Meet David A. deSilva, visiting professor at the French École Biblique et Archéologique in Jerusalem for a few months. Find out more about this American who is crisscrossing the Holy Land to prepare his next courses… and a future book!
Lecture to Ébaf students
“I’m a professor of New Testament and Greek at Ashland Theological Seminary and, at the same time, organist and choirmaster in three churches. I’m passionate about creating resources that help Christians enter the world of Scripture and listen to these texts from the perspective of their historical recipients. It also enriches our own understanding of the call to discipleship and community.
I’m currently working on a book illustrated with all the photos I can take during this stay at Ébaf entitled Archaeology and the World of Jesus, a tool both for seminarians and for those preparing to lead travel groups to Israel (and Jordan). It will be published by Baker Academic. Of course, everything I do on the current project will help me better teach a course for Ashland PhD students called “The Bible on the Ground”.
Deciding to come to Jerusalem, to the Holy Land, at a time when the region is at war, is a courageous, audacious choice! Why did you decide to join us in spite of everything?
I believed the accounts of people on the ground that life in Jerusalem is essentially serene. Of course, I’ve followed the news carefully every day since October 7, but I haven’t noticed anything to indicate that there’s any real danger of living in Jerusalem. I didn’t want to waste this wonderful opportunity for no good reason. However, I decided to cut my stay short when it became clear that my wife didn’t see things the same way when it came to joining me on this adventure. The alert on the night of April 13 made me doubt my assessment for a moment, but as three hundred missiles didn’t kill a single person, I concluded that Jerusalem was safe enough to stay.
You’ve been preparing for your arrival at the School for a long time, so why is it so important to you?
Amman Citadel – Jordan
The library is extraordinary, of course, and offers more than I could ever use if I stayed there for two years. So in two months… But I think the Dominican friars and students who live here – and the rhythm of prayer that unites us – are the treasure of this institution. I’m someone who has always been nurtured by “traditional worship”, and the spirit of welcome I’ve encountered is uplifting. My interactions with the brothers and students are inspiring, especially as they come from so many different backgrounds and places.
My main goal in coming here is to gather as much as I can from the library’s resources on Israel/Palestine archaeology related to my book, as I have no access to such collections in Florida. This is a welcome addition to the sites I have visited in Israel/Palestine and Jordan over the past ten years. I’ve also picked out a few places I’d like to revisit or discover for the first time in Jerusalem during my almost daily walks since the School, as well as in the Nazareth area and, I hope, in Gerizim to do the same.
I’m also trying to make contact with as many colleagues as possible in the various institutions of Jerusalem, Nazareth and Bethlehem, and to take advantage of these meetings to give a few lectures.
Wadi Rum – Jordan
