Introduction
William James Hamblin (1954-2019) was a professor of history at Brigham Young University (BYU), and a former board member of the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) at BYU.
Biography
Hamblin served as an LDS missionary in Italy from 1973–75.
Hamblin received his bachelor's degree in history from BYU. He did his graduate studies from the University of Michigan, receiving an M.A. in history in 1981, an M.A. in Near East Studies in 1984, and a Ph.D. in history in 1985.The title of his Dissertation was The Fatimid Army During the Early Crusades. Prior to joining the faculty of BYU in 1989, Hamblin was a history professor at the University of Southern Mississippi, an instructor at Campbell University and a Middle East intelligence analyst for the United States Department of Defense. Hamblin contributed many articles to The International Military Encyclopedia.
In the 1980s, Hamblin published several articles for the role-playing game Call of Cthulhu.
Hamblin taught as a professor at the BYU Jerusalem Center and was teaching at Brigham Young University in the History Department up until his unexpected death.
Apologetics
Hamblin was also known for his role in Mormon apologetics. He wrote on archaeology and the Book of Mormon, both in general articles for the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies and in response to criticisms to the historicity of the Book of Mormon. Hamblin, who served as editor of the LDS apologetics journal Interpreter, contributed articles there as well.
Writings
- Warfare in the Ancient Near East to 1600 BC published by Routledge in 2005.
- Solomon's Temple: Myth and History (Thames and Hudson, 2007) (with David Seely)
Personal life
Hamblin lived in Provo, Utah. He has three children with his ex-wife, Loree. The two divorced in 2013.
At the time of his passing, he was living in Cedar City, Utah, with his wife, Laura. They were married in 2019.