My new friend, Dr. Brian Shetler, Head of Special Collections and Archives, brought out a few gems for me to see. The item I was most excited about was this 11th century Alexandrian lectionary manuscript (Greg. 303). (2/3)

Yesterday was wonderful. After a very helpful and encouraging meeting with Matt Novenson, my doctoral supervisor, I had the privilege of enjoying a private tour of the Special Collections at Wright Library of Princeton Theological Seminary. (1/3)

Today was another memorable day for me here in Princeton, to say the least. An important day. I had the privilege of sitting down and talking with a scholarly hero of mine, one of my favorite scholars since I was in college. (1/7)

Coffee, cronut, and books in an inspiring place. A pleasant summer Sunday.

My abode for the summer. Brown Hall, Princeton Theological Seminary.

From my evening walk.

After two days of cloudiness and rain, it’s beautiful today.

It's hard to put into words the evening I've had. I will never forget late college/early grad school reading the work of one of the greatest, and for me one of the most important, scholars of the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East living in the world, Dr. Mark S. Smith. (1/6)

Quite the lovely place to write today. William Elfers ‘41 Reading Room on the third floor of Princeton University’s Harvey S. Firestone Memorial Library, located next to their large classics collection. Outside of PTS’s Wright Library, this is without a doubt one of my favorite spots on campus.

After a coffee break at Small World Coffee, I made my way over to Princeton University’s famed Firestone Library to get my ID card and study there this evening. What a fabulous first day on campus! (3/3)

I then set up my carrell for the summer in the PhD suite on the third floor and started to get in research/writing mode. (2/3)

I’ve enjoyed settling in here at PTS today. The accommodations are lovely. After getting situated at Brown Hall, I enjoyed my first meal in the Mackay Dining Hall, then headed over to Wright Library (which truly lives up to the hype). (1/3)

I made it to Princeton! As soon as I got off the train at Princeton Station, I headed out to the road side where my friend was picking me up, and look who I run into. My advisor and friend Matt Novenson was out on a walk with his son and his dog, a pleasant surprise!

And so ends my fourth year teaching at St. Anthony High School. After the kids finished their last finals, it was great to say goodbye to many of them, sign their yearbooks, laugh, and wish them all a great summer. It was a tumultuous year in many ways. A lot of mixed feelings today. (1/3)

I can’t believe it has already been 2 years since our conference at Brown University. Dreaming up and co-convening this conference, and now putting the finishing touches on the resulting co-edited volume, has been the greatest scholarly achievement of my life thus far. Excited. More to come folks.

Working all day today to meet publication deadlines. I’m excited about both of these book chapters I am finishing to eventually see the light of day.

Desk vibes tonight. One of my favorite places.

Some gems arrived today. I have read Van Nuffelen and Smith’s classic digitally, but I had to get the print copies.

How about a Tiramisu Espresso Martini to conjure the muse to write this evening? Don’t mind if I do! With deadlines approaching, might as well try to enjoy the process.

We had a blast last night after the conference. I’m glad I stayed back for after dinner drinks with friends in the hotel lobby. Great conversations, hilarious stories, and lots of laughs. Good times, to say the least!

Janet Spittler of the University of Virginia delivering the last paper of the conference on the Acts of Andrew and Matthias in the City of the Cannibals, aguing that the gospels were what the Apocrypha never ceased to be. Good stuff.

Jeremiah Coogan, the first presenter in the session on Gospel Writing Beyond the Fourfold Gospel, is discussing the reception and reconfiguration of Mark’s gospel through the later Christian additions of prefaces with three examples from the 2nd through 6th centuries CE.

The always warm and jovial Christopher Skinner presenting on a kaleidoscopic method of approaching questions of Mark’s Christology. Chris has done an outstanding job spearheading what has been a fantastic conference on the gospels thus far.

Enjoying my friend Nick Elder’s discussion of the types of media that comprise the gospels.

Excited for the joint presentation on gospel production with James Barker and Robyn Faith Walsh.

Beginning day two of the Reassessing the Emergence of the Gospels conference here at Loyola Chicago with a session on Performance Criticism and the Gospels. My friend, Zach Eberhart, is the first presenter this morning.

Mark Goodacre is giving the keynote tonight on the state of gospels research.

Helen Bond of the University of Edinburgh, luminary in the study of Jesus and the Gospels (yes, I’m bias), is delivering an excellent paper at the moment on biography in first century Judaism. (h/t Chris Skinner for the pic)

The conference, Reassessing the Emergence of the Gospels: Genre, Media, Reception, has kicked off with Chris Skinner’s opening remarks here at Loyola University in Chicago. Gonna be a great couple of days. Link to schedule below.

Katy and I found a nice little used book store here in Raleigh, NC called The Readers Corner that just celebrated their 50th year being open. Got a nice little haul pictured below. I love supporting cool local used bookstores.