Group at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen’, Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel 1 (2012), pp. 137-142.
‘A Trinitarian Palimpsest: Luther’s Reading of the Priestly Blessing (Num 6.24-26)’, Pro Ecclesia 21 (2012), pp. 298–312.
‘Is There Happiness in the Torah?’, in B.A. Strawn (ed.),The Bible and the Pursuit of Happiness: What the Old and New Testaments Teach Us about the Good Life (New York: Oxford University Press, 2012), pp. 57-73.
‘“The Eyes of All Look to You”: The Generosity of the Divine King’, in K. Ehrensperger, N.MacDonald and L. Sutter Rehmann (eds.), Decisive Meals: Table Politics in Biblical Literature (Library of New Testament Studies, 449; London: T&T Clark International, 2012), pp. 1–14.
‘Numbers’, in J.N. Lohr and R.S. Briggs (eds.), A Theological Introduction to the Pentateuch: Interpreting the Torah as Christian Scripture (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012), pp. 113–143.
(with assistance from R.S. Briggs) ‘Walter Moberly’s Contribution to the Theological Interpretation of the Pentateuch’, in J.N. Lohr and R.S. Briggs (eds.), A Theological Introduction to the Pentateuch: Interpreting the Torah as Christian Scripture (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012), pp. 177–185.
‘Hospitality and Hostility: Reading Genesis 19 in Light of 2 Samuel 10’, in D. Lipton (ed.), Universalism and Particularism at Sodom and Gomorrah: Essays in Memory of Ron Pirson (The Ancient Near East and its Literature; Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2012), pp. 185–195.
‘Did God Choose the Patriarchs? Reading for Election in Genesis’, in N. MacDonald, M.W. Elliott and G. Macaskill (eds.), Genesis and Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012), pp. 245–266.
‘Anticipations of Horeb: Exodus 17 as Inner-Biblical Commentary’, in D. Lipton and G. Khan (eds.), Studies on the Text and Versions of the Hebrew Bible in Honour of Robert Gordon (Supplements to Vetus Testamentum, 149; Leiden: E.J. Brill, 2012), pp. 7–19.
‘Edom and Seir in the Narratives and Itineraries of Numbers 20–21 and Deuteronomy 1–3’, in G. Fischer, D. Markl and S. Paganini (eds.), Deuteronomium – Tora für eine neue Generation (Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für altorientalische und biblische Rechtsgeschichte, 17; Wiesbaden: Harrasowitz, 2011), pp. 83–103.
‘Response to Patrick Madigan, “The Curse of Monotheism”’, Heythrop Journal 51 (2010), pp. 1075–1077.
‘Issues in the Dating of Deuteronomy: A Response to Juha Pakkala’, Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 122 (2010), pp. 431–435.