Cyrus H. Gordon (1908–2001)
Author of The Bible and the Ancient Near East
About the Author
Cyrus Herzel Gordon, 1909 - 2001 Dr. Cyrus H. Gordon was born in 1909 in Philadelphia. He earned his bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate of Semitics. He is perhaps best known for his greatest scholarly achievement, a series of books on the on an show more ancient language known as Ugaritic. From 1956 to 1973, Gordon was a professor of Near East Studies at Brandeis University, and chairman of the department of Mediterranean Studies from 1958 to 1973. From '73 til '89, he was a professor of Hebrew Studies at New York University, which is eventually from where he retired. Along with his responsibilities as a professor, Gordon held the post of Director of N. Y. U.'s Center for Ebla Research. Gordon was considered a great scholar and an expert on ancient languages. His autobiography, "A Scholar's Odyssey" won an award from the Jewish Book Council. Gordon Died at his home in Massachusetts on March 30, 2001. show less
Works by Cyrus H. Gordon
Ugaritic textbook; grammar, texts in transliteration, cuneiform selections, glossary, indices (1998) 70 copies
Ugarit and Minoan Crete; the bearing of their texts on the origins of Western culture (1967) 27 copies, 1 review
Ugaritic literature;: A comprehensive translation of the poetic and prose texts (Scripta Pontificii Instituti Biblici 98) (1949) 12 copies
The Pennsylvania tradition of semitics : a century of Near Eastern and biblical studies at the University of Pennsylvania (1987) 5 copies
Ugaritic manual;: Newly revised grammar, texts in transliteration, cuneiform selections, paradigms, glossary, indices (A (1955) 4 copies
Orient and Occident. Essays presented to Cyrus H. Gordon on the Occasion of his Sixty-fifth Birthday (1973) 3 copies
Canaanite mythology 1 copy
Ugaritic Handbook 1 copy
The Phaistos Disk 1 copy
Scritture Dimenticate 1 copy
Associated Works
By Study and Also by Faith: Essays in Honor of Hugh W. Nibley, Vol. 1 (1990) — Contributor — 49 copies
Bono Homini Donum : Essays in Historical Linguistics in Memory of J. Alexander Kerns (1981) — Contributor — 7 copies
Studies in diachronic, synchronic, and typological linguistics : festschrift for Oswald Szemerényi on the occasion of his 65th birthday (1979) — Contributor — 6 copies
Fucus : a Semitic/Afrasian gathering in remembrance of Albert Ehrman (1988) — Contributor — 2 copies
The Asia Minor connexion : studies on the pre-Greek languages in memory of Charles Carter (2000) — Contributor — 1 copy
Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought - Volume 4, Number 2 (Summer 1969) (1969) — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Gordon, Cyrus Herzl
- Birthdate
- 1908-06-29
- Date of death
- 2001-03-30
- Gender
- male
- Education
- University of Pennsylvania (AB|1927, MA|1928, PhD|1930)
Dropsie College of Philadelphia - Occupations
- archaeologist
- Organizations
- Director of the Center for Ebla Research
National Association of Professors of Hebrew
American Historical Association
American Oriental Society
Society of Biblical Literature
Archaeological Institute of America (show all 10)
American Philological Association
Royal Asiatic Society
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy for Jewish Research - Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Places of residence
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Baghdad, Iraq
Jerusalem, British Palestine - Place of death
- Brookline, Massachusetts, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
UGARIT AND MINOAN CRETE: The Bearing of Their Texts on the origins of Western Culture by Cyrus H. Gordon
The author is expert linguist, famous for identifying the Minoan Linear A tablets from Cretee as Semitic. Explains the links between early Hebrew and Greek literatures.
Not only does Ugarit link Minos and the Hebrews, but Homer as well. This strongly reinforces the fact that until 1500 BC Greece, Ugarit, and Israel were all part of the same cultural sphere. Ironically, Ugarit broadens our horizons. [cf 7]
It is true that Israel did not produce a Parthenon, and "when did Greece bring forth an show more Isaiah?" But the Ugaritic epics "have unmistakable and organic parallels that link the pre-prophetic Hebrews with the pre-philosophical Greeks." [14] show less
Not only does Ugarit link Minos and the Hebrews, but Homer as well. This strongly reinforces the fact that until 1500 BC Greece, Ugarit, and Israel were all part of the same cultural sphere. Ironically, Ugarit broadens our horizons. [cf 7]
It is true that Israel did not produce a Parthenon, and "when did Greece bring forth an show more Isaiah?" But the Ugaritic epics "have unmistakable and organic parallels that link the pre-prophetic Hebrews with the pre-philosophical Greeks." [14] show less
Gordon is not your "arm-chair" archeologist; he is a well-travelled path marching to his own saxophone. Personable, brilliant, detail-oriented. Famous for facility with Ugaritic, the first language to use the alphabet we have today.
Department of History, University of Hong Kong
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Statistics
- Works
- 33
- Also by
- 7
- Members
- 969
- Popularity
- #26,569
- Rating
- 3.5
- Reviews
- 5
- ISBNs
- 31