John McRay | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 December 1931  Holdenville |
| Died | 24 August 2018 (aged 86) |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | University teacher, New Testament scholar,archaeologist |
| Employer | |
| Works | Archaeology and the New Testament, Paul: His Life and Teaching |
| Position held | emeritus (Wheaton College, 2002–) |
John Robert McRay (1931 – 2018) was anarchaeologist, andprofessor emeritus of New Testament atWheaton College (Illinois).[1] He directed archaeological excavations in Israel, and "his articles have appeared in [several] encyclopedias and dictionaires".[2] He "has lectured widely on archaeology and the Bible at various colleges, universities, professional meetings and churches in the United States".[3]
McRay was born in Holdenville, Oklahoma.[4] His wife's name is Annette and they had three children: Rob, David, and Barrett, and they also had eight grand children and two great-grandchildren.[5]
He died at age 86 on August 24, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee.[4]
In 1956 McRay earned a M.A. atHarding College, with the thesisThe fact and nature of eternal punishment in the New Testament. He completed his Ph.D. in New Testament at theUniversity of Chicago in 1967.[5] He also studied at theHebrew University, at theÉcole biblique et archéologique française de Jérusalem, and atVanderbilt University Divinity School.[2][6]
From 1956 to 2002, McRay had taught at four colleges:Harding University,Lipscomb University,Middle Tennessee State University and Wheaton College.[3] After McRay got his PhD, he went on to teach at Middle Tennessee State University, David Lipscomb College (now Lipscomb University), and Harding Graduate School.[5] From 1980 McRay joined the Wheaton's faculty, and until 2002 (for more than fifteen years), he taught in biblical studies at Wheaton College.[7] When he retired, he was awarded emeritus status.[7]
McRay supervised excavating teams in theHoly Land for almost 8 years inCaesarea,Sepphoris, andHerodium in Israel.[2] He also was an expert in the languages, cultures, geography, and history of Israel-Palestine.[5]
McRay was associate to theAlbright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem,American Schools of Oriental Research, and a member of the editorial boards ofNear East Archaeological Society Bulletin,Archaeology in the Biblical World and theBulletin for Biblical Research, published byInstitute for Biblical Research.[2]