Dr. Simon B. Parker (1940-2006) taught Hebrew Bible at the Boston University School of Theology for 25 years. Dr. Parker joined the School of Theology in 1981 as Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible and was Associate Dean for Academic Affairs until 1988. He held a joint appointment at the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, and was named the Harrell F. Beck Scholar of Hebrew Scripture in 1991.
The Simon Parker Collection consists of over 300 books from Dr. Parker's private library, reflecting his areas of scholarly interest, which focused on the interpretation of biblical literature in its ancient literary, religious, and social contexts and its significance for the contemporary church. His early research concerned Israel’s inheritance from Canaanite culture, as represented especially in Ugaritic literature, and its transformation of that tradition. Later, his primary research interest was Hebrew inscriptions, their relation to other archaeological sources and biblical literature, and the light they shed on the social and religious life of ancient Judeans