W. Randall Garr

W. Randall Garr is a Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research focuses on Northwest Semitic Languages, Hebrew Bible, and Ancient Near Eastern Studies. He holds a Ph.D. from Yale University and has contributed significantly to biblical exegesis, linguistic analysis of Hebrew, and interpretation of ancient inscriptions.

Key academic contributions include works on biblical texts such as Ruth and 1 Samuel, studies on Hebrew grammar (e.g., paragogic nun and vowel dissimilation), and analysis of the Tell Fakhariyeh inscription. His courses cover Biblical Hebrew, Hebrew Bible literature, and Ancient Near East religions. Garr’s scholarship bridges historical linguistics, archaeology, and religious studies.

Publications include Handbook of Biblical Hebrew (with Steven Fassberg) and Dialect Geography of Syria-Palestine. He has authored articles on topics ranging from necromancy in the Bible to Driver’s Hebrew tense studies.