Benjamin Wright

Benjamin Wright serves as University Distinguished Professor in the Religion Studies Department at Lehigh University, where he teaches courses on the Bible, ancient Jewish and Christian literature, and the history of Judaism and Early Christianity. His academic career spans over three decades of dedicated scholarship in ancient religious texts.

His educational foundation includes:

• B.A. in Philosophy/Religion from Ursinus College (1975), cum laude
• M.Div. in Biblical Studies from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (1978), summa cum laude
• Ph.D. in Christian Origins from the University of Pennsylvania (1988)

Professor Wright's research centers on Second Temple Judaism (300 BCE–1st century CE), with specialized focus on Jewish Wisdom literature—particularly the Book of Ben Sira—and the cultural dynamics of Hellenistic translation. His work examines the Septuagint's role in Jewish-Greek cultural exchange, the Dead Sea Scrolls' historical context, and the literary traditions of Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha. He approaches these texts through interdisciplinary lenses including translation theory, cultural anthropology, and textual criticism.

His publication record reveals consistent scholarly engagement with Ben Sira's textual history, translation methodologies, and reception across eras. Recent work explores globalization in antiquity, the Letter of Aristeas as cultural artifact, and intersections between wisdom literature and social identity formation. The trajectory shows deepening analysis of how ancient Jewish communities navigated cultural hybridity through textual production.