Robert Balgarnie Young Scott | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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Robert Balgarnie Young Scott

Robert Balgarnie Young Scott, biblical scholar (b at Toronto 16 July 1899; d at Toronto, 1 Nov 1987). After serving in the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve in WWI, he studied Greek and Hebrew at the University of Toronto (PhD 1928).

Scott, Robert Balgarnie Young

Robert Balgarnie Young Scott, biblical scholar (b at Toronto 16 July 1899; d at Toronto, 1 Nov 1987). After serving in the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve in WWI, he studied Greek and Hebrew at the University of Toronto (PhD 1928). He spent a year studying in Britain and Palestine, and was appointed professor of Old Testament studies at Union College in Vancouver, in 1928 and at United Theological College in Montréal, in 1931, becoming in 1948 first dean of the McGill Faculty of Divinity. From 1955 until retirement in 1968 he taught at Princeton, being annual professor at the American School of Oriental Research in Jerusalem in 1962-63.

A prolific writer, Scott published 5 books on the Old Testament, innumerable articles, book chapters and reference works, as well as lyrics for 10 hymns. He was a founder and first secretary-treasurer of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies and its president in 1972. He received 5 honorary degrees for his biblical scholarship.