Getting to Know the Qur’an with Biblical Scholar & Archeologist Nate Ramsayer

THURSDAY MARCH 26TH, 2026 AT 2:00PM IN THE NORDIC HALL

Beginning after the events of 9/11, for years it was hard to turn on the news and not hear the words “Islam” (a religion), “Muslim” (an adherent of the religion of Islam) or “Qur’an” (Islam’s most sacred text). So we’ve all heard it before, but how many non-Muslim Americans actually know what the Qur’an is and what it contains? How long is it? Would it surprise you to learn that Jesus is one of the main characters? What does the Qur’an tell us about how women are to be treated? What does it say about war and killing? How similar is this book to the Bible – do these two holy books share any stories? Join biblical scholar and archeologist Nate Ramsayer as we delve into this mystical Islamic text as the final part of his series this month on the three Abrahamic faiths. As with the previous sessions, this lecture will be taught from a religiously neutral approach, and is open to people of all faith perspectives, including nonbelievers. No background or knowledge of Islam necessary. Come with questions!

Mr. Ramsayer is a freelance biblical studies instructor. He holds an M.A. degree in Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near East from Brandeis University. He is also an active archaeologist who has excavated at seven sites around the world, focusing mainly in Israel during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Nate’s scholarly research interests include: biblical composition and manuscript history, ancient Near Eastern myths, and exploring points at which the archaeological record confirms or is at tension with the narrative found in the Bible. He has also worked extensively in the field of the Dead Sea Scrolls, presenting papers, giving lectures, working with museum exhibits, and even researching at the Qumran caves where the scrolls were found.