Thursday, October 18, 2012

Frank Moore Cross Has Passed Away


I have heard from a number of people that Frank Moore Cross (July 13, 1921 – October 17, 2012) has passed away.

Frank Moore Cross was one of the prominent researchers on the Dead Sea Scrolls at an early stage in their publication. He is especially noted for his foundational contributions to Hebrew paleography and the textual history of the Old Testament. He was the strongest supporter of a theory of local texts for the Old Testament, with the MT reflecting a Babylonian text, the LXX reflecting an Egyptian text, and the SP and several other texts reflecting a Palestinian tradition. Perhaps his most lasting contribution is in his role as teacher, as many of the most prominent Dead Sea Scrolls scholars today have studied under him. He will be sorely missed by many.