On the formation and reception of the Babylonian Talmud

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: A Dual Agenda for Bavli Studies: Formation and Reception (Alyssa Gray).

The common thread running through all these projects on the Bavli’s adaptation of other sources is the scholarly realization that as creative as the Bavli is, that creativity is at least partly (a big part) expressed through the incorporation and reworking of other sources, whether texts or motifs. There are methodological variations within these various studies, and these variations exhibit both tension and complementarity. If we focus (again, non-exhaustively) on studies of the Bavli in relation to the Yerushalmi, there are methodological variations worth noting.

I noted the introductory essay in this series here.

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Debating diachronic diversity dating for biblical Hebrew

THE BIBLE AND INTERPRETATION:

“A Relationship Worth Fighting For”: A Response to “Isn’t It Time to Break Up with Linguistic Dating?”

Linguistic dating in Biblical Hebrew research remains a valid scholarly tool despite complications arising from composition, redaction, transmission, and methodological challenges. Although weaker or overly circular approaches deserve criticism, careful, data-driven analysis of Masoretic, non-Masoretic, and extrabiblical Hebrew still reveals meaningful diachronic patterns and can thus contribute to historical periodization.

See also Diachronic Diversity in Classical Biblical Hebrew (Cambridge, 2024).

By Aaron D. Hornkohl
Associate Professor of Hebrew
University of Cambridge, Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
March 2026

This essay responds to an earlier Bible and Interpretation essay, noted here. And see also here.

The discussion is somewhat technical and has been going on for a long time. I have comments myself here and here. I think further progress will be difficult unless (hopefully, until) we find a cache of Iron Age II (i.e., pre-exilic) Hebrew Dead Sea Scrolls.

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Lots more ghost wheels?

PREHISTORIC MEGALITHIC ARCHITECTURE: Mystery widens: Researchers find Israel’s ‘Stonehenge’ in the Golan is not unique. Remote sensing and AI helped identify 28 sites similar to Rujm el-Hiri, challenging theories about the ancient stone circle’s purpose and pointing to a wider regional phenomenon (Rossella Tercatin, Times of Israel).

Rujm el-Hiri is, of course, a very well-known site, and it was always considered to be a very unique site in the area,” [archaeologist Michal] Birkenfeld said. “Most [of the sites we discovered] were not as elaborate and were of different sizes and levels of preservation, but they still have the same type of logic.”

“If this is the case, it also impacts the way we can interpret these sites,” Birkenfeld explained, adding that they have also found that there are similar sites further away, including in the Galilee and in Lebanon.

The question is connected to how to understand the original one at Rujm el-Hiri, which remains surrounded by enigmas.

Last year I mentioned the site of Rujm el-Hiri as one of those pre-Israelite megascale constructions which may have given the Israelites the idea that giants lived in the land long ago. This site is especially fun because its traditional nickname is Gilgal Refa'im, "wheel of ghosts" or, in biblical context, possibly "wheel of giants." The purpose of the site remains debated.

Now it appears that Rujm el-Hiri is far from unique. The new research indicates there were dozens of such prehistoric circular megalitic monuments in the region. No wonder the Israelites thought there used to be giants in the land!

The underlying article is open access at Plos One:

Reassessing Rujm el-Hiri: Aerial imagery and stone circles in the proto-historic Southern Levant

Michal Birkenfeld , Olga Khabarova, Lev V. Eppelbaum, Uri Berger
Published: March 18, 2026
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0339952

Abstract

Rujm el-Hiri has long been considered one of the most enigmatic archaeological monuments in the Southern Levant. Variously interpreted as a funerary, ceremonial, or astronomical locale, it has been the centre of multiple studies spanning over more than 50 years. While traditionally viewed as an isolated protohistoric monument, our study reveals it as the most elaborate example of a widespread regional tradition of large, circular basalt stone structures. This study presents a comprehensive regional reassessment of these large circular stone structures in the basalt highlands surrounding Rujm el-Hiri, revealing over 30 previously undocumented examples within a 25 km radius. Utilizing high-resolution satellite imagery, geophysical modelling, and spatial analysis, we document a consistent architectural tradition characterized by concentric and radial basalt walls, often associated with dolmens, tumuli, and field systems. These structures exhibit similarities in design and landscape placement, frequently located near seasonal water sources and integrated within broader agro-pastoral land-use networks. Our findings challenge the view of Rujm el-Hiri as an isolated monument, instead situating it within a wider phenomenon of protohistoric monumental architecture in this region. This expanded dataset provides new perspectives on landscape organization and monumentality in the protohistoric southern Levant. The application of remote sensing techniques proves crucial in overcoming previous survey limitations, revealing a complex and interconnected archaeological landscape hitherto underappreciated.

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Was the Second Temple ANE or Greek inspired?

DR. LISBETH S. FRIED: Did YHWH Reside in the Temple? (TheTorah.com).

The biblical accounts of the Tabernacle and Solomon’s Temple reflect ancient Near Eastern ideas of divine residence. Ezra’s account of the Second Temple, however—where the altar is built first—reflects a theology closer to the Greek world, also echoed in the patriarchal stories of Genesis.

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More on the Athribis ostraca and what's on them

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: Treasure Trove of Ancient Astrology Unearthed in Egypt. Thousands of ostraca found at Atreps (Lauren K. McCormick).

Atreps is the same site as Athribis/Atribis. I have noted this most recent discovery of thousands more inscribed ostraca here. Follow the links for background and earlier discoveries at the site.

This BHD essay does a good job of answering the questions What do they say? and Why should we care? Excerpt:

Of special interest are more than 100 mainly Demotic-Hieratic horoscopes, which complement earlier discoveries of about 130 ostraca documenting celestial observations and possible astrological charts. Generally speaking, in ancient Egypt, astronomy involved observing and measuring celestial bodies, while astrology interpreted their significance. Horoscopes recorded the positions of stars and planets at specific moments so their meaning could be interpreted. It seems clear that Atreps served as a hub of astrological and astronomical activity.

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Maaloula latest

MODERN ARAMAIC WATCH: This war-torn village is fighting to keep Christ’s language alive. Home to some of the last speakers of Aramaic, Maaloula was attacked in Syria’s civil war. Its residents are determined to rebuild–and preserve their mother tongue from extinction (Ryan Biller, National Geographic).

Poor Maaloula (Ma'aloula, Malula, Maalula - etc!) has been through a lot. PaleoJudaica has been following the fate of this Syrian city, where Aramaic is still spoken, for more than 20 years. Its situation is already delicate with the fall of Assad and the new al-Sharaa-led transitional government. I hope it and its people stay safe during the current war. They are not in the midst of the action, but they are not all that far away from it.

Background here and many links.

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Mosaic-floor church excavated at Nitzana in the Negev

ARCHAEOLOGY: On the trail of Lawrence of Arabia: 1,400-year-old church found in the Negev. Mosaic-decorated church uncovered at Nitzana National Park sheds light on the scene among pilgrims traveling through the Holy Land to Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Egypt (Rossella Tercating, Times of Israel).

The mosaic-floor church was discovered during the latest excavation season conducted by BGU archaeologists in February.

“It is the most beautiful of all six churches, because it is the only one featuring colorful mosaic floors as opposed to simple stone floors, like the others,” Tchekhanovets said.

The mosaics present intricate geometric and floral patterns.

The archaeologists could date the completion of the church precisely thanks to an inscription dedicating the building to the benefactor who funded it in 601 CE.

You have to read pretty far into the article to get to Lawrence of Arabia, and he is not very important to the story. Cross-file under Decorative Art.

PaleoJudaica posts about discoveries in the Nitzana National Park are here, here, and here, and, under the name Nessana, here, here and (a good overview through late 2024) here.

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"What is the Talmud?" - upcoming roundtable papers

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: What is the Talmud? (Christine Hayes).

In anticipation of the publication of the conference proceedings, the volume editors convened a roundtable discussion at the 2025 Association for Jewish Studies annual conference. At the roundtable, several scholars discussed the question "What is the Talmud?" and considered how diverse answers to that question have shaped and will continue to shape the field of Bavli Studies.

Further details are at the link. The papers are forthcoming.

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Unauthorized West Bank antiquity confiscation?

DETAINED DECORATIVE ARCHITECTURE: High-ranking Israeli Police Officer Entered West Bank Village With IDF Troops to Seize Ancient Stone. Meir Rotter, head of the police's ultra-Orthodox community department, confiscated a carved lintel from a home in Kafr Dhaba without Civil Administration archaeologists present and in an area under Palestinian Authority control; police say the incident will be investigated (Nir Hasson, Haaretz).

There is a video of the stone fragment, which an excerpted photo describes as a "carved lintel." You can see the mentioned menorah design and some floral/vine decoration. The second fragment to the left is harder to see, but it looks like it has more floral/vine decoration. I don't know how old they are.

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Did an ancient sling stone teach someone a lesson?

ANCIENT MARTIAL ARTIFACT: ‘Learn your lesson’: Inscribed 2,100-year-old sling bullet found in the Galilee, Artifact was possibly used by the Greek defenders of the city of Hippos against the Hasmonean army of King Alexander Jannaeus in 101 BCE (Rossella Tercatin, Times of Israel).

Its discovery marks the first time that this specific inscription has been found on a sling bullet, according to Haifa University’s Michael Eisenberg, co-director of excavation at the site and one of the authors of the study.

The underlying article just published (open access) in Palestine Exploration Quarterly:

Learn! – A New Type of Inscription on a Sling Bullet from Hippos of the Decapolis

Michael Eisenber, Arleta Kowalewska & Gregor Staab
Published online: 10 Mar 2026
Cite this article https://doi.org/10.1080/00310328.2026.2641294

ABSTRACT

This paper introduces a unique inscribed lead sling bullet (slingshot) found at Hippos of the Decapolis in 2025. The item was recovered with a metal detector within the Southern Necropolis, close to the bed of the Sussita Stream, where an ancient road passed. The bullet, most probably launched by the city defenders at attackers coming up the road, carries Greek letters ΜΑΘΟΥ. This previously unattested inscription can be interpreted as a sarcastic imperative addressed to the enemy: ‘Learn your lesson!’ The find joins the group of 69 lead sling bullets encountered at Hippos. Although some are decorated with a scorpion or a thunderbolt, the bullet described in this paper is the first one with an inscription.

For other discoveries of ancient inscribed and uninscribed sling bullets in Israel, see the links collected here. And for many PaleoJudaica posts on artifacts and architecture recovered in and around the site of Hippos-Sussita, start here and follow the links

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More on the Achaemenid Zoroastrian elements in the Elephantine papyri etc.

IRANIAN-INFLUENCED ARAMAIC: Researcher uncovers Zoroastrian 'ripples' in Jewish documents from ancient Egypt (Sandee Oster, Phys.org).

In a study published in the journal Iran, researcher Gad Barnea has uncovered new evidence suggesting that Zoroastrian religious practices were more prevalent and left a deeper imprint on surrounding communities than previously recognized. The study complements the current body of knowledge on Achaemenid-era Zoroastrianism (AZ) with data gathered from Jewish sources outside Iran. These include documents referencing the building of a Zoroastrian-style temple, Zoroastrian magi priests, and a fire altar located in a Jewish temple.

[...]

Many of the Achaemenid Zoroastrian elements that appear in the fifth-century BCE Aramaic Judean papyri from Elephantine Island in Egypt are well known to Aramaists and specialists in ancient Judaism. But apparently less so to specialists in ancient Zoroastrianism, at least until recently. This article covers them and explores the evidence more fully.

I already noted open-access underling article in Iran Volume 63, 2025 - Issue 2 here. But here it is again:

Some Achaemenid Zoroastrian Echoes in Early Yahwistic Sources

Gad Barnea
Pages 234-243 | Published online: 02 Sep 2025
Cite this article https://doi.org/10.1080/05786967.2025.2494602

ABSTRACT

In her magnum opus, A History of Zoroastrianism, Mary Boyce perceptively noted that often, in the history of this Iranian religion, “developments within Iran itself have to be deduced from the ripples which they caused abroad”. This is certainly true of the history of Achaemenid-era Zoroastrianism, the characteristics (and in some circles even the existence) of which, continue to be a matter of debate even as more and more information regarding its possible features continues to emerge. This article aims to complement the current body of knowledge with data gathered from Yahwistic sources outside of Iran to enhance and solidify our understanding of Achaemenid-era Zoroastrianism and its contours. It reviews the current state of scholarship and the significant progress that has been made in the recent decades and studies some Zoroastrian/Avestan echoes preserved in Yahwistic sources in Upper Egypt, mostly at Elephantine, which provide first-hand documentation of Zoroastrian devotion.

For a related article by Gad Barnea, see here.

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Scaling back the Mandean Creation Festival due to the war

MANDEAN (MANDAEAN) WATCH: Security concerns scale back Mandaean Parwanaya festival (Shafaq News- Baghdad).

War and unrest across the Middle East have overshadowed the Parwanaya, or Creation Festival, one of Iraq’s most important religious celebrations for the Mandaean Sabaeans. This year, the community has restricted observance to core rituals, skipping public gatherings and festive events.

Also called the “Five White Days,” the festival coincides with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan for the third year in a row. During this time, Mandaean Sabaeans fast strictly, avoiding meat, bread, eggs, and other foods, many of which must be prepared at home.

The Sabaean faith, among the world’s oldest monotheistic religions, traces its spiritual roots to the prophet John the Baptist (Yahya ibn Zakariya). Rituals are conducted in Aramaic, a language dating to the tenth century BC, preserved in the community’s sacred text, Ginza Rabba.

[...]

That's too bad.

For PaleoJudaica posts on the Sabaean (Sabean) Mandeans, see here and links. A couple of more recent posts on the Mandeans are here and here. For still more, see the archives.

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

Virnelson, Fruit of Her Hands (OUP)

NEW BOOK FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS:

Fruit of Her Hands

Women, Work, and Society in the Hebrew Bible

Leslie G. Virnelson

£64.00

Hardback
Published: 11 December 2025
248 Pages | 9 b&w halftones
235x156mm
ISBN: 9780197810811

Also Available As:
E-book

Description

Fruit of Her Hands considers how specialized roles for women are reflected in the texts of the Hebrew Bible, with a focus on four—midwives, diviners, weavers, and sex workers. Virnelson investigates the practice of each role in the ancient world and its corresponding portrayal in biblical texts, incorporating linguistics, material culture, comparative literature, and ethnography. Feminist theories situate the investigation of individual roles in a broader discussion of gendered roles in ancient texts.

The study of weavers considers paradigms of skill and craft for the manual expertise that women weavers developed. The study of midwives considers recognition in the absence of centralized credentialing and training as well as the latitude afforded to midwives as ritual and medical experts. The study of diviners considers how intersecting factors might create gendered opportunities and obstacles for women in divinatory roles. The study of sex workers reveals the ambivalent place of sex workers in society and the patrimonial household, and how sex work reveals broader paradigms of women's sexuality and work.

Fruit of Her Hands sheds light on the nature of specialized work in ancient society and the social roles of women in the Hebrew Bible and the ancient world. Virnelson offers feminist historiographical approaches to the study of the Hebrew Bible and considers how modern ideas and debates about “women's work” influence our understanding of the past. Fruit of Her Hands ultimately emphasizes the need to explore gaps in biblical texts and scholarly knowledge, the paradoxes of women's inclusion and exclusion, and the need to disambiguate the category of “women” in biblical texts and historical reconstructions.

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Athas & Davage (eds.), T&T Clark Handbook to the Masoretic Text

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

T&T Clark Handbook to the Masoretic Text

George Athas (Anthology Editor) , David Davage (Anthology Editor)

Hardback $190.00 $171.00
Ebook (PDF)
$171.00 $136.80
Ebook (Epub & Mobi)
$171.00 $136.80

Product details

Published Jan 22 2026
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Extent 640
ISBN 9781350082632
Imprint T&T Clark
Dimensions 10 x 7 inches
Series T&T Clark Handbooks
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

Description

An extensive, all in one guide to the key features of the most important text type of the Hebrew Bible, the Masoretic Text. The contributors examine all aspects of the Masoretic Text: its origins, transmission, history and textual forms.

The handbook traces the development of the text type from ancient manuscripts found in the Judean Desert, through to the pointed medieval codices and the Second Rabbinic Bible. It outlines the main aspects of ancient and medieval scribal practice, including a brief history of the Tiberian School of scribes, the development of the vowel and cantillation system, introduction to the marginal Masorah notes, and provides descriptions of the major codices. The contributors examine the features of the Masoretic Text in the books of the bible. The volume also includes an extensive bibliography to enable further detailed study.

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Thousands more inscribed ostraca from Athribis (Sohag), Egypt

COPTIC (AND DEMOTIC ETC.) WATCH: Archaeologists Discover 3,000 New Ostraca at Ancient Athribis Site in Egypt. Archaeologists in Egypt have uncovered 3,000 new ostraca at the ancient site of Athribis in Sohag, bringing the total number of inscribed pottery fragments found there to about 43,000 (Bill Giannopoulos, Greek City Times).

Multiple Languages and Scripts

Researchers found that the inscriptions include several ancient writing systems:

60–75% written in Demotic script
15–30% written in Greek
Smaller portions written in Hieratic, Hieroglyphic, Coptic, and Arabic

The oldest texts identified so far include tax receipts written in Demotic script dating to the 3rd century BC, while the most recent inscriptions consist of Arabic labels and notes from the 9th to 11th centuries AD.

Bold font in the original. Last we heard, in 2022, 18,000 inscribed ostraca had been excavated at Athribis. That's about 25,000 found since then.

The ostraca seem to consist mostly of documentary texts. But there are also scribal exercises and texts from temple-related religious activities etc. Quite a haul.

For more on the region of Sohag, where Athribis (Atribis) is located, start here and follow the links.

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Henderson: Defeat and Deliverance: Prefigurements of the Jewish Revolt ... (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Defeat and Deliverance: Prefigurements of the Jewish Revolt Against Rome in Josephus’ Depictions of Past Invasions of Jerusalem

Series:
Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism, Volume: 220

Author: Jordan Henderson

This monograph examines Josephus’ depictions of foreign invasions of Jerusalem in his Antiquitates Judaicae. These include the invasions of Shishak, Sennacherib, Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander the Great, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, and Pompey the Great. In examining these narratives, the book approaches the Antiquitates Judaicae as an extended “prequel” or backstory to his earlier Bellum Judaicum, examining the ways in which these narratives foreshadow and invite comparisons with his prior account of the war with Rome. The book also explores these narratives within the literary context of the Antiquitates Judaicae as a whole and the ways Josephus’ perceived audience expectations may have influenced his depictions of these events.

Copyright Year: 2026

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-74579-7
Publication: 29 Sep 2025
EUR €121.00

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-74578-0
Publication: 02 Oct 2025
EUR €121.00

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Shibboleth

LOANWORD: Word of the day: Shibboleth (The Economic Times, India).

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