A Jewish scholar of Jesus makes history as president of the Catholic Biblical Association

(RNS) — When she was six years old and watching the funeral of Pope John XXIII on TV, Amy-Jill Levine announced to her mother that she wanted to be pope. Her mother explained that was not possible.

But last month, she received a unique honor, and perhaps the next best thing: Levine was named president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America, the first Jewish scholar to hold the title.

The 90-year-old association, which promotes the scholarly study of the Bible and provides exchanges between scholars, allows non-Catholics as members. Levine, a distinguished New Testament scholar, joined as a member soon after she earned her Ph.D. from Duke University 42 years ago. Over the years, she has served on the editorial board of the association’s quarterly journal, as a consulter to its executive committee and as an editor of the journal’s New Testament book reviews.

In announcing her election to the one-year post, the association’s statement said Levine was “recognized and deeply appreciated for her work in Jewish-Christian relations.”

It also mentioned that she was the first Jewish scholar to teach New Testament at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome in 2019, and…