Philip Stern
I am a writer and a biblical scholar. I graduated from New York University in 1989, and in 1991 my revised and improved dissertation came out, published by Scholars Press in the Brown Judaic Series. It was called, The Biblical HEREM: A Window on Israel’s Religion. For my dissertation I read books and articles in Modern Hebrew, German, Dutch, Italian, and French. I studied languages that most people never do, including Akkadian, Ugaritic, Classical Greek, Classical Arabic, and Aramaic. I went on to publish articles in scholarly forums like BIBLICA, the HEBREW UNION COLLEGE ANNUAL, and VETUS TESTAMENTUM.
I first wrote for the public on the controversy then surrounding the Dead Sea Scrolls in a Jewish newspaper, the Forward. After that I wrote a bunch of articles for THE OXFORD COMPANION TO THE BIBLE, later republished under a slightly different title. Since then I have published dozens of articles, book reviews, and a little fiction as well. I also had the pleasure of collaborating with my late father, Rabbi Chaim Stern, on two large-scale projects, THE HAFTARAH COMMENTARY (1996) and a translation of Genesis that came out after my father’s death, in W. Gunther Plaut’s THE TORAH: A MODERN COMMENTARY (Revised Edition, 2005). My elegy for my father was published in the April, 2002 issue of MIDSTREAM magazine. My mother is still--happily--very much alive. My other longtime interests include tennis, the environment, international affairs—in addition to the United States I’ve also lived in England and Israel—history, literature, and politics.
Latest Articles
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Did a Woman Write the Song of Songs? (Song of Solomon)
The Song of Songs differs from rest of the Hebrew Bible; most of it is told from a woman's point of view and it is not sexist. Can a woman have written it?
Jul 13, 2011
- Philip Stern
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Roger Federer and Andy Roddick: Has Beens?
Federer and Roddick have each been in the top ten for the last ten years. Yet do they have a chance against Nadal and Djokovic--given the latter's 2011?
Jul 13, 2011
- Philip Stern
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Monotheism in the Hebrew Bible
Monotheism may have been a minority religion in ancient Israel, but the Hebrew Bible as it stands is very much the product of the minority party.
Apr 29, 2011
- Philip Stern
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For Everything There is a Season: Ecclesiastes 3
Ecclesiastes 3 has the most poetic and the most famous passage in the book, made popular by Pete Seeger and the Byrds in the song, "Turn, Turn, Turn."
Mar 17, 2011
- Philip Stern
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In the Beginning: Genesis 1 and Creation
Genesis 1 is unlike the Creation Myths of other ancient peoples like the Babylonians that featured many gods. In Genesis 1, the One God makes the world.
Feb 25, 2011
- Philip Stern
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Ezekiel the Prophet: On God's Will and Moral Teachings
In Ezekiel 18 the prophet deals profoundly with deep moral issues. In Ezekiel 33 the prophet revisits some of his earlier sayings and adds to his teachings.
Jan 22, 2011
- Philip Stern
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Ecclesiastes: Biblical Wisdom at Its Peak
The Book of Ecclesiastes is the product of a brilliant, unorthodox mind that focused not on revelation but on the observation of life "under the sun."
Jan 12, 2011
- Philip Stern
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Isaiah 2: They Shall Beat their Swords into Plowshares
The prophet's vision of universal worship of God and peace among all peoples is still relevant today and not just to Christians and Jews.
Dec 18, 2010
- Philip Stern
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Roger Federer: His Up and Down and Up Year in 2010
Roger Federer is an acknowledged tennis great, but while this wasn't the greatest year for him, he won one major, and finished the year with a bang!
Dec 1, 2010
- Philip Stern
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P. G. Wodehouse: Uncle Fred in the Springtime
For those who like British humor, P. G. Wodehouse's zany book, "Uncle Fred in the Springtime," is a supreme masterpiece of fun and laughs.
Nov 30, 2010
- Philip Stern
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