Education: B.A., The University of Maine at Orono (Philosophy), 1964 M.Div., Bangor Theological Seminary (New Testament), 1964 Ph.D., Columbia University (Biblical Languages & Literature), 1973 Post-doctoral Seminar, Hebrew Union College, Jerusalem, 1974 Professor Longstaff has served as chair of the Department of Philosophy & Religion and subsequently as the chair of Religious Studies. He has been Director of the American Studies Program, the African-American Studies Program and the Jewish Studies Program. He is also the Associate Director of the Excavations at Sepphoris, Israel. He is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the Studiorum Novi Testamentum Societas, the Catholic Biblical Association, the American Schools of Oriental Research, the Israel Exploration Society, and the Maine Archaeological Association.

Current projects include work on the publication of the results of archaeological excavation at Sepphoris, Israel and work on a second edition of an electronic synopsis of the gospels.