Dr. Roy Blizzard's Bio
Dr. Roy B. Blizzard is President of Bible Scholars, a Texas-based organization dedicated to biblical research and education.
A native of Joplin, Missouri, Dr. Blizzard attended Oklahoma Military Academy and has a B.A. degree from Philips University in Enid, Oklahoma. He has an M.A. from Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico, an M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Ph.D. in Hebrew Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.
From 1968 to June 1974, he taught Hebrew, Biblical History, and Biblical Archaeology at the University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Blizzard studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel, in the summer of 1966. In the summer of 1973, he worked on the archaeological excavations at Tel Qasile, where he excavated a Philistine Temple dating from 1200 B.C. In 1968, 1971, and 1972, he worked on the excavations at the Western Wall, or "Wailing Wall," at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
(Dr. Blizzard in striped shirt excavating at Tel Qasile...being visited by General Moshe Dayan)
Since then, Dr. Blizzard has spent much of his time in Israel and the Middle East in study and research. He was a licensed guide in Israel and has directed numerous Historical and Archaeological Study Seminars in Israel and Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy.
Dr. Blizzard hosted over 500 television programs about Israel and Judaism for various television networks and is a frequent television and radio guest.
He is the author of Let Judah Go Up First, and the co-author of Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus. He is also the author of Tithing, Giving and Prosperity, The Passover Haggadah for Christians and Jews, The Mountain of the Lord, Mishnah and the Words of Jesus, Jesus the Rabbi and His Rabbinic Method of Teaching, as well as many other articles and lecture series. All of his programs and offerings are available at www.biblescholars.org.
Dr. Roy Blizzard’s Transformative Experience
By Andrew Garza
In a recent interview with Nehemiah Gordon, Dr. Blizzard tells his background story that led to his epistemological transformation and exceptional Bible scholar career:
Gordon: Dr. Blizzard, tell us how this began in 1966.
In 1966, I had a friend of mine who had been one of my young men in the congregation I served in Oklahoma. I had been a pastor for 13 years at a Christian church. After earning my bachelor's degree in religion from Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma—which no longer exists—I continued my studies in religion.
This young man, David Bivin, was studying at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. I had just finished my master’s degree at Eastern New Mexico University in anthropology and archaeology, and he invited me to come over to Jerusalem to study at the Hebrew University. He said, "If you'd come over, you can live with me." At that time, he was living at “Rechov Shimshon Shta’im” in the Baka area of Jerusalem.
I, of course, was as poor as Job's turkey. I didn’t have the money to go, so I went to the bank and borrowed it. That’s how I got to Israel to study at Hebrew University in 1966.
Gordon: Talk about stepping out on faith.
Yes, it was. But fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately, depending on how you look at it—I was studying at the Hebrew University for about six weeks when I realized that everything I had studied before—my bachelor’s degree, my master’s, and even 13 years as a pastor—was wrong.
Gordon: You’re saying everything you learned was wrong?
Not intentionally wrong, but it came from a completely different background and perspective—a Christian perspective. Everything I had learned was... I hate to use the term “wrong,” because...
Gordon: Would you say you went to Israel in 1966 with all the answers?
No, I didn’t. I thought I had all the answers, but after six weeks, I realized I didn’t know anything. When I came back home, I said, “I can’t continue to do what I’m doing and be intellectually honest. I’ve got to go back to school.”
So I began a search to figure out where to go. Someone told me that the University of Ohio had a good Hebrew program. I’m a pilot, so I flew up there. But I came back home and said, “No, that’s not going to work.” They didn’t have any grant money, and I found out they had snow.
Even though my name is Blizzard, I don’t like anything that’s white or cold. So I started looking elsewhere and was told there was a Hebrew program at the University of Texas in Austin. I flew down, met with the chairman of the department, Baharon Aharon at the time.
He told me, “We basically don’t have any funds. I can’t promise you anything. But if you come down and start studying, I’ll do what I can.” So I moved my family—everything—with no guarantees. I just went to the University of Texas, walked in, and said, “Well, I’m here.” He made me his administrative assistant.
I didn’t know a Hebrew character from a chicken track on the ground.
Gordon: You know what I love about you? Yesterday we were talking in Hebrew, and you said, “I bet I’m the only one you’ve ever spoken to with an Ozarkian hillbilly accent—while speaking fluent Hebrew.”
Yes, I said that. What’s incredible is, a lot of people wouldn’t think UT-Austin had any kind of Hebrew program. But after 12 weeks, I was taking courses in Hebrew—not just studying it, but receiving instruction in Hebrew from native Israelis.
Gordon: Who knew that was going on at UT-Austin?
Yes, it was very impressive for the time. To my knowledge, there was nothing else like it in the country. I did two years of Hebrew in just 12 weeks.
After my first year—this was in 1968—Prof. Bardon told me, “If you go to Israel and work on an archaeological excavation at the Temple Mount with one of my former colleagues,” who turned out to be Prof. Benjamin Mazar...
Gordon: Just for background: in 1967, Israel liberated the eastern half of Jerusalem. One of the first things they did was start excavating around what we now call the Western Wall—though it’s actually the southern wall. You were part of those excavations.
Yes, I started in '68. I was excavating with Prof. Mazar. He and I became very good friends. I got to know his whole family and continued to excavate every year—sometimes five times a year.
I began taking university students on historical and archaeological study seminars. They had the opportunity to actually excavate, tour, and study different archaeological sites.
Gordon: And the Temple Mount excavations were the most impressive in the whole country.
Yes, although there were other excavations going on, everyone wanted to be at the Temple Mount.
Some people who’ve followed me for years might remember me sitting on the steps leading up to the Temple Mount—steps people walked on from the city of David into the temple.
Gordon: You were involved in excavating those very steps.
Yes, that’s right.
Gordon: What was that like? How deep were those steps buried?
Only about that far. Just a few layers of dirt. The first shovelful and we were hitting stone.
The area was known as the “Ophel,” and it was all built up. There was actually an Arab tent on top of the ground back then. We used to sit up on the wall that joined the Temple Mount and watch them during their noon hour.
After a few excavation seasons, they moved through the wall into the area of the Ophel.
Gordan: What else did you find in addition to the steps?
Ritual immersion baths—mikvas—where people would immerse and cleanse themselves before entering the temple.
Gordon: Let’s give that more detail. Those steps—the monumental staircase—led up to the southern wall of the Temple Mount. That was the meeting place for Jews during the three pilgrim festivals.
Yes, that’s where they sat.
Gordon: I think of the Talmudic account of the rabbi sitting on those steps, making a decree about the calendar from that spot. So some kind of rabbinical council met there—and you excavated that very spot?
Yes, right there. That’s where they came together for the festivals of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles.
We didn’t know that when we started. I just happened to be close personal friends with Prof. Mazar.
Gordon: And you had a degree in archaeology.
Yes, but that didn’t impress the other archaeologists I was working with in Israel at the time. I was just seen as another laborer—handed a shovel and told where to dig. But with that first shovel, we hit stone. That later turned out to be the monumental staircase.
But what’s really significant—immediately adjacent to the staircase was a series of ritual immersion baths—mikva’ot. I had the opportunity to personally excavate the largest and first one uncovered at the Temple Mount.
But it’s not just the mikvas that are important. Remember in the New Testament, Acts chapter 2, the events on the day of Pentecost? It says the people all went up and got into “the house.”
Gordon: Everyone in Christendom thinks that means a literal house. Like Peter’s rented loft.
Right. But it had to be a pretty big loft! What the text says is that they went into “Ha’ba’it”—the house.
Gordon: Which means...?
The Temple.
Gordon: So you’re saying Acts chapter 2 took place not in someone’s home, but at the Temple?
Not just in the courtyard—but specifically at the monumental staircase. That’s where they gathered for Pentecost.
Gordon: So that’s the same spot where the rabbinical court met, and where the events of Acts 2 took place?
Exactly.
Gordon: How many Christian pilgrims go to the Holy Land and are told that?
None. They all go to the Holy Land, but they don’t know that.
Gordon: This is huge.
Yes, it is.
Taking the First Step
Back in 1966, Dr. Blizzard was comfortable in his world as a pastor with degrees in religion and anthropology. But his friend David Bivin—who was studying at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem—challenged that comfort by inviting him to join him in Jerusalem. Even though money was tight, Dr. Blizzard took the risk, borrowing enough to make the journey without really knowing what lay ahead.
This wasn’t just a regular study trip. In six short weeks at the Hebrew University, he discovered that all his previous learning and his 13 years of pastoring hadn't prepared him for the deeper truths he encountered. It was a wake-up call—a mix of expanding what he knew and who he was. In philosopher L.A. Paul’s terms, it was a transformative experience.
The Heart of a Transformative Experience
According to the philosopher L.A. Paul, transformative experiences are those that fundamentally alter one’s perspective and identity. They are not choices where one can predict the outcome based on past knowledge; they are encounters that reframe the self in ways previously unimaginable. Parenthood is Paul’s paradigm case of transformation. Prior to having a child, one cannot anticipate what it will be like to become a parent. Further, having a child changes the parent in a personally transformative way. Core preferences and life goals are often reshaped around a new priority: the child. The way the new parent sees the world and perceives terror and joy shifts. Dr. Blizzard’s narrative embodies this concept. Arriving with confidence shaped by rigorous theological and academic training, he soon discovered the inadequacy of his previous learning when faced with the complexities and nuances of ancient Jewish traditions and archaeology in Jerusalem.
The transformative nature of his journey is highlighted by his profound realization: despite all his previous accomplishments, he knew very little about the deeper, historical truths of the Biblical text. This led him to a decisive moment of intellectual honesty—an acknowledgment that to truly understand, he needed to return to the academy and expand his horizons. His decision to enroll at the University of Texas, despite the challenges of limited funding and unfamiliarity with the Hebrew language, underscores the essence of a transformative choice. It’s a vivid illustration of how personal growth sometimes demands stepping away from comfort zones and embracing uncertainty.
Immersing in a New World
At UT-Austin, Dr. Blizzard dove headfirst into a transformative experience. In just 12 weeks, he went from not recognizing a single Hebrew character to confidently taking courses entirely in Hebrew. This wasn’t just about mastering a language—it was about radically expanding how he viewed the world. His perspective on learning and what was possible grew immensely.
His adventures weren’t confined to the classroom. Dr. Blizzard eventually found himself on digs at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem—a place teeming with history. Excavating the monumental staircase and uncovering ancient ritual baths (mikva’ot) made history feel real. These hands-on experiences connected him with the past and deepened his understanding of his faith and identity.
Jean Piaget’s theories on cognitive development offer a useful framework to understand how a transformation happens on both an intellectual and personal level. Two central ideas in his work—assimilation and accommodation—play key roles in this process.
Assimilation: Fitting New Experiences Into Old Frameworks
Assimilation is the process of taking in new experiences or information and trying to make sense of them by fitting them into your existing mental schemas (the frameworks or patterns you use to understand the world). For example, if you’ve learned about the basics of a subject, you might try to connect any new details to what you already know. In everyday terms, it’s like using a familiar pair of glasses to look at something new—initially, you try to see the new object with the same understanding you have for old ones.
In a transformative experience, like the one Dr. Blizzard went through, assimilation might start out when he first encountered new ideas and practices in Jerusalem. His mind initially attempted to process these experiences by relating them to his earlier learning as a pastor and scholar. However, when the new experiences proved too different or complex to fit neatly into his existing knowledge, simple assimilation was not enough.
Accommodation: Adjusting to New Realities
Accommodation is the process where your mental schemas adjust, expand, or even change entirely to incorporate new experiences that don’t fit into your old ways of thinking. In other words, when you face information that clashes with what you previously believed or understood, you have to modify your mental framework. This can be challenging because it means letting go of some of your prior assumptions and being open to change.
In Dr. Blizzard’s story, after a short time in Jerusalem, he realized that what he had known was incomplete, prompting him to change his approach to learning. Instead of forcing new insights into the old schema (assimilation), he had to adjust his existing beliefs (accommodation). This shift allowed him to engage with a broader spectrum of knowledge, transforming both his understanding (epistemic expansion) and his self-concept (personal expansion).
How They Work Together in Transformation
A transformative experience often involves Piaget’s equilibration, a cycle between assimilation and accommodation. At first, you try to understand new information using what you already know (assimilation). When this new information doesn’t fit, you must alter your mental models (accommodation). Over time, this cycle leads to a more refined and enriched understanding of the world—a process that is at the heart of both cognitive development and the transformative experiences described by thinkers like L.A. Paul.
In essence, true transformation happens when you’re willing to let your mind adjust to new challenges. Rather than clinging rigidly to old ways of thinking, you embrace a dynamic process where assimilation and accommodation work together. This leads to intellectual growth, deep personal insight, and a more flexible approach to learning—qualities essential for facing the unknown and evolving as a person.
By appreciating how assimilation helps you initially process new ideas and how accommodation forces you to adapt and expand your knowledge, you get a clearer picture of how cognitive development supports significant personal and intellectual transformation.
The Role of Critical Thinking
Critical thinking plays a huge part in shaping transformative experiences, but it’s not always easy to exercise when you’re stepping outside your own experience. When you're diving into the unknown, your usual ways of reasoning might not be enough on their own. That’s where developing certain intellectual traits can really help. Traits like intellectual humility, intellectual autonomy, intellectual integrity, intellectual courage, intellectual perseverance, confidence in reason, intellectual empathy, and fairmindedness prepare you to face new ideas and challenges head-on.
For example, Louis Pasteur famously responded to questions about accidental discoveries by saying that these moments weren’t as accidental as they seemed because a prepared scientific mind can turn chance into breakthroughs. In much the same way, cultivating these intellectual traits makes you ready to embrace transformative experiences. When you’re open to challenging your own beliefs and stepping outside your comfort zone, you’re setting the stage for both personal growth and a deeper understanding of the world around you.
The Big Change: Epistemic and Personal Expansion
Dr. Blizzard’s journey is a classic example of a transformative experience as L.A. Paul describes. It’s not just about gathering more facts—it’s about completely rethinking everything you thought you knew. His time in Jerusalem and at UT-Austin forced him to question long-held beliefs, expand his knowledge base (epistemic expansion), and grow on a personal level.
The transformation wasn’t gradual. It was a sudden, sometimes messy, shift that reshaped both his mind and his heart. Embracing the unfamiliar meant reimagining his identity as a thinker, a learner, and a person of faith. This kind of change takes real courage and an open mind, traits that are built up over time through intellectual perseverance and fairness of thought. The Apostle Paul had a Transformative Experience on the road to Damascus, which is a famous example. He later wrote in Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” King James Version (KJV)
Wrapping Up
Dr. Blizzard’s story shows us that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is step into the unknown. His leap from a comfortable past into an eye-opening future embodies the transformative experiences described by L.A. Paul—where both the way we think and who we are can change in profound ways. By daring to question everything he thought he knew and by nurturing the intellectual traits that empower us to learn and grow, he not only transformed his own life but also set an inspiring example for others.
In the end, transformation isn’t always predictable or easy. It’s messy, it’s challenging, and it’s incredibly rewarding. And sometimes, taking that leap of faith is exactly what you need to unlock a whole new world of understanding and possibility.
A Personal Testimony
It was November 16, 1985 and I was sitting in my office while working for a major oil company in the pipeline division, and I turned on my radio to listen to Marlon Maddox’s radio program called Point of View. Maddox introduced his guest as Dr. Roy Blizzard, with the Center for Judaic-Christian Studies, and my mind became hyper alert! The Center for Judaic-Christian Studies? I wondered what were the implications of this title? Maddox went on to say that this group espoused that Jesus wasn’t a Christian, he was a Jew and operated entirely within the culture of first-century Judaism in Israel. Having many questions about my beliefs, I was somehow prepared in a Louis Pasteur way: I realized that I knew nothing about Judaism, I knew nothing about Hebrew, I knew nothing about rabbinic methods of teaching. In fact, at that moment I realized that perhaps, I really knew nothing in an Aristotelian way about the Bible, but had always thought I did. I think that anyone that has been exposed to Dr. Blizzard’s teachings have experienced their own transformative experience.
After attending one of Dr. Blizzard's early pastor/teacher seminars in Austin, due to his scholarship I was inspired to go back to college and complete my bachelor and master's degree in psychology. I studied Hebrew and Greek on my own, as well as ancient Judaism and early Christianity. I use my knowledge of psychology and critical thinking to continue to search for information that can lead to new transformative experiences that will expand my knowledge.
