Bill T. Arnold

Dr. Bill T. Arnold is the Paul S. Amos Professor of Old Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary. He joined the faculty in 1995 and has served in several administrative positions, including Chair of the Area of Biblical Studies, Director of Postgraduate Studies, and Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost.

His educational background includes a Ph.D. from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, an M.Div. from Asbury Theological Seminary, and a B.A. from Asbury University.

Dr. Arnold's research focuses on Old Testament and ancient Near Eastern studies, with specializations in Pentateuchal interpretation, particularly Genesis and Deuteronomy. His scholarly work explores the intersection of biblical texts with their historical and cultural contexts in the ancient Near East. He has made significant contributions to our understanding of Hebrew language, the history of Israelite religion, and the composition of the Pentateuch.

His recent publications reveal a continued focus on Deuteronomy, with major works including a commentary on Deuteronomy (2022), a handbook on the Hebrew text of Deuteronomy 12-26 (2022), and several articles examining specific aspects of Deuteronomy's composition and theology. He has also contributed to Genesis scholarship through his work on The Cambridge Companion to Genesis (2022) and other publications. His research demonstrates a consistent interest in the relationship between biblical texts and ancient Near Eastern contexts.

Dr. Arnold has received recognition through editorial appointments as General Editor (Hebrew Bible/Old Testament) for the New Cambridge Bible Commentary series, Editor of the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Pentateuch, and Series Editor of the New International Commentary on the Old Testament.

He has been actively involved in professional organizations, serving as co-chair of the Genesis Program Unit for the Society of Biblical Literature (2017-2021) and co-chair of the SBL Deuteronomy Program Unit since 2019. Previously, he served on the Board of Trustees of the American Schools of Oriental Research (2007-2011) and ASOR's Committee on Publications (2008-2014).