Michael Knibb, 84 years old, died on 6 December 2023 in Hertfordshire, England. He is survived by Christine, his wife of over 50 years. After being awarded a First Class Bachelor of Divinity degree from King’s College London, Knibb studied under Dr James Muilenburg at Union Theological Seminary and was awarded a Master of Sacred Theology degree. He joined the staff of King’s College London in 1964 as a Lecturer in Old Testament Studies and remained there until his retirement in 2001. He was appointed to the Samuel Davidson Chair of Old Testament Studies in 1997, and in addition to his teaching and research, Knibb undertook many administrative roles at King’s and other academic institutions.
Knibb’s research interests were extensive, and he studied Ethiopic under Professor Edward Ullendorff at the School of Oriental and African Studies. In 1974, he was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree by the University of London for his thesis on The Ethiopic Book of Enoch, which was subsequently published by Oxford University Press. Knibb was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1989 and gave the prestigious Schweich Lectures entitled Translating the Bible: The Ethiopic Version of the Old Testament in 1995. These were published along with numerous other books, including 2 Esdras, the Qumran Community, Studies on the Testament of Job, Essays on the Book of Enoch and Other Early Jewish Texts and Traditions, and The Ethiopic Text of the Book of Ezekiel. In 2006, he was presented with Biblical Traditions in Transmission Essays in Honour of Michael A. Knibb.
A Fulbright grant enabled Knibb to travel to New York and spend time at Union, and he remained in contact with fellow students throughout his life. He was very grateful for the teaching he received, which acted as a springboard for his future education and research. Knibb enjoyed traveling, and he went to the Middle East in the 1960s, to conferences worldwide, and with Christine to many countries, including Ethiopia. He also enjoyed the arts, walking, and good food and wine.