Robert Henry Pfeiffer (1892–1958) was a professor, museum curator, and Assyriologist. After serving as a Methodist pastor from 1916 to 1919 in Sanborn, New York, Pfeiffer taught at Harvard University beginning in 1922.[1][2] He earned his M.A. in 1920 and Ph.D. in 1922 and, the following year, he also earned a Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) from Harvard. He directed the Harvard-Baghdad School excavations at Nuzi, Iraq (from 1928). In 1930, he was appointed as an assistant professor.[3] He also served as a professor at the School of Theology of Boston University. From 1931, he served as curator of the Harvard Semitic Museum.

Career

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He was named to the Hancock Professor of Hebrew and Other Oriental languages in 1953, announced by the provost Paul H. Buck. He held this chair from 1953–58.[3]

Death

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In January of 1958, he died during his thirty-seventh year of teaching at Harvard University. He was buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.

Contributions to Assyriology

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Pfeiffer's works include The Archives of Shilwateshub (1932); Excavations at Nuzi, volumes 2 (1933) and 4 (with E.R. Lacheman, 1942); One Hundred New Selected Nuzi Texts (with E.A. Speiser, 1936); and State Letters of Assyria (1935).

Pfeiffer wrote a number of papers on philological, literary, and historical-critical criticism of the Bible. He was editor of the Journal of Biblical Literature, 1943–47.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Pfeiffer, Robert H. (Robert Henry), 1892-1958. Papers, 1928-1957". Harvard Divinity School Library, Harvard University. bMS 519.
  2. ^ "Pfeiffer, Robert H. (Robert Henry), 1892-1958. Papers, 1911-1958". Harvard Divinity School Library, Harvard University. bMS 448.
  3. ^ a b Robert, P (17 March 1953). "Pfeiffer Named to Hancock Chair". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  4. ^ "Pfeiffer, Robert Henry°". www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved 2022-06-28.