Bay, Contesting Jewish History in Late Antique Christianity and Early Medieval Judaism (Brill, open access)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Contesting Jewish History in Late Antique Christianity and Early Medieval Judaism

Flavius Josephus’ Jewish War between the Latin On the Destruction of Jerusalem and the Hebrew Book of Yosippon

Series:
Études sur le judaïsme médiéval, Volume: 105

Author: Carson Bay

The open access publication of this book was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation.

On the Destruction of Jerusalem, an anonymous Latin Christian text from Late Antiquity (c. 375 CE), paraphrased Flavius Josephus’ Greek Jewish War (ca. 75 CE) to reinterpret the Roman-Jewish War (66-70 CE) and the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple (70 CE) as proof that God had abandoned the Jews (because they had rejected Jesus Christ). No Jewish alternative to this supersessionist historiography existed for hundreds of years. Then, around 900 CE, the anonymous Hebrew Book of Yosippon rewrote this history anew, based on the narrative of On the Destruction Jerusalem. This monograph provides the first extensive comparison of these texts, showing how the Book of Yosippon biblicized, theologized, and Judaized its Latin source, overwriting the Christian narrative of late-Second Temple Judaism and underwriting a new version of that story. In so doing, the Book of Yosippon resurrected the spirit of Hellenistic Judaism, reclaiming Jewish history for the Jews in the Early Middle Ages.

Copyright Year: 2026

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-75911-4
Publication: 22 Sep 2026

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-75910-7
Publication: 14 Oct 2026
EUR €101.00

For PaleoJudaica posts on Pseudo-Hegesippus' De excidio Hierosolymita ("On the Destruction of Jerusalem"), including posts on Carson Bay's previous work on the subject, see here and links. Posts on or involving Sefer Yosippon are here, here, and here.

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Jodi Magness profiled

THE DAILY TAR HEEL: UNC Professor Jodi Magness has led an excavation of an ancient synagogue for over a decade. The archaeological site is located in Huqoq, Israel, and offers an unexpected trove of preserved mosaics (Sam Stavchancsky).

Across the world from Chapel Hill, hidden mosaics in an ancient synagogue in Huqoq, Israel, now sit at the forefront of a new project led by UNC professor and archaeologist Jodi Magness.

Magness, the Kenan distinguished professor for teaching excellence in early Judaism at UNC, serves as the archaeological consultant for the next phase of development for the Huqoq site, an excavation she led from 2011 to 2023.

Magness said she first came to Huqoq — a historic site just north of the Sea of Galilee, which previously was a Jewish village — to answer research questions surrounding Jewish settlements under Roman Christian rule. She said there were signs that a synagogue was in the area, and her team succeeded in finding and excavating one.

[...]

For many PaleoJudaica posts on Professor Magness and her wide-ranging work, including the remarkable Huqoq excavation, see here and links, plus here, here, and here.

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Patmore obituary

CHURCH TIMES: Obituary: The Revd Professor Hector Patmore. ‘His ministry was marked by gentleness, encouragement, and care’.

Professor Josef Lössl, the Revd Chris Burr, Canon Peter Sedgwick, and Canon Jack McDonald write:

HECTOR PATMORE, who died after an accident on 13 September, aged 45, was one of the most brilliant young academics of his generation. An expert in the field of Judaism in the time of Jesus, he was also an Anglican priest and much loved by congregations wherever he served.

[...]

Background here and here.

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The Testimonium Flavianum in the news

AND ONCE AGAIN: Study Asks What Josephus Really Wrote About Jesus’ Resurrection (Bill Giannopoulos, Greek City Times).

A new study of the Testimonium Flavianum argues that the Jewish historian Josephus may have recorded early reports of Jesus appearing alive after the crucifixion. The researcher stresses that his reading is plausible, not proven.

Independent Spanish researcher Jesús Fernández-Pedrera Correa set out his case in a preprint, which has not yet passed peer review. The Daily Mail reported on it this week.

[...]

This GCT article has a good summary of the Mail article. There isn't a lot of news in this story, but the Mail piece has drawn some attention to it, so I will comment briefly.

The unpublished essay looks like a good description of the textual evidence, which has already been discussed endlessly in the critical literature. It has sensible observations, and may have some original formulation of them. It ignores a lot of recent secondary literature. In its conclusions I see no substantive new proposals about what was and wasn't in Josephus' autograph text. Whether its contribution merits peer-review publication would have to be decided by reviewers. At minimum I would say it needs some revision to take into account more recent publications and to clarify what the original contribution is.

Meanwhile, if you want a good overview of the complicated textual evidence for the Testimonium Flavianum, the essay is open access and is worth a look.

For many PaleoJudaica posts on Josephus's Testimonium Flavinum, see here and links, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

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Greek-style Tetradrachms excavated in Israel are mostly from Athens

NUMISMATICS: 2,400-Year-Old Greek Coins Found in Israel Reveal Surprising Links to Ancient Athens (Abdul Moeed, Greek Reporter).

The origins of ancient Greek coins found in Israel are clearer after a new study traced much of their silver to Athens and territories it once controlled. Researchers say many of the coins, long suspected of being local copies, were likely genuine Athenian currency carried east during a costly war more than 2,400 years ago.

[...]

This article links to the underlying open access article in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports:

When is an owl not an owl? An analysis of Attic tetradrachms circulating in the southern Levant in the late fifth and fourth centuries BCE

Liesel Gentelli, Gillan Davis, Francis Albarède, Janne Blichert-Toft, Haim Gitler

10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105634

Abstract

This article, dedicated to the memory of the late Prof. John H. Kroll, focuses on late fifth century BCE Athenian-style tetradrachms found in the southern Levant, to shed new light on whether they are genuine Athenian issues or local imitations. To address this important yet vexed historical question, we analysed the Pb isotope compositions of 22 coins from ten controlled archaeological excavations in Israel and compared them against the ∼ 7,000 galena samples in the Lyon Pb isotope database. Nineteen of the coins are of the “three-quarter profile eye” variety conventionally dated mid to late fifth century BCE. We found that they match Attic or Athenian-controlled silver sources, suggesting they are authentic Athenian issues and not imitations as some of them were originally categorised. We argue that these coins likely entered the Western Asian money supply during Athens’ massive naval campaigns in the eastern Aegean in the third and final phase of the Peloponnesian War, and that the series should be refined to end with the city’s defeat and loss of silver sources in 404 BCE. The fact that three of the coins are plated supports the contention that they were part of the series minted when Athens was under extreme financial duress. The remaining two coins are of the pi-style series struck in the early 340 s BCE, as proposed by John H. Kroll (personal communication and cf. also Flament, 2023). The Pb isotope data indicate that our examples were not struck from Athenian silver casting doubt on the current theory that they were restruck Attic coins. These overall findings call for a reassessment of monetary sources, coin circulation, and local minting in the fourth century BCE in the southern Levant. This study also highlights the need for independent archaeological dating beyond reliance upon numismatic typology.

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

Teenager finds Bronze Age Egyptian amulet at Tel Gezer

ANCIENT ICONOGRAPHY: US teen discovers 3,300-year-old Egyptian amulet during Israel tour. 17-year-old Shiloh Attoun spots the small scarab-shaped seal while visiting Tel Gezer National Park with his class (Zev Stub, Times of Israel).

Shiloh Attoun, a student on the Jewish National Fund-USA’s Muss High School in Israel study-abroad program, was visiting Tel Gezer National Park in the Judean lowlands when he spotted the small scarab-shaped seal lying on the ground. The amulet, decorated with two cobra motifs, dates to the Late Bronze Age, according to an examination by Prof. Ido Koch of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures.

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

Another review of Eisenstock, Talmud Chronicles

BOOK REVIEW: Recreating the story of the sages in Talmud Chronicles. Rabbi Zalman Eisenstock’s new book aims to bring the era of the rabbis to life, writes Simon Rocker (The Jewish Chronicle).

But even if the Talmud’s dense walls of Aramaic remain impenetrable to many, there are ways to appreciate its content. Rabbi Zalman Eisenstock’s new book, Talmud Chronicles, offers an entertaining glimpse into the history and culture of the sages.

He has taken episodes from the second century CE and presented them in the form of newspaper articles – not only as news stories, but features, interviews, advice columns, cartoons and even adverts (for dream interpreters, succah builders or camel drivers). He has clearly had a lot of fun along the way. But then the Talmud recognised the value of humour. The Babylonian master Rabba reputedly opened his classes with something light-hearted to bring a smile to the faces of his students.

I noted the publication of the book here and a recent review here.

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... Unveiling the ancient Iranian language of eschatology (Brill)

BIBLIOGRAPHIA IRANICA: The Final Frontier.

Notice of a New Book: Rezania, Kianoosh, Neda Mohtashami & Yusef Saadat (eds.). 2026. The final frontier: Unveiling the ancient Iranian language of eschatology (Dynamics in the History of Religions 18). Leiden: Brill.

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Carthago excavanda est

PUNIC WATCH: Carthage begins a new archaeological mission on 15 October. Carthage in Tunis is hosting a Tunisian-Chinese archaeological mission, with excavations and surveys continuing until 8 January 2027 (Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS).

The project was launched by Tunisia's National Heritage Institute, known as the INP, in cooperation with China's National Centre for Archaeology, or NACA. The mission brings together researchers, specialists, heritage conservators and students from both countries.

The programme includes excavations at the Punic ports and studies of the remains and their immediate surroundings. Teams are also carrying out geometric and topographic surveys with modern technology, while archaeological collections found during the work are being studied and inventoried. Details of the mission published by Le Quotidien place the start on 15 October 2026 and the planned end on 8 January 2027.

Glad to hear it. There has also been recent archaeological work by the INP at the Carthage Tophet.

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

The Sibyls in the Renaissance

THE KIWI HELLENIST BLOG: Sibyls and Sibylline oracles. 4. The Renaissance.

The Sibyls were thoroughly christianised after Lactantius finished with them. He successfully reimagined them as virtuous pagans of the distant past. Most later readers imagined the Sibylline oracles poems were authentic predictions of Christ and the end times.

Their reputation continued to expand in late antiquity and the Mediaeval period. According to Finn Schulze-Feldmann (2017), they were integral to a wave of Christian apocalyptic literature: they were an ideal hook to hang new prophecies on.

[...]

The fourth and (I think) final post in this informative series. Earlier posts are noted here (with links to earlier PaleoJudaica posts), here, and here.

In both late antique and Renaissance Christianity, Hermes Trismegistos and the Sibyls sometimes were associated as venerably ancient pagan prophets. See here and links (cf. here) for more.

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

CFP: Problematic Prophecies (CAC Annual meeting)

CLASSICAL ASSOCIATION OF CANADA: Call for Papers: Problematic Prophecies, CAC Annual meeting (Deadline: January 15). HT Rogue Classicism.

Classical Association of Canada, May 4th–6th, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador ...

This panel is envisioned as a forum to discuss the abnormal unfolding of prophecies and invites proposals for papers centered on case studies describing fake, false, falsified, misinterpreted or otherwise problematic prophecies and oracles in literary texts. ...

Follow the link for further particulars.

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Bellum Punicum exhibition at Cartagena, Spain

PUNIC WATCH: Roman Theatre of Cartagena hosts Bellum Punica until 15 November. Roman Theatre of Cartagena in Cartagena presents Bellum Punica until 15 November, with Francano's terracotta sculptures exploring the Second Punic War (Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS).

The Spanish city of Cartagena was an important player in the Second Punic War. It was founded by Hannibal Barca's brother-in-law, Hasdrubal the Fair. Hannibal commenced his march across the Alps from Cartagena.

Sorry to miss this exibition. I visited Cartagena in 2025 for its annual Festival of the Carthaginians and Romans. Subsequent posts on Cartagena's history and archaeology are collected here.

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

CFP: Rutgers Rabbinic Conference, 1 December proposal deadline

H-JUDAIC: One month till deadline: CFP for Rutgers Rabbinic Conference 2027 due December 1.

Submission deadline: December 1, 2026

Papers may be on any topic related to classical (Late Antique) rabbinic literature, culture, or history. Papers from adjacent fields that are in dialogue with rabbinics are also welcome.

The 2-day conference will include panels of short papers that will be grouped thematically and include scholars of different ranks. In addition there will be book presentations by authors of new or forthcoming books on rabbinics.

The conference seeks applicants from all academic ranks. Senior scholars, junior and unappointed scholars, and graduate students are all encouraged to submit proposals for short papers and/or for book presentations.

The conference will provide kosher meals, but cannot offer funds for travel or accommodation.

Follow the link for further particulars.

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

Burke on Christian Apocrypha at SBL 2026

THE APOCRYPHICTY BLOG: Christian Apocrypha at SBL 2026 (Tony Burke).

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

Review of Ewan, Fountain of Living Water

SYRIAC WATCH: Book review: Fountain of Living Water: Poetry, prayers, and hymns of the mystics of the Early Church of the East, edited and translated by Robert Ewan. Here is a rich tradition of the Eastern Church, says John Binns (Church Times).

There are 31 writers whose work is included. Most come from the “golden age” of Syrian literature from the fourth to sixth centuries, beginning with the hymn-writer Ephrem the Syrian, and then on to others who followed him; and there is one modern poet included. There are patriarchs, bishops, abbots of monasteries, ascetics, and teachers in the schools. There are short biographies of each writer, which introduce the poems and also the life of the Church. ...

Fountain of Living Water: Poetry, prayers, and hymns of the mystics of the Early Church of the East
Robert Ewan, editor and translator
Gracewing £12.99
(978-1-78182-201-2)
Church Times Bookshop £11.69

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

The Bible of Edessa: Ezekiel (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

The Bible of Edessa: Ezekiel

Series:
The Bible of Edessa: An Annotated Translation of the Syriac Peshitta, Volume: 2

Editors / Translators: Jerome A. Lund, Godwin Mushayabasa, and Herculaas F. van Rooy

Authoritative, Based on the Best Syriac Text, and Fully Annotated

This extensively annotated translation offers an accessible introduction to the Peshitta of Ezekiel. It evaluates variant readings and explains the preferred text, enabling students and scholars to engage confidently with the Syriac Bible. Notes on the relationship between the Syriac and Hebrew texts support research on Ezekiel’s textual history and its ancient translations. Members of the Syriac/Assyrian churches will value its use of the oldest and most reliable manuscripts, as presented in the Leiden–Amsterdam Peshitta edition, together with references to Syriac interpreters. The Bible of Edessa is authorized by the International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament (IOSOT) and published by the Amsterdam Peshitta Institute.

Copyright Year: 2027

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-77012-6
Publication: 29 Sep 2026
EUR €153.00

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-72252-1
Publication: 29 Oct 2026
EUR €153.00

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