Allen Howard Godbey

Born in Pettis County, Missouri, in 1864, Allen Howard Godbey built a varied career as a minister, educator, and scholar. He was associated with the Methodist church and became known as a writer with wide-ranging interests, from religion and ancient history to more general historical subjects.

His academic work centered on the Old Testament and the cultures surrounding it. Reliable archival and reference sources describe him as a scholar of Hebrew history, archaeology, and Semitics, and note that he served as president of Morrisville College from 1906 to 1909.

Later, he joined Duke University, where he was a professor of Old Testament after the Divinity School was established in 1926, remaining there until his retirement in 1932. He died in 1948, leaving behind books, papers, and a reputation as a productive and deeply engaged student of the ancient Near East.