Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
E-mail: paleojudaica-at-talktalk-dot-net ("-at-" = "@", "-dot-" = ".")
I have noted earlier 2020 archaeology roundups here (with some additions by me), here, and here. Todd notes others near the end of his post above.
This is a good place to say goodbye to 2020. Enjoy your New Year's Eve festivities, such as they may be, and stay safe.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Earlier 2020 roundups are noted here and link.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Dating Acts in its Jewish and Greco-Roman ContextsBy: Karl Leslie Armstrong
Published: 01-14-2021
Format: EPUB/MOBI eBook (Watermarked)
Edition: 1st
Extent: 256
ISBN: 9780567696496
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: The Library of New Testament Studies
List price:$103.50
Online price: $82.80
Save $20.70 (20%)About Dating Acts in its Jewish and Greco-Roman Contexts
There has been consistent apathy in recent years with regard to the long-standing debate surrounding the date of Acts. While the so-called majority of scholars over the past century have been lulled into thinking that Acts was written between 70 and 90 CE, the vast majority of recent scholarship is unanimously adamant that this middle-range date is a convenient, political compromise. Karl Armstrong argues that a large part of the problem relates to a remarkable neglect of historical, textual, and source-critical matters. Compounding the problem further are the methodological flaws among the approaches to the middle and late date of Acts.
Armstrong thus demonstrates that a historiographical approach to the debate offers a strong framework for evaluating primary and secondary sources relating to the book of Acts. By using a historiographical approach, along with the support of modern principles of textual criticism and linguistics, the historical context of Acts is determined to be concurrent with a date of 62–63 CE.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Another list of top 2020 archaeology stories, with some additions of my own, is here.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
YHWH declares to the Davidic king, “You are my son; today I have begotten you” (Psalm 2:7). For the New Testament, this verse is a prooftext for Jesus’s divinity, but what did it mean in its original context, and how did Jewish interpreters understand it?This is an excellent, comprehensive review of the history of interpretation.
I have one small criticism. Isaiah 42:14 is not a good example of metaphorical imagery. The image of a woman in labor is a simile, not a metaphor. But the point is valid. A better example would be Psalm 91:4:
he will cover you with his pinions,The language is metaphorical. The writer was not saying that God had wings.
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. (RSV)
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
HT the Agade List.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
European GenizahFor more on the European Geniza, see here.Newly Discovered Hebrew Binding Fragments in Context.
European Genizah Texts and Studies, Volume 5Series: Studies in Jewish History and Culture, Volume: 63
Editor: Andreas Lehnardt
This volume includes contributions presented at two conferences, in Mainz and Jerusalem, and presents new discoveries of binding fragments in several European libraries and archives and abroad. It presents newly discovered texts with unknown Jewish writings from the Middle Ages and analyses fragments of well-known texts, such as textual witnesses of Midrashim. One chapter overviews recent discoveries in certain collections, some of them far beyond the geographical horizon of the original project, but certainly all of European origin. Other chapters study palaeographical and codicological issues of manuscript fragments and Ashkenazic inscriptions. A final article refers to the beginnings of scholarly interest in Hebrew binding fragments in Germany and sheds light on the part played by Christian Hebraists in its development.
Prices from (excl. VAT): €150.00 / $181.00
E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-42792-1
Publication Date: 22 Jun 2020Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-42791-4
Publication Date: 26 Jun 2020
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Dear Colleagues,We are pleased to invite you to the upcoming Greenfield Scholars’ Seminar of the Orion Center,
Material Reconstruction of 4QpaleoGen-Exl (4Q11) and
Its Contribution to the Textual Classification of the ScrollDr. Hila Dayfani
Department of Biblical Studies, Tel Aviv University
Orion Matlow Scholar, 2020/2021Chair: Prof. Emanuel Tov
Department of Bible, The Hebrew UniversityTuesday, 12 January 2021, at 17:30 Israel time, 10:30 EST
To enter the meeting, please click here.
For instructions on joining a zoom meeting, please click here.
The lecture will be held in English.
Please feel free to share the attached invitation with interested colleagues.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/why-are-the-dead-sea-scrolls-so-sensational-tickets-134122777839From Joseph I. Lauer.Why are the Dead Sea Scrolls so Sensational?
by Institute of Jewish Studies UCL
Lecture explaining why scholars concur that the recovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls is the most sensational discovery of ancient writings
Date And Time:
Thursday, 14 January 2021, 13:00 – 14:00 EST
Thursday, 14 January 2021, 18:00 – 19:00 GMT
Location: Online Event
FreeAbout this Event
Since the early 1960s, Professor James Charlesworth has focused his research on the scrolls found in eleven caves on the western shores of the Dead Sea: The Dead Sea Scrolls. In this lecture, Charlesworth seeks to explain why scholars concur that the recovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls is the most sensational discovery of ancient writings. Throughout the world the perspective on Early Judaism and the Origins of Christianity have received a paradigm shift. Why? It is because of the startling and unexpected thoughts found in these scrolls that take us back to a time in the Holy Land from 200 BCE to 67 CE. How and in what ways, if at all, were John the Baptizer and Jesus from Nazareth influenced by the unique symbolic language in these scrolls?
ONLINE EVENT
You will receive the link to the event content in your order confirmation email, and in a reminder email before the event starts.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Early Jewish Messianism in the New TestamentReflections in the Dim Mirror
Series: Jewish and Christian Perspectives Series, Volume: 36
Author: Serge Ruzer
In Early Jewish Messianism in the New Testament Serge Ruzer takes a new tack on the investigation of early Christian polemical strategies against the backdrop of Second Temple Judaism. Complementing traditional inquiry on the subject, Ruzer focuses on those elements of Messiah- and Christ-centered ideas that bear witness to patterns of broader circulation – namely, the Jewish messianic ideas that provided the underpinning for the identity-making moves of Jesus’ early followers. The volume suggests that such attempts can be expected to reflect eschatological ideas of the Jewish ʻOtherʼ. Exploring cases where the New Testament shows itself an early witness for belief patterns found in contemporaneous or only later rabbinic sources, this volume reveals a fuller picture of Second Temple Jewish messianism.
Prices from (excl. VAT): €127.00 / $153.00
E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-43293-2
Publication Date: 13 Jul 2020Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-43292-5
Publication Date: 02 Apr 2020
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Published in English.
Taking account of a wide range of literary evidence and the most recent scholarship on the nature of education in Rabbinic Judaism of late antiquity, these studies examine new and varied aspects of the scriptural and intellectual infrastructure of the educational ethos, the tension between oral tradition and literary practice, and the central role of the rabbinic sage as pedagogical innovator and model. They also study the underlying influence of social and economic factors, the evolution of teaching techniques and frameworks, and the formative role of both midrashic mentality and mythopoetic currents. With an eye on the broader contexts of Greco-Roman culture and emergent Christianity, these essays follow the development of rabbinic ideas and institutions from the first centuries of the Common Era in Palestine through the flowering of centers of learning centuries later in Babylonia.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
From the Passion to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Memories of Jesus in Place, Pilgrimage, and Early Holy Sites Over the First Three CenturiesBy: Jordan J. Ryan
Published: 01-14-2021
Format: EPUB/MOBI eBook (Watermarked)
Edition: 1st
Extent: 272
ISBN: 9780567677488
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: The Reception of Jesus in the First Three Centuries
Illustrations: 25 bw illus
List price:$103.50
Online price: $82.80
Save $20.70 (20%) [Available for pre-order.]About From the Passion to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Since the early 4th century, Christian pilgrims and visitors to Judea and Galilee have worshipped at and been inspired by monumental churches erected at sites traditionally connected with the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. This book examines the history and archaeology of early Christian holy sites and traditions connected with specific places in order to understand them as interpretations of Jesus and to explore them as instantiations of memories of him.
Ryan's overarching aim is to construe these places as instantiations of what historian Pierre Nora has called “lieux de mémoires,” sites where memory crystallizes and, where possible, to track the course and development of the traditions underlying them from their genesis in the Gospel narratives to their eventual solidification in the form of pilgrimage sites. So doing will bring rarely considered evidence to the study of early Christian memory, which in turn helps to illuminate the person of Jesus himself in both history and reception.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Jerusalem and Other Holy Places as Foci of Multireligious and Ideological ConfrontationSeries: Jewish and Christian Perspectives Series, Volume: 37
Volume Editors: Pieter B. Hartog, Shulamit Laderman, Vered Tohar, and Archibald L.H.M. van Wieringen
Jerusalem and Other Holy Places as Foci of Multireligious and Ideological Confrontation brings together the papers that were read at an international conference at the Schechter Institute in Jerusalem in May 2018. The contributions to this volume develop a multi-disciplinary perspective on holy places and their development, rhetorical force, and oft-contested nature. Through a particular focus on Jerusalem, this volume demonstrates the variety in the study of holy places, as well as the flexibility of geographic and historical aspects of holiness.
Prices from (excl. VAT): €138.00 / $166.00
E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-43721-0
Publication Date: 07 Dec 2020Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-43718-0
Publication Date: 10 Dec 2020
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
T&T Clark Handbook of Septuagint ResearchI noted the book as forthcoming here.Editor(s): William A. Ross, W. Edward Glenny
Published: 01-14-2021
Format: EPUB/MOBI eBook (Watermarked)
Edition: 1st
Extent: 480
ISBN: 9780567680266
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: T&T Clark Handbooks
List price:$157.50
Online price: $126.00
Save $31.50 (20%)About T&T Clark Handbook of Septuagint Research
Students and scholars now widely recognize the importance of the Septuagint to the history of the Greek language, the textual development of the Bible, and to Jewish and Christian religious life in both the ancient and modern worlds. This handbook is designed for those who wish to engage the Septuagint in their research, yet have been unsure where to turn for guidance or concise, up-to-date discussion. The contributors break down the barriers involved in the technical debates and sub-specialties as far as possible, equipping readers with the tools and knowledge necessary to conduct their own research.
Each chapter is written by a leading Septuagint scholar and focuses upon a major area of research in the discipline, providing an overview of the topic, key debates and views, a survey or demonstration of the methods involved, and pointers towards ongoing research questions. By exploring origins, language, text, reception, theology, translation, and commentary, with a final summary of the literature, this handbook encourages active engagement with the most important issues in the field and provides an essential resource for specialists and non-specialists alike.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
I'll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours” ― Bob Dylan
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
On Human Nature in Early JudaismCreation, Composition, and Condition
Series: Journal of Ancient Judaism - Supplements, Volume: 34
Author: Jeffrey P. García
This book is an analysis of early Jewish thought on human nature, specifically, the complex of characteristics that are understood to be universally innate, and/or God-given, to collective humanity and the manner which they depict human existence in relationship, or lack thereof, to God. Jewish discourse in the Greco-Roman period (4th c. BCE until 1st c. CE) on human nature was not exclusively particularistic, although the immediate concern was often communal-specific. Evidence shows that many of these discussions were also an attempt to grasp a general, or universal, human nature. The focus of this work has been narrowed to three categories that encapsulate the most prevalent themes in Second Temple Jewish texts, namely, creation, composition, and condition.
E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-3-657-70486-6
Publication Date: 26 Oct 2020Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-3-506-70486-3
Publication Date: 13 Nov 2020
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
The Sisters of Nazareth SiteProfessor Dark clarifies his position. It is more nuanced than sometimes implied by the media. Background here and here. Cross-file under (still) 'Tis the Season.Identifying the Byzantine church at the Sisters of Nazareth site as the Church of the Nutrition, of course, raises the question of whether Structure 1 could really have been the childhood home of Jesus. Despite speculation in the international media, often misreporting my position on this subject, my view is that it is impossible to tell whether this identification was correct.
This article is based on the author’s book The Sisters of Nazareth convent. A Roman-period, Byzantine and Crusader site in central Nazareth (Routledge: London, 2020).
By Ken Dark
Professor, University of Reading
December 2020
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
4QPsx is one manuscript, among many, that was copied poorly. Interestingly, some scholars date this manuscript, which preserves portions of Psalm 89, to 175-125 BC. If this is right, this manuscript is our earliest manuscript available that preserves a psalm; yet, it is an unreliable guide to the Psalter's state, and Psalm 89 in particular, during the second century BC. Several details about this manuscript suggest that this scribe was either an unskilled or a beginner scribe. ...
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
The historical John, יוחנן, was a thoroughly Jewish religious preacher, who had little if any relation to Jesus and his movement. Here is the story of how John and his central rite, baptism, became part of Christianity.For more on John the Baptist, see here and links and here. For many posts on Machaerus, the reputed site of John's execution, see here and links.
The Gospel of Thomas has an enigmatic mention of John the Baptist in Logion 46:
Jesus says:(1) “From Adam to John the Baptist, among those born of women there is no one who surpasses John the Baptist so that his (i.e., John’s) eyes need not be downcast.”
(2) “But I have also said: Whoever among you becomes little will know the kingdom, and will surpass John.”
The Mandeans (Mandaeans), an ancient Mesopotamian Gnostic sect who still exist today, are followers of John the Baptist without involving Jesus.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
For posts of Christmas past, see my 2019 Christmas post and links.
Subsequent Christmas-related posts are here (on "The Jewish Origins of the Christmas Story"), here (on the date of Jesus' birth), here (on Jesus' supposed house in Nazareth), here and here (on the Magi), here (on the date of Christmas), here, here, and here (on this year's "great conjunction" of Jupiter and Saturn), here (on the NT Nativity narratives), and here (on a late-antique Nativity pilgrimage souviner).
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
For many PaleoJudaica posts on Herodium and its excavation, start here and follow the links.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
I noted the Reuters article (and video) here. I correctly inferred that the Temple Mount Sifting Project's work was involved. Their blog post has more information on the reconstruction.
For many other PaleoJudaica posts on the Temple Mount Sifting Project, see here and links and here.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Background here and many links. Cross-file under 'Tis the Season.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Cross-file under 'Tis the Season.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
There have been some notable archaeological discoveries pertaining to ancient Judaism which are not on the list. I link to the relevant PaleoJudaica posts, some of which have links to follow:
They found a partzufa at Sepphoris!
Gaming die excavated near Beit El (also here). The discoveries at Kirbet Kfar Mor (Khirbet Kafr Murr, Khirbet Kafr Mer) include a decorated stone table and various ceramics.
More menorah graffiti in a priestly (?) cave
Hasmonean-era oil lamp found on Pilgrimage Road
Second Temple-era ritual bath discovered at Gethsemane
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Before speaking with Pharaoh, Joseph adapts to Egyptian norms by shaving and changing his clothes. When he interprets Pharaoh’s dream, he only uses the generic word for God, Elohim, making no mention of YHWH. Pharaoh, in turn, declares Joseph to be wise and a man with the spirit of God, and puts aside Joseph’s ethnic and socio-economic background, appointing him viceroy to save Egypt from the pending famine.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Briefly, Cleopatra descended from the inbred European (Macedonian) Ptolemaic line. But we don't have unambiguous evidence for the genetic background of her mother or her grandmother. Cleopatra may have been nearly entirely Macedonian (with a little Persian). Or she may have been as much as 75% Egyptian. We don't know.
Any cinematic interpretation that keeps within those parameters is credible.
I look forward to seeing Ms. Gadot as Cleopatra. I also hope others produce a movie that interprets Cleopatra as mostly African. We should explore all the possible pasts that history hands us.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Some PaleoJudaica posts on the Cave of Treasures are here, here (with links to old editions and translations online), here, and here.
As noted, we published a new English translation by Alexander Toepel in Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: More Noncanonical Scriptures, Volume 1 (ed. Richard Bauckham, James R. Davila, and Alexander Panayotov; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2013).
Cross-file under Old Testament Pseudepigrapha Watch and Syriac Watch.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
The article also notes that there is a Byzantine-era church at the site. Perhaps this post is relevant.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
A team of scientists from Romania's National Institute for Research and Development in Optoelectronics extracted details about the manuscript's original materials and manufacturing techniques employing various spectroscopic instruments. These specialized cameras and devices capture images that the human eye normally can't see.Oddly, the article suggests no date or provenance for the scroll. The discussion in the introduction focuses on manuscripts dating from the 14th to the 19th centuries. The study applied "multi- and hyperspectral imaging, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy" to the manuscript. All are non-invasive, non-destructive technologies.[...]
The manuscript the team investigated was a poorly preserved but sacred scroll containing several chapters of the Book of Esther from the Hebrew Bible. An artifact from a private collection, little was known of the object's provenance or history.
The underlying article was published in the open-access, peer-review, author-subvention journal Frontiers in Materials.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Cartagena, Spain, is very proud of its Punic heritage. It celebrates an annual Romans and Carthaginians Festival in September.
I hope the authorities can arrange a proper exploration of the site, which Mr. Negueruela believes to be the remains of Hasdrubal's palace. It would be in their interest to support what could become a major tourist attraction.
By the way, a free registration with the Times gives you access to two full articles per week.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Hekhalot Zutarti. Els Palaus Menors (segons el manuscrit Nova York 8128). Introducció, traducció i notes Bàrbara Virgil i Jordi Cervera. (Literatura Intertestamentària, 9) Barcelona: Ateneu Universitari Sant Pacià – Facultat de Teologia de Catalunya – Associació Bíblica de Catalunya 2020.A translation of the Hekhalot Zutarti into Catalan with an edition of the Aramaic and Hebrew text in Manuscript New York 8128. Kindly sent to me by the authors.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
I noted the story earlier here. And I see now that I should read my own posts more. I said in that post that no one was suggesting a connection between the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction and the Star of Bethlehem. In fact, just such a conjunction is one of the astronomical explanations for the star. There was even a candidate event in 7 BCE. Another possibility is a conjunction of Jupiter and Venus. One such happened in July of 2015, but it was not close enough to make them look like one star.
The Star of Bethlehem does not sound much like a planetary conjunction to me. That would look like a single star for only brief period, if at all. The account in Matthew 2:2, 9-10 describes it as a single star that the Magi followed for some time. I'm sticking with the explanation that the star is a midrashic legend.
Fortunately, last night was reasonably clear in Fife, Scotland. I got a good view of the conjunction at sundown, just before 5:00 pm local time. Jupiter was a very bright unblinking star on the horizon. Saturn was a tiny one just above it. I took photos, but none were good enough to show Saturn. If your sky is clear tonight, be sure and have a look.
Happy winter solstice to all those celebrating!
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
There is also a Reuters video on the story: Archaeologists recreate tiles from time of Jesus. Drawing on relics and historical texts, Israeli archaeologists and masons have recreated the sacred flooring of the ancient Jewish temple in Jerusalem. Francesca Lynagh reports. The hit-and-miss subtitles for the video look to be machine generated and unedited.
The floor tiles seem to be created on the basis of the Herodian-era floor tiles discovered several years ago by the Temple Mount Sifting Project. I noted the story here when it came out. For more posts on it, start here and follow the links.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Jesus the Apocalyptic ProphetBy: Cecilia Wassen, Tobias Hägerland Translator: Cian J. Power
Published: 01-14-2021
Format: EPUB/MOBI eBook (Watermarked)
Edition: 1st
Extent: 256
ISBN: 9780567693792
Imprint: T&T Clark
Illustrations: 30 bw illus
List price:$31.45
Online price: $25.16
Save $6.29 (20%)About Jesus the Apocalyptic Prophet
In this new English language translation of Den okände Jesus (The Unknown Jesus), Cecilia Wassén and Tobias Hägerland consider Jesus as an apocalyptic prophetic figure within the context of first-century Judaism and reconstruct the life of Jesus from his birth to his death, with a focus on understanding him in the context of his own time and place. Engaging critically with the sources, they examine Jesus' life in order of events and draw together the threads of scholarly discussion on the history, archaeology and geography of first-century Galilee, forming a complete picture of Jesus' world suitable for non-specialists and university students.
Wassén and Hägerland provide a strictly historical reconstruction, distinguishing between the rhetorical aims of the New Testament texts and the information about the past that these texts contain. They enhance the texts surrounding Jesus in the context of first-century Galilee with historical and archaeological reflections and discussion, including penetrating insights from the Dead Sea Scrolls. Illustrated throughout with photographs taken by the authors specifically to offer insights into the world of Jesus and the New Testament writings, Jesus the Apocalyptic Prophet provides a deeply informed introduction to Jesus in his first-century context.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Cross-file under 'Tis the Season.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
The British Museum’s Excavations at Nineveh, 1846–1855I know that final excavation reports have a reputation for tardiness, but this must be a record! Anyway, it is good that it is finally out.Series: Culture and History of the Ancient Near East, Volume: 115
Author: Geoffrey Turner
Editor: John Malcolm RussellGeoffrey Turner has written the definitive study of the mid-19th century excavations sponsored by the British Museum at the ancient Assyrian site of Nineveh in Iraq. Based on exhaustive analysis of unpublished archives combined with his own extensive knowledge of Assyrian architecture, Turner’s work documents the complete history of these excavations. Turner also draws on the archives and numerous additional sources to provide a detailed reconstruction of the architecture and relief sculpture in the building that was the primary focus of these excavations, the Southwest Palace of Sennacherib (ruled 705-681 BC). The result constitutes the final report both on the results of these excavations and on the original appearance of one of the ancient world’s most famous buildings.
Prices from (excl. VAT): €302.00 / $363.00
E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-43537-7v Publication Date: 12 Oct 2020Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-43536-0v Publication Date: 27 Nov 2020
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
“To Recover What Has Been Lost”: Essays on Eschatology, Intertextuality, and Reception History in Honor of Dale C. Allison Jr.Series: Novum Testamentum, Supplements, Volume: 183
Editors: Tucker Ferda, Daniel Frayer-Griggs, and Nathan C. Johnson
Over the course of his career, Dale Allison has enriched our understanding of Jewish and Christian hopes about the end of history, advanced nuanced readings of ancient texts in light of their scriptural and cultural conversation partners, and deepened our knowledge of the history of biblical interpretation throughout the ages. In all of these ways, he has sought, in the words of T.S. Eliot, “to recover what has been lost.”
In “To Recover What Has Been Lost”: Essays on Eschatology, Intertextuality, and Reception History in Honor of Dale C. Allison Jr., leading biblical scholars and historians offer ground-breaking studies on Jewish and Christian eschatology, intertextuality, and reception history—three areas particularly evident in Allison’s scholarship. These essays reconstruct the past, advance fresh readings, and reclaim overlooked exegetical insights. In so doing, they too recover what has been lost.
Prices from (excl. VAT): €132.00$159.00
E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44401-0
Publication Date: 30 Nov 2020Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44350-1
Publication Date: 26 Nov 2020
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Early Judaism and Its Modern Interpreters
Matthias Henze (Editor), Rodney A. Werline (Editor)ISBN 9781628372960
Status Available
Price: $45.00
Binding Paperback
Publication Date December 2020An essential resource for scholars and students
Since the publication of the first edition of Early Judaism and Its Modern Interpreters in 1986, the field of early Judaism has exploded with new data, the publication of additional texts, and the adoption of new methods. This new edition of the classic resource honors the spirit of the earlier volume and focuses on the scholarly advances in the past four decades that have led to the study of early Judaism becoming an academic discipline in its own right. Essays written by leading scholars in the study of early Judaism fall into four sections: historical and social settings; methods, manuscripts, and materials; early Jewish literatures; and the afterlife of early Judaism.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Cross-file under Manichean (Manichaean) Watch.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
For many PaleoJudaica posts on Matthew's Magi etc., start here and follow the links. Cross-file under 'Tis the Season.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Paul and Matthew Among Jews and Gentiles
Essays in Honour of Terence L. DonaldsonEditor(s): Ronald Charles
Published: 12-10-2020
Format: EPUB/MOBI eBook (Watermarked)
Edition: 1st
Extent: 208
ISBN: 9780567694119
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: The Library of New Testament Studies
Illustrations: 1 bw illusv List price: $103.50
Online price:$82.80
Save $20.70 (20%)About Paul and Matthew Among Jews and Gentiles
Terence L. Donaldson's scholarship in the field of New Testament studies is vital, as he has pressed scholars to pay closer attention to the complex relations between early Christ-followers-who were mostly non-Jews-and the Jewish matrix from which the narrative of the Christian proclamation comes from. This volume allows prominent New Testament scholars to engage Donaldson's contributions, both to sharpen some of his conclusions and to honour him for his work.
These essays are located at the intersections of three bodies of literature-Matthew, Paul and Second Temple Jewish Literature-and themes and questions that have been central to Donaldson's work: Christian Judaism and the Parting of the Ways; Gentiles in Judaism and early Christianity; Anti-Judaism in early Christianity. With contributions ranging from remapping Paul within Jewish ideologies, and Paul among friends and enemies, to socio-cultural readings of Matthew, and construction of Christian Identity through stereotypes of the Scribes and Pharisees, this book provides a multi-scholar tribute to Donaldson's accomplishments.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
For a revisionist view of Antiochus IV, see here. And some other PaleoJudaica posts on him are here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
No one is suggesting that this event tells us anything about what may or may not have happened in the sky at the time of the birth of Jesus. But the timing is cool nonetheless. I can just see the two planets on the horizon in the evening from my back garden. I hope we have clear weather on the 21st.
For many PaleoJudaica posts on the the Star of Bethlehem, which I think was probably a midrashic legend rather than an astronomical event, start here and follow the links.
UPDATE (21 December) with a correction here.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
From Scrolls to TraditionsCongratulations to Professor Schiffman on this well-deserved honor!A Festschrift Honoring Lawrence H. Schiffman
Series: The Brill Reference Library of Judaism, Volume: 63
Editors: Stuart S. Miller, Michael D. Swartz, Steven Fine, Naomi Grunhaus, and Alex P. Jassen
This Festschrift in honor of Professor Lawrence H. Schiffman, a renowned authority on the Dead Sea Scrolls and Rabbinic Judaism, includes contributions by twenty of his former doctoral students, now colleagues. The volume is divided into two sections, the “Biblical and Second Temple Period” and “Rabbis, Other Jews, and Neighboring Cultures.” The diverse topics covered and the wide range of interdisciplinary approaches employed reflect Professor Schiffman’s success in cultivating a school of scholars who are making unique contributions to the study of the Jews and Judaism.
Prices from (excl. VAT): €185.00 / $222.00
E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44389-1
Publication Date: 26 Oct 2020Hardback
Availability: Publishedv ISBN: 978-90-04-44388-4
Publication Date: 29 Oct 2020
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Bernd Bader, Josephus Latinus. De Bello Iudaico Buch 1. Palingenesia, 119. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 2019. Pp. 256. ISBN 9783515124300 €54,00.This book is a new edition of the pseudo-Rufinus translation of book 1 of the Jewish War.Review by Shoni Ben Lavie-Driver, Jesus College, Cambridge. sbl31@cam.ac.uk
Many scholars would be surprised to learn that we possess no fewer than three different Latin versions of works of Josephus, dating from the fourth to the sixth centuries AD. One is a translation of the Jewish Antiquities and the Against Apion in 22 books realised under the direction of Cassiodorus, and there are also two separate versions of the Jewish War. One is a Christianising reworking and appropriation of Josephus known as pseudo-Hegesippus; it is more an original work than a translation. The other version, pseudo-Rufinus, translates Josephus much more directly. ...
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
For a scholarly monograph on Queen Salome Alexandra, see here. And for an essay on her by the same scholar (Kenneth Atkinson), see the link here.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Les délimitations éditoriales des Écritures des bibles anciennes aux lectures modernes
Editorial Delimitations of the Scriptures from Ancient Bibles to Modern ReadingsSERIES:
Pericope, 11EDITORS:
Bady G., Korpel M.C.A.YEAR: 2020
ISBN: 9789042943759
E-ISBN: 9789042943766
PAGES: X-276 p.
PRICE: 90 euroSUMMARY:
From time immemorial scribes provided their manuscripts with visual markings guiding the reader to the interpretation they deemed correct. Colour, punctuation and empty spaces were their first distinctive layout markers. Later on elaborate ornaments, capitals and headers adorned the beginning of books, chapters and paragraphs.
All these helpful pointers are also present in manuscripts and prints of the Bible. Their influence is evident in the reception history of the Scriptures as codified in translations and commentaries. Strangely enough, however, they are almost totally ignored in modern biblical scholarship.
To remedy this gap Pericope series was started twenty years ago. The present volume provides insight in what has been achieved in the relatively young discipline of delimitation criticism up till now. Through a dozen contributions, the biblical and patristic corpuses are investigated in several directions: How were the texts delimited in Antiquity? What intentions can be discerned behind delimitations in Hebrew, Greek, Latin and Syriac Bibles? What transformation of meaning do the divisions of textual units bring about in certain modern translations compared to ancient documents? What are the nature and signification of the divisions and titles in the Psalms, Greek and Syriac? How did some Greek authors refer to a specific biblical text? What can we learn from the Greek "synopses"? And what profit for this kind of research has a digital tool like Biblindex to offer?
These are, without a doubt, the first milestones for new investigations to come.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Contextualizing Jewish TemplesSeries: The Brill Reference Library of Judaism, Volume: 64
Editors: Tova Ganzel and Shalom E. Holtz
Jewish temples stood in Jerusalem for nearly one thousand years and were a dominant feature in the life of the ancient Judeans throughout antiquity. This volume strives to obtain a diachronic and topical cross-section of central features of the varied aspects of the Jewish temples that stood in Jerusalem, one that draws on and incorporates different disciplinary and methodological viewpoints. Ten contributions are included in this volume by: Gary A. Anderson; Simeon Chavel; Avraham Faust; Paul M. Joyce; Yuval Levavi; Risa Levitt; Eyal Regev; Lawrence H. Schiffman; Jeffrey Stackert; Caroline Waerzeggers, edited by Tova Ganzel and Shalom E. Holtz.
Prices from (excl. VAT): €109.00 / $131.00
E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44479-9
Publication Date: 23 Nov 2020Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44478-2
Publication Date: 26 Nov 2020
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Jacob berates Joseph when he hears his second dream: “Are we to come, I and your mother and your brothers, and bow to you?” (Gen 37:10) Rachel, his mother, was dead. What then did the dream mean?
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Jesper Majbom Madsen, Cassius Dio. Ancients in action. London; New York: Bloomsbury, 2020. Pp. viii, 133. ISBN 9781350033399 $25.95 (pb).The Roman historian Cassius Dio preserved some important information about Jewish history in Hellenistic-Roman era. Relevant PaleoJudaica posts are here and here.Review by
Adam Kemezis, University of Alberta. kemezis@ualberta.caAs part of a remarkable recent increase in the volume of scholarship on Cassius Dio, we can now count the first ever English-language study of that author aimed at the non-specialist classically oriented public.[1] Jesper Madsen’s short, inexpensive and accessible book represents an important step toward expanding understanding of Dio as a political and historical analyst. It is a forceful and often persuasive exposition of a particular reading of Dio’s massive history, though a not uncontroversial one among Madsen’s fellow Dio scholars.
[...]
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
For more on the ancient synagoge at Capernaum, see here, here, and here.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
BAF/BASONOVA presentRequires payment to access. Further details and access options are at the link.
Wednesday, December 23, 2020 at 8 pm EST
Writing on the Wall: Graffiti and the Forgotten Jews of Antiquity
Karen Stern, State University of New York, Brooklyn
For more on Karen Stern's work on ancient Jewish graffiti, see here and follow the links.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
“The Beit Nattif oil-lamp cistern has been brought back to life,” said the archaeologists, adding, “We are extremely excited since this is not just an important archaeological discovery in its own right, but also tangible evidence of archaeological history.”Another, somewhat later, oil lamp workshop is also in the news: Ancient oil lamp workshop, now at Israel Museum, shows the way we once lit. Rare assemblage of lamp molds, kiln and unused oil lamps found under rubble from Tiberias earthquake of 1033 sheds light on craftsmanship in early Islamic period (Amanda Borschel-Dan, Times of Israel).
It's oil lamps galore for Hanukkah!
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
For many PaleoJudaica posts on Herodium and its excavation, start here and follow the links.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
HT Simcha Gross on Twitter. Background on the Megillat Antiochus and its relation to Hanukkah is here and links.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Time & LocationThe lecture is free, but requires advance registration. See the information at the link.16 Dec, 18:00 GMT
via ZoomAbout the Event
Ever since its discovery in 1932, the painted synagogue of Dura-Europos has occupied a central place in scholarship, as arguably the main Jewish cycle from antiquity and in any case the only set of surviving wall paintings rather than floor mosaics, and has contributed to the reputation of Dura-Europos as a rather untypical town. It could be argued, however, that - although it is surprising that the many finds at the Euphrates stronghold are so well preserved and combine to create an unprecedented window onto local society - the finds themselves, including the synagogue, are not necessarily considered surprising. The unprecedented illustration of the Hebrew scriptures (in sharp contrast of course to the prescription of the Ten Commandments) in the form of uniquely preserved wall painting can be seen as evidence that Jewish communities living in the periphery of the Roman world, far away from their homeland, had much more leeway in the way they gave expression to their religion than the notion of an orthodox Judaism would suggest. This papers aims to locate what has recently been referred to (by Tessa Rajak) as “images of a competitive community” in their local and regional context.
HT Joseph Lauer and the Bible Places Blog. For many PaleoJudaica posts on the site of Dura-Europos, its late antique synagogue, and that synogogue's remarkable murals, see here and links.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
For more on the Jerusalem Pilgrimage Road/Pilgrims' Path, see here and links.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
The American Numismatic Society (ANS) is pleased to announce the Collier Prize in Ancient Numismatics, given in memory of the late Professor James M. Collier. The Collier Prize in Ancient Numismatics is a substantial monetary prize that will be awarded biennially to the best single- or multi-authored book, catalog, or online digital work in the field of ancient numismatics (650 BCE–300 CE).[...]
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Manichaeism and Early ChristianitySelected Papers from the 2019 Pretoria Congress and Consultation
Series: Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies, Volume: 99
Volume Editor: Johannes van Oort
Manichaeism and Early Christianity comprises the selected papers from the 2019 Pretoria Congress and Consultation. The sixteen chapters focus on where and how Gnostic Manichaeism interfered not only with other forms of Gnosticism, but above all with the writings and representatives of mainstream Christianity during the early centuries of our era. Key texts dealt with are a number of Nag Hammadi writings (including the Gospel of Thomas) as well as figures such as Marcion, Tatian, Ephrem the Syrian, Chrysostom, Pelagius and—not least—Augustine and his pupil Evodius.
Prices from (excl. VAT): €132.00 / $159.00
E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44546-8
Publication Date: 07 Dec 2020Hardback
Availability: Not Yet Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44545-1
Publication Date: 10 Dec 2020
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Concerning Gen 2:21, Retrodiagnosis, and Methodology in Scriptural Study: A Response to Hector AvalosI noted Professor Avalos's article here.If Hebrew ṣēlā‘ is interpreted as “rib,” a different explanation has to be provided for the etiological statement in Gen 2:21. None is provided or mentioned by Avalos.
See: A Penis Bone in Genesis 2:21? Retrodiagnosis as a Methodological Problem in Scriptural Studies
See Also: Ziony Zevit. What Really Happened in the Garden of Eden? Yale University Press; Illustrated edition, 2013.
“Chapter 12 reproduced by permission of Yale University Press.”
By Ziony Zevit
American Jewish University
December 2020
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Longtime Eerdmans biblical studies editor Allen C. Myers died early on Thanksgiving morning, November 26, 2020, following numerous months of declining health. A private (because of COVID-19 restrictions) memorial service was held Friday, December 4, at Trinity United Methodist Church of Grand Rapids, MI.Allen was chief editor for Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: More Noncanonical Scriptures volume 1 (Eerdmans, 2013). I worked with him for many years on the project.He was a good guy.[...]
Requiescat in pace.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
When Joseph reveals himself to his brothers, he says, “I am your brother, whom you sold into Egypt” (Gen 45:4). Tradition takes for granted that Joseph’s brothers were indeed the ones who sold him. However, as Rashbam and Shadal note, a straightforward peshat reading of events once Joseph is thrown into the pit reveals a different conclusion.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
HT Rogue Classicism.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
AMMAN — For decades, scholars have linked the biblical tradition about the beheading of John the Baptist with the material evidence found at the site overlooking the Dead Sea, according to a Hungarian archaeologist .For background on Machaerus and its excavation, see here and many links.[...]
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Postdoctoral researcher on the Qur’an and Aramaic Christianity (m/f/d, E 13 TV-L, 100%)Faculty of Protestant Theology, Department of Religious Studies (Jewish Studies)
Application deadline : 31.12.2020
The Department of Religious Studies (Jewish Studies) offers a position for a Postdoctoral researcher on the Qur’an and Aramaic Christianity (m/f/d, E 13 TV-L, 100%) preferably starting in April 2021. The fixed-term contract will be for 4 years. The position is part of the ERC project “The Qur’an as a Source for Late Antiquity (QaSLA)”.
The research project is funded by the European Research Council and directed by Prof. Dr. Holger Zellentin, at the University of Tübingen (Germany). QaSLA analyses the affinity between the Qur’an and known forms of Judaism and Christianity surrounding Arabia in order to sketch the religious landscape of the Arabian Peninsula at the turn of the seventh century C.E. Further details on the project can be found at https://uni-tuebingen.de/de/199075.
The successful candidate will participate in all academic aspects of the project. They are expected to author one monograph dedicated to their findings and collaborate in the preparation of the project’s other publications (both in English), as well as acting as a source of information and advice to other members of the project.
Holding a relevant doctorate, the successful candidate will possess a very good command of Syriac and detailed knowledge of the Late Antique East and West Syrian religious literary tradition. In addition, the candidate should have knowledge of Qur’anic Arabic and of the discipline of Qur’anic Studies. They must be able to work with further late antique Jewish and Christian primary sources relevant to the study of the Qur’an, preferably in the original. They must be able to undertake innovative research at the forefront of current scholarship and be able to manage their own academic research and associated activities. Previous experience of independent scholarly writing to a high level of quality is essential, as are the ability to contribute ideas for new research projects and excellent communication skills, such as writing for publication, present research proposals and results, and represent the research group at meetings. Familiarity with additional relevant classical languages (such as Ancient South Arabian, Coptic, Geʿez, Greek, Hebrew, or Safaitic) and with modern research languages, as well as knowledge of Arabic-language scholarship, are especially welcome.
The QaSLA team will be constituted of five research positions; two further position - for the Qur’an and Arabic and Ethiopic Christianity, respectively – are advertised separately. QaSLA is hosted by the Department of Religious Studies (Jewish Studies), which is part of the Faculty of Protestant Theology at the University of Tübingen and will involve close collaboration with other Tübingen Institutes, as well as with an international network of scholars. The University of Tübingen offers a vibrant scholarly community with local expertise in Jewish, Christian and Islamic studies located in the fields of history, religious studies, as well as Catholic, Protestant and Islamic theology.
We are building an international and diverse team of scholars. In addition to the key requirements laid out above, we are looking for team players that are eager to learn from others and contribute to an ongoing mutual exchange of research findings by all team members. The university seeks to raise the number of women in research and teaching and therefore urges qualified women to apply for these positions. Equally qualified applicants with disabilities will be given preference.
Interested applicants are asked to submit the following materials:
A cover letter briefly detailing their suggested contribution to the project (max. 800 words);
a curriculum vitae;
copies of two writing samples;
two recommendation letters (to be submitted directly).All materials should be submitted to sekretariat.judaicum@ev-theologie.uni-tuebingen.de. The deadline is December 31, 2020 (midnight, CET). We are looking to hold interviews (most likely to be held remotely) towards the end of January 2021. The preferred starting date for the project is April 2021 (with room for flexibility due to the current health situation). Please feel free to contact us with any relevant questions you may have, or to request a copy of the full project description.
The employment will be carried out by the central administration of the University of Tübingen.
Salary will be commensurate with university scale E 13 TV-L, which, in the year 2020, ranges from 49,910 € - 72,307 € per annum, depending on experience.
Apply: https://socioloxy.com/postdoctoral-researcher-in-quran-and-aramaic-christianity,i7759.html
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
There is, however, a tragic story about a charging elephant and one of the Maccabees.
For past posts on the historical King Ptolemy IV Philopater, see here, here, and here. Ptolemy IV is also appears under the code name "the king of the south" in Daniel 11:11.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
The answer is that, in truth, there is such a scroll, which was read in private or in public from the ninth century until today. It was written in Aramaic and subsequently translated into Hebrew, Arabic, Latin, German, English, Spanish, Persian, Marathi and other languages. It’s called “The Scroll of Antiochus” and many other names and is first mentioned by the Geonim in the 9th century. The scroll describes the Maccabean victories on the basis of a few stories from the Books of Maccabees and Shabbat 21b, with the addition of a number of legends without any historic basis.Mr. Golinkin raises the idea of public reading of Megillat Antiochus on Hanukkah, but decides against it.
It would seem that there is no point in reviving the specific custom of reading the Scroll of Antiochus in public, because that work is legendary in nature and not a reliable source for the events of Hanukkah. But we do possess such a source for those events – the First Book of Maccabees – written in Hebrew in the Land of Israel by an eyewitness to the events described therein.More on Megillat Antiochus is here. For more on 1 Maccabees, see here (immediately preceding post).
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
For some past PaleoJudaica posts on the Maccabean Revolt, which, like most wars and political events, is more complicated than it first looks, see the links collected here. Cross-file under Old Testament Apocrypha Watch.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Mysticism, Esotericism, and Gnosticism in Antiquity (S10-105)S10-105 10:00am - 12:00pm Thu, Dec 10 (Eastern)
Commentary on Radcliffe Edmonds, Drawing Down the Moon: Magic in the Ancient Greco-Roman World
Here is the full text of my paper. If you are registered for SBL 2020, I understand that you can also access the video presentation up to 31 January 2021.
MAGIC IN THE ANCIENT GRECO-ROMAN
AND ANCIENT JEWISH WORLDS
© 2020
James R. Davila, University of St. Andrews
jrd4@st-andrews.ac.ukIn his wonderful book, Drawing Down the Moon: Magic in the Ancient Greco-Roman World, Radcliffe Edmonds provides us with a new etic framework for understanding ancient magic, but one steeped in the emic perspectives of the actual practitioners and clients as preserved in the literary, epigraphic, and archaeological evidence. Edmonds takes “magic” to be non-normative ritualized activity. It is marked by several features. The more these apply, the more clearly we are dealing with “magic.” It is viewed as either extraordinarily efficacious or entirely fraudulent. Its performance fails to fit into an approved cultural script. Its aims are culturally illicit. And its practitioners inhabit a deviant social location. The same rite may be considered forbidden magic or normative ritual activity depending on how the ancient audience evaluated it. In this paper I examine Edmonds’ findings in relation to the ancient Jewish magical and mystical traditions found mainly in Sefer HaRazim, “The Book of the Mysteries,” a late-antique ritual handbook written in Hebrew.
Sefer HaRazim survives in corrupt medieval Hebrew manuscripts, important Hebrew and Judeo-Arabic fragments from the Cairo Geniza, and a thirteenth-century Latin translation. Collation of all these sources produces a fairly good text. A prologue describes the origins and powers of the book. The core of the book is structured around a cosmology of seven heavenly firmaments. The first six are each staffed by a hierarchy of named angels. The practitioner deploys their powers using the rituals and incantations given for each hierarchy. A concluding hymn extols the glory of the seventh firmament and ends with a series of blessings on God.
The structure of the rites is generally familiar from the traditions Edmonds has collected. A typical working opens with a ritual that may involve a sacrifice or manipulation of materia. There is an invocation of the relevant angels in the hierarchy, either verbally or by inscribing them on a metal lamella or other medium. Most of the time the book provides the practitioner with the wording of a specific incantation by which to bid or adjure the angels and sometimes other divine beings. There is also often a banishing rite for closing the working.
The contents of Sefer HaRazim fit remarkably well into the categories by which Edmonds structures the chapters of his book. In the short time available, I will make some brief general observations about the contents of Sefer HaRazim, and then focus on a few areas of special interest. Most of the categories Edmonds finds in Greco-Roman magic are well represented. There are rites for cursing one’s enemies with various kinds of harm (§§42-54), including insomnia (§§137-40) and using a salamander to keep a bathhouse from heating (§§186-90). There are binding spells to influence powerful leaders, pacify them, or thwart their plans (e.g., §§65-73, 122-23, 132-34). There are also erotic restraining spells to bind the beloved to the client or the practitioner (§§93-94, 127-29), as well a spell to give the practitioner “alluring charm” (§§95-97). There is a generic healing spell (§§38-39) and specific rites for recovery from a stroke (§148-152) and curing a migraine or a cataract (§176). There are preventative protective rites to ward a city from dangerous animals or floods (§§155-156), to protect a woman in childbirth from evil spirits (§160), to give racehorses stamina and speed and protection from sorcerous enchantment (§§193-94), and to give the practitioner invulnerability in battle (§164) or an escort of phantasmal bodyguards (§§235-38). Curative protective rites deliver a friend from legal difficulties (§§167-68) and restore a demoted leader to his former position (§§171-73). There are divination rites using lecanomancy (§§58-62, §§223-28), necromancy (§§98-101), consultation of a spirit (§§102), and granting powers of mind reading and dream interpretation (§§109-14).
Sefer HaRazim hints at an interest in astrology in its erotic binding spells, which aim to bind the mazal (מזל) – apparently meaning here the “astrological sign” – of the client to that of the beloved. It also has considerable interest in the movements and placement of other celestial bodies such as the moon and the sun. But there is no indication of a systematic interest in or use of astrology.
Likewise, and despite the reputed importance of Maria the Jewess for the late-antique alchemical tradition, Sefer HaRazim shows little, if any, interest in alchemy. There is, to be sure, a rite to heat a stove in cold weather (§§143-45). It involves writing the names of the requisite angels on lumps of brimstone and adjuring it to ignite. But this shows no more than the use of sulphur in a magical rite to bring about a practical end.
The question of prayer in Sefer HaRazim is complicated. Most of the rituals include a spoken incantation in flowery language, addressing divine beings. Activation of many of the angelic levels requires animal sacrifice or an offering of food or spices. Ritual purification of the practitioner, and sometimes the client, is crucial. None of the rites takes place in a temple, although some require a specific physical setting, such as a beach or a running stream, or performance at a specific time, such as sunrise or a particular phase of the moon. Some, but not all, of the incantations are preceded by such rites. There is no use of nonsense words or nomina barbara, unless one count the long lists of angel names in the heavenly hierarchies.
Normally an incantation is preceded by an invocation of the angels from the relevant level of the relevant heaven, either verbally or by writing the names on a lamella or other object. The incantation is always introduced by the command to “recite” or “say” (אמר). It never addresses the God of Israel directly. Often it begins “I adjure you,” and addresses the angels, often adjuring them by God. But God is involved only for rites of healing, protection, divination, and theurgy. The incantation does not mention God if it involves a rite of cursing or binding, a rite of necromancy or spirit divination, or winning at the racetrack.
Some adjurations address beings besides angels. The necromancy spell (§99) adjures the “Ram-Bearer,” that is, the Greek god Hermes. One rite may adjure the planet Venus, named as the goddess Aphrodite (§§66-67). A rite for foreknowledge adjures the sun by the angels (§60). A rite to thwart the plans of the powerful adjures the moon to intercede with the angels (§133). A rite to restore a fallen leader to his former office adjures the moon by God (§172).
Remarkably, the only incantation labeled as a “prayer” that one should “pray” is a Greek prayer to the sun god Helios, which is transliterated into Hebrew letters. It appears in a theurgic working to be discussed below.
Some of the incantations are not phrased as adjurations. These usually still address angels, but open with other phrases such as “I seek from you,” “I deliver (so and so) over to you,” “I transmit (so and so) to you,” and the like. Most of these rites involve cursing or binding, although one involves healing. Some of the rites for protection or healing do not include the wording of a specific incantation.
What theology of prayer may we abstract from all these details? Unlike many earlier incantations and prayers in the Greco-Roman tradition, there is never a sense of reciprocal claims or trading favors in these incantations. Rather, they are in some ways typical of the indirect relationship to the divine which Edmonds finds in later prayers with more elaborate hierarchies (pp. 157-158). They call on lesser divinities to attend to concerns of mortals which have small importance in the divine scheme of things. They often invoke God’s authority as well. The texts often use biblical verses or themes to underline God’s power. That said, there is no mention of God in cases when the mortal’s request is morally dubious, beneath God’s dignity, and perhaps best not to draw to his attention.
It would be remiss of me to burden you with these generalities without giving you a taste of the richness and the high coefficent of weirdness of an actual ritual in Sefer HaRazim. Here I quote a full rite to be used to read the mind or interpret a dream of a king or another authority. It is excerpted from my forthcoming English translation of Sefer HaRazim.
(§110)Go out on the first day onto the seashore or on the bank of the river in the third hour of the night and be wrapped in a new robe. Do not eat any small cattle or anything that emits blood, and do not drink wine. And take myrrh and pure frankincense and put (them) on glowing coals of fire in a new earthenware vessel. Set your face toward the water and you shall invoke the name of the overseer with the name of the angels of the camp three times. You shall savor the sight of a pillar of fire (Exod 13:21) between heaven and earth. And recite this:It remains to consider whether Sepher HaRazim, and late-antique Judaism more generally, made use of theurgy. Edmonds defines theurgy as “the art or practice of ritually creating a connection between the mortal, material world that is before one’s eyes and the unseen, immortal world of the gods” (p. 315). He finds an elite systematic theurgy of philosophers such as Iamblicus, which was intended mostly for spiritual development and even assimilation to the divine. He also finds in the Greek Magical Papyri a likewise elite priestly Egyptian theurgy that is less theoretical and more open to addressing practical concerns.(§111)“I adjure you by Him who measured (the) waters in the hollow of His hand (Isa 40:12) and rebuked the waters so that they fled from before Him (Ps 114:3), and who made flitting spirits in the air, the attendants of His Presence, an igniting fire (Ps 104:4). He rebuked the sea and it dried up (Nah 1:4), and the rivers He made into a desert (Ps 107:33). In His name and by its letters I adjure you, and in the name of the seven angels of the seventh camp who attend on BW’L, that you make known to me what is in the heart of so-and-so son of so-and-so, and what is his wish, and what is the interpretation of his dream and what is his thought.”And so in the second and the third night. You shall see that there shall be revealed to you a pillar of fire and cloud (Exod 14:24) over it in the likeness of a man. Ask it and it will tell you whatever you seek. (§112)If you seek to release it, throw some of the water to heaven three times, from the sea or from the river by which you are standing and recite under your breath:(§113)“Unseen Lord BW’L, once sufficing us, perfect shield-bearer,* I release, I release (you). Sink down and return to your path.”
(§114)And recite this seven times. And do everything in purity and you shall succeed.
[*Italicized phrase in §113 is Greek transliterated into Hebrew letters.]
The fourth firmament section of Sefer HaRazim (§§201-16) consists of a theurgic ritual to view the sun in its vehicle by day or by night. The firmament contains the “bridal chamber of the sun.” One set of angels leads it on its daytime course. A second set leads it through the night. To see the sun in its chariot or bridal chamber by day, the practitioner undergoes a seven-day purification, culminating in self-fumigation with incense. The practitioner then recites a grandiloquent adjuration of the daytime angels seven times.
To see the sun going by the north wind at night, the practitioner undergoes a three-week purification, dresses in white clothing, and recites an adjuration of the night-time angels twenty-one times. (Perhaps seeing the sun at night requires three times more effort than during the day.) During the vision, the practitioner falls face down and recites the abovementioned Greek prayer to Helios (§§213-14). Both workings end with an adjuration of dismissal.
The purpose of these visionary workings is surprisingly mundane. The instructions indicate that when the daytime manifestation occurs, “you may ask it either for death or for life, either for good or for harm.” Likewise with the night vision, “ask everything that you wish.”
The rituals of the fourth firmament are best paralleled by some of the theurgic rites in the Greek Magical Papyri. There is no enchantment of an artifact, such as a ring or a statue. It does not involve the recruitment of a divine personal assistant. But they are much akin to rites that summon visions of the sun-manifestation of Apollo (PGM III.187-262; IV.930-1114). These rites too have the mundane goal of divination or answering questions about the future.
The Hekhalot literature also describes numerous rites of visionary theurgy. A single example, briefly told, must suffice here. The Hekhalot Zutarti gives instructions for the ritual ascent (“descent”) to God’s throne (§§413-19). The practitioner must display a series of seal-rings, each engraved with a divine name, to an ascending hierarchy of angels in charge of the seven “palaces” leading to the divine throne room. Each angel, thus pacified, conducts him to the next palace. The seventh angel seats him on the lap of God, whose names were found on the seven seals. Then the practitioner is told, “Make your request,” filled out with an invocation based on the description of the beloved in Song of Songs 5. The rite seems to involve two aims known from the other theurgic texts: the elite one of a temporary divinization of the practitioner via enthronement in heaven and the practical invitation to ask for whatever he wants.
We see that Sefer haRazim fits comfortably within the late-antique end of Edmonds’s paradigm for ancient magic. I have not had space to comment at length on its parallels with the Greek Magical Papyri, but they are extensive. Yet Sefer HaRazim is clearly a Jewish work. How has the author adapted Greco-Roman magical practices into a Jewish context? The prologue claims extraordinary efficacy for its workings. Its users may explore the seven heavens, attain mastery over their angelic inhabitants, inflict harm and provide healing, dominate demons, and divine the future. At the same time, it strives to normalize the contents by placing them in a positive cultural context and providing “celebrity endorsements.” An angel revealed the book to Noah. He passed it on to Abraham. The patriarchs transmitted it to Moses, Joshua, the elders, the sages, and finally to King Solomon. The body of the book is structured around a cosmology of seven heavens with a hierarchy of angels in each. The angels bear Hebrew or Hebrew-sounding names and are frequently described in terms that echo biblical language. Control of these angels is the key to activating the book’s spells. To be sure, the sun, the moon, the astrological signs, Helios, Hermes, and Aphrodite have parts to play, especially when the spells involve dirty work best not associated with the angels or the God of Israel. The more benign spells frequently reinforce the adjuration of angels by invoking the authority of God. The book is full of quotations from and allusions to the Hebrew Bible as illustrated by the passage quoted above. Some of these references to scripture do show an astonishing disregard for their biblical context. A striking example is two introductory references to a necromantic rite which label its purpose as “to consult with a ghost” (לשאל באוב; §§90, 98). This phrase is lifted out of 1 Chronicles 10:13, which tells us that King Saul died for his unfaithfulness in carrying out this deed!
The composers of the spells were highly literate and steeped in the Jewish scriptures. They wrote in a fluent late-antique Hebrew. They drew freely on the Hebrew Bible and on non-Jewish magical traditions best paralleled by the Greco-Egyptian rites in the Greek Magical Papyri. They show little familiarity with rabbinic traditions, yet hint at considerable respect for the rabbis. The angels of the sixth stage of the second firmament, we are told, “are fearsome as sages of the academy” (נוראים כחכמי ישיבה; §147). The writers and editor of Sefer HaRazim strove to place their work in the context of traditional Judaism. I think they would have protested that their work was not “magic” in any sense prohibited by the scriptures. The rabbinic sages would have taken a dim view of the necromantic rites and the invocation of pagan gods. To what degree they would have adopted a live-and-let-live attitude to some of the other resources in the book I leave for experts in Rabbinics to decide.
To conclude, Radcliffe Edmonds has synthesized a vast corpus of primary evidence to give us a thorough reassessment of the concept of magic in Greco-Roman antiquity. I have applied his new paradigm to another magical tradition on the periphery of the Greco-Roman arena. We find the Jewish rites of Sefer HaRazim fit well within his paradigm, while filtering the traditions through a Jewish cultural perspective. This indicates that his paradigm is of considerable value not only for study of Greco-Roman magic, but also for magical traditions in other regions and cultures in the ancient world.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.