More on Hegra and the Nabateans

NABATEAN (NABATAEAN) WATCH: HEGRA, AN ANCIENT CITY IN SAUDI ARABIA UNTOUCHED FOR MILLENNIA, MAKES ITS PUBLIC DEBUT. The archaeological site, now open to tourists, offers clues about the mysterious empire that built it and its more famous sister city of Petra in Jordan (LAUREN KEITH, Smithsonian Magazine).

Once a thriving international trade hub, the archeological site of Hegra (also known as Madain Saleh) has been left practically undisturbed for almost 2,000 years. But now for the first time, Saudi Arabia has opened the site to tourists. Astute visitors will notice that the rock-cut constructions at Hegra look similar to its more famous sister site of Petra, a few hundred miles to the north in Jordan. Hegra was the second city of the Nabataean kingdom, but Hegra does much more than simply play second fiddle to Petra: it could hold the key to unlocking the secrets of an almost-forgotten ancient civilization.

A long, informative, and well illustrated article on one of the most important archaeological sites in Saudi Arabia. It is a major source of information on the ancient Nabateans, still relatively untapped. The Nabateans spoke Arabic, but wrote in Aramaic for commercial, government, and diplomatic purposes.

PaleoJudaica posts on Hegra (Madain Saleh), "Saudi Arabia's answer to Petra," are collected here. For many posts on Petra and the Nabateans and their language, see here and links (cf. here).

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

Maiden, Cognitive Science and Ancient Israelite Religion

NEW BOOK FROM CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS:

Cognitive Science and Ancient Israelite Religion
New Perspectives on Texts, Artifacts, and Culture

Part of Society for Old Testament Study Monographs

AUTHOR: Brett E. Maiden, Emory University, Atlanta
DATE PUBLISHED: October 2020
AVAILABILITY: Available
FORMAT: Hardback
ISBN: 9781108487788

$ 99.99 (C) Hardback

Description

In this book, Brett Maiden employs the tools, research, and theories from the cognitive science of religion to explore religious thought and behavior in ancient Israel. His study focuses on a key set of distinctions between intuitive and reflective types of cognitive processing, implicit and explicit concepts, and cognitively optimal and costly religious traditions. Through a series of case studies, Maiden examines a range of topics including popular and official religion, Deuteronomic theology, hybrid monsters in ancient iconography, divine cult statues in ancient Mesopotamia and the biblical idol polemics, and the Day of Atonement ritual in Leviticus 16. The range of media, including ancient texts, art, and archaeological data from ancient Israel, as well theoretical perspectives demonstrates how a dialogue between biblical scholars and cognitive researchers can be fostered.

• Offers an accessible introduction to the current state of the cognitive study of religion, especially for biblical scholars and historians of religion
• Provides theoretical discussion and concrete examples, in the form of case studies, of interdisciplinary scholarship in action
• Examines different interrelated topics in the study Israelite religion, including theoretical, artistic, and textual

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The house that Jesus grew up in?

'TIS THE SEASON, ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE EDITION: Is this the childhood home of Jesus Christ? British archaeologist excavates domestic dwelling under ruins of the Sisters of Nazareth Convent (Jonathan Chadwic, Daily Mail).

It could be. I noted the story here back in 2015. I was skeptical then and remain so today. It is clear that when a church was built over the site in the fourth century, there was a tradition that this was Jesus' house. But a lot of legends can start up in two or three hundred years.

Professor Dark has done much good archaeological work on ancient Nazareth, as I have noted here and links. I doubt that we will ever know if he is right on this specific point. But who knows? Conclusive proof might show up someday.

Whatever the merits of the claim, this article has many good photos of the site.

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

Van Hecke, The Song of Songs in its Context

NEW BOOK FROM PEETERS:

The Song of Songs in its Context. Words for Love, Love for Words

SERIES:
Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium, 310

EDITOR:
Van Hecke P.

YEAR: 2020
ISBN: 9789042942394
E-ISBN: 9789042942400
PAGES: XXXIV-643 p.
PRICE: 95 euro

SUMMARY:
Ever since its composition, the Song of Songs has fascinated generation upon generation of readers. The words for love expressed in the book have captivated the imagination and have inspired many, in each time and age, to interpret its meaning. Also the Song’s love for words – its intricate poetry and its rich and often daring imagery – has caught the attention of its readership. After two centuries of diminished interest in the book, the last two decades have witnessed a remarkable return of scholarly attention for the Song of Songs. In this volume, twenty-nine papers read at the 67th Colloquium Biblicum Lovaniense (Leuven, July 25-27, 2018), not only bring together the current state of the art, but also sketch new perspectives and future avenues for the study of this shortest but most fascinating book in the Hebrew Bible. Attention is paid, by established and emerging scholars alike, to the Song’s origin and development, to its poetic features and metaphors, and to its rich and complex reception history.

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

Lecture on Israelite Aramaic in Egypt

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: BASONOVA—Wandering Arameans in Egypt. New light on the Samarian and Judean diaspora.

Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 8 pm EST via Zoom
Wandering Arameans in Egypt: New Light on the Samarian and Judean Diaspora
Tawny Holm, Penn State University

The more I look into Papyrus Amherst 63, the more fascinating it becomes. It is a collection of Aramaic and Canaanite(?) texts written in Egyptian Demotic Script. They have Israelite, Samaritan, and Babylonian-Aramaic connections. Arguably the document has some connection with the fifth-century Aramaic-speaking Judeans at Elephantine, Egypt as well.

Professor Holm has been working on a translation of this remarkable text. I believe it is near publication.

For lots of PaleoJudaica posts on Papyrus Amherst 63 is here and links.

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

Review of The Hellenistic court (ed. Erskine et al.)

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: The Hellenistic court: monarchic power and elite society from Alexander to Cleopatra.

Andrew Erskine, Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, Shane Wallace, The Hellenistic court: monarchic power and elite society from Alexander to Cleopatra. Swansea: Classical Press of Wales, 2017. Pp. 473. ISBN 9781910589625 £60.00.

Review by
Monica D'Agostini, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano. dagostini.monica@gmail.com

Only one of the essays deals with Jews in the Hellenistic court ("Deserving the Court’s Trust: Jews in Ptolemaic Egypt," by Livia Capponi). But the book looks full of information on the Seleucid and Ptolemaic monarchies during the Second Temple period.

For more on the Seleucid era and its importance for biblical and ancient Jewish studies, see here and links (cf. here). Likewise for the Ptolemaic era here and here and links.

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

Dura-Europos exhibition catalogue

THE AWOL BLOG: Dura-Europos: Crossroad of Antiquity. With links to the cataloge and e-book for this 2011 exhibition at the Boston College McMullen Museum of Art. The catalogue price is a little steep ("from $1,935.96"), but the e-book is free.

For PaleoJudaica posts on the McMullen Museum exhibition, see here and links. The NYU/ISAW exhibition on Dura-Europos was also in 2011. And the World between Empires exibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2019 also involved Dura-Europos. Follow that last link for many other posts on this important Syrian site known particularly for its late-antique synagogue murals.

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

T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (2 vols.)

RECENT BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism Volumes I and II

Editor(s): Loren T. Stuckenbruck, Daniel M. Gurtner

Published: 12-26-2019
Format: Hardback
Edition: 1st
ISBN: 9780567661449
Imprint: T&T Clark
Illustrations: 16 color maps and 192 bw illus
List price: $440.00

About T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism Volumes I and II

The T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism provides a comprehensive reference resource of over 600 scholarly articles aimed at those studying Judaism in the Second Temple Period, and the numerous texts and artefacts related to it.

The work is split into four parts across two volumes.

Part One locates the discipline in relation to other relevant fields (for example the Hebrew Bible, Rabbinics, Christian Origins) and provides an orientation to the discipline's distinctive nomenclatures and debates. The history of research in the area is also presented in full.

Part Two presents an overview of respective contexts of the discipline set within the broad framework of historical chronology. Social/cultural, literary, linguistic, geographical, political, and religious contexts are all explained, from the time period of the conquests of Alexander the Great (332 B.C.E.) through to the reign of Hadrian (135 C.E.).

Part Three focuses specifically on the literature of the Second Temple period, summarizing the content of key texts, and examining their similarities and differences with other texts of the period. This section includes surveys of scholarship on date, provenance, location, language(s), and interpretative issues. The reception history of texts is considered.

Part Four addresses topics, specifically those relevant to Second Temple literature such as places, practices, historical figures and artefacts. v The volumes include 14 specially created color maps and over 60 charts and illustrations.

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Ancient silver counterfeiting?

METAL MONEY MISCHIEF: Dirty old money: Researchers reveal Iron Age silver forgery. "It is likely that they used money that was already in the area from previous periods, to which they added the copper from the Timna area" (Hannah Brown, Jerusalem Post).

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Harland & Last, Group Survival in the Ancient Mediterranean

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

Group Survival in the Ancient Mediterranean
Rethinking Material Conditions in the Landscape of Jews and Christians

By: Philip A. Harland, Richard Last

Published: 04-16-2020
Format: Hardback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 240
ISBN: 9780567657480
Imprint: T&T Clark
Illustrations: 17 bw illus
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price: $115.00
Online price: $80.50
Save $34.50 (30%)

About Group Survival in the Ancient Mediterranean

Philip A. Harland and Richard Last consider the economics of early Christian group life within its social, cultural and economic contexts, by drawing on extensive epigraphic and archaeological evidence. In exploring the informal associations, immigrant groups, and guilds that dotted the world of the early Christians, Harland and Last provide fresh perspective on the question of how Christian assemblies and Judean/Jewish gatherings gained necessary resources to pursue their social, religious, and additional aims. By considering both neglected archaeological discoveries and literary evidence, the authors analyse financial and material aspects of group life, both sources of income and various areas of expenditure. Harland and Last then turn to the use of material resources for mutual support of members in various groups, including the importance of burial and the practice of interest-free loans. Christian and Judean evidence is explored throughout this book, culminating in a discussion of texts detailing the internal financial life of Christian assemblies as seen in first and second century sources, including Paul, the Didache, Justin Martyr, and Tertullian. In shedding new light on early Christian financial organisation, this volume aids further understanding of how some Christian groups survived and developed in the Greco-Roman world.

More on Philip Harland's work is here and links.

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Baker et al. (eds.), Exploring the Composition of the Pentateuch

NEW BOOK FROM EISENBRAUNS:

Exploring the Composition of the Pentateuch

Edited by L. S. Baker Jr., Kenneth Bergland, Felipe A. Masotti, and A. Rahel Wells

$89.95 | Hardcover Edition
ISBN: 978-1-57506-985-2

314 pages
6" × 9"
3 b&w illustrations
2020

Bulletin for Biblical Research Supplement

Description

For many years, the historical-critical quest for a reconstruction of the origin(s) and development of the Pentateuch or Hexateuch has been dominated by the documentary hypothesis, the heuristic power of which has produced a consensus so strong that an interpreter who did not operate within its framework was hardly regarded as a scholar. However, the relentless march of research on this topic has continued to yield new and refined analyses, data, methodological tools, and criticism. In this spirit, the contributions to this volume investigate new ideas about the composition of the Pentateuch arising from careful analysis of the biblical text against its ancient Near Eastern background.

Covering a wide spectrum of topics and diverging perspectives, the chapters in this book are grouped into two parts. The first is primarily concerned with the history of scholarship and alternative approaches to the development of the Pentateuch. The second focuses on the exegesis of particular texts relevant to the composition of the Torah. The aim of the project is to foster investigation and collegial dialogue in a spirit of humility and frankness, without imposing uniformity.

In addition to the editors, the contributors include Tiago Arrais, Richard E. Averbeck, John S. Bergsma, Joshua A. Berman, Daniel I. Block, Richard Davidson, Roy E. Gane, Duane A. Garrett, Richard S. Hess, Benjamin Kilchör, Michael LeFebvre, Jiří Moskala, and Christian Vogel.

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Barbu & Deutsch, Toledot Yeshu in Context

NEW BOOK FROM MOHR SIEBECK: Toledot Yeshu in Context. The Jewish »Life of Jesus« in Ancient, Medieval, and Modern History. Edited by Daniel Barbu and Yaacov Deutsch. 2020. VIII, 358 pages. Texts and Studies in Ancient Judaism 182. 144,00 € including VAT. cloth ISBN 978-3-16-159300-0.

Published in English.
The Jewish »Life of Jesus« or Toledot Yeshu provides one of the most extraordinary accounts of the beginnings of Christianity. The narrative describes Jesus as child born of adultery, a charlatan, and a false prophet who performed would-be miracles through the use of magic. Throughout the centuries, the story aroused the ire of anti-Jewish polemicists, delighted anti-clerical authors, and was viewed by Jewish scholars as a subject of embarrassment. Toledot Yeshu presents us with a formidable counter-history of the origins of Christianity. In the eighteenth century, Voltaire went so far as to proclaim that Toledot Yeshu, however extravagant, was perhaps more truthful than the Christian gospels. The object of this volume is to consider this narrative as an object of history, to question its transmission, reception and function within the various historical settings in which it circulated, and seek to understand its meaning for both Jews and non-Jews from antiquity to the modern era.

For more on Toledot Yeshu, see here, here, and here.

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Lentz, Crainte de Dieu

NEW BOOK FROM SBL PRESS:

Crainte de Dieu, Sagesse et Loi: Aspects théologiques à partir de Si 10,19-11,6
Katharina Lentz

$35.00 – $49.00

Series: Septuagint and Cognate Studies
Volume: 72

Publisher: SBL Press
Publication Date: 2020
ISBN: 9781628372564

Description

Few specific studies have been devoted to Ben Sira 10:19–11:6. Lentz examines the text in Hebrew, Greek, Syriac, and Latin, trying to identify the major differences between these versions and their respective fundamental orientations. In this pericope she reveals three important themes: the fear of God, wisdom, and the law. Taking as a point of departure the theme of the fear of God in Deuteronomy, Psalms, and Proverbs, Job, and Qoheleth, in addition to Ben Sira, Lentz examines the relationship of this theme with wisdom and the law. The close relationship between the fear of God, wisdom, and the law should lead scholars to ask if these do not represent three aspects of the same reality.

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Review of Paturel, Baalbek-Heliopolis, the Bekaa, and Berytus from 100 BCE to 400 CE

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: Baalbek-Heliopolis, the Bekaa, and Berytus from 100 BCE to 400 CE: a landscape transformed.

Simone Eid Paturel, Baalbek-Heliopolis, the Bekaa, and Berytus from 100 BCE to 400 CE: a landscape transformed. Mnemosyne supplements. History and archaeology of classical antiquity, volume 426. Leiden: Brill, 2019. Pp. xiv, 343. ISBN 9789004400580 €160,00.

Review by
Winfried Held, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Archäologisches Seminar. heldw@uni-marburg.de

The book offers a valuable overview of the history and archaeology of Berytus (modern Beirut) and the northern Bekaa, which in the Roman imperial period formed the Colonia Iulia Augusta Felix Berytus. ...

Herod the Great makes an appearance.

Cross-file under (Late) Phoenician Watch.

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Watson & Parkhouse, Telling the Christian Story Differently

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

Telling the Christian Story Differently
Counter-Narratives from Nag Hammadi and Beyond

Editor(s): Francis Watson, Sarah Parkhouse

Published: 07-23-2020
Format: Hardback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 208
ISBN: 9780567679529
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: The Reception of Jesus in the First Three Centuries
Volume: 4
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price: $115.00
Online price: $80.50
Save $34.50 (30%)

About Telling the Christian Story Differently

This volume examines the 'counter-narratives' of the core Christian story, proposed by texts from Nag Hammadi and elsewhere. A noteworthy body of highly respected scholars examine material that is sometimes difficult and often overlooked, contributing to the ongoing effort to integrate Nag Hammadi and related literature into the mainstream of New Testament and early Christian studies. By retracing the major elements of the Christian story in sequence, they are able to discuss how and why each aspect was disputed on inner-Christian grounds, and to reflect on the different accounts of Christian identity underlying these disputes.

Together the essays in this book address a central issue: towards the end of the second century, Irenaeus could claim that the overwhelming majority of Christians throughout the world were agreed on a version of the core Christian story which is still recognisable today. Yet, as Irenaeus concedes and as the Nag Hammadi texts have confirmed, there were many who wished to tell the core Christian story differently. Those who criticized and rejected the standard story did so not because they were adherents of another religion, 'Gnosticism', but because they were Christians who believed that the standard account was wrong at point after point. Ranging from the Gospels of Judas and Mary to Galatians and Ptolemy's Letter to Flora, this volume provides a fascinating analysis of how the Christian story as we know it today developed against counter-readings from other early Christian traditions.

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De Moor, Micah

NEW BOOK FROM PEETERS:

Micah

SERIES:
Historical Commentary on the Old Testament AUTHOR:
De Moor J.C.

YEAR: 2020
ISBN: 9789042943636
E-ISBN: 9789042943643
PAGES: XII-454 p.
PRICE: 76 euro

SUMMARY:
The book of Micah provides insight into the struggle of a prophet with his vocation in an extremely difficult time. The aggressive policies of Neo-Assyrian kings which involved large-scale destruction, deportation and resettlement upturned existing social structures everywhere. Kings of Judah like Ahaz and Hezekiah had to compromise with the enemy to retain their position. Micah denounced their overindulgence. Initially, the results of his efforts were disappointing and one may certainly say that Micah was a tragic figure who towards the end of his life felt he had been a failed prophet.

It is no coincidence that in the Hebrew Bible Micah 3:12 occupies the middle of the whole book of the Twelve “Minor” Prophets. In this verse Micah courageously announced the destruction of the temple on Zion because of Jerusalem’s sins - more than a hundred years before it actually happened. His contemporaries had ridiculed him because they did not believe God would ever allow the destruction of his holy abode. Whistleblowers are never popular and it is possible that Micah has had to pay with his life for his scathing criticism of the authorities. However, history proved him right and Micah’s impressive sermons inspired later generations to complement them with consoling messages of forgiveness and hope. Prophecy, also prophecy outside Israel, was always open to future expansion. In this way the book of Micah became a cherished source of messianic expectations among both Jews and Christians.

Modern research into the book of Micah denies him the authorship of more than half of the chapters attributed to him. On the basis of new textual and archaeological data from the entire Ancient Near East this commentary argues that much more can be regarded as actual fire-and-brimstone preaching of the historical prophet Micah. This conclusion was achieved among other things by collating more than a hundred Hebrew manuscripts of the book of Micah. The commentary devotes also much attention to geology, climate, flora, fauna, agriculture and art. Fifty illustrations elucidate these realia.

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

Hays, The Origins of Isaiah 24–27

RECENT BOOK FROM CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS:

The Origins of Isaiah 24–27
Josiah's Festival Scroll for the Fall of Assyria

AUTHOR: Christopher B. Hays, Fuller Theological Seminary, California
DATE PUBLISHED: August 2019
AVAILABILITY: In stock
FORMAT: Hardback
ISBN: 9781108471848

$ 99.99 (C)
Hardback

Description

Isaiah 24-27 has been an enduring mystery and a hotly contested text for biblical scholars. Early scholarship linked its references to the dead rising to the New Testament. These theories have remained influential even as common opinion moderated over the course of the twentieth century. In this volume, Christopher B. Hays situates Isaiah 24-27 within its historical and cultural contexts. He methodically demonstrates that it is not apocalyptic; that its imagery of divine feasting and conquering death have ancient cognates; and that its Hebrew language does not reflect a late composition date. He also shows how the passage celebrates the receding of Assyrian power from Judah, and especially from the citadel at Ramat Rahel near Jerusalem, in the late seventh century. This was the time of King Josiah and his scribes, who saw a political opportunity and issued a peace overture to the former northern kingdom. Using comparative, archaeological, linguistic, and literary tools, Hays' volume changes the study of Isaiah, arguing for a different historical setting than that of traditional scholarship.

• Demonstrates that Isaiah 24-27 it is not apocalyptic, that its imagery of divine feasting and conquering death have ancient cognates, and that its Hebrew language does not reflect a late composition date
• Uses comparative, archaeological, linguistic, and literary tools to argue for an alternative historical setting for the biblical passage
• Explores the context of King Josiah and his scribes, who saw a political opportunity and issued a peace overture to the former northern kingdom

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Samson, Jesus, Gilgamesh, and ... Superman?

THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST TODAY: Biblical Interpretation in the Age of Superheroes (Nicholaus Pumphrey). With reference to Professor Pumphrey's recent book: Superman and the Bible: How the Idea of Superheroes Affects the Reading of Scripture (McFarland, 2019).

For more on Professor Pumphrey's work see here. And follow the links from there for more on superhero Jesus.

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Why did Esau become a baddie?

DR. BARRY DOV WALFISH: The Denigration of Esau (TheTorah.com).

Why does Esau in Jewish tradition come to be known as עשו הרשע “Esau the Wicked”? The answer has to do with the history of Judea’s relationship with Esau’s eponymous descendants, the Edomites, and the connection Jews made between them, Rome, and Christianity. The negative view of Esau is expressed nowhere more forcefully than in Rashi’s commentary.

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Muraoka, Why Read the Bible in the Original Languages?

NEW BOOK FROM PEETERS:

Why Read the Bible in the Original Languages?

AUTHOR:
Muraoka T.

YEAR: 2020
ISBN: 9789042942004
E-ISBN: 9789042942011
PAGES: 111 p.
PRICE: 19 euro

SUMMARY:
A comparison of multiple translations of the Bible in any language shows that they differ at hundreds of places, pointing to the continuing disagreement among Bible scholars and translators in their analysis and understanding of those places. To learn Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, the original languages of the Bible, is admittedly not everybody’s cup of tea. Knowledge of them does not necessarily provide a solution to these difficulties. However, there are not a few things in the biblical text which can be missed out if it is read only in translation. A range of linguistic issues touching on the three original languages are discussed in the light of actual examples. Matters of culture and rhetoric are also taken up. A special chapter is devoted to the Septuagint as a bridge between the two Testaments. The book is written in a non-technical style, hence easily readable by non-specialists, but specialists may also find things of interest. No Hebrew or Greek alphabet is used.

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Happy World Toilet Day!

COMMODE COMMEMORATION: Lifting the lid on Israel’s best ancient toilets. From a toilet found inside an ancient temple to Roman public latrines and Ottoman-era outhouses, Israel is awash with fascinating old loos. Join us on World Toilet Day, for a look (Naama Barak, Israel21c).

For the desecration toilet at Lachish, see here. The article missed the ancient toilet near Qumran.

For other PaleoJudaica posts on ancient latrines, see here and here. And I wrote about a Roman-era latrine at Hadrian's wall here.

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

Covert religious innovation in 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch?

THE BIBLE AND INTERPRETATION:

Religious Innovation and Sacred Scriptures in 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch

How did ancient Judaism resolve the conflict between the notion of divinely authored scriptures that are fixed in writing, on the one hand, and the inevitable need to adapt to new circumstances of the community, on the other? A good case study of religious revision in ancient Israel is afforded by the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 CE. Both 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch were written as the Jewish response to a national and religious crisis. Using pseudonyms of Israel’s past heroes from the destruction of the First Temple, both authors promulgated an eschatological vision as the solution, yet called for a return to the Mosaic Torah. In both apocalypses, religious innovation is carried out covertly rather than explicitly. The “new” is presented as a discovery of and return to the “old.”. There are, however, also differences: whereas in 2 Baruch innovation is through eschatological exegesis of the Deuteronomic tradition, in 4 Ezra it has to be through an expansion of divinely revealed scriptures.

See also: When Judaism Lost the Temple: Crisis and Response in 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch. Studia Antiqua Australiensia 10 (Turnhout: Brepols, 2020).

By Lydia Gore-Jones
St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College
Sydney College of Divinity, Australia
November 2020

Cross-file under New Book.

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Ancient geography galore!

THE AWOL BLOG: Roundup of Resources on Ancient Geography. Something for everyone!

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

Muraoka, A Syntax of Qumran Hebrew

NEW BOOK FROM PEETERS:

A Syntax of Qumran Hebrew

AUTHOR:
Muraoka T.

YEAR: 2020
ISBN: 9789042940253
E-ISBN: 9789042940260
PAGES: LX-387 p.
PRICE: 95 euro

SUMMARY:
This is the first, comprehensive description of the syntax of Qumran Hebrew, a language in which the Hebrew documents discovered in the eleven Qumran caves and at some sites in the Judaean desert are written. Features described include, for instance, the values and functions of the status constructus, tense, aspect and mood of the verb, the word order, the grammatical agreement or lack of it in gender and number, the concord or concatenation, the government of the verb. Comparison is constantly made with Biblical Hebrew and Mishnaic - Rabbinic Hebrew. This is important to see the position of Qumran Hebrew in the history of Hebrew. Copiously cited original texts are provided with an English translation by the author. That knowledge of the syntax of this Hebrew is important and has implications for textual criticism of these texts and other compartments such as orthography, phonology, morphology, lexicography, and stylistics is shown with concrete examples.

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Cool artifacts in the Bible Lands Museum

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: 10 Great Biblical Artifacts at the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem. Artifacts and the Bible (David Moster). An impressive collection!

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

Henning, Matthew’s Non-Messianic Mapping of Messianic Texts

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Matthew’s Non-Messianic Mapping of Messianic Texts

Evidences of a Broadly Eschatological Hermeneutic

Series: Biblical Interpretation Series, Volume: 188

Author: Bruce Henning

Scholars often explain Matthew’s practice of applying non-messianic texts to the messiah by postulating a Christological hermeneutic. In Matthew’s Non-Messianic Mapping of Messianic texts, Bruce Henning raises the question of how Matthew applies messianic texts to non-messianic figures. This neglected category challenges the popular view by stretching Matthew’s paradigm to a broadly eschatological one in which disciples share in the mission of Jesus so as to fulfill Scriptural hopes. Using Cognitive Linguistics, this volume explores four case studies to demonstrate Matthew’s non-messianic mapping scheme: the eschatological shepherd, the vineyard care-giver, temple construction imagery, and the Isaian herald. These reveal how Matthew’s theology of discipleship as participating in Jesus’ own vocation extends even to his hermeneutical paradigm of fulfillment.

Prices from (excl. VAT): €99.00 / $119.00

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44418-8
Publication Date: 16 Nov 2020

Hardback
Availability: Not Yet Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44416-4
Publication Date: 19 Nov 2020

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Jenson, Graded Holiness

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

Graded Holiness

A Key to the Priestly Conception of the World

By: Philip Peter Jenson

Published: 10-29-2020
Format: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 290
ISBN: 9780567697547
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price: $39.95
Online price: $27.96
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About Graded Holiness

This wide-ranging investigation of the priestly cultic texts from Exodus 25 onwards explores the coherence and theology of the priestly writing, utilizing insights from anthropology and recent biblical scholarship. Through a carefully worked out set of laws and institutions, the priestly authors sought to order Israel's life before God in a sustainable and satisfying way. This is a valuable contribution to the growing number of studies concerned to understand and recover this neglected part of the Bible.

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McAllister (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Apocalyptic Literature

NEW BOOK FROM CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS:

The Cambridge Companion to Apocalyptic Literature

Part of Cambridge Companions to Religion

EDITOR: Colin McAllister, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
DATE PUBLISHED: April 2020
AVAILABILITY: In stock
FORMAT: Paperbakc
ISBN: 9781108436892

$ 29.99 (P)
Paperback

Description

Jewish and Christian apocalypses have captivated theologians, writers, artists, and the general public for centuries, and have had a profound influence on world history from their initial production by persecuted Jews during the second century BCE, to the birth of Christianity - through the demise of the Western Roman Empire and the medieval period, and continuing into modernity. Far from being an outlier concern, or an academic one that may be relegated to the dustbin of history, apocalyptic thinking is ubiquitous and continues to inform nearly all aspects of modern-day life. It addresses universal human concerns: the search for identity and belonging, speculation about the future, and (for some) a blueprint that provides meaning and structure to a seemingly chaotic world. The Cambridge Companion to Apocalyptic Literature brings together a field of leading experts to provide a comprehensive overview of the subject.

• Brings together an international collective of leading experts who have written on various aspects of apocalyptic literature
• Covers apocalyptic literature from the second century BCE to the present, and includes discussions of the apocalypses themselves, reception history, politics, contemporary Islam, and how apocalypticism functions in contemporary society
• Incorporates issues much larger than just apocalytic literature, including the concept of time, music, visual art, geopolitics and popular culture

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