Religious Studies Professor to Speak about Israel Excavations

A religious studies professor who has participated in archeological excavations in Israel will speak Monday, March 31, 2008 at West Virginia University.  

Elizabeth McNamer, a professor at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Mont., will present "The First Century of Christianity in Jerusalem" at 4 p.m. in Room G-21 at Woodburn Hall. Her talk is free and open to the public.  

McNamer is a director and longtime participant of the Bethsaida excavations in Israel. She is also the editor of "Scripture from Scratch," a popular guide to understanding scripture. Her videos on scripture are produced by Saint Anthony Messenger Press, and her New Testament course was chosen by the Teaching Company of America for video production in 1993.  

"We are delighted to welcome Elizabeth McNamer to campus," said Jane Donovan, a lecturer in religious studies at WVU. "A visiting scholar of her caliber offers an important opportunity for our students and the general public to deepen their knowledge and understanding in this critical area of study."  

McNamer and a group of students from Rocky Mountain College worked last summer with Aaron Gale, associate professor and coordinator of religious studies at WVU, who also led a group of WVU students on the Bethsaida excavations. Information about their experiences, along with photos of the archeological work, can be found at http://www.wvu.edu/~relst/index.html and http://www.bethsaidaexcavation.com/ . 

McNamer received her undergraduate and master's degrees from Gonzaga University and a doctorate from Montana State University.            

While at WVU, she will also discuss her research on the Dead Sea Scrolls with students in the religious studies 293-I course, "Theology of the Apocalypse."  

Her visit to the University is supported by a donation from David Fogarty of Morgantown.