Back from SBL
Well I am finally back from SBL. I decided to drive from Texas to Washington DC and the drive was extremely long. The drive through the mountains of Tennessee and Virginia were very nice albeit a bit windy and at times rainy.
Upon finally arriving to Washington DC on Friday evening (after 3 days of driving), we were greeted by the terrible DC traffic (waiting hours in traffic only miles from the hotel). Our hotel was Hotel George, a very nice up-beat hotel that was not on the “official” list of SBL housing. It was close to Union Station and made it quite easy to get over to the Convention Center for meetings.
This was my first SBL ever (although I do regularly attend regional meetings of the SWCRS), and it was an enormous experience. I was most anxious to get to the books, and on Saturday morning after finding a plastic holder for my id-card and talking with a former professor of OT at Truett Seminary, I went down stairs into the exhibit hall. I must say, I have never seen so many books for sale in my life. I quickly began moving from vendor to vendor (seeing booths for Cambridge and Oxford–expensive publishers that are hard to find around here). But I was disappointed to find that many of them did not reduce their prices by 50%. Some did, but others only reduced by 20% or 30%. One of the most impressive sites was Brill. Those books discounted were still over $100. Somebody is making some money somewhere with that publisher. I ended up buying about 15 books (that I could not afford) especially Tom Thatcher’s new book on John, but I missed Buackham’s new book (I waited to the second day to buy it and they sold 130+ copies of it in a day).
The conferences were of varying quality. I attended sessions on topics including: Historical Jesus, Johannine literature, and especially John-Jesus-History. I made a few new friends and put lots of faces with famous names (too numerous to name).
All in all, it was a life-altering experience. And somehow I did manage to go to church on Sunday moring. I attended the National Community Church that meets in a Union Station movie theater. I ran into Prof. Roger Olson (my former theology professor at Truett) on the way into the church. Dr. Olson was one of my favorite professors (along wtih Mark Dubis who was also at SBL) and I told him that I would buy his new book on Arminianism.
For other bibliobloggers at SBL, do check out these sites:
1. Hypotyposeis
2. Deinde
3. Sansbloque has several
4. Bluecord
5. D. Bock
6. Scot McKnight
7. Targuman one of my favorites! Check out the audio that several of the bloogers did (it is quite good): here.
Thank you for the kind comment! As a Brill author (who forgot to ask for his author discount!) I can tell you the authors do not make the money on their books. The run is so limited… Although I should be quick to tell you that they are some of the finest people I have ever worked for and I would recommend them in a heartbeat.
David,
Bauckham’s “Jesus and the Eyewitnesses” is available at lifeway SWBTS book store. I just got my copy yesterday at a student discounted price ( & 27.00). By the way, I also got Gathercole’s “The Pre-Existent Son” for the same price.
Blessings,
Celucien Joseph
Chris,
I am glad to hear that you have had a good experience with Brill. I just wish their books were financially within reach.
Celucien Joseph,
I didn’t realize these books have already arrived SWBTS Lifeway. BTW, How is everything with you?
[...] with something of a general overview that you won’t want to miss. The witty David Ritsema of New Testament Studies also described his experiences as a first time [...]