Paulinerkirche Library

Here is a panorama and some photos of the Paulinerkirche Library, where we held the second half of our colloquium. Below the panorama is the seminar room where our papers were delivered and discussed. The next photo is the inner courtyard of the complex. Below that are two shots of the rare book area, which is the converted sanctuary of the old church. One of the manuscript pages on display pictures the sin of the golden calf in the wilderness (final photo).

Altes Rathaus

The Old Town Hall, built in the 13th to 15th centuries, is remarkable for its sturdy, stone construction. The building served multiple purposes, including a site for weddings, court proceedings, a jail, a merchant’s guild hall, a site for trading linen, etc. The décor of the main hall includes many engaging frescos stemming from the 19th century.

Here is a Photosynth panorama of the interior of the Town Hall. Use your mouse to pan around the entire space, including the ceiling:

Outside the Town Hall is the Gänseliesel fountain. The figure is a young girl bringing her geese to market. The university custom is for those receiving their doctoral degrees to be wheeled to the statue in a cart covered with flowers and to kiss the figure’s bronze cheek.

An Historic University House

In the photos below, I am standing at the house where Julius Wellhausen had an encounter that would markedly influence his monumental research on the Hebrew Bible. Wellhausen reported that here during a casual visit to Göttingen in the summer of 1867 he learned from Albrecht Ritschl that Karl Heinrich Graf dated the Bible’s books of Law later in time than the Prophets, overturning all traditional assumptions. Wellhausen later wrote, “Almost without knowing his reasons for the hypothesis, I was prepared to accept it; I readily acknowledged to myself the possibility of understanding Hebrew antiquity without the book of the Torah.”

Photos from around the Town

First, below is a typical German pharmacy (a bit different from those in the US; e.g., the pharmacists can actually prescribe some helpful drugs):

Below is a photo of the German offices of Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, an academic publishing house for more than 275 years that is well known to biblical scholars. Apparently the monarch brought the publisher to the city just a few years prior to the starting of the university:

Third, below is the Deutsches Theater, a cultural center within the city:

Group Photo of Participants

Nathan MacDonald, the convener and organizer of the “Divine Presence and Divine Absence” colloquium just emailed our group photo, taken outside the Paulinerkirche Library and meeting rooms. In the first row, with some seated, we have Izaak de Hulster (Göttingen University), myself, Stephen Cook (Virginia Theological Seminary), Joel Burnett (Baylor University), Angelika Berlejung (Leipzig University), Lisbeth Fried (University of Michigan), and Jill Middlemas (Zurich University). In the second row, we have Bob Becking (Utrecht University), Robert Barrett (Göttingen University), Trevor Hart (St. Andrew’s University), Claus Ambos (Heidelberg University), Nathan MacDonald (Göttingen University / St. Andrew’s University), Ben Sommer (Jewish Theological Seminary), Kenneth Brown (Göttingen University), Lydia Lee (Göttingen University), and Roberto Piani (Göttingen University). It was a terrific group, and the talks and discussion were excellent. The papers are to be published in a forthcoming volume from Mohr Siebeck, most likely in the series Forschungen zum Alten Testament II.

Platz der Göttinger

Safe back at home from the colloquy in Göttingen and able to use my computers and not just my iPhone, I can post some better images and discussion from the trip. Our first round of papers and discussions took place in the Theologicum building (the lower photo shows the entrance) at the Platz der Göttinger, right near the big university library, the Niedersächsische Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek, Göttingen. I’m including a panorama of the whole area that I took standing right below the circular tower of the library (shown in the upper photo). Enjoy!

An original house in Göttingen

Here is one of the original, old half-timbered houses of Göttingen, the 15th century Junkernschänke (corner of Jüdenstr. and Barfüßerstr.)



Here is the couple who lived here:

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At Eichhorn's Grave

Eichhorn was Hebrew Bible professor here at Göttingen. He's often credited as "the founder of modern Old Testament criticism."



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First Day in Göttingen

Our hotel, Hotel Central:





Johanniskirche:




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Safe Arrival in Germany

Our plane had a smooth landing in Frankfurt.



Then, it was straight to the train for the 2 hour trip to Göttingen.



By happy coincidence, Benjamin Sommer and I had seats right by each other.



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About to Board my Flight to Germany

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Location:Willard Rd,Sterling,United States

Scholarly Meeting in Göttingen

Today, I’m making last minute preparations for my trip to Germany. I’ll be part of a small colloquy-conference on the topic of “Divine Presence and Absence”: Göttliche Anwesenheit und Abwesenheit Tagung, Göttingen, Germany. If all the technology works, I plan to post updates and pictures from Germany here in this blog.

Graduating International Student Dinner

Here is a photo tonight with Wisnel Dejardin, who will graduate in two weeks and go back to Haiti to teach Hebrew Bible / Old Testament.




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Saturday's Picnic at the VTS Deanery

Use mouse and arrows to move and drag the panorama: