Alumnus of the Year honoured for helping us understand Bible
Avondale Alumni’s Alumnus of the Year for 2016 is also a recipient of the Charles Elliott Weniger Award for Excellence, bestowed on Seventh-day Adventists who contribute significantly to church and community. Dr Bernard Taylor’s awards recognise his contribution to international scholarship in biblical languages and studies.
A dozen years in pastoral and evangelistic ministry in Australia and New Zealand followed Taylor’s graduation in 1966. The addition of a major in Hebrew from The University of Sydney to his Bachelor of Arts (Theology) from Avondale would shape his subsequent career. A Master of Arts in biblical languages from Andrews University (Michigan, USA) and a Master and a Doctor of Philosophy from Hebrew Union College (Ohio, USA) followed. The latter saw Taylor become the first non-Jew to teach biblical Hebrew to rabbinic students.
Taylor combined scholarship with pastoral ministry between 1985 and 2013, including 23 years as Scholar in Residence at Loma Linda University Church (California, USA). His speciality: the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Old Testament used by Jesus and the apostles. Taylor translated 1 Samuel and substantial sections of 2 Samuel and 1 Kings for the New English Translation of the Septuagint. His most important work, Analytical Lexicon to the Septuagint, is an essential reference tool.
Professional societies have also benefited from Taylor’s language skills. He has edited the Bulletin of the International Organisation for Septuagint and Cognate Studies and the Septuagint and Cognate Studies Series, co-chaired the Biblical Lexicography section of the Society of Biblical Literature and co-chaired and chaired the Society’s Electronic Standards for Biblical Language Texts Seminar. He is currently director of the Computer Assisted Tools for Septuagint Studies Septuagint morphology database.
Supporting Taylor during his career have been his wife, Alyna, son Clynton and daughter Danelle.
Avondale Alumni honours Dr Bernard Taylor for using his understanding of language to help us better understand the Bible.
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