Theatre seats for the God-fearers?

THE HOLY LAND PHOTOS' BLOG: God Fearers in the Synagogue and Early Church — Evidence from Miletus (Carl Rasmussen). For this inscription to refer to God-fearers, we have to assume the stonemason made a mistake. But such things did happen. I imagine it would have been embarrassing.

For another God-fearers inscription, see here.

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

McDonald, The Formation of the Biblical Canon (2 vols., T&T Clark)

NEW BOOKS FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

The Formation of the Biblical Canon: Volume 1
The Old Testament: Its Authority and Canonicity

By: Lee Martin McDonald

Published: 04-22-2021
Format:Hardback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 584
ISBN: 9780567668769
Imprint: T&T Clark
Dimensions: 6 5/8" x 9 5/8"
List price: $175.00
Online price: $157.50
Save $17.50 (10%)

About The Formation of the Biblical Canon: Volume 1

Lee Martin McDonald provides a magisterial overview of the development of the biblical canon --- the emergence of the list of individual texts that constitutes the Christian bible. In these two volumes -- in sum more than double the length of his previous works -- McDonald presents his most in-depth overview to date. McDonald shows students and researchers how the list of texts that constitute 'the bible' was once far more fluid than it is today and guides readers through the minefield of different texts, different versions, and the different lists of texts considered 'canonical' that abounded in antiquity. Questions of the origin and transmission of texts are introduced as well as consideration of innovations in the presentation of texts, collections of documents, archaeological finds and Church councils.

In this first volume McDonald reexamines issues of canon formation once considered settled, and sets the range of texts that make up the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) in their broader context. Each indidvidual text is discussed, as are the cultural, political and historical situations surrounding them.

The second volume considers the New Testament, and the range of so-called 'apocryphal' gospels that were written in early centuries, and used by many Christian groups before the canon was closed.

Also included are comprehensive appendices which show various canon lists for both Old and New Testaments and for the bible as a whole.

Volume 2 is also out:

The Formation of the Biblical Canon: Volume 2
The New Testament: Its Authority and Canonicity

By: Lee Martin McDonald

Published: 04-22-2021
Format: Hardback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 384
ISBN: 9780567668844
Imprint: T&T Clark
Dimensions: 6 5/8" x 9 5/8"
List price: $175.00
Online price: $157.50
Save $17.50 (10%)

About The Formation of the Biblical Canon: Volume 2

Lee Martin McDonald provides a magisterial overview of the development of the biblical canon --- the emergence of the list of individual texts that constitutes the Christian bible. In these two volumes -- in sum more than double the length of his previous works -- McDonald presents his most in-depth overview to date. McDonald shows students and researchers how the list of texts that constitute 'the bible' was once far more fluid than it is today and guides readers through the minefield of different texts, different versions, and the different lists of texts considered 'canonical' that abounded in antiquity. Questions of the origin and transmission of texts are introduced as well as consideration of innovations in the presentation of texts, collections of documents, archaeological finds and Church councils.

In the first volume McDonald reexamines issues of canon formation once considered settled, and sets the range of texts that make up the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) in their broader context. Each indidvidual text is discussed, as are the cultural, political and historical situations surrounding them.

This second volume considers the New Testament, and the range of so-called 'apocryphal' gospels that were written in early centuries, and used by many Christian groups before the canon was closed.

Also included are comprehensive appendices which show various canon lists for both Old and New Testaments and for the bible as a whole.

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

Cargill on the Tel Dan inscription

XKV8TR ON YOUTUBE: The Tel Dan Inscription - Extended Version with Jehu's Rebellion (Robert Cargill).

In this video Prof. Cargill examines the Tel Dan, or "House of David" Inscription and reveals what it says, what it doesn't say, gives its proper historical context, and explains why it's important to biblical archaeology. This extended version offers a discussion of Jehu's Revolt, and how his usurpation of the throne of Israel may have been part of a conspiracy with King Hazael of Aram-Damascus.

For more on the Tel Dan Inscription, see here and links.

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

Amos - a prophet or a literary construct?

PROF. JASON RADINE: The Book of Amos: A Retrospect on the Fall of Israel (TheTorah.com).

Written as a commentary on the social injustice in the kingdom of Israel at a high point of its wealth and power, the book of Amos explains to exiled Israelites why they were punished and warns Judahites not to fall into the same trap.

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

Lag B'Omer tragedy

SAD NEWS: Let me express my great sadness and sympathy for all the victims – and their families and loved ones – of the terrible tragedy yesterday during the Lag B'Omer celebrations at Mt. Meron. I mourn for those who lost their lives and I wish the injured a speedy and full recovery.

World leaders, Jewish orgs send Israel condolences amid Mt. Meron tragedy. Jewish leaders and community organizations addressed the tragedy on social media (Jerusalem Post).

Background on Lag B'Omer is here (cf. here) and links .

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

How Scholem came to Kabbalah

FOR LAG B'OMER: Commentary Magazine has reprinted a long and fascinating 1980 article by Gershom Scholem: How I Came to the Kabbalah. When he was about eighteen years old he couldn't find anyone who could teach him the Zohar. So he bought an edition of the Aramaic text and started reading it on his own. He became the twentieth century's most influential scholar of Jewish mysticism.

For PaleoJudaica posts on Scholem, see here and links.

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

Zoom Workshop on the DSS (3 May 2021)

FROM THE ORION CENTER E-MAIL LIST:

REMINDER--Annual Haifa Workshop on the Dead Sea Scrolls, May 3, 2021

REMINDER

Dear Colleague,

Please see the attached Hebrew and English announcements for the annual Haifa Workshop on the Dead Sea Scrolls, to be held (on Zoom) on Monday, May 3, 2021.

The Workshop presentations will be in Hebrew. Participation is free but preregistration is required; preregistration will be open through Sunday, May 2, 2021 at 16:00. Use the link in the poster to register.

Please note that all times given in the program are Israel Daylight Time.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

The Orion Center

The Zoom link for registration is here. I imagine this one is mostly of interest to specialist who speak Hebrew.

Note to conference organizers: I would be grateful if you would put your conference fliers and programs on a web page. That makes it much easier to link to them. Thanks!

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

Jongkind concludes Cambridge Greek Lexicon review

AT THE ETC BLOG, Dirk Jongkind has two posts concluding his review of the Cambridge Greek Lexicon:

The Cambridge Greek Lexicon 3 – Scope and Use

Here it gets interesting. The coverage of the Lexicon extends from Homer to the early second century’ and ‘most of the major authors who fall within that period are included.’ This is a lexicon aimed at students, covering most of the major literature of said period. What does that mean from a New Testament perspective? The Gospels and Acts are covered, but not the remainder of the New Testament.

Ouch.

Also, there is no Greek Old Testament, no Philo, no Josephus.

It is a Lexicon of a certain body of Greek literature (and indeed an important body which New Testament scholars do well to read), but it is not a Lexicon of the Greek language as a whole. There are no papyri, there is no epigraphic material.

To be fair, these limitations were well known and publicized before the lexicon came out.

Cambridge Greek Lexicon 4 – Do We Need It?

In the end, the Cambridge Greek Lexicon is a good lexicon for what it is. Do not judge it because it is not what you want it to be. And since we all ought to read lots of Greek, it is a great help. And, going full book lover again, I like the feel of the lexicon, the clarity of the lay-out. It is calling out to me to be used, it does not want to stay on the shelf. It is stirring up ζῆλος, perhaps more than φθόνος.

But should you tell your New Testament Greek students to get this? No, not really. The opportunity cost is considerable (money, shelf-space), and the immediate pay back relatively low.

Background here and links and here.

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

Lag B'Omer 2021

LAG B'OMER, the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, begins tonight at sundown. Best wishes to all observing it.

My 2020 Lag B'Omer post is here with links. For the biblical and rabbinic background of the holiday, see here.

Last year's celebrations were strictly limited in Israel due to the pandemic. There are still substantial restrictions this year. You can read about them in this article by David Israel: Israel Bans Lag B’Omer Bonfires Outside Strictly Designated Areas (Jewish Press).

Wherever you are, if you are celebrating, please celebrate safely! Rabbi Robin Frisch has some suggestions, many of which work anywhere: The holiday Lag b’Omer is all the rage in Israel — here’s how to celebrate it (JTA).

UPDATE (30 April): More here. And, alas, this was not to be a safe Lag B'Omer for many.

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

Zoom lectures: Rabbinics & DSS; Huqoq Synagogue

ONLINE PUBLIC ZOOM LECTURES are now a thing. I think that's one positive consequence of the pandemic. I hope they continue in whatever becomes the new normal. I intend to keep better track of them. Here are two I know of at the moment. Both were posted by Jack Sasson on the Agade list:

zLECTURES: The Emergence of Rabbinic Culture From DSS perspective (May 5)

From Marcello Fidanzio
=====================================

The Istituto di Cultura e Archeologia delle Terre Bibliche - Faculty of Theology of Lugano and the Centro di Judaica Goren Monti Ferrari re pleased to announce the lecture

Professor Vered Noam (Tel Aviv University):
The Emergence of Rabbinic Culture From the Perspective of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Date:‌ ‌5 May ‌2021‌
Time:‌ ‌5:30 ‌p.m. (CET)
Location:‌ ‌ZOOM

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87546329592?pwd=MEJXQ3JjRDdCaWJSbUpnRytLSjBJQT09
[Webinar ID: 875 4632 9592 Passcode: 123456]

zLECTURES: "... The Ancient Synagogue at Huqoq" (May 6)

From Sheila Ford
=======================

The Anglo Israel Archaeological Society invite you to register for the following lecture on Thursday 6th May 2021 Thursday 6th May at 5.00pm (BST) - Prof Jodi Magness will be speaking about ‘More than just Mosaics: The Ancient Synagogue at Huqoq’ and the lecture will be followed by a Q&A session. This talk commences at 5.00pm (BST) with Zoom access available from 4.45pm (BST). Please write to secretary@aias.org.uk before 3rd May to register your interest and the Zoom link will be sent to you approximately 48 hours prior to the lecture. See the attached poster for more information.

Since 2011 Prof Jodi Magness has been directing excavations in the ancient village of Huqoq in Israel’s Galilee. This extraordinary site has brought to light the remains of a monumental Late Roman, 5th century CE synagogue paved with stunning and unique mosaics. They include both biblical scenes and the first non-biblical story discovered decorating an ancient synagogue. In this illustrated talk, Professor Magness describes these exciting finds, including the latest discoveries made in the last season. For more information, visit www.huqoq.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jodi Magness is the Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence in Early Judaism in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is the author of numerous books and articles on the archaeology of ancient Palestine, including on Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls, ancient Jerusalem, Masada and the Roman army in the East, ancient pottery, and ancient synagogues.

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

Jesus and Peter do Rome

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: Rethinking Conventional Genre Categories: How the Acts of Christ and Peter in Rome Breaks the Mold (Julia Snyder).

The Acts of Christ and Peter in Rome is thus equally a story about Peter and a story about Christ, and defies classification as either “apocryphal acts” or a “gospel.” Like many other texts included in collections of Christian apocrypha, it illustrates the serious limitations of those conventional genre categories, and should prompt us to rethink their usefulness and consider other alternatives.

This is the sixth installment of a series on volume 2 of New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures (MNTA 2), ed. Tony Burke. The text under discussion is to be translated in volume 3. Links to the previous five posts are here.

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

Ivory legs from the Temple Mount

THE TEMPLE MOUNT SIFTING PROJECT BLOG: FIND AND FINDER OF THE MONTH: IVORY LEGS. The object is part of a hair pin from the Roman-Byzantine period.

For many PaleoJudaica posts on the Sifitng Project, start here and follow the links.

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

Jongkind starts reviewing the Cambridge Greek Lexicon

THE ETC BLOG: The Cambridge Greek Lexicon 2 - First Impressions (Dirk Jongkind).

So my first impressions are that I am not sure about the methodology behind the Cambridge Greek Lexicon or the more subtle points of how a lemma is subdivided. At the very least I know that the lexicon includes the New Testament corpus.

Next thing to do is to read the introductory material, and, as a cliff-hanger, it will show that first impressions can be mistaken.

Background here.

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

Gold ring from Temple Mount excavations

WATCH JERUSALEM: Revealed: A 2,000-Year-Old Gold Ring Incised with Menorah. A Jerusalem discovery 50 years in the making (Brent Nagtegaal).

Dr. Eilat Mazar’s recently released book Over the Crossroads of Time: Jerusalem’s Temple Mount Monumental Staircases documents the discovery of this special, 2,000-year-old piece of jewelry.

It was actually first uncovered 50 years ago in Prof. Benjamin Mazar’s Temple Mount excavations, but only now is it being reported.

[...]

Seen on Facebook. It's a lovely ring. The design does look like an abstract menorah. Or conceivably a palm tree? Compare here.

Lately it seems as though there's excavating to be done in the unpublished collections from twentieth-century archaeological digs.

Cross-file under New Book.

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

Solomon the shipping magnate?

MARINE ARCHAEOLOGY: Was King Solomon the ancient world’s first shipping magnate? Marine archaeologist unearths evidence suggesting biblical king’s riches were based on voyages he funded with Phoenician allies (Dalya Alberge, The Guardian).

Now British marine archaeologist Dr Sean Kingsley has amassed evidence showing that Solomon was not only a flesh-and-blood monarch but also the world’s first shipping magnate, who funded voyages carried out by his Phoenician allies in “history’s first special relationship”.

Over 10 years, Kingsley has carried out a maritime audit of “the Solomon question”. By extending the search beyond the Holy Land, across the Mediterranean to Spain and Sardinia, he found that archaeological evidence supports biblical descriptions of a partnership between Solomon, who “excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom”, and the Phoenician king Hiram, who “supplied Solomon with cedar timber and gold, as much as he desired”.

Regular readers may remember Dr. Kingsley's 2006 book God's Gold: The Quest for the Lost Temple Treasure of Jerusalem, on which I have blogged (see here and here and links). In it he argued that the treasures looted from the Jerusalem Temple, after various perigrinations throughout the Mediterranean, ended up buried at a monastery in the West Bank. As usual with such things, I remain skeptical until someone goes and digs up the treasure.

Dr. Kingsley has been working on a new project. It raises, and evidently aims to address, questions about the historicity of the Solomon narrative in 1 Kings. I look forward to hearing more.

For more posts on marine (maritime, underwater) archaeology, see here and links (cf. here and here).

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

Second online DSS conference at NYU

VIRTUAL AGAIN: THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS: A SECOND PUBLIC CONFERENCE. A VIRTUAL PUBLIC CONFERENCE: JUNE 6-9, 2021.

This conference is being generously sponsored by:

NYU Skirball Department of Hebrew & Judaic Studies | Israel Antiquities Authority | Friends of the Israel Antiquities Authority

The full program is promised soon.

The first NYU online Dead Sea Scrolls conference took place in May of 2020. I noted it here and here. Full recordings of the event are available at the first link above. Right now the pandemic still drives the trend toward online conferences. But I think the trend will continue.

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

The Cambridge Greek Lexicon (CUP)

NEW BOOK FROM CAMPBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS:

The Cambridge Greek Lexicon
2 Volume Hardback Set

TEXTBOOK

DATE PUBLISHED: April 2021
AVAILABILITY: In stock
FORMAT: Multiple copy pack
ISBN: 9780521826808

£ 64.99 Multiple copy pack

Description

The Cambridge Greek Lexicon is based upon principles differing from those of existing Greek lexica. Entries are organised according to meaning, with a view to showing the developing senses of words and the relationships between those senses. Other contextual and explanatory information, all expressed in contemporary English, is included, such as the typical circumstances in which a word may be used, thus giving fresh insights into aspects of Greek language and culture. The editors have systematically re-examined the source material (including that which has been discovered since the end of the nineteenth century) and have made use of the most recent textual and philological scholarship. The Lexicon, which has been twenty years in the making, is written by an editorial team based in the Faculty of Classics in Cambridge, consisting of Professor James Diggle (Editor-in-Chief), Dr Bruce Fraser, Dr Patrick James, Dr Oliver Simkin, Dr Anne Thompson, and Mr Simon Westripp.

• Landmark new Ancient Greek-English dictionary that will be essential for all students and teachers
• Based on comprehensive fresh reading of the Greek texts
• Takes account of newly discovered texts English definitions and translations in contemporary language, with contextual descriptions that will aid users at all levels
• Analysis of word forms and related words, copious cross-references, inclusion of disputed meanings

Dirk Jongkind has a copy. He is gloating.

I noted William Ross's interview with Editor-in-Chief Professor James Diggle here.

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

Carbon-dating the Dead Sea Scrolls

TECHNOLOGY WATCH: How old are the Dead Sea Scrolls? Carbon-dating project to offer answers. The project and some preliminary results were presented at a conference at the university last week: while in many instances, some scrolls might be more ancient than previously thought (Rossella Tercatin). Project leader Prof. Mladen Popović:

“Our paleographers will say that they can date Dead Sea Scrolls with a precision of 25 to 50 years’ date range, and [the research] is yet to substantiate their model,” he said. “Pending new data in the future, we dare say that we have a model that works consistently and is able to date manuscripts with an empirically based precision that was not possible before. This is a huge advance for the field.”

That is phrased carefully, but does it impy that carbon dating can (or soon may be able to) yield dates more precise than ±25-50 years from two thousand years ago? If so, that sounds like an important advance.

Back in the early 90s, after the first round of C-14 dating of the Scrolls, I mentioned to Frank Cross that the results seemed to confirm the paleographic dates. He answered that he thought that the paleography confirmed the carbon dating.

For PaleoJudaica posts on radiocarbon dating, start here and follow the links.

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

Damage to West Bank sites reported

WEST BANK WOES: 80% of archaeological sites in W. Bank damaged – report. "Four out of five sites have been harmed in one way or another," said an expert, adding that the main issues are vandalism, theft, unsupervised construction and agriculture (Tovah Lazaroff, Jerusalem Post).

“Four out of five sites have been harmed in one way or another,” archeologist Shay Bar of Haifa University said at a Jordan Valley Regional Council virtual conference in which he presented a synopsis of the report by IHPC, also known as Preserving the Eternal.

As usual, I am not on site and have no way of verifying the report. I pass it on to you for information.

Related PaleoJudaica posts are here, here, here, and links.

UPDATE: I see from Joseph Lauer's e-mail list that you can view the presentation of the evidence (in Hebrew) here. The conference program is posted here.

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

Did Peter give investment advice?

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: The Exhortation of Peter: Interpreting Peter with Late Ancient Monastic Communities (James Walters).

This is the fifth installment of a series on volume 2 of New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures (MNTA 2), ed. Tony Burke. I noted the first essay here, the second here, the third here, and the fourth here.

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

Rescheduled Wuppertal LXX conference now going online

WILLIAM ROSS: ONLINE: 8TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR SEPTUAGINT STUDIES. The conference was originally scheduled for August 2020. It was rescheduled to 2021 due to the pandemic. This time it is running, but online instead of at Wuppertal. Not the first or, I dare say, the last conference to go this route.

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

Sources for the Bar Kokhba Revolt

HISTORY: Who were the historians who documented the Jewish revolts? Writing almost a century after the Bar Kochba revolt, Cassius Dio’s account of the revolt indicates that the Jewish forces arrayed against Rome were formidable (Eli Kavon, Jerusalem Post).

Despite the title, the article is more concerned with the second Jewish Revolt (the Bar Kokhba Revolt) against Rome than the first (the Great Revolt). It has a good summary of the evidence found in the archaeologically recovered Bar Kokhba letters.

For many PaleoJudaica posts on the Bar Kokhba Revolt of 132-135 CE, see the posts collected here, plus here, here, and here.

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

Pederson, Babylon. The Great City (open access)

THE AWOL BLOG: Babylon. The Great City. Open-access book by Olaf Pederson. This looks great. Last summer I spent probably too much time poring over the English translation of the century-old German report on the excavation of Babylon. That was preparation for my honours course on the Book of Daniel. I wish I'd had access to this book then.

I noted another recent book dealing with the archaeology of the city of Babylon here.

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

4th century mosaic excavated at Yavne

DECORATIVE ART: 4th Century Mosaic Uncovered in Yavne Excavations (David Israel, The Jewish Press).

A mosaic floor from about 1,600 years ago that was discovered in archaeological excavations in the city of Yavne, 15 miles south of Tel Aviv, will be put on public display at the city’s cultural center, in a joint initiative launched by Yavne municipality, the Israel Antiquities Authority, and the Israel Land Authority.

[...]

PaleoJudaica has posted on many, many ancient mosaics found in Israel. Some key posts are collected here (cf. here).

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

Apostles and Apocrypha from Scorsese and Schrader?

CINEMA? Martin Scorsese, Paul Schrader working on series about origins of Christianity (panorama.am).

“Yeah. Well, Scorsese and I are planning something,” the First Reformed director said. “And it is… it would be a three-year series about the origins of Christianity,” he said.

Schrader teased that the series is based on the Apostles and on the Apocrypha.

The concept has potential. And risks. Cross-file unde New Testament Apocrypha Watch?

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

Leneman, The Voice of Judith in 300 Years of Oratorio and Opera (T&T Clark)

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

The Voice of Judith in 300 Years of Oratorio and Opera

By: Helen Leneman

Published: 04-22-2021
Format: Hardback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 280
ISBN: 9780567687302
Imprint: T&T Clark
Illustrations: 6 bw illus
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price: $120.00
Online price: $108.00
Save $12.00 (10%)

Hardback $108.00
PDF eBook (Watermarked) $86.40

About The Voice of Judith in 300 Years of Oratorio and Opera

This volume focuses on the story of Judith as presented by composers, librettists and playwrights over four centuries. Helen Leneman analyzes numerous examples of music, librettos and the librettists' views of Judith – strongly influenced by societal attitudes of their time – and how these works in turn suggest unexpected ways of understanding biblical women and their stories. Music adds nuances, colors and emotions, becoming a subtext that suggests character and emotions.

Leneman presents in-depth analyses of the librettos and music of 16 operas and oratorios based on the book of Judith that span 300 years (1694-1984), in addition to two influential plays that inspired several librettos in the nineteenth century. Exploring works by such varied composers as Vivaldi, Mozart, Parry, Honegger, Serov, Chadwick and von Reznicek, Leneman reveals the ways in which each adaptation expands, distils or reinterprets Judith's character and story. In this first ever extensive study of musical settings of the Book of Judith, Leneman enables the biblical heroine to transcend her source.

PaleoJudaica posts on Judith in the arts, including opera, are collected here. For the historical and literary background of the Book of Judith, start here (cf. here) and follow the links. Cross-file under Old Testament Apocrypha Watch.

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

The Oxford Handbook of the Minor Prophets

NEW BOOK FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS:

The Oxford Handbook of the Minor Prophets

Edited by Julia M. O'Brien

Oxford Handbooks

• Focuses solely on the Minor Prophets of the Hebrew Bible
• Offers voices from a wide range of scholars including established and emerging scholars and those speaking from within and beyond faith communities
• Different methodological approaches allows students and researchers to appreciate the riches of contemporary interpretation of the Minor Prophets

Description

The Oxford Handbook of the Minor Prophets provides a clear and engaging one-volume guide to the major interpretative questions currently engaging scholars of the twelve Minor Prophets by collecting 40 essays by both established and emerging scholars who explore a wide range of methodological perspectives. Divided into four sections, the first group of essays is devoted to historical studies which consider the manuscript evidence for these books and overview debates about how, when, and by whom they were composed. Essays dealing with literary explorations consider the genres and rhetorical style of the material, key themes, and intertextual connections with other sections of the Jewish and Christian canons. A large section on the history of interpretation traces the ways in which past and present confessional communities, scholars, and artists have understood the Minor Prophets. In the final section, essays on individual books of the twelve Minor Prophets explore the structure, themes, and contested issues of each book.

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

Ramos, Ritual in Deuteronomy (Routledge)

NEW BOOK FROM ROUTLEDGE:

Ritual in Deuteronomy
The Performance of Doom

By Melissa D. Ramos

Copyright Year 2021

Hardback
£96.00

eBook
£29.59

ISBN 9781138570986
Published April 20, 2021 by Routledge
184 Pages

Book Description

Ritual in Deuteronomy explores the symbolic world of Deuteronomy’s ritual covenant and curses through a lens of religious studies and anthropology, drawing on previously unexamined Mesopotamian material.

This book focuses on the ritual material in Deuteronomy including commands regarding sacrifice, prayer objects, and especially the dramatic ritual enactment of the covenant including curses. The book’s most unique feature is an entirely new comparative study of Deut 27–30 with two ritual texts from Mesopotamia. No studies to date have undertaken a comparison of Deut 27–30 with ancient Near Eastern ritual texts outside of the treaty oath tradition. This fresh comparison illuminates how the ritual life of ancient Israel shaped the literary form of Deuteronomy and concludes that the performance of oaths was a social strategy, addressing contemporary anxieties and reinforcing systems of cultural power.

This book offers a fascinating comparative study which will be of interest to undergraduate and graduate students in biblical studies, classical Hebrew, theology, and ancient Near Eastern studies. The book’s more technical aspects will also appeal to scholars of the Pentateuch, Deuteronomy, Biblical Law, Ancient Near Eastern History, Mesopotamian Studies, and Classics.

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On YouTube: Groningen's Hebrew/Aramaic paleography symposium

THE AWOL BLOG: Digital Palaeography and Hebrew/Aramaic Scribal Culture - 2021 International Online Groningen Symposium. I noted this conference as upcoming here. YouTube now has 36 videos of the proceedings.

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