More than forty such handbooks survive, some of them in a fragmentary state. We propose to re-edit and re-translate these handbooks, as well as to carry out their first large-scale study as material objects and media of cultural transmission.The Greek Magical Papyri, as well as Egyptian-language works.
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For PaleoJudaica posts on Parthia and the ancient Parthians and Arcasids (Arkasids), see here and links.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Leviticus 19:18 Does Not Mean “Love Everyone”: Why I Disagree with Richard E. FriedmanI have linked to the article by Richard E. Friedman here.The conflicts over immigration and social inequality mean that Leviticus 19:18 (“you shall love your neighbor as yourself [ואהבת לרעך כמוך]) is being revived once again as a biblical prooftext. One of the main defenders for the universalist interpretation of Leviticus 19:18 is Richard E. Friedman. In so doing, Friedman was attemping to refute the nationalist view of Harry M. Orlinsky (1908-1992), My article here will argue that, despite a pro-immigrant and welcoming appearance, Lev 19:18 actually is part of a colonialist and patriarchal attitude toward foreigners found in Leviticus and in other biblical traditions. Friedman overlooks the exegetical and ethical problems he creates and/or propagates in explaining his disagreement with Orlinsky.
By Hector Avalos
Professor of Religious Studies
Iowa State University
April 2021
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Several excavation teams are optimistically making plans for a dig season in 2021—with the understanding that these also might have to be canceled. Others, however, have already decided to suspend their field activities for this year.
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The cave-by-cave scanning, which was not possible before, has helped archaeologists identify previously unknown cave openings, he said.Background here and many links.“There is no 100 percent but we think our scanning is about 90 percent of the caves. I expect us to get to 95 percent of the caves, though there will be some we will miss,” he said. “Thefts still occur but our control of the area is much stronger now. We will have a catalogue of all the caves in the Judean Desert and today I can look at a cave and know if there are antiquities there or not, which I couldn’t know before. Before I would look at a cliff and see a black hole.”
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Background here and many links.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
We aim to bring together scholars who do not normally have the opportunity to present and engage with scholarship, including:HT Michael Helfield. Follow the link for instructions on submitting a paper or panel proposal etc. This conference speaks to some of the points recently raised here.
- Completed a PhD and are now professionals in other fields
- Left PhD programs
- Contingent faculty
- Academics from marginalized groups
- Teachers, professors, and staff from all educational institutions
- Cultural resource management professionals
- Independent scholars
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Nominations are invited for the 2021 Biblical Archaeology Society Publication Awards, for books published in 2019 and 2020.Follow the link for the award categories and instructions for nominating a book.The biennial BAS Publication Awards for books about archaeology and the Bible have been presented since 1985. These prestigious awards have been made possible by grants from Samuel D. Turner and Elizabeth Goss.
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The Oxford Handbook of IsaiahEdited by Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer
Oxford Handbooks
Description
- Offers insight from a religiously and geographically diverse roster of scholars into the broad spectrum of global engagement with Isaiah
- Provides easily accessible and high quality scholarship to academics and laypeople alike
- Offers up-to-date scholarship from recognized experts on the book of Isaiah
The book of Isaiah is without doubt one of the most important books in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, as evidenced by its pride of place in both Jewish and Christian traditions as well as in art and music. Most people, scholars and laity alike, are familiar with the words of Isaiah accompanied by the magnificent tones of Handel's 'Messiah'.
Isaiah is also one of the most complex books due to its variety and plurality, and it has accordingly been the focus of scholarly debate for the last 2000 years. Divided into eight sections, The Oxford Handbook of Isaiah constitutes a collection of essays on one of the longest books in the Bible. They cover different aspects regarding the formation, interpretations, and reception of the book of Isaiah, and also offer up-to-date information in an attractive and easily accessible format. The result does not represent a unified standpoint; rather the individual contributions mirror the wide and varied spectrum of scholarly engagement with the book. The authors of the essays likewise represent a broad range of scholarly traditions from diverse continents and religious affiliations, accompanied by comprehensive recommendations for further reading.
£97.00
Hardback
Published: 13 November 2020
712 Pages
248x171mm
ISBN: 9780190669249
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The Manasseh Hill Country Survey Volume 6The Eastern Samaria Shoulder, from Nahal Tirzah (Wadi Far'ah) to Ma’ale Ephraim Junction
Series: Culture and History of the Ancient Near East, Volume: 21/6
Authors: Shay Bar and Adam Zertal
The book presents the results of a complete detailed survey of the eastern region of Samaria, mainly the Eastern Samaria Shoulder, from Nahal Tirzah (Wadi Far'ah) to Ma’ale Ephraim Junction within the territory of Israel/Palestine. It is Volume 6 of the Manasseh Hill Country Survey publications. This project, in progress since 1978, and covering 2500 sq. km, is a thorough, metre-by-metre mapping of the archaeological-historical area between the River Jordan and the Sharon Plain, and between Nahal 'Iron and the north-eastern point of the Dead Sea. This territory is one of the most important in the country from the Biblical and archaeological view; and the survey is a valuable tool for scholars of the Bible, archaeology, Near Eastern history and other aspects of the Holy Land.
Prices from (excl. VAT): €105.00 / $126.00
E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Not Yet Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-46323-3
Publication Date: 25 Mar 2021Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-46322-6
Publication Date: 25 Mar 2021
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.
Online conferences and lectures offer greater accessibility to the disabled, to those who can't afford the travel, and to those who live far from the venue. They allow interested people to attend public lectures from all over the world. They save everyone a lot of money, which could be important in the coming years of post-pandemic recovery and, likely, austerity. True, we lose out on receptions, and to some degree on networking, but there are substantial gains in the new model.
The pandemic has forced many changes upon us, including fully online conferences and lectures. However we proceed in the future, we should retain the gains of the new model.
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Some PaleoJudaica posts on the history, archaeology, and epigraphy of ancient Babylon and Babylonia are here, here, here, and links.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Philip S. Horky (Ed.). Cosmos in the Ancient World. Cambridge University Press, 2019.The whole book sounds good, but the final chapter is of particular interest.
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For more on Clint Burnett and his recent book on the New Testament and inscriptions, see here. For more on the topic, see here. For the Greek Temple Warning Inscription, see the links collected here. For more on the Number of the Beast in the Book of Revelation, with additional epigraphic evidence, see here and links. For more on the Theodotus inscription, see here. And for more on the Gallio inscription, see here.
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The Hoard of Jazira, as the museum has named the cache, was obtained in 2019 from a private collector in Europe (the museum declined to identify the person). It consists of 2,861 coins dating from the reign of King Shapur II (A.D. 309-379) to the Caliph Al Ma’mun (A.D. 813-833). There are 434 Sasanian drachmas, 156 dirhams and Arab half-dirhams, 323 Umayyad dirhams and 1,948 silver coins of the Abbasid dynasty.The article includes lots of information about coin conservation. For more on the Sasanian (Sassanian) Empire and why it is of interest to PaleoJudaica, start here and follow the links.
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Review: My Nine Lives—Sixty Years in Israeli and Biblical ArchaeologyI noted the publication of the book here.
By William G. Dever
(Atlanta: SBL Press, 2020), pp. 233, 57 figures
Reviewed by Thomas E. Levy
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Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Deconstructing the Talmud
The Absolute BookBy Federico Dal Bo
Copyright Year 2020
Paperbackv £29.59Hardback
£96.00eBook
£29.59ISBN 9780367785444
Published March 31, 2021 by Routledge
254 PagesBook Description
This monograph uses deconstruction—a philosophical movement originated by Jacques Derrida—to read the most authoritative book in Judaism: the Talmud. Examining deconstruction in comparison with Kant’s and Hegel’s philosophies, the volume argues that the movement opens an innovative debate on Jewish Law.
First, the monograph interprets deconstruction within the major streams of continental philosophy; then, it criticizes many aspects of Foucault’s and Agamben’s philosophy, rejecting their notion of law. On these premises, the research delivers a close examination of many fundamental aspects of the Talmud. Consequently, it provides a short history of Rabbinic literature, a history of the dissemination of the Talmud from Babylon to Northern France, and an analysis of Talmudic vocabulary from a deconstructive perspective. Each key concept of the Talmud is analysed according to the deconstructive dialectics between orality and writing. Closing with a comparison between the Talmud and Derrida’s most enigmatic text, Glas, the study argues that deconstruction dismantles the traditional notion of the Talmud to outline a new approach to Jewish Law.
Reading the Talmud through deconstruction, this new angle makes the volume an essential resource for students and scholars interested in Jewish studies, continental philosophy, and the Middle East.
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Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Did Jesus’ Last Supper Take Place Above the Tomb of David? Understanding the Cenacle on Mount Zion (Marek Dospěl)
How Was Jesus’ Tomb Sealed? Examining the tomb of Jesus in light of Second Temple-period Jerusalem tombs (Megan Sauter). For more on the Cenacle, see here.
On What Day Did Jesus Rise? The May/June 2016 Biblical Archaeology Review Biblical Views column (Ben Witherington III)
Where Is Golgotha, Where Jesus Was Crucified? Does the Church of the Redeemer hold the answer?
I have noted some related BHD essays here.
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CAIRO (Reuters) -A grand parade conveyed 22 ancient Egyptian royal mummies in special capsules across the capital Cairo on Saturday to a new museum home where they can be displayed in greater splendour.Rameses II (Ramesses II), a cinema favorite for Pharaoh of the Exodus, was among them.[...]
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Some other recent relevant posts are here, here, here, and here.
UPDATE (5 April): More here.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Cyprus Within the Biblical World
Are Borders Barriers?Editor(s): James H. Charlesworth, Jolyon G. R. Pruszinski
Published: 03-25-2021
Format: Hardback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 256
ISBN: 9780567694904
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: Jewish and Christian Textsv Volume: 32
Illustrations: 51 bw illus
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price:$115.00
Online price: $103.50
About Cyprus Within the Biblical World
This volume moves discussion of ancient Israelite culture beyond concepts of isolation and borders, factoring in already well-known insights from classical studies and ancient history that take greater account of the impressive connections between all the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Specifically, the contributors focus on Cyprus and the Bible and offer archaeological and biblical insights to consider how and in what ways, Cyprus and Cypriot culture was related to biblical life and perceptions.
Though the Mediterranean separated Palestine from Cyprus, it also joined them; archaeological finds expose significant trade relations and cultural commonalities, not only in the Hellenistic and late-Roman eras, but for many centuries prior. These relations developed and became even more intimate in the later biblical period, as evidenced by early Jewish and Christian writings. By exploring various methods of cultural contact, the contributors suggest that further examination of cultural links between Cyprus and Palestine in the biblical period can repay dividends in understanding the development of ancient Israelite religion, early Judaism, and early Christianity.
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Syrian Influences in the Roman Empire to AD 300The book was published in 2018, but I missed it then. The recent paperback release provides a good excuse to note it.By John D. Grainger
Copyright Year 2018
Paperback
£29.59Hardback
£96.00eBook
£29.59ISBN 9780367594497
Published August 14, 2020 by Routledge
284 PagesBook Description
The study of Syria as a Roman province has been neglected by comparison with equivalent geographical regions such as Italy, Egypt, Greece and even Gaul. It was, however, one of the economic powerhouses of the empire from its annexation until after the empire’s dissolution. As such it clearly deserves some particular consideration, but at the same time it was a major contributor to the military strength of the empire, notably in the form of the recruitment of auxiliary regiments, several dozens of which were formed from Syrians. Many pagan gods, such as Jupiter Dolichenus and Jupiter Heliopolitanus Dea Syra, and also Judaism, originated in Syria and reached the far bounds of the empire. This book is a consideration, based on original sources, of the means by which Syrians, whose country was only annexed to the empire in 64 BC, saw their influence penetrate into all levels of society from private soldiers and ordinary citizens to priests and to imperial families.
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