Frank Moore Cross facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frank Moore Cross
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| Born |
Frank Moore Cross Jr.
July 13, 1921 Ross, California, US
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| Died | October 2012 (aged 91) |
| Alma mater |
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Notable work
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| Spouse(s) |
Betty
(m. 1947; died 2009) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Harvard University |
| Doctoral advisor | William F. Albright |
| Doctoral students |
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| Other notable students | Burgess Carr |
Frank Moore Cross Jr. (born July 13, 1921, died October 16, 2012) was a very important professor at Harvard University. He was famous for studying ancient languages and texts. He helped us understand the amazing Dead Sea Scrolls and wrote a major book called Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic. He also studied ancient writings carved into stone or metal, which is called epigraphy. Many of his writings on epigraphy were later put together in a book called Leaves from an Epigrapher's Notebook.
Contents
Growing Up and School
Cross was born on July 13, 1921, in Ross, California. His father, Frank Moore Cross, was a pastor at a church in Birmingham, Alabama. One of his uncles, Laurance L. Cross, was the mayor of Berkeley, California, for several years.
Frank graduated from Ensley High School in 1938. He earned his first college degree, a BA, from Maryville College in 1942. He then got a BD degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in 1946.
Cross continued his studies at Johns Hopkins University. There, he learned from William F. Albright, who is known as the founder of biblical archaeology. Cross earned his PhD in 1950. He also received a Master of Arts degree from Harvard University in 1958. Later in his life, he received honorary degrees from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the University of Lethbridge.
His Work as a Professor
From 1949 to 1950, Cross taught Semitic languages (a group of languages including Hebrew and Arabic) at Johns Hopkins University. He then taught biblical history at Wellesley College and later taught about the Old Testament at McCormick Theological Seminary.
In 1957, Cross became a professor at Harvard Divinity School. A year later, he was given the special title of Hancock Professor of Hebrew and Other Oriental Languages at Harvard University. This was one of the oldest teaching positions in the United States. He held this important role from 1958 until he retired in 1992.
Cross also helped manage the Harvard Semitic Museum. He was its curator from 1958 to 1961 and its director from 1974 to 1987.
During his time at Harvard, Professor Cross guided over one hundred students who were working on their PhDs. Many of these students became important scholars themselves in the study of the Hebrew Bible and ancient Near Eastern history.
Studying the Dead Sea Scrolls
Starting in June 1953, Frank Moore Cross became part of an international team. This team was in charge of studying and publishing the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are ancient texts found near Qumran. Cross first heard about these scrolls in 1948 when he was a student. His teacher, William F. Albright, showed him pictures of one of the scrolls. Albright later suggested Cross join the team.
When he joined, Cross was given 61 biblical manuscripts from a cave at Qumran to prepare for publication. This involved carefully cleaning the old texts. Like other team members, Cross received financial help to do this important work. He was one of only two American scholars on the team and is seen as a founder of Dead Sea Scrolls studies. His main book about this topic is The Ancient Library of Qumran, which was updated in 1995.
Later Life and Awards
Frank Moore Cross passed away in Rochester, New York, in October 2012. He was 91 years old.
He received many awards for his work. In 1980, he won the Percia Schimmel Prize in Archaeology and the William Foxwell Albright Award. He also received awards from the Complutense University of Madrid in 1991, Gratz College in 1998, and the National Foundation for Jewish Culture in 2004.
Cross was an honorary member of several important groups, including the Israel Exploration Society. He also served as a trustee for organizations like the American Schools of Oriental Research and the Dead Sea Scrolls Foundation.
See also
In Spanish: Frank Cross para niños
