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Saturday, March 20, 2021

Another review of Kaufman, Rebel Daughter

BOOK REVIEW: Story of a Roman freedman and a Jewish girl explored in new book. Exploring the mystery of a cryptic gravestone in southern Italy (Neville Teller, Jerusalem Post).
The idea for Rebel Daughter stems from an inscription on an ancient gravestone discovered in southern Italy. It commemorates the death, at the age of 25, of “Claudia Aster, captive from Jerusalem,” and was erected by “Tiberius Claudius Masculus, freedman of the emperor.”

Kaufmann began to speculate about the sort of events that might have brought these two people together – a Roman freedman and a Jewish girl originally named Esther (Aster is the Romanized version) who was taken captive during the uprising in Jerusalem and brought to Italy.

Flavius Josephus becomes involved in the story.

For another review of this recent novel by Lori Kaufmann, see here.

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

Excavation in Persepolis

ARCHAEOLOGY: New light shed on Persepolis (Tehran Times).
Excavations and surveys on Tall-e-Ajori, which is situated in the surrounding areas of the UNESCO-registered Persepolis, are expected to help archaeologists uncover more about the history of the royal city.

[...]

For background on Persepolis and why it is of interest to PaleoJudaica, see here and links, plus here and here.

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

Friedeman, A Scripture Index to Rabbinic Literature (Hendrickson)

NEW BOOK FROM HENDRICKSON:
A Scripture Index to Rabbinic Literature

By: Caleb T. Friedeman
HENDRICKSON ACADEMIC / 2021 / HARDCOVER
$59.95

Product Description

A Scripture Index to Rabbinic Literature is a comprehensive Scrip­ture index that catalogs approximately 90,000 references to the Bible found in classical rabbinic literature. This literature compris­es two categories: (1) Talmudic literature (i.e., the Mishnah and related works) and (2) midrashic literature (i.e., biblical commentary). Each rabbinic reference includes a hard citation following SBL Hand­book of Style, the page number where the reference can be found in a standard English edition, and an indication of whether the biblical reference is a direct citation, allusion, or editorial reference. This incredibly handy reference work is the first of its kind and is a welcome addition to Hendrickson’s well-crafted line of reference books.

Key points and features:

  • A comprehensive Scripture index to classical rabbinic literature in English
  • Includes references to the Mishnah, the Tosefta, the Jerusalem Tal­mud, and the Babylonian Talmud, as well as the Mekilta, Midrash Rabbah, Pirqe Rabbi Eliezer, and many more
  • Approximately 90,000 references include a hard citation, a page number in a standard English edition, and an indication of wheth­er the biblical reference is a direct citation, allusion, or editorial reference
  • Saves researchers large amounts of time and energy by bringing together a vast amount of data that was previously located across many disparate resources.

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

Tourists' guide to Timna Park

TRAVEL: Head south to Timna Park and discover a new world. Timna holds great archaeological and biblical significance since it is the site of ancient copper mines believed to have been part of King Solomon’s empire (Hannah Brown, Jerusalem Post).

For many PaleoJudaica posts on the remarkable finds at the Timna Valley excavation, and why we should keep an eye on this site, start here and follow the links.

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

Friday, March 19, 2021

Cave of Horror Scroll latest

THE SCROLL FRAGMENTS FROM THE CAVE OF HORROR also continue to receive lots of media attention. I am not trying to link to everything. These articles each have at least a few new details:

Archaeologists Discover Additional Dead Sea Scroll Fragments In Desert Caves (Daniel Estrin, NPR)

Discovery of biblical scrolls shows importance of Greek Old Testament, scholar says (Jonah McKeown, Catholic News Agency). The scholar is Dr. John Bergsma.

Cave of Horror: fresh fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls echo dramatic human stories (Gareth Wearne, The Conversation).

Background here and links.

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

Shapira Scroll latest

THE REVIVED DEBATE OVER THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE SHAPIRA SCROLL FRAGMENTS CONTINUES. Here are today's new links:

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: The Shapira Fragments. An Artifact of 19th-Century Jewish Christianity (Jonathan Klawans).

But, to my mind, they [Allegro and Tigay] and most others reviewing the matter lost track of one key fact that, at least to me, tips the balance decidedly away from authenticity. The version of Deuteronomy pedaled by Shapira is not only unparalleled, but also suspiciously commensurate with his own religious background and commitment. Let me explain.
Professor Klawans concludes that "an authentic pre-Christian find is not among the possibilities."

THE BIBLE AND BEYOND PODCAST: Are the Shapira Deuteronomy Fragments (aka The Shapira Scroll or Valediction of Moses) Real or Forgeries? An Interview with Dr. Tony Burke. Shirley Paulson is the interviewer. This is a great introduction for the novice in the Shapira affair.

Dr. Burke makes a prediction:

I think what we’re going to get with it will be something similar to what developed with Secret Mark. Likely there will be some kind of an impasse, or a stalemate. You’ll get the sides with their entrenched opinions. People claiming it’s a forgery, or people saying it may not be. But at one point I’m sure it will be declared that nothing more can be determined without the actual manuscript. And that’s not a, that’s kind of fair. There’s only so much you can do with these inadequate images and so on. And of course, no one wants to stake their scholarly reputation on something that may turn out to be false.
If we ever find one of the Shapira fragments, we have a good chance of resolving the question. If not, I suspect Tony is right. Both sides will find evidence that supports their confirmation bias and there will never be a consensus. We'll see.

Tony Burke's blog is Apocryphicity. I have linked to it many times. The Secret Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Jesus' Wife both come under discussion in the interview.

Background here and links.

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

Zoom lecture on rethinking ancient "magic" (Aaron Butts)

THE PHILADELPHIA CENTER FOR CHRISTIAN ORIGINS has continued to meet during the pandemic. And one positive side effect of the lockdown is that the sessions are being broadcast on Zoom. Two remain for this academic year. You can see the full list here. The next one is on Thursday 25 March at 6:30 PM ET by Aaron Butts, Catholic Univeristy of America: Rethinking 'Magic' in Ancient Christianity and Judaism: A View from Ethiopian Prayer Scrolls.

For the Zoom link you need either to be on the mailing list or to request it from the organizers at pscoseminar@sas.upenn.edu. The Seminar also has a Facebook page.

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

Pedersén, Archives and Libraries in the Ancient Near East, 1500-300 B.C.

THE AWOL BLOG: Archives and Libraries in the Ancient Near East, 1500-300 B.C..
Archives and Libraries in the Ancient Near East, 1500-300 B.C.

Pedersén, Olof

Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculty of Languages, Department of Linguistics and Philology. (Assyriologi)

1998 (English)

Book (Refereed)

Abstract [en]
A comprehensive study of all archives and libraries from 1500-300 BC found during archaeological excavations in the Near East. Discusses texts written in Cuneiform and Alphabetic scripts, and in various Semitic, Indo-European, and different other language

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Bethesda, MD: CDL Press , 1998. , p. xxii + 291

For PaleoJudaica posts on ancient libraries, see the links collected here (cf. here).

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

Thursday, March 18, 2021

Are there more scroll finds coming?

LET'S HOPE SO: Are the newest Dead Sea Scrolls just the beginning? Some 600 Judean Desert caves surveyed so far, Israeli Antiquities Authority's Eitan Klein tells 'Post' a day after discovery of first fragments in some 60 years unveiled (Rossella Tercatin, Jerusalem Post).
Hundreds of caves in the Judean Desert are still left to explore, offering a concrete possibility that new biblical texts will emerge, Israel Antiquity Authorities researchers said a day after it unveiled the first such discovery in over 60 years.

[...]

By the way, this claim that this is the first such discovery in 60 years is correct, but needs some careful nuancing. The IAA press release says "For the first time in approximately 60 years, archaeological excavations have uncovered fragments of a biblical scroll."

I know of at least one biblical fragment found outside of an archaeological excavation, as well as one Hebrew documentary text. And numerous non-biblical scrolls and fragments were excavated near Jericho in the 1980s and 1990s. Not all of the recent headlines have grasped the nuance. Here are the specifics, as far as I know them.

The Ketef Jericho excavation in 1986 and 1993 discovered a total of 19 documentary texts in Aramaic, Greek, and Hebrew. They date from the fourth century BCE to the Bar Kokhba Revolt. Their condition ranged from complete to highly fragmentary. They are published in DJD XXXVIII.

Since then, a couple of unprovenanced scrolls have surfaced. In 2005 Hanan Eshel obtained an ancient scroll fragment of Leviticus from the Bedouin. He got in a bit of difficulty over this. In 2009 the IAA seized a documentary Hebrew scroll that at the time was dated to the first or second century CE. As far as I know they are both still accepted as genuine, but it's been a while since I heard any more about either.

I should also mention the "Jerusalem Papyrus," also unprovenanced, which was seized by the IAA in 2016. It looks like a 7th-8th century BCE Hebrew papyrus, but there are serious concerns that it may be a forgery.

That is everything I know offhand. If you know of more, please drop me a note.

The find in the Cave of Horror further encourages our hope for new scroll discoveries, biblical or otherwise.

While we are on this subject, I hope that excavators at the Timna Valley and Megiddo archaeological sites will keep the possibility in mind as well. For years I have been harping on the fact that recovery of very early textiles and other organic fragments from both sites raise the possibility that scroll fragments could turn up at either. Wouldn't it be nice to find some scroll fragments from the tenth century BCE?

Background here, here, and here.

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

The politics of the Cave of Horror discoveries

COMMENTARY: Archaeology: Israel's national pastime - analysis. Embers still burn from the country’s once great passion for excavations (Herb Keinon, Jerusalem Post).
By unveiling both Jewish and general archaeological discoveries on the same day, the IAA made a statement: we are interested and focused on both Jewish and general discoveries.

But as significant as the discovery of the woven basket and that ancient mummified skeleton were, for most Israeli Jews the particular Jewish findings likely resonated more loudly.

Background here and here.

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

So many sevens!

DR. ELAINE GOODFRIEND: Seven, the Biblical Number (TheTorah.com).
Biblical authors employed the number 7 in numerous ways to express the ideas of completion, perfection, and holiness and to highlight keywords or elements within a text.

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

Mandean life in Iraq remains precarious

MANDEAN (MANDAEAN) WATCH: Iraq’s Mandaeans celebrate baptism feast (Al Jazeera via Yahoo News). Video with transcript.
Nearly two decades of violence, insecurity, neglect and indifference have destroyed Iraq's rich heritage. And one of its religious minority groups fears extinction unless its traditions and people are protected.

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

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Large print Rahlfs-Hanhart Septuagint (Hendrickson)

NEW BOOK FROM HENDRICKSON:
Septuaginta, the large print edition

Edited By: Alfred Rahlfs, Robert Hanhart
GERMAN BIBLE SOCIETY / 2020 / HARDCOVER
$189.95

Product Description Since its publication in 1935, the Alfred Rahlfs edition of the Septuagint has been the foundation for Septuagint research around the world and an indispensable tool for theological and philological studies. Robert Hanhart’s improved and updated edition, which was published in 2006, contains the complete text of the Greek Old Testament, a text-critical apparatus, and an introduction in German, English, Latin, and modern Greek.

The Large-Print Septuaginta (Rahlfs-Hanhart Edition), which was previously only available as a reduced-font study edition, now appears in the same (more readable) format of the original first edition, with wide margins that are perfect for taking notes. In addition, this handsome volume is bound with thread stitching and is covered with high-quality linen cloth, making it ideally suited for intensive use and study. The Large-Print Septuaginta (Rahlfs-Hanhart Edition) is a must-have for every humanities reference library and would be a practical and beautiful addition to any home or office library.

Key points and features:

  • Readable large font and wide margins for note taking
  • High-quality linen cloth with durable binding will stand up to years of heavy use
Could be handy to have around these days.

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

Zoom series on Books Known Only by Title

LOST BOOKS WATCH: Absent Books: Lost, Burned, Dumped. Sponsored by the Centre for Advanced Study at the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. The next panel is Wednesday 7 April, 7:00 pm – 8:15 pm CET, chaired by Eva Mroczek, with Francis Borchardt, AnneMarie Luijendijk, and Annette Yoshiko Reed as panelists. Follow the link for the Zoom registration link.
Books are fragile containers of knowledge, and that fragility leads inevitably to loss. Whether due to natural decay, accidental harm, or deliberate destruction, many of the books from the first millennium are simply no longer accessible to us. Yet this absence is itself worth examining, both as an aspect of reality and as a conceptual model. Historically, books were lost, burned, and dumped for various reasons, and the lingering remains of their manuscripts tell a story about what they signified. At the same time, the idea of lost books has maintained a powerful hold on our cultural imagination—and not only in negative ways. Absent books are generative, as they invite authors to write them into being; moreover, the act of forgetting can be viewed as an act of renewal, clearing the space for new things to be preserved.

This panel will explore the constellation of questions that arise from absent books. What can books known only by title tell us about narratives of loss and about first millennium book culture? What role does gender play here? Are books attributed to women more likely to disappear, like the Cumaean Sibyl's burned volumes, and are narratives of loss more often connected to books ascribed to a female figure? To what extent are males constructed as the saviours of books? How can we understand historical impulses to censor and even burn books? And to what extent should our scholarly feelings of mourning or longing for absent books balance with an appreciation of the new productivity that results from their absence?

The series continues in May and June.

PaleoJudaica is very interested in lost books. For many posts, see here (cf. here) and links.

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

The new DSS and the LXX

WILLIAM ROSS: THE NEW DEAD SEA SCROLL DISCOVERIES AND THE SEPTUAGINT.
Part of what makes these fragments — and the scroll of which they are parts — so significant is that this particular Greek version of the Minor Prophets differs in certain ways from what we have in the Masoretic Text, which itself is the textual basis of virtually all modern translations of the Old Testament. In his seminal monograph Devanciers d’Aquila (Cerf, 1963), Barthélemy examined 8ḤevXIIgr and permanently altered scholarly understanding of the textual history of the Septuagint.
Background here.

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

Raise the Mazzarón II!

PHOENICIAN WATCH: WATCH: ENDANGERED SUNKEN WRECK FROM PRE-BIBLICAL TIMES TO BE RESCUED FROM SEABED ON SPAIN'S COSTA CALIDA (Simon Wade, The Olive Press). With video. This is the Phoenician shipwreck that is being moved to Cartagena, Spain, for conservation. The headline should say "Biblical Times."

Background here. Cross-file under Marine (Maritime, Underwater) Archaeology.

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

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

New Dead Sea Scroll fragments found in the Cave of Horror!

THE ONE WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR. Today was the first weekday in forever that I had to be away from my desk in the morning and didn't blog. So this morning the IAA announces that it discovered new Dead Sea Scrolls. It figures.

Bible scroll fragments among dazzling artifacts found in Dead Sea Cave of Horror. (Amanda Borschel-Dan, Times of Israel).

In a stunningly rare discovery, some two dozen 2,000-year-old biblical scroll fragments have been excavated from Judean Desert caves during a daring rescue operation. The newly discovered scroll fragments — the first such finds in 60 years — are Greek translations of the books of Zechariah and Nahum from the Book of the Twelve Minor Prophets, and are written in two scribal hands. Only the name of God is written in Hebrew in the texts.

The 20-odd fragments were found in the so-called Cave of Horror in Nahal Hever, which is some 80 meters (260 feet) below a cliff top. According to an Israel Antiquities Authority press release, the cave is so-named because it is “flanked by gorges and can only be reached by rappelling precariously down the sheer cliff.”

Operation Scroll (see here and links) has had some near misses, such as Qumran "Cave 12" and Cave 52, but this is the real thing.

The famous fragmentary Greek Minor Prophets Scroll was found in (mostly looted from) the Cave of Horror in the 1950s and 1960s. According to the Daily Mail's coverage, these new fragments are likely missing bits of that scroll:

The new pieces are believed to belong to a larger set of parchment fragments that include a Greek rendition of the Twelve Minor Prophets.

It is thought the newly found fragments are the missing parts of those scrolls, which were first found in 1952. They include Micah's prophecy about the End of Days.

My memory, with which the Wikipedia article concurs, is that the Cave of Horror got its name because so many human skeletons were found in it. (I can't believe that I have never before posted on the Greek Minor Prophets Scroll or on the Cave of Horror.)

The new discoveries in the cave include a huge 10,500-year-old basket and a 6000-year-old child burial.

Bit by bit, a letter at a time, whatever it takes. Until we're done. Meanwhile, more please!

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

Another new Shapira Scroll book

NEW BOOK FROM HOREB PRESS: The Moses Scroll Paperback – February 24, 2021 by Ross K. Nichols.
In 1878, a Jerusalem antiquities dealer named Moses Wilhelm Shapira acquired a curious biblical manuscript consisting of sixteen leather strips. The manuscript, written in ancient, Paleo-Hebrew contained what appeared to be a form of the Bible’s Book of Deuteronomy but with significant variations. It was allegedly discovered by Bedouin tribesmen around 1865, east of the Dead Sea, in a remote cave, high above the Wadi Mujib (biblical Arnon). Shapira believed that his manuscript was both ancient and authentic. In 1883, he presented his scroll to the leading scholars of Europe. Newspapers around the world covered the unfolding story as scholars debated the genuineness of the leather strips. Ultimately the scroll was deemed a forgery and Shapira the forger. However, beginning in 1947, ancient scrolls discovered in the Qumran caves near the Dead Sea lead us to ask—were the critics wrong? The Moses Scroll documents the details of the entire saga based upon what we know today including a chronological telling of the fascinating story based upon 19th-century reports; an assessment of the genuineness of Shapira’s scroll; a new transcription of the manuscript as seen through the eyes of the 19th-century’s best Hebraists; and the author’s own translation of the original sixteen leather strips with a commentary and notes.
HT Professor James Tabor, who wrote the Forward to the book. He comments further on it at his blog here and here.

Ross Nichols has also started a blog in connection with the book. The most recent post is Shapira and the Inscription of Siloam.

For Idan Dershowitz's new book, which reopens the question of the autheniticy of the Shapira Scroll, and fo responses so far to the book, see here and here. Follow the links from there for earlier PaleoJudaica posts on the Shapira affair.

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

Cyrus Gordon offprints

THE AWOL BLOG: Selected Writings of Cyrus H. Gordon. With many articles of interest for the study of ancient Judaism.

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

Cartagena to conserve Phoenician shipwreck

PHOENICIAN WATCH: 2700 year old shipwreck to be moved to Cartagena museum.
It has now been confirmed that the remains of a 2700-year-old Phoenician shipwreck, that has laid just off the beach of Playa de la Isla in Puerto de Mazarron since 700 BC will be moved to the Arqua museum in Mazarron where it will be restored.

[...]

Cross-file under Marine (Maritime, Underwater) Archaeology. For more PaleoJudaica posts on ancient shipwrecks, see here and links.

The Spanish town of Cartagena makes good use of the tourist potential for its ancient Punic heritage. And some exciting archaeology has been happening there recently. For posts on Cartagena and its annual Romans and Carthaginians Festival, see here and links.

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

Monday, March 15, 2021

More on the Shapira Scroll

SOME UPDATES ON THE NEW SHAPIRA SCROLL CONTROVERSY:

First, it has just come to my attention that Idan Dershowitz has published the full text of his new book on Academia.edu. You can download it as a free PDF file:

The Valediction of Moses: A Proto-Biblical Book (Forschungen zum Alten Testament 145; Mohr Siebeck, 2021)
(HT Todd Bolen at the Bible Places Blog.)

In addition, Dr. Dershowitz has e-mailed me with some links that continue the discussion.

At Christopher Rollston's blog post Deja Vu all over Again there are comments from Ron Hendel, Idan Dershowitz, Israel Finkelstein and Benjamin Sass, and Stephen Goranson, with some responses from Rollston.

Maria Metzler responds to Rollston on Academia.edu: Christopher Rollston’s Critique of the Shapira Argument by Idan Dershowitz.

Dershowitz has some brief responses to Rollston in a Twitter thread here.

For background on the current debate and on the Shapira Scroll more generally, see here and links.

UPDATE (16 March): Another new Shapira Scroll book!

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

Review of Regev, The Temple in Early Christianity

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: Book Note | The Temple in Early Christianity: Experiencing the Sacred (M. John-Patrick O’Connor).
Eyal Regev. The Temple in Early Christianity: Experiencing the Sacred. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2019.

[...]

Regev’s The Temple in Early Christianity is a highly organized and comprehensive discussion of Temple and Temple-related themes in the New Testament. Regev carefully demonstrates how later ideological assumptions can be poorly retrofitted for New Testament authors, when in fact they might not exist in these texts at all. ...

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

Giant Gath, giant Goliath?

ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE AND STATURE: Where Do Giants Come From? (Candida Moss, Daily Beast via Yahoo).
Despite the best efforts of many to reconstruct the events behind this story [David and Goliath], it is generally agreed that it has—at most—a kernel of truth at its core. So if there was no epic duel then where does the mythology of Goliath come from? A new article published in the Journal of Biblical Literature by Prof. Aren Maeir, director of the Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project, tries to unravel the mystery.
For another post on how the archaeology of Tell es-Safi/Gath may affect our understanding of the size of Goliath, see here.

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

Sanders obituary

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: In Memory: James A. Sanders 1927-2020 (Marvin A. Sweeney).

Background here.

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

Sunday, March 14, 2021

Happy Pi Day!

TODAY IS THE DAY: The secret Jewish history of Pi (Seth Rogovoy, The Forward).

For more on Pi Day and Pi and Judaism, see the links collected here. And for more on Darren Aranofsky’s film Pi, see here (fourth paragraph from the end).

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 earliest excavated monastery? With Greek biblical inscriptions.

ARCHAEOLOGY: In Photos: Oldest archaeologically attested monastic site discovered in Egypt's Bahariya Oasis. The site consists of six sectors constructed predominantly of basalt blocks and mud, mud bricks, and a number of buildings which are dug partially - or completely - in the geological substratum (Nevine El-Aref, Ahram Online).
"A new discovery at the site of Tel Ganub Qasr Al-‘Aguz, is perhaps the oldest archaeologically attested monastic site, not only in Egypt, but in the world," said Victor Ghica, Professor in Antiquity and Early Christian Studies and the Head of the Norwegian-French archaeological mission.

The site is located some 370km southwest of Cairo in the Bahariya Oasis and has seen three seasons of excavation in partnership between the Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale (IFAO) and MF Vitenskapelig Høyskole, Norway.

[...]

There are also epigraphic discoveries at the site:
The walls of four of the rooms of the sixth sector, including the church, were covered with a variety of biblical and patristic texts written in Greek. In addition, a number of Greek ostraca were also uncovered, which make explicit reference to monks. Absolute dates are not yet available for this sector, but much of the ceramic and written material found therein suggest a final occupation in the fifth or sixth century.
The ruins date from the mid-fourth century to the seventh century. The article includes two photos of the site and photos of a wall inscription and an ostracon.

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

Shekel Prize for Oxford numismatist

NUMISMATICS: David Jacobson Wins American Israel Numismatic Association 2021 Shekel Prize (CoinWeek),
David Jacobson, Associate of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford, has won the Shekel Prize Medal, awarded by the American Israel Numismatic Association (AINA) for “Agrippa II, the Last of the Herods” as the best 2020 publication on Judaic/Israel numismatics.

[...]

Congratulations to Dr. Jacobson! For reviews of his book, as well as other posts on Herod Agrippa II, see here and links.

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

Evans & White, Who Created Christianity? (Hendrickson)

NEW BOOK FROM HENDRICKSON:
Who Created Christianity?: Fresh Approaches to the Relationship between Paul and Jesus - eBook

Edited By: Craig S. Evans, Aaron W. White
HENDRICKSON PUBLISHERS / 2021 / EPUB

$49.95

Product Description

Who Created Christianity? is a collection of essays by top international Christian scholars who desire to reinforce the relationship that Paul had with Jesus and Christianity. There is a general sense today among Christians in certain circles that Paul's teachings to the early Christian church are thought to be "rogue," even clashing at times with Jesus' words. Yet these essays set out to prove that the tradition that Paul passes on is one received from Jesus, not separate from it.

The essays in this volume come from a diverse and international group of scholars. They offer up-to-date studies of the teachings of Paul and how the specific teachings directly relate to the earlier teachings of Jesus. This volume explores with even greater focus than ever before the tradition from which Paul emerges and the specific teachings that are part of this tradition. This collection of essays proposes a complementary work to the work of David Wenham and his thesis that Paul was indeed not the founder of Christianity or the creator of Christian dogma; instead, he was a faithful disciple and a conveyer of a prior Christian tradition.

Contributors include:

  • T. Wright on how and why Paul invented "Christian theology"
  • Stanley Porter on when Paul met Jesus
  • Sarah Harris on female followers of Jesus and Paul
  • Rainer Riesner on Paul and the Jesus tradition
  • and many others, including Michael Bird, Craig Blomberg, Greg Beale, Bruce Chilton, Alister McGrath, and Joan Taylor

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