Students Parents Alumni Faculty/Staff

Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Seth Rodriquez

Meet Dr. Seth Rodriquez

Degrees and Experience
  • Ph.D., Old Testament Archaeology and History (The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)
  • Th.M., Old Testament Archaeology (The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)
  • M.Div. (The Master's Seminary)
  • B.A., Biblical Studies – Theology (The Master's University)
  • Near East Archaeological Society – Board Member and Secretary
  • Evangelical Theological Society – Member
  • Tell es-Safi/Gath Excavation Project - Square Supervisor
Biography and Professional Achievements

Dr. Seth Rodriquez is originally from California, lived in Kentucky for a decade, and then spent three years in Utah as part of a church planting team. Before coming to CCU, he served as an adjunct professor at Anderson University and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Internationally, he taught at the Baptist Theological Seminary of Zimbabwe as a guest lecturer in 2016. He currently serves on the board of directors and as the secretary of the Near East Archaeological Society. His work has been published in the CBS Holy Land Illustrated Bible, The Dictionary of Daily Life in Biblical and Post-Biblical Antiquity, Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testaments Words, and Biblical Illustrator magazine.

Rodriquez leads a team of CCU students to excavate in Israel every summer, leveraging his extensive experience studying and traveling in the land of the Bible. He studied and the Israel Bible Extension (IBEX) campus of The Master's University in 1996 and 2001, and at the Jerusalem University College on Mt. Zion in 2001. He worked on the excavation team at Tel Hazor in 2006 and has served as a Square Supervisor at the Tell es-Safi/Gath Excavation Project since 2018. For several years, he was a research assistant and writer for BiblePlaces.com and LifeintheHolyLand.com.

His doctoral work focused on Old Testament archaeology and history, with a double minor in Hebrew and New Testament History. His dissertation, "The Arsenal of the Hebrew Kings and Their Neighbors," was a detailed study of weapons mentioned in the Bible and used in the ancient Near East during the Iron Age. His master's thesis evaluated various theories about the location of Solomon's Temple on the Temple Mount.

Rodriquez and his wife, Kiersten, live in Arvada with their five children: Benjamin, Talia, Leila, Channah, and Judah. They enjoy camping and hiking in Colorado's Rocky Mountains.

Publications
  • Contributor to the CBS Holy Land Illustrated Bible. (2020).
  • "Throne Guardians in the Ancient Near East." Biblical Illustrator (Fall 2020).
  • "Why Did Joseph Shave? Hebrew and Egyptian Hair Practices." Biblical Illustrator (Winter, 2018-2019).
  • Writer for Custom Content Team at LifeWay Christian Resources (2017-2019).
  • "Was David's Adultery A Crime?" Biblical Illustrator (Fall, 2018).
  • Book Review of "Early Megiddo on the East Slope," Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin 62 (2017).
  • Contributor to The Dictionary of Daily Life in Biblical and Post Biblical Antiquities. Edited by Edwin Yamauchi & Marvin Wilson (2014-2016).
  • Contributor to Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, Revised & Expanded. Edited by Todd Bolen (2012).
  • Project Team Member of The American Colony & Eric Matson Collection. Edited by Todd Bolen (2009).
  • Contributor to Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words. Edited by William D. Mounce (2006).
Papers and Presentations
  • "Archaeological of Solomon: Israel's Golden Era," The Creation Summit at The Master's University, Feb. 2020.
  • Archaeological of Hezekiah: Judah Struggles to Survive," The Creation Summit at The Master's University, Feb. 2020.
  • "Did Joshua Destroy Jericho? Archaeological and the Trustworthiness of the Bible," The Master's University Chapel, Feb. 2020.
  • "Weapons & Warfare in Biblical Times," Tell es-Safi/Gath Excavation Project, Jun. 2019.
  • "What Does It Mean to Be Created in the Image of God?" CCU Chapel, Feb. 2019.
  • "From First Century Qumran to Twenty-first Century Denver: The 2,000 Year Biography of a Dead Sea Scroll," CCU School of Theology Lecture Series, Mar. 2018.
  • "Great Cities You Did Not Build: An Alternative Explanation of Israel's Emergence in Iron I," Near East Archaeological Society, Nov. 2018.
  • “Spending the Night at the Threshing Floor: Archaeological Insights into the Book of Ruth,” Near East Archaeological Society, Nov. 2014.
  • “The Date of the Exodus: A Pivot for 1,000 Years of Old Testament History,” Evangelical Theological Society, Mar. 2013.
  • “The One Who Trains My Fingers for War: Archaeological Insights into Psalm 144,” Near East Archaeological Society, Nov. 2012.
  • “The Humane Treatment of Animals, Trees, and the Land: Caring for Creation in the Law of Moses,” Evangelical Theological Society, Nov. 2012.
  • “David’s Sling and Goliath’s Sword: Archaeological Insights into the Ancient Story,” Near East Archaeological Society, Nov. 2011.
  • “Iron Age Arrowheads and Spearheads from Palestine,” Near East Archaeological Society, Nov. 2010.
  • “Site Identification: In Search of a Methodology,” Near East Archaeological Society, Nov. 2009.