IN REMEMBRANCE: DAVID DORSEY, PH.D.
David Alden Dorsey, 64, Distinguished Professor of Old Testament Emeritus at Evangelical Theological Seminary, Myerstown, Pennsylvania, died Thursday, January 2, 2014 at his residence after a long illness.
David taught Old Testament at Evangelical Seminary for 34 years, from 1979 until his retirement in June, 2013. He authored two significant books, The Roads and Highways of Ancient Israel (Johns Hopkins, 1991), and The Literary Structure of the Old Testament (Baker, 2004). David wrote dozens of articles for various scholarly and popular journals, Bible encyclopedias, Bible dictionaries, and archaeological encyclopedias. He served on the translation team that produced the New Living Translation. He also served as the founder and curator of the seminary’s Pense Archaeological Museum and was a beloved professor to several generations of students. Every other year he conducted study tours to Israel, helping students from Evangelical experience the Holy Land first hand. He spoke regularly at churches, retreats, camps, and seminars.
He was a graduate of Northeastern Bible College and pursued graduate studies at the American Institute of Holy Land Studies in Jerusalem and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He started PhD studies with Hebrew University, during which he also traveled extensively throughout Israel by motorcycle and participated in archaeological excavations. He later transferred to Dropsie University in Philadelphia to complete his Ph.D. in Ancient Near Eastern History.
Dorsey was the husband of Janet L. (Prosser) Dorsey to whom he was married 40 years. In addition to his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Sarah, wife of Phillip Bollinger of Myerstown, both of whom now teaching his courses at Evangelical Seminary as mentored faculty. He is also survived by sons Jonathan and Benjamin, and five grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to Evangelical Seminary, 121 S. College St., Myerstown, PA 17067, or Practical Compassion, P.O. Box 1193, Lebanon, PA 17042-1193