Stanley Arthur Cook
1873-1949. Biblical and Semitic scholar. His wide interests within the Semitic field included epigraphy, archaeology, and religion. In 1925 he gave the Schweich Lectures at the British Academy under the title The Religion of Ancient Palestine in the Light of Archaeology (published in 1930). He admired the work of W.R. Smith, and especially his use of anthropological evidence in the study of the early religion of the Semites. In his own work he explored the close cultural links between Israel and her neighbors. From 1902 to 1932 he served as editor of the Quarterly Statement of the Palestine Exploration Fund, and was a co-editor of the Cambridge Ancient History, to which he contributed several chapters. He was regius professor of Hebrew at Cambridge (1932-38). Apart from numerous articles in journals, Cook's writings include The Study of Religions (1914); The Old Testament: A Reinterpretation (1936); and The Rebirth of Christianity (1942).