Dan Belnap

Bio: Born in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and raised in Pocatello, Idaho, and Sandy, Utah. Served full-time mission in Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission. Married Erin Pinney in 1997 and had four children: Emma, Jack, Samuel, and Tabitha. Received a BA in international relations from Brigham Young University; an MA in ancient Near Eastern studies from BYU; an MA and a PhD in Northwest Semitics from the University of Chicago. Worked as a part-time instructor before becoming an assistant professor in 2007. He advanced to the rank of professor in 2020. 

Courses Taught: Book of Mormon, Old Testament, New Testament, Pearl of Great Price, Teachings of the Living Prophets (Ancient Scripture); Intro. to Biblical Methodologies, Intro. to Ancient Near Eastern Texts, ANES Capstone (ANES)

Area of Expertise: Hebrew Bible, Ugaritic studies, ritual studies

Areas of Research: Cultural and sociological influences in the Book of Mormon; Use of ritual in ancient and contemporary contexts; doctrines of ascension and theosis in ancient Near East and Late Antiquity; comparative cosmologies

Languages: Biblical Hebrew, Aramaic, Syriac, Ugaritic, German, French, and a little Greek (all reading)