Thought I would share with you the following poignant memories of Anson Rainey, which I received this morning from Emanuel Hausman of Carta, Jerusalem:
Anson was hospitalized on his eightieth birthday. A few days later he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, that had advanced far beyond the possibility of surgical intervention. Anson refused alternative treatments such as radiation, chemotherapy or life prolonging medication. Resigned to his fate, he asked for some letters to be written and messages to be sent to friends. His one wish was that his life’s ambition, the collection of The El Amarna Letters, be completed and brought to publication.
Anson passed away on Saturday 02/19/2011 and according to his last wish was buried at Barkan overlooking the hill country of Samaria that he loved so much. Attended by family and many of his friends his funeral took place in weather as turbulent as his life and eponymously RAINY.
You may have heard this from Anson before but he often joked that the first thing on facing GOD was to ask Him how he pronounced YHWH -.- May he rest in peace.
Carta was our joint publisher who published Anson’s The Sacred Bridge, which we reviewed here.
A moving post, I have one minor corection: Anson was hospitalized on his eighty-first birthday.
Avrohom,
You’re right. On the other hand, Anson was kind of timeless …