TACOMA, WA (ANS) -- Hermann J. Austel, a renowned Hebrew bible scholar, author, and seminary professor, died on May 29, 2011, in a Tacoma, Washington, rehabilitation clinic, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Hermann J. Austel

Following his wife, Rose Marie of 62 years into death, he leaves behind eight children (many in Christian service), 34 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren.

A Los Angeles native, he majored in Chemistry at UCLA. He then graduated from the Los Angeles Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv). He completed his PhD (Semitic Studies) at UCLA. Austel credited his bent for language study to growing up in the bilingual home of German immigrants.

He imbued his work, family, and ministry with a vision of patient and compassionate leadership both as Dean and Hebrew Professor of the Northwest Baptist Seminary, Northwest Baptist Seminary (now known as Corban University School of Ministry) and as the Old Testament Editor of the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

He co-authored Kings in the Expositor's Bible Commentary. He also contributed to the New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, and other books, and journals. He was among the first chosen to analyze important Qumran manuscripts.

His scholarly grasp of the biblical languages inspired six decades of students, pastors, scholars, and colleagues.

Jim Krames (PhD) of the William Carey International University based in Pasadena, California, said, “I learned to train graduate students to exegete the Hebrew text from him. I am not alone. Many students he trained now teach and administrate at universities and seminaries in the USA and abroad. Even in recent years I’ve sought his counsel.”

Bible scholar, Richard Patterson (PhD), an early colleague and friend, remembers him as “a well-respected scholar, and a teacher deeply concerned for his students. He was also a loving husband, father and godly gentleman. His life impacted so many.”

“Dr. Austel leaves behind, blessed and wiser, a loving family, many friends, scholarly colleagues, grateful students, and all in his debt for the NASB’s level of accuracy,” added Dr. Krames, who is also a board member for ASSIST Ministries.

Dan Wooding, 70, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 47 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. He now hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on KWVE in Southern California which is also carried on the Calvary Radio Network throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK. Besides this, Wooding is a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 200 countries. You can follow Dan on Facebook under his name there or at ASSIST News Service. He is the author of some 44 books. Two of the latest include his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, press this link. Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, has also recently released his first novel “Red Dagger” which is available this link.