Becking, Identity in Persian Egypt (Eisenbrauns)

NEW BOOK FROM EISENBRAUNS:

Identity in Persian Egypt

The Fate of the Yehudite Community of Elephantine

Bob Becking

“A good and stimulating read. It represents an innovative approach to research on Elephantine. The most important strength—construing the ‘fate’ of the Yehudite community in light of the rise and fall of pax persica—makes the book a contribution to the Yehudite community’s history and a microhistorical contribution to Achaemenid studies. Both students and experts will gain from reading the book.”—Gard Granerød, Review of Biblical Literature

$90.95 | Hardcover Edition
ISBN: 978-1-57506-745-2

$34.95 | Paperback Edition
ISBN: 978-1-64602-244-1

224 pages
6" × 9"
2020

Description

In this book, Bob Becking provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the origins, lives, and eventual fate of the Yehudites, or Judeans, at Elephantine, framed within the greater history of the rise and fall of the Persian Empire.

The Yehudites were among those mercenaries recruited by the Persians to defend the southwestern border of the empire in the fifth century BCE. Becking argues that this group, whom some label as the first “Jews,” lived on the island of Elephantine in relative peace with other ethnic groups under the aegis of the pax persica. Drawing on Aramaic and Demotic texts discovered during excavations on the island and at Syene on the adjacent shore of the Nile, Becking finds evidence of intermarriage, trade cooperation, and even a limited acceptance of one another’s gods between the various ethnic groups at Elephantine. His analysis of the Elephantine Yehudites’ unorthodox form of Yahwism provides valuable insight into the group’s religious beliefs and practices.

An important contribution to the study of Yehudite life in the diaspora, this accessibly written and sweeping history enhances our understanding of the varieties of early Jewish life and how these contributed to the construction of Judaism.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

A mythic reading of anthropomorphic mountains?

THE BIBLE AND INTERPRETATION: Rendered Relatable: Using Myth to (Re-)Read Hebrew Bible Landscapes.

Landscapes often appear as backgrounds in scenes that tend to be regarded as mythic. Applying our revised myth theory means that these landscapes can gain more “weight” and our reading can produce new insights that alternate models of myth previously obscured.

See also Personified Mountains in Ancient Canonical Narratives: Spatial and Mythic Studies of Mesopotamian, Greek, and Hebrew Bible Landscapes (Mohr Siebeck, 2024).

By Eric J. P. Wagner
Aquinas Institute of Theology
January 2025

Cross-file under New Book.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

JANES

THE AWOL BLOG: Open Access Journal: JANES - Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society.

I was surprised to see how long it's been since I mentioned this excellent journal. Lots of good articles, including one in the current issue (Vol. 37.1, 2024) on the possible influence of Bronze Age megalithic monumental ruins on the biblical giant traditions.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Diocletian-era boundary stone excavated in northern Galilee

ARCHAEOLOGY: Roman administrative practices revealed in boundary stone excavations. Archaeologists uncover Roman boundary stone in northern Galilee, revealing insights into Emperor Diocletian’s tax reforms during Tetrarchy; Greek inscription mentions unknown villages and imperial official, shedding light on Roman administrative practices and rural life (Yogev Israeli, Ynet News).

Excavations at Tel Avel Beit Ma'akha, located approximately 1.2 miles south of Metula in the northern Galilee, have revealed an extraordinary discovery—a Roman boundary stone from the Tetrarchy period. This ancient basalt stone, originally used to delineate agricultural lands between villages, was later repurposed in a structure from the Mamluk period.

[...]

Another Diocletian-era boundary stone was found in the northern Galilee in 2020. I noted it here and here.

Also the discovery of another, somewhat different, boundary marker here. And others elsewhere, but those links have all rotted.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Michael V. Fox (1940–2025)

SAD NEWS: On the Agade list, Jack Sasson has reported that Michael V. Fox, the Jay C. and Ruth Halls-Bascom Professor of Hebrew Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has died at the age of 84 (as indicated by his son, Joshua Fox).

Professor Fox's Wikipedia page is here. He was known particularly for his work on biblical wisdom literature.

May his memory be for a blessing.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Joe Rogan and P52

VARIANT READINGS: P52 on the Joe Rogan Experience: Fact Check. Brent Nongbri fact checks the Joe Rogan show on its coverage of P52, the fragment of the Gospel of John that has been called the oldest surviving fragment of the New Testament.

And see the comments for an interchange between Brent and the interviewee.

For PaleoJudaica posts on P52 and the problems with dating it precisely, see here and links, with some specifics here (final paragraph.)

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

A Syriac-Greek tombstone excavated at Edessa

SYRIAC WATCH: Excavations Reveal 2,000-Year-Old Tombs with Rare Inscriptions in Ancient Mesopotamian City. In Edessa, also known as Antioch, an ancient city of Mesopotamia located in present-day Şanlıurfa, Turkey, lies the Kizilkoyun necropolis. Recent archaeological excavations there have unearthed 2,000-year-old stone tombs. (GCT A, Greek City Times).

During the excavation, a significant discovery was made near the entrance of a burial chamber. A tabula ansata, a handled, inscribed tablet characteristic of the Roman Imperial era, bearing inscriptions in Greek and Aramaic, was unearthed. (The parenthetical phrase "May he rest in peace," likely referring to Jesus Christ based on the mention of a monogram, is grammatically misplaced and thematically unconnected, thus removed.) The ancient texts offer valuable insights into the cultural history of the region.

[...]

Follow the link for a photo of the tombstone.

I've been sitting on this one until I could dig up more information, since some of it didn't sound right.

For a detailed technical analysis, see this open-access article by in Anatolia Antiqua XXVIII (2020): New Inscriptions in Aramaic/Early Syriac and Greek from the Cemeteries of Edessa by Bekir Çetin, Müslüm Demir, Alain Desreumaux, John Healey et Peter Liddel., https://doi.org/10.4000/anatoliaantiqua.1384. Scroll down to the section "A Greek/Aramaic bilingual inscription on a broken stone stretcher (probably a lintel) from the doorway of Kızılkoyun Tomb M 54 (Figs. 3, 6)."

Back to the Greek City Times article.

First, for obvious reasons, a phrase "May he rest in peace" would scarcely refer to Jesus. In fact the Aramaic text should arguable (based on the Greek parallel) be restored as "This is the house of [eternity of]" (the occupants of the tomb). In other words, it is their resting place. There is a Christogram (chi-rho symbol) carved in the front lintel of the tomb and some crosses in the inscriptions, which indicate it is a Christian tomb. The texts of the inscriptions have no specific religious elements.

For translations of the Aramaic and Greek inscriptions, see the Anatolia Antiqua article linked to above.

As for the Aramaic text, it is actually in early Syriac script. The AA article dates it to the fourth or early fifth centuries.

If you're into it, the same article covers some other Aramaic and Greek epitaphs in this and another necropolis.

The Aramaic dialect of Edessa (modern Urfa; in antiquity a.k.a. Antioch on the Callirhoe) spread and developed into its own dialects and, as Syriac, became the most important language of Eastern Christianity. For more on Edessa/Urfa and the origins of Syriac, see here and links.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

The Canaanite lice comb is coming to the USA

EXHIBITION: Rare Inscribed Ivory Comb Artifact Coming To Southern Adventist University (Becky Brooks, Chattanooga Pulse).

In partnership with the Israel Antiquities Authority and The Israel Museum, Southern Adventist University invites the public to see the ivory comb with the oldest deciphered complete alphabetic sentence in writing.

The rare object dating to 1700 BC and excavated in Israel will be on exhibit at the Lynn H. Wood Archaeological Museum in Hackman Hall on the university’s campus beginning on January 27.

[...]

For the discovery of the Canaanite lice comb, see here (cf. here, and here).

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Did Tertullian know any actual Jews?

DR. STÉPHANIE. É. BINDER: Tertullian, Father of Western Christianity’s “Answer to the Jews” (TheTorah.com).

​​In late 2nd century Carthage, Tertullian, the first church father to write in Latin, composed Adversus Iudaeos to argue that Christianity’s interpretation of the Hebrew Bible was better than that of the Jews. While his depictions of Jews deal only with biblical verses, from his comments elsewhere about veiled women, Nazarenes, fasting, etc., he was clearly familiar with Jewish practice of his day.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

A worship building down the road from the First Temple?

ARCHAEOLOGY: Study: First Temple Era Structure in City of David Was Used for Ritual Practices (David Israel, the Jewish Press).

Excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority on the eastern slope of the City of David, within the Jerusalem Walls National Park, uncovered a unique First Temple period structure. This complex features eight rock-hewn rooms containing an altar, a standing stone (masseba), an oil press, and a winepress.

[...]

Used for (religious) ritual practices? Could be. If so, that was cheeky, running a cultic installation a few hundred meters from the Temple Mount.

The underlying article is published in the journal ‘Atiqot and is open access.

Shukron, Eli; Freud, Liora; Roth, Helena; Avisar, Reli; and Bocher, Efrat (2024) "Evidence of Worship in the Rock-Cut Rooms on the Eastern Slope of the City of David, Jerusalem," 'Atiqot: Vol. 116, Article 5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.70967/2948-040X.1126 Available at: https://publications.iaa.org.il/atiqot/vol116/iss1/5

Abstract
This paper presents the finds retrieved from a unique series of rock-cut rooms found on the eastern slope of the City of David. These rock-cut rooms stand out in terms of their architectural features, as well as the artifacts discovered within them, all of which reflect on their function as a cultic complex, likely constructed in the Middle Bronze Age, with its final stage in Iron Age IIB. This complex offers profound evidence for the diversity of cultic practices in the capital of the Kingdom of Judah.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

The Finger of Og or Herod's Pillar

ABANDONED ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE: The Finger of Og or Herod's Pillar? A Jerusalem archaeological mystery. The 12.15-meter-long and approximately 1.75-m -wide column is thought to have been quarried in order to decorate the Second Temple (Marion Fischel, Jerusalem Post).

Known both as the Finger of Og and as Herod’s Pillar, the 12.15-meter-long and approximately 1.75-m -wide column is thought to have been quarried in order to decorate the Second Temple as part of King Herod the Great’s 37-20 BCE restoration and renovation works, during which he also enlarged the Temple Mount.

That's one possibility, not the only one. But the chances that it is a finger of Og the giant seem remote.

I have mentioned Herod's Pillar/the finger of Og here, but the current article has more information. For much more on the traditions about the biblical giant Og, see there, plus here, and follow the links.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Genetic makeup of the Sogdians

ARCHAEOLOGY: Did this ancient Silk Road community secretly shape the cultures of East and West? The Sogdians were a vibrant community renowned for their trading expertise, artistic craftsmanship, and even performance skills (Ivan Petricevic, Curiosmos).

In a groundbreaking study, scientists have unveiled the complex origins of the Sogdians, a mysterious group of merchants who played a key role in the success of the Silk Road. Through advanced ancient DNA analysis, researchers have uncovered the genetic makeup of these Central Asian traders, shedding light on their extensive cultural interactions and their pivotal role in connecting East and West.

[...]

The underlying article has been published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, vol. 61: Unraveling the origins of the sogdians: Evidence of genetic admixture between ancient central and East Asians (Jiashuo Zhang, Yongdi Wang, Naifan Zhang, Jiawei Li, Youyang Qu, Cunshi Zhu, Fan Zhang, Dawei Cai, Chao Ning). It is behind the subscription wall, but you can read the abstract and excerpts for free.

The Sogdians are of interest to PaleoJudaica because they preserved the Book of Giants in one or more translations into their language. Fragments of the Sogdian Book of Giants survive today. For more on the Sogdians and their language ("Sogdian"), see here, here, here, here, and links. For more on the Book of Giants and the languages in which fragments of it survive, see here and links. These consist of Aramaic fragments from Qumran and Middle Persian, Parthian, and Old Turkic fragments, almost all from Turfan.

As the latter link notes, all surviving translatable fragments from the Book of Giants are translated in our forthcoming volume, Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: More Noncanonical Scriptures, volume 2 (MOTP2). If you want to see what a Sogdian text looks like, the cover photo (follow the link) shows two leaves from a passage (7:KawH. So 14638) in which the prophet Mani relates stories from the beginning of the Book of Giants to "the King of kings" (King Shapur I?).

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

4Q550 - an Achemenid court tale

A RESTORED ARAMAIC DEAD SEA SCROLL:

Recording of Dr. Gad Barnea's public lecture for the Penn State Department of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies on “Prophets, Intrigue and Redemption at the Achaemenid court: 4Q550 as Irano-Judaic Literature in Qumran,” delivered on November 21, 2024.

Abstract: “A newly restored small Aramaic scroll from Qumran called 4Q550 reveals an unexpected text: it contains an Achaemenid Persian court-tale set in the court of king Xerxes I. The narrative’s main heroes are a Jewish prophet by the name of Bagsaro and his righteous father Patriza who saves the king from a wicked conspiracy. This text is unique among the Dead Sea Scroll “library” from Qumran, and, indeed, within “Second Temple” literature in general, in that it contains a mostly secular, non-sectarian and non-biblical tale. It is a sort of “Midrash Agadah”—but rather than being a midrash (commentary) on a biblical text, it is based on a paragraph from column IV of Darius the Great’s famous inscription at Behistun in Iran. This talk will review the scroll’s reconstruction, as well as this text’s implications for Biblical studies, Jewish Studies, and Iranian Studies.”

CAMS thanks the Jewish Studies program for its co-sponsorship of this talk.

HT the Bible Places Blog.

The text is otherwise known as 4QPrEsther^abcde (more or less)

I have not yet had time to listen to this lecture, but meanwhile here it is for you.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Review of Greek, Demotic and Coptic papyri and ostraca in the Leiden Papyrological Institute

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: Greek, Demotic and Coptic papyri and ostraca in the Leiden Papyrological Institute.

Francisca A.J. Hoogendijk, Joanne Vera Stolk, Greek, Demotic and Coptic papyri and ostraca in the Leiden Papyrological Institute. Papyrologica Lugduno-Batava, 40. Leiden; Boston: Brill, 2023. Pp. xx, 284. ISBN 9789004519589.

Review by
Michael Zellmann-Rohrer, Macquarie University / Freie Universität Berlin. michael.zellmann-rohrer@fu-berlin.de

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Duke University Galilee Database

THE AWOL BLOG: DUG: Duke University Galilee Database.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

deSilva, Judea under Greek and Roman Rule (OUP)

NEW BOOK FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS:

Judea under Greek and Roman Rule

David A. deSilva

Essentials of Biblical Studies

£16.99

Paperback
Published: 18 December 2024
216 Pages
210x140mm
ISBN: 9780190263256

Also Available As:
Hardback (forthcoming)
Ebook

Description

This volume provides a reconstruction of the history of Judea and its neighboring regions from 334 BCE, when Alexander's eastward conquests brought Judea into the Greek empire, through 135 CE, when Hadrian re-founded Jerusalem as Aelia Capitolina and banished Jews from the city limits — a formative period both for early Judaism and the Christian movement. This history unfolds against a backdrop of international politics that constrained developments within Judea, including wars between the Seleucid and Ptolemaic empires for control of Palestine, internal wars that led to the decline of the Seleucid empire, and the eastward expansion and consolidation of Roman rule. Judea under Greek and Roman Rule focuses on the Hellenizing Reform that precipitated the Maccabean Revolt, the establishment of an independent kingdom under the Hasmonean Dynasty, the rule of Herod and transition to Roman rule, the circumstances that precipitated two devastating revolts against Roman domination, and constructive responses (both literary and practical) within Judaism to both revolts and the consequences.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.

Levenson, Israel’s Day of Light and Joy (Eisenbrauns)

NEW BOOK FROM EISENBRAUNS:

Israel’s Day of Light and Joy

The Origin, Development, and Enduring Meaning of the Jewish Sabbath

Jon D. Levenson

“This is a masterful piece of scholarship. Levenson has somehow managed to combine a rigorous historical-critical analysis of the Sabbath with a theologically sensitive discussion of the meaning and value of the Sabbath as it has developed into the present day in a fresh, readable volume seasoned throughout with wit and good humor. I learned much reading this book. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to understand the historical development of the Sabbath and its continuing value in a modern culture characterized by individualism, burnout, exhaustion, and (often) the loss of a sense of purpose and meaning.”—Jason Staples, author of Paul and the Resurrection of Israel: Jews, Former Gentiles, Israelites

$74.95 | Hardcover Edition
ISBN: 978-1-64602-271-7

$24.95 | Paperback Edition
ISBN: 978-1-64602-273-1

Available as an e-book

296 pages
6" × 9"
2024

Description

This book begins by exploring the mysterious origins of an institution so familiar that most of us never wonder where it came from—the seven-day week. Jon D. Levenson then focuses on the historical development of the Jewish Sabbath and the rich range of theological and ethical meanings it has acquired over the centuries.

Levenson evaluates the theory that the Hebrew word šabbāt derives from Akkadian and that the Sabbath may have begun as a day of ill omen, only later to be reinterpreted as the joyous festival that consummates the seven-day week. He explores the quasi-magical character of the number seven in ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean compositions and examines the revealing variation of the Sabbath commandment between the two biblical versions of the Decalogue in Exodus and Deuteronomy. He also treats sabbatical law in the Second Temple and rabbinic periods, critiquing contemporary efforts to extract a spirituality from the Sabbath that is divorced from larger questions of communal identity, normative practice, and religious affirmation. Levenson concludes by discussing modern challenges to Sabbath observance and the surprising prospects for its continuation.

Written by an eminent scholar in the field, this sophisticated inquiry bridges the gap between studies that explore the spiritual meaning of Jewish Sabbath observance and those that focus strictly on the history of the tradition. It will appeal to a wide audience of academics and lay readers.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.