Welcome!
I’m a researcher and writer focused on the study of ancient languages, sacred texts, and the world of the past that birthed these traditions. My own fascination with these topics came from my desire to read biblical literature in the original languages, and it has continued to grow over the years, branching out both into the languages and cultures of the ancient Near East and into those of the early Christian traditions.
Along the way, I’ve extensively studied multiple varieties and dialects of Hebrew, Aramaic (including Syriac), Greek, and Coptic. I’ve dabbled in Latin, Armenian, Arabic, Ethiopic, Ugaritic and other Northwest Semitic dialects, Akkadian, and Sumerian.
My formal education culminated in earning a PhD in Near Eastern Language and Cultures from UCLA. My doctoral dissertation, Approaching the Psalms: The Psalm Headings in the Early Versions, examined the translation treatment of the Psalm headings from Hebrew into Greek, Latin, Syriac and Targumic Aramaic, and the Coptic dialects of Sahidic, Bohairic, and Oxyrhynchite.
I’ve taught biblical literature, ancient languages, and ancient Near Eastern history and religion at UCLA and Azusa Pacific University. I’m a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and the International Association of Coptic Studies and a research associate of the St. Shenouda the Archimandrite Coptic Society in Los Angeles.
My recent book, Basics of Sahidic Coptic (Zondervan Academic, 2025), is part of the Zondervan Language Basics series. It offers a practical and up-to-date introduction to this classical dialect of the Coptic language, designed for students of theology, history, and philology alike. It includes a variety of readings from biblical and extrabiblical sources and a comprehensive lexicon.
I’ll be discussing future projects—along with any other assorted musings I have—on this website. Stay tuned, and thanks for stopping by!