British Museum guidebooks

THE BIBLE PLACES BLOG: Guidebooks for the British Museum (A.D. Riddle). A couple of them pertain specifically to the Bible.

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

Little, Israel's Eschatological Enemy

NEW BOOK FROM WIPF AND STOCK:

Israel's Eschatological Enemy
The Identity of the King of Babylon in Isaiah 14:4-21

BY Timothy Allen Little

Imprint: Wipf and Stock
Category: Biblical Studies

PAPERBACK
ISBN: 9781725256897
Pages: 200
Publication Date: 5/1/2020
Retail Price: $25.00
Web Price: $20.00

eBOOK
ISBN: 9781725256897
Format: epub
Publication Date: 5/1/2020
Retail Price: $25.00
Web Price: $20.00

About

Who is the king of Babylon in Isaiah 14? The early church sometimes identified him as Nebuchadnezzar, but most also saw a deeper meaning in Isa 14:12–14, believing this section referred to Satan. Many current scholars reject both views and offer a variety of alternatives. Little argues that “shining one” (Lucifer) in Isa 14:12 is the king of Babylon.

This book analyzes the mashal (proverb) genre and argues that the Isa 14 mashal must be a real person, not a symbolic, ideal, eclectic, or representative king. Scholars have presented nine historic kings as the king of Babylon. Little compiles a list of fifteen criteria from Isa 13–14, evaluates these nine kings, and demonstrates that no historic king comes close to fulfilling the fifteen criteria.

Instead, Little argues that the king of Babylon is Israel’s eschatological enemy. Through the use of catchwords and temporal particles, he first demonstrates that the oracle is a unit. Then he proves that this Babylonian judgment is eschatological. All foreign languages have been translated, allowing the student of prophecy and theology to benefit from this work. Those interested in the mashal genre, Hebrew poetry, and Isaianic exegesis will also find this book stimulating.

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

Rosenfeld & Perlmutter, Social Stratification of the Jewish Population of Roman Palestine ...

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Social Stratification of the Jewish Population of Roman Palestine in the Period of the Mishnah, 70–250 CE

Series: The Brill Reference Library of Judaism, Volume: 59

Authors: Ben Zion Rosenfeld and Haim Perlmutter

This book analyzes Jewish society in Roman Palestine in the time of the Mishnah (70–250 CE) in a systematic way, carefully delineating the various economic groups living therein, from the destitute, to the poor, to the middling, to the rich, and to the superrich. It gleans the various socioeconomic strata from the terminology employed by contemporary literary sources via contextual, philological, and historical-critical analysis. It also takes a multidisciplinary approach to analyze and interpret relevant archeological and inscriptional evidence as well as numerous legal sources.
The research presented herein shows that various expressions in the sources have latent meanings that indicate socioeconomic status. “Rich,” for example, does not necessarily refer to the elite, and “poor” does not necessarily refer to the destitute. Jewish society consisted of groups on a continuum from extremely poor to extremely rich, and the various middling groups played a more important role in the economy than has hitherto been thought.

Prices from (excl. VAT): €154.00 / $185.00

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-41893-6
Publication Date: 11 May 2020

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-42213-1
Publication Date: 23 May 2020

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

On reopening the Israel Museum

CRISIS MODE: With coronavirus restrictions lifted, why is the Israel Museum closed? While some smaller museums have been able to reopen a few of their galleries, Jerusalem’s Israel Museum has remained closed to visitors (Hannah Brown, Jerusalem Post).

Given this uncertainty, a hasty reopening could do more harm than good.

“If we reopen and bring back all employees by July 1, we could have a 25 million shekel deficit by the end of December and an ongoing deficit for 2021 and 2022,” he said.

IF TOURISM continues to be affected by the virus restrictions in the coming year, “We could have a 44 million shekel deficit by the end of 2022. We need to have a sustainable financial plan for two years.”

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

Review of Maurice, Screening Divinity

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: Screening divinity.

Lisa Maurice, Screening divinity. Screening Antiquity. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2019. xi, 228 p.. ISBN 9781474425735 £75.00.

Review by
Meredith Prince, Auburn University. mdp0007@auburn.edu

[...]

Maurice makes an important contribution to classical reception studies, in particular the reception of antiquity in film and television, with her examination of the divine on screen, especially with her consideration of both mythological/fantasy and religious/biblical epic genres, their links with each other, and their overlapping as one. ...

Cross-file under Cinematography.

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

Noonan, Non-Semitic Loanwords in the Hebrew Bible

THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST TODAY: Non-Semitic Loanwords in the Hebrew Bible: A Lexicon of Language Contact (Ben Noonan).

Biblical Hebrew and Biblical Aramaic also contain words borrowed from different languages. Many of the Hebrew Bible’s loanwords are from other Semitic languages, such as Akkadian. However, a good number of the loanwords in the Hebrew Bible come from non-Semitic languages like Egyptian, Hittite, and Persian. These non-Semitic loanwords are the topic of my book, Non-Semitic Loanwords in the Hebrew Bible: A Lexicon of Language Contact.

Published by Eisenbrauns.

Cross-file under Lexicography and New Book.

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

Two Arks or one?

DR. RABBI TZEMAH YOREH: The Two Arks: Military and Ritual (TheTorah.com).

Tradition and source criticism both see two ark traditions in the biblical text: The Ark of the Covenant and the Ark of the Testimony. The former accompanies Israelite troops into battle; it appears in Numbers 10 (וַיְהִי בִּנְסֹעַ הָאָרֹן) and in the stories of battles against the Philistines and Ammonites in Samuel. The latter remains in the Tabernacle, serving as a seat for YHWH’s glory and revelation.

For many PaleoJudaica posts on the Ark of the Covenant, start here (cf. here) and follow the links.

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

Krispenz (ed.), Scribes as Sages and Prophets

NEW BOOK FROM DE GRUYTER:

Scribes as Sages and Prophets

Scribal Traditions in Biblical Wisdom Literature and in the Book of the Twelve

Series: Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft, 496

Edited by: Jutta Krispenz
De Gruyter | 2020

OVERVIEW
Scholars of the Hebrew Bible used to look at „Prophecy" and „Wisdom" as clearly distinct realms represented by antagonistic and mutually exclusive roles of their central characters: the loyal sage, the pillar of administration, on the one side and the rebellious prophet, criticizing the establishment, on the other. While the influence of wisdom thought on prophetic texts has been a topic in the scholarly debate, the complementary question of the influence of prophetic thought on wisdom texts has rarely been asked.

The contributions in this volume look at both questions: They start from the assumption that texts from the Hebrew Bible and the cultures surrounding Ancient Israel all originated from a social stratum of educated scribes, who authored and transmitted these texts. It then seems plausible that wisdom texts might show similar traces of prophetic influence to those of wisdom thoughts found in prophetic texts. The essays give a multifaceted picture concerning the mutual perception of prophets and sages and thus provide a deeper understanding of both wisdom literature and prophecy.

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

Magness on Masada

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS: Masada: A heroic last stand against Rome (Jodi Magness).

With reference to Professor Magness's recent book, Masada: From Jewish Revolt to Modern Myth (Princeton University Press, 2019). For more on it, see here and links.

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

The Lamb and the 144,000

READING ACTS: The Lamb and the 144,000 – Revelation 14:1-5. Phil Long continues his blog series on the Book of Revelation, concentrating on the seven sights of chapters 12-15. We move here to the fourth sight.

I have noted earlier posts in Phil's series on the Book of Revelation here and links.

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

Tomb of the Kings/Queen Helena reopens partially

THE HOLY LAND PHOTOS' BLOG: Tomb of Queen Helena of Adiabene — Now Open . . . but (Carl Rasmussen). As usual, with excellent photos (in this case from the 1970s, since the interior of the tomb is not yet open).

For past PaleoJudaica posts on the Tomb of the Kings/Tomb of Queen Helena of Adiabene and on the queen herself and her kingdom, start here and follow the links. As you can see at the link, the site has been "reopening" for some time.

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

The Jerusalem Pilgrimage Road excavation was suspended

STABILITY CONCERNS: Archaeologists briefly pause Jerusalem dig in fear of damage to ancient road. Israel Antiquities Authority reportedly halts excavations at controversial site in Arab neighborhood of Silwan, where residents have previously reported structural damage to houses (Times of Israel).

For more on the Pilgrimage Road/Pilgrims' Path excavation, see here, here, here, here, and links.

For background on Elad and Emek Shaveh, see here and links.

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

More on Falerii Novi

TECHNOLOGY WATCH: Hidden temple in a buried Roman city discovered by ground-penetrating radar. No excavation required (Mindy Weisberger, Live Science). This article gives more details about the GPR exploration of the ancient Roman city of Falerii Novi. Excerpt:

For the new study, the researchers deployed a grid of ground-penetrating radar antennae, fixed to a cart and towed over the site by an all-terrain vehicle. They bombarded the site with radio wave pulses, taking measurements every 2 inches (6 cm) and reflecting off objects underground to a depth of 6.5 feet (2 meters), according to the study. This showed Falerii Novi's buried structures in high resolution and in three dimensions.

Each scan provided a "slice" that the researchers then stitched together to create the map. Thanks to the new data, a much sharper picture of the long-hidden city emerged. The exceptional resolution enabled the study authors to perform detailed architectural analysis that would otherwise have been possible only through excavation. One structure, to the west of the city's southern gate, was clearly a temple; "you can see steps leading up to it, the columnated courtyard around it and the altar," [Professor Martin] Millett said.

The project also learned more about the underground plumbing of the city.

Background here and links. I repeat: non-invasive and non-destructive technologies are the future of archaeology.

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

Orlov, Old Testament Pseudepigrapha in Slavonic Tradition (Russian)

NEW BOOK: Professor Andrei Orlov e-mails to let us know about his newest book:

Andrei A. Orlov, Old Testament Pseudepigrapha in Slavonic Tradition (Moscow: Institute of St. Thomas, 2020), [in Russian], ISBN 978-5-6042300-8-4.

The volume is in Russian, but its bibliography and rubrics are in English.

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

Review of Religious Studies and Rabbinics (ed. Shanks Alexander and Berkowitz)

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: Religious Studies and Rabbinics (Mika Ahuvia).

Elizabeth Shanks Alexander and Beth A. Berkowitz.
Religious Studies and Rabbinics: A Conversation. Routledge, 2018.

... The volume makes the benefits of rabbinics for religious studies evident: rabbinics undermines the Protestant Christian-oriented category of religion, destabilizes universal ideals by upholding the value of the particular and local, and finally offers reading practices that are productive beyond the rabbinic corpora. ...

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

Zohar Siyyum

ZOHAR WATCH: Judy Barrett e-mails:

On Monday, June 22 a 5 ½ year project of reading the Pritzker translation of the Zohar will complete its first cycle. A Siyyum will be held via Zoom on Sunday June 21 at 3-4pm ET. All are welcome. Speakers will be: Judy Barrett, Joel Hecker, Arthur Green, Elie Spitz and Daniel Matt.

Topic: Zohar Siyyum
Time: Jun 21, 2020 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89955335765

Meeting ID: 899 5533 5765
One tap mobile
+16699006833,,89955335765# US (San Jose)
+13462487799,,89955335765# US (Houston)

Dial by your location
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
Meeting ID: 899 5533 5765
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcrTCqpf5l

Past posts on the Daf Yomi Zohar study group are here and here.

For many other posts on the Zohar, start here and follow the links.

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

Reviews of Edmonds, Drawing Down the Moon

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW has published two reviews of this book:

Drawing down the moon: magic in the ancient Greco-Roman world
Radcliffe G. Edmonds III, Drawing down the moon: magic in the ancient Greco-Roman world. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2019. xiii, 474 p. ISBN 9780691156934 $45.00.

Review by
Jack Lennon, School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester. jjpl1@le.ac.uk

In Drawing Down the Moon, Edmonds has produced an extensive, engaging and, crucially, accessible overview which is likely to establish itself quickly as essential reading for anyone seeking to learn more about the vast array of topics that fall under the sweeping category of magic.

Drawing down the moon: magic in the ancient Greco-Roman world
Radcliffe G. Edmonds III, Drawing down the moon: magic in the ancient Greco-Roman world. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2019. xiii, 474 p. ISBN 9780691156934 $45.00.

Review by
Thomas Galoppin, (MAP - 741182)—PLH-ERASME (EA 4601)—Université Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès. thomas.galoppin@univ-tlse2.fr

Drawing Down the Moon can be recommended as an updated gateway into ancient “magic” for English-speaking academic and public readers.

Cross-file under New Book.

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

Remote Temple Mount sifting

THE TEMPLE MOUNT SIFTING PROJECT BLOG: JOIN THE REMOTE SIFTING!

“Remote Sifting” is a unique, first-time-ever archaeological experience, which enables people all over the world to remotely participate in the sifting of the soil of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem – via a live online video interaction with the archaeologist on-site.

For many, many past 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.

Names in Jeremiah and the inscriptions

NORTHWEST SEMITIC EPIGRAPHY: Comparing biblical names, epigraphs back Book of Jeremiah’s historicity. Golub examined collected names from excavated artifacts published in journals, corpora and books to gather as many names as possible (Rossella Tercatin, Jerusalem Post).

However, one important difference that Golub found out is that within the Yahwistic names mentioned in Jeremiah, the groups of letter yod-hei-vav and just yod-vav seem to be used interchangeably (53% v. 42%) while almost all the epigraphic artifacts present yod-hei-vav.

As the first combination of letters was more commonly used in the ancient kingdom of Judah while the latter in the ancient kingdom of Israel, the archaeologist explained that this element might simply be a sign that the author did not perceive the difference as important, but also that the book was actually compiled in a later period, when the use of yod-vav had become more common.

Scribes tend to update the spelling of words when copying an old book. The spelling of the names in the Book of Jeremiah is pretty much what I would expect even if the book was mostly compiled in Jeremiah's time. The profile of the names fits the time of Jeremiah, but their spelling is a mixture of early and late forms.

For more on Dr. Mitka R. Golub's recent work on the onomastic history of biblical and epigraphic names, see here. You can also read some of her articles at her Academia.edu page here. Her technical article on the names in Jeremiah is there. It nuances the argument more than in the Jerusalem Post article.

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

Pandemic paralyzes Petra

NABATEAN (NABATAEAN) WATCH: Ancient Petra a ghost town as pandemic hits Jordan tourism (KAMAL TAHA, AFP).

As is generally true at tourism sites, the situation is dire for the local economy.

Some past posts on the ancient Nabatean capital Petra are here, here, here, here, and links.

For many past posts on the Nabateans and their written language (Aramaic used by native speakers of Arabic), see here and here and links.

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

An appreciation of Harold Attridge

BRICE C. JONES: Harold Attridge Retires from Yale: A Personal Reflection.

This course was difficult. Prof. Collins was right on the mark when she told me that. We read difficult passages from Philo, Josephus, wisdom literature, poetry, and so on. The syllabus indicated that we should read about "6-8 hours" of Greek each day in preparation for the weekly seminar. When we were in the seminar, each student took a turn reading passages in sequence from the selected text. In our second seminar on September 10, we read three chapters from 2 Maccabees. (For those who don't know, that's a lot of Greek!)

Best wishes to Professor Attridge for a long and productive retirement.

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

Daf Yomi: 100 days into Tractate Shabbat

TALMUD WATCH: Daf Yomi Shabbos 100: One-hundred days of living through the Talmud (Times of Israel Blogs). Reflections from Penny Cagan one hundred days into Tractate Shabbat in the new Daf Yomi cycle and a few more since the New York coronavirus lockdown began.

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

On the synagogues of Israel

THE AWOL BLOG: Synagogues Interactive Map. This is one page on the Bornblum Eretz Israel Synagogues Website.

About The Project

The main goal of this website is to display the world of synagogues from the Land of Israel for the scholar, student and layperson. This website provides information such as bibliographical references, geographical location, photos, plans and brief descriptions of ancient synagogues from the Roman and Byzantine periods in the Land of Israel. It also presents information on selected historically significant synagogues from the Middle Ages through the beginning of the 20th century. This site will be constantly updated including the latest relevant research news and scholarly works. A search of bibliographical references is currently in preparation.

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

Simantov

JUST FOR FUN: SIMANTOV REVIEW: LESSONS IN MYSTICISM. Here’s our review of Asaf Ashery’s supernatural thriller, Simantov (Becky Lea, ScifiNow). A missing persons case involving ritual and mysticism, the Nephilim, and "Lilith's Daughters." Originally published in Hebrew.

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

Review of Johnson, Constructing Paul

THE JESUS CREED BLOG: The Apostle Paul in Context: Jewish, Scriptural, Greco-Roman. Paul's multi-layered context. Scot McKnight reviews Luke Timothy Johnson, Constructing Paul (The Canonical Paul, vol. 1) (Eerdmans, 2020).

Cross-file under New Book.

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

Rösel (ed.), Tradition and Innovation: English and German Studies on the Septuagint

NEW BOOK FROM SBL PRESS:

Tradition and Innovation: English and German Studies on the Septuagint

Martin Rösel

ISBN 9781628372205
Status Available
Price: $52.00
Binding Paperback
Publication Date October 2018
Pages 392

Explore the opportunities and challenges of Septuagint studies

Recent research into the Septuagint has revealed numerous examples of modifications of the meaning of the Hebrew text in the course of its translation into Greek. This collection of essays by one of the leading scholars on the Septuagint shows how complex the translation of individual books was, provides reasons for differences between the Hebrew and Greek Bibles, and paves the way for a theology of the Septuagint. Articles introduce the field of Septuagint studies, the problem of the Letter of Aristeas, and the Hellenistic environment and the hermeneutics of Hellenistic Judaism.

Features:

• A methodological discussion of whether and how a theology of the Septuagint can be written
  
• Essays introducing the field of Septuagint studies and its Hellenistic environment and the hermeneutics of Hellenistic Judaism
  
• Fifteen English and German essays covering twenty-five years of Septuagint research

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