The Journal of OCABS

The Journal of the Orthodox Center for the Advancement of Biblical Studies (JOCABS) promotes scholarship in biblical studies, homiletics, and religious education among Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Christians around the world.

Although submissions in English are preferred thus ensuring greater accessibility, academic papers in other languages (especially Arabic, Armenian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, and Spanish) will be considered by our multi-lingual editorial board and its international associates.

Articles may be submitted in the following areas:

Old Testament and Cognate Studies. Including (but not limited to) critical studies in Hebrew Bible; Septuagint; Pseudepigrapha; Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture; Syro-Palestinian Archaeology. 

New Testament and Cognate Studies. Including (but not limited to) critical studies in New Testament; Early Christian Literature; Apocryphal Literature and Traditions; Classical Studies; Archaeology of the Hellenistic and Roman periods.

The Bible in Homiletics and Christian Education. Including theoretical and methodological studies dedicated to the practical applications of biblical scholarship to both preaching and pedagogy.

Book Reviews. Submissions of critical reviews of books related to the field of biblical studies will be accepted and invited.

Latest Release

Vol 13, No 2 (2024)

Multiple Readings of the Sacred Text Throughout History

Fr. Paul Tarazi

Vol 13, No 1 (2024)

The Pursuit of Happiness down from Jerusalem

Daniel Ayuch

Stop putting your Greek logos in God’s mouth!

Matthew Franklin Cooper

The Bible in Miniature: The Blasphemer and the Law in Leviticus 24:10-23

Harrison Russin

The Loss of the Ge’ez Text of Ezekiel

Alem Sahle

It Only Takes One Word: The Necessity of Strict Lexicography in the Study of Biblical Literature

Blaise Webster

Recent Issues

Vol 12, No 1 (2022)

The Case of the Purloined Apostle: Was the Beloved Disciple of the Fourth Gospel the Apostle Andrew?

Gregory Doudna

Stones Rolled and Rolled Away: Kerygmatic Structures in Mark 15:40-16:8

Duane M. Johnson

The Last Discourse – John 13-17

V. Rev. Timothy Lowe

Vol 11, No 1 (2019)

Hebrew as Literary Language

Richard C. Benton, Jr.

The Desert as Image of God

Robert D. Miller

The Seleucid Period in Light of The Rise of Scripture

Nicolae Roddy

Vol 10, No 1 (2017)

“Shall we, then, be baptized for the dead?”: An Answer to the Problem of 1 Corinthians 15:29 and Vicarious Baptism

Rev. Fr. Joshua Schooping

Sin of Apostasy and Militarism in Hosea

Richard C. Benton, Jr.

Vol 9, No 1 (2016)

Paul’s Letter to the Churches of Galatia

Very Rev. Dr. Paul Nadim Tarazi

The Quest for Mark’s Sources: An Exploration of the Case for Mark’s Use of First Corinthians
Thomas P. Nelligan, Eugene, Oregon: Pickwick Publications, 2015

Review by Tom Dykstra

The Gospel of Matthew within the New Testament Canon

Very Rev. Dr. Paul Nadim Tarazi

Vol 8, No 1 (2015)

A Tale of Two Baptisms: Ritual and Social Order in 1 Corinthians 1:10-17

Stephen Richard Turley

Noi perspective privind autenticitatea epistolei 2 Petru

Cătălin Varga

Ehrman and Brodie on Whether Jesus Existed: A Cautionary Tale about the State of Biblical Scholarship

Tom Dykstra

Vol 7, No 1 (2014) 

The Pain of Victory: The Identity of the Pierced One in Zechariah 12:10 

Richard C. Benton, Jr.

The Crucified Christ: Paul’s Vision of Pastoral Ministry

William C. Mills

The Gospel of Mark: A Hypertextual Commentary

Tom Dykstra

Vol 6, No 1 (2013)

Treasure in Earthen Vessels: Exploring the Spirituality of Paul’s Epistles from the Underside of Selfhood

Patricia Sharbaugh

The Prophetologion and the Book of Judges

Klaas Spronk

Fasting in the Prophetic Tradition: An Examination of Isaiah 58

Rev. Fr. Aaron Warwick

Rereading Isaiah 40–55 as the Project Launcher for the Books of the Law and the Prophets

Iskandar Abou-Chaar

Vol 5, No 1 (2012)

The Chicago Lectionary Project: Its Legacy Reviewed and CSPMTs Recent Textual Discoveries Regarding Greek Gospel Lectionary Manuscripts

Paul D. Anderson

Freedom of choice in both the Theology of the New Testament and the Early Patristic Interpretation of the New Testament

Athanasios Despotis

Christ’s Commandment of Hatred (Lk 14:26) in the Theology of Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov)

Alexis Torrance

The Greek Orthodox Lectionary and the New Testament: History, Text, and Traditions

Paul D. Anderson

Vol 4, No 1 (2011)

Pre-Adamites, Politics and Criticism: Isaac La Peyrère’s Contribution to Modern Biblical Studies

Jeffrey L. Morrow

The Gospels' Genre as Scriptural Historiography: Applying Lessons Learned from Ronald Reagan's Biography

Tom Dykstra

St. John Chrysostom: Exegesis for Preaching and Teaching

Paul Tarazi

Vol 3, No 1 (2010)

David and the Psalter

Paul Tarazi

“Arise and Eat”: 1 Kings 19:3-8 and Elijah’s Death, Resurrection And Bread from Heaven

Jeffrey L. Morrow

Performing Christianity: Ritual and Identity in Pauline Baptism

Stephen Richard Turley

“New, Unfounded, Unworkable, and Unnecessary”: Thomas Brodie's Critique of Oral Tradition

Tom Dykstra

Murphy-O’Connor, J. Paul, His Story

Tom Dykstra

Vol 2, No 1 (2009)

Creation as Temple-Building and Work as Liturgy in Genesis 1-3

Jeff Morrow

Contesting Authority: the Greek Versions of Esther as Resistance Literature

Brian Carmany

‘A House of Prayer for all the Nations’: Jesus’s Temple Saying, Mark’s Gospel, and the Jewish War

Chris Seeman

Paul, the One Apostle of the One Gospel

Paul Nadim Tarazi

David Trobisch and David Parker on the Origin of the New Testament, the Historical Jesus, and How Manuscripts Can Reveal What Texts Conceal

Tom Dykstra

Negrov, Alexander I. Biblical interpretation in the Russian Orthodox Church: A historical and hermeneutical perspective.

Richard C. Benton, Jr.

Vol 1, No 1 (2008)

When the Messianic Vision Recedes: YHWH’s Kingship & the Mosaic Figure in Second Isaiah and Book Four of the Psalter

Sophia H.Y. Chen

LXX as an Interpretive Conversation Partner

Brad Embry

MELQUISEDEC Y LA CRISTOLOGIA DEL EVANGELIO DE JUAN

César Carbullanca Núñez

The Panoply of God: The Use of an Ancient Greek Epic Topos in Eph. 6:11-17

Darko Krstic

Biblical Studies and the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Traditions

Nicolae Roddy, Vahan Hovhanessian

For additional information, please contact Dr. Nicolae Roddy, at nroddy@creighton.edu or Fr. Vahan Hovanessian, at vartabed@stnersess.edu.