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One of the giants in Aramaic, Phoenician, Semitics, and biblical studies, Edward Lipiński passed away on April 12 in Brussels, Belgium. He was 93 years old.
Lipiński was Emeritus Professor in the Faculty of Arts at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. He received his appointment at the university in 1969, and for more than 40 years taught Semitic languages and epigraphy as well as the history, cultures, and religions of the ancient Near East and the biblical world. He was a prolific writer, authoring and editing dozens of books and articles, especially on Aramaic and Phoenician epigraphy, along with Semitics. He also occa-sionally wrote for popular audiences, including several articles in BAR.
With so many publications, it is difficult to assess Lipiński’s overall scholarly impact. Yet there can be little doubt that his book The Aramaeans: Their Ancient History, Culture, Religion (Peeters, 2000) is his magnum opus. This work’s comprehensive coverage of all aspects of this important ancient Near Eastern people has made it an essential reference for more than two decades. Lipiński’s creative mind saw many ancient Near Eastern and biblical interconnections not seen by his contemporaries. He was a scholar who blazed his own path and whose work will demand attention for years to come.
One of the giants in Aramaic, Phoenician, Semitics, and biblical studies, Edward Lipiński passed away on April 12 in Brussels, Belgium. He was 93 years old. Lipiński was Emeritus Professor in the Faculty of Arts at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. He received his appointment at the university in 1969, and for more than 40 years taught Semitic languages and epigraphy as well as the history, cultures, and religions of the ancient Near East and the biblical world. He was a prolific writer, authoring and editing dozens of books and articles, especially on Aramaic and Phoenician epigraphy, along […]
