Eisenstock, TALMUD CHRONICLES (Urim)

NEW BOOK FROM URIM PUBLICATIONS:

TALMUD CHRONICLES: Bringing Talmudic Events to Life

by Zalman Eisenstock

Price: $34.95 $31.00

Hardcover, 112 pages, includes b/w images and illustrations throughout
Urim Publications, 2026
ISBN: 978-965-524-389-5

From Rabban Gamliel’s fight with Rabbi Yehoshua in 100 CE through significant events over the next century, experience the story of the Talmud set against the background of the ancient world, and uniquely retold in the form of a modern daily newspaper. The engaging format of News from the Past brings this transformative period to life and makes it accessible to readers of all ages. Experience the resilience of the Jewish people as they faced two major revolts — the Parthian Revolt (115–117 C.E.) and the tragic Bar Kochba rebellion (132–135 C.E.). Despite these challenges, visionary leaders emerged to reinforce the Torah, culminating in the creation of the Mishnah — the foundational compilation of the Oral Law.

Well that's different. Cross-file under Talmud Watch.

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Intertextuality as Reinterpreting Texts (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Intertextuality as Reinterpreting Texts

Papers Read at the 19th Joint Meeting of the Society for Old Testament Study and the Oudtestamentisch Werkgezelschap in Nederland en België, ’s-Hertogenbosch, 2024

Series:
Oudtestamentische Studiën, Old Testament Studies, Volume: 86

Volume Editors: Archibald L.H.M. van Wieringen, Katharine J. Dell, and Arie Versluis

Intertextuality is a multifaceted and complex phenomenon, that can be studied form various perspectives, both diachronically and synchronically. An intertextual relationship is essentially about reinterpreting texts for creating new texts. This volume aims to highlight various approaches by exploring both the methodological dimensions of intertextual research and the ways in which such research may be concretized with regard to specific Old Testament texts.

Copyright Year: 2026

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-76621-1
Publication: 29 Jul 2026
EUR €128.00

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-76618-1
Publication: 27 Aug 2026
EUR €128.00

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The Michigan papyrus collection

WORKSHOP REPORT: Unveiling history: University of Michigan home to America’s largest collection of ancient papyrus (Matt Jaworowski, WoodTV.com).

Earlier this month, researchers from across the world made the trek to Ann Arbor to check out the collection and to learn more about proper preservation techniques. Some of the highlights include a 2,200-year-old portion of “The Iliad,” some of the “lost works” of Greek philosopher Epicurus and a portion of the oldest-known copy of the Epistles of St. Paul.

The collection, the largest in North America, holds more than 7,000 ancient manuscripts and approximately 17,000 individual fragments from between 1,000 B.C. and 1,000 A.D.

It also includes ancient magical papyri and Coptic texts. Some PaleoJudaica posts on it are here, here, and here. For more information on the workshop, and on the collection generally, make sure to follow the links in the article.

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The Temple of Ištar-of-Akkad in Babylon

BIBLIOGRAPHIA IRANICA: The Temple of Ištar-of-Akkad in Babylon from the Neo-Assyrian until the Persian Period.

Notice of a New Book: Boivin, Odette. 2026. The Temple of Ištar-of-Akkad in Babylon from the Neo-Assyrian until the Persian Period. The Archival Texts (Abhandlungen der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft 33). Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. Follow the link for description and a link to the publisher's page.

I like to keep track of what was happening in Babylon in the Second Temple period, both in reality, as here, and in Greek and Aramaic fantasy.

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Talmudic legends about the Roman emperors

TALMUD WATCH: Rome says Nero died. The Talmud gives him a very different ending. Jewish legends recast Rome’s emperors in extraordinary ways, from Nero converting and becoming Rabbi Meir’s ancestor to Titus tormented by a gnat, Hadrian outwitted by rabbis and Antoninus drawn toward Judaism after Rome destroyed Jerusalem (Liran Friedmann, YNetNews).

On June 9, 68 CE, Emperor Nero died outside Rome after being declared a public enemy and abandoned by much of the political establishment. Or did he? Roman historians say yes. Jewish tradition has another version entirely. According to the Babylonian Talmud, Nero did not simply disappear from history. He fled a Roman campaign against Jerusalem, converted to Judaism and eventually became an ancestor of Rabbi Meir, one of the greatest rabbis of the Mishnah.

[...]

The Talmudic story about Nero has come up before, but it's fun to revisit. It is not remotely credible, but the Roman account of his death isn't credible either. For commentary, see here and links.

The stories about the other emperors are similarly not credible but entertaining. For another legend about Yohanan ben Zakkai and Vespasian, see here. For a bit more on the legends about "Antoninus," see here.

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On Hermes Trismegistos and the Sibyls

ETHNIC RELATIONS AND MIGRATION IN THE ANCIENT WORLD: Egyptian and Babylonian wisdom: Lactantius on the authority of Hermes Trismegistos and the Sibyls (early fourth century CE) (Philip A. Harland).

The Sybilline Oracles and the Sibyl(s) have come up now and then on PaleoJudaica. Some posts are here and links, and here, here, here, and here. And recently (and occasionally earlier) on the ancient Hermetic literature here (cf. here) and Renaissance Hemeticism here.

The late-antique Christian writer Lactantius collected some fascinating ancient traditions about both.

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Papyrus rolls in stone?

VARIANT READINGS: Realistic Renderings of Papyrus Rolls in Stone (Brent Nongbri).

I checked Theodor Birt’s classic book on the depiction of papyrus rolls in art, and he of course also took note of the fine carving of these papyrus rolls:

“The large sarcophagus in the Athens Museum (inv. 1497) is like a marble illustration of Pliny’s account of the manufacture of papyrus: On its lid, a reclining male figure leans with his shoulder against a massive bundle of papyrus rolls, the outer edge of which alone contains no fewer than 18 rolls. These rolls depict the composition of the papyrus in horizontal and vertical strips, rendered with great care. On the rolls located on the back side of the lid, only the vertical strips are visible; on those on the front, both are visible. It was not possible to take a photograph due to the lighting in the room.”1

But the rendering may be even more clever than Birt describes. ...

Indeed. Cross-file under Sculpture.

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The Book of Joshua (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

The Book of Joshua

Composition, Reception, and Interpretation

Series: Formation and Interpretation of Old Testament Literature, Volume: 203/11
Vetus Testamentum, Supplements, Volume: 203/11

Volume Editors: Lissa M. Wray Beal, Craig A. Evans, and D. Allen Hutchison

The Book of Joshua presents many interpretive challenges. These include its depiction of warfare violence, its engagement with modern archaeological enterprise, its use in colonial expansion, and its insistence on the sole worship of Yahweh in pluralistic religious contexts. The expert contributors to this volume examine such questions and also ground the reader in ongoing scholarly discussion of key issues of composition, genre, theology, and Nachleben. This book serves as a valuable resource for graduate students and scholars alike, presenting a snapshot of the state of Joshua scholarship while opening new avenues for scholarly consideration.

Copyright Year: 2026

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-75746-2
Publication: 08 Jun 2026
EUR €140.00

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-52985-4
Publication: 09 Jul 2026
EUR €140.00

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Collins, Apocalypticism as a Worldview in Ancient Judaism (Eerdmans)

NEW BOOK FROM EERDMANS:

Apocalypticism as a Worldview in Ancient Judaism
by John J. Collins

Imprint: Eerdmans

192 Pages, 6.00 × 9.00 in

PAPERBACK
9780802885005
Publication Date: June 25, 2026
$27.99
£20.99

EBOOK
9781467469432
Publication Date: June 25, 2026
$27.99
£20.99

DESCRIPTION

How did apocalyptic concerns shape ancient Jewish life and literature?

In this compelling study, renowned scholar John J. Collins examines the apocalyptic worldview that emerged in Jewish thought during the Hellenistic and Greco-Roman periods. He reconstructs this perspective through carefully contextualized readings of ancient Jewish apocalyptic literature.

According to Collins, defining features of the apocalyptic worldview include the desire to grasp history in its entirety; the expectation that history as we know it will come to an end; the use of patterns and images drawn from ancient myths to frame history as something beyond human control; increased interest in the heavens and otherworldly regions; and hope that humans may enjoy eternal life in heaven. As Collins systematically outlines ancient Jewish understandings of time and space, he situates them within broader intellectual currents. Ultimately, he shows that apocalyptic concerns extend beyond specific historical crises to fundamental questions of human mortality and limitation. Addressing the challenge that many Jewish apocalyptic texts survive only in Christian translations, Collins argues persuasively for identifying authentic Jewish layers in this literature, recovering voices that would otherwise remain lost.

This comprehensive study offers fresh perspectives on Jewish apocalyptic literature—and in so doing, reestablishes apocalypticism as a category worthy of sustained scholarly attention. Essential reading for scholars and students in biblical studies.

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The Rosicrucian inflection

THE ANXIOUS BENCH: The Rosicrucians: A 400-Year-Old Hoax That Worked (Philip Jenkins).

To return to the theme of this blog series, the Rosicrucian texts were composed as an authoritative text with scriptural authority. We may not like the word “forged” because that words implies people were meant to take them as literal and factual, and there was never much doubt that readers were assumed to be using the lens of the allegorical and symbolic.

But whatever we think of that distinction, this is undoubtedly an account of the finding of a sacred text concealed in a tomb. And explicitly, we are told that it was placed there to await the days when it could safely be revived, or better, resurrected. In those last times, that scripture would become the charter of a purified mystical Christianity. This is exactly the topos that we have encountered with the other texts that appeared in this brief and incredibly creative period at the start of the seventeenth century.

And does that not also sound precisely like much of the literature that greeted the finding of the Gospel of Thomas in the twentieth century?

In many ways the three foundational Rosicrucian documents represent peak Renaissance techno-Hermeticism. They present apocryphal, deeply symbolic, Vitruvian architecture and venerable, if similarly apocryphal, Hermetic magic, astrology, and elevated alchemy. And, as Prof. Jenkins notes, more than one authoritative apocryphal book.

All this was a novel, and strangely successful way to start a secret society. Annouce that you are in charge of a venerable clandestine fraternity. Invite people to publish applications for admission. And never reply to any of them.

I would post some bibliography, but it looks like Prof. Jenkins will have more to say on the subject. Maybe after that.

This Anxious Bench post is a continuation of Professor Jenkins's Lost and Found Scriptures series. For earlier posts, see here and links.

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Non-Semitic Loanwords in the Hebrew Bible

PHILOLOGY: Speaking of Eisenbrauns, at the JewishLink, Mitchell First has a two-part profile of selected words covered in Non-Semitic Loanwords in the Hebrew Bible: A Lexicon of Language Contact, by Benjamin Noonan (Eisenbrauns, 2019).

Non-Semitic Loanwords in Tanach

In Noonan’s view, there are over 200 non-Semitic loanwords in Tanach and he discusses each one. You will be very surprised at some of the words he includes. In this column, I am limiting myself to discussing words he included that begin with א (and I have only discussed a small portion of them). About 20% of his entries begin with א.

Non-Semitic Loanwords in Tanach. Part II

In Noonan’s view, there are over 200 non-Semitic loanwords in Tanach and he discusses each one. Last week, I limited myself to discussing words he included that begin with א (and I only discussed a small portion of them). This week, I am surveying ב through ח, and only including a portion of his entries. Note also that most loanwords are nouns.

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New editors for the Eisenbrauns HACL series

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL INVOLVED: Penn State University Press appoints new editors for Eisenbrauns series.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State University Press has announced the appointment of two new series editors for its "History, Archaeology, and Culture of the Levant" series, published under its Eisenbrauns imprint. Deirdre Fulton and Kristine Garroway will serve as the series editors, replacing original and longtime series editors Jeff Blakely and Lawson Younger.

[...]

The press release gives background on the new editors, as well as background on the Eisenbrauns imprint, one of the major publishers for biblical studies and the Ancient Near East.

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Trump wears an Aramaic Zohar treatise for protection?

APOTROPAIC ARAMAIC: Marla Maples: Trump carries the Zohar over his heart “for protection and healing.” (Tamar Stein, Israel365News).

Marla Maples, Donald Trump’s second wife, revealed in a new interview that the president carries an Aramaic copy of the Zohar’s Book of Pinchas inside his clothing, pressed against his heart. Speaking with Channel 12’s Jonathan Rieger, Maples said the mystical text serves a specific purpose in Trump’s life: “protection and healing.”

[...]

There is a pocket edition of Zohar treatise Pinchas in the original Aramaic, sold for just this purpose.

Cross-file under Aramaic Watch, Zohar Watch, and Politics.

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Gemstones are divine

PROF. ILONA N. RASHKOW: Gemstones of the Gods: The Symbolism of the High Priest’s Breastpiece (TheTorah.com).

Ezekiel pictures Eden as a garden filled with precious stones—the same stones that adorn the high priest’s breastpiece. Across the ancient Near East, gods inhabit a world of jewel-bearing trees, gemstone mountains, and temples of lapis and gold. By wearing these stones when he enters YHWH’s sanctuary, the high priest dresses for the divine realm.

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Antiquities looting charges in Hadera Court

APRREHENDED AND INDICTED: IAA files indictment against two Fureidis residents caught carrying illegally excavated artifacts. Distelfeld and the other officials found a total of 13 ancient bronze coins, three ancient bronze items, two ancient lead items, and another 14 unidentified metal objects in the suspects' possession (Yoav Etiel, Jerusalem Post).

The two were in the midst of an illegal excavation of the site when they were discovered by the IAA, an INPA inspector, and a local security guard. Several pieces of ancient pottery had been shattered, and layers of earth had been disturbed during the suspects’ excavation.

While transporting the suspects to the police station, a rocket siren sounded, forcing the police officers and IAA inspectors to stop and take shelter with the apprehended suspects, as well as other civilians, until the Home Front Command issued an all-clear alert.

I remember this incident from last March, but it looks like I didn't report on it. There are so many antiquities looting arrests it is difficult to keep track of them.

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