Fine (ed.), The Arch of Titus (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

The Arch of Titus

From Jerusalem to Rome—and Back

Editor: Steven Fine

The Arch of Titus: From Jerusalem to Rome—and Back explores the shifting meanings and significance of the Arch of Titus from the Jewish War of 66–74 CE to the present—for Romans, Christians and especially for Jews. Built by triumphant Romans, this triumphal monument was preserved by medieval Christians, lauded by modern visitors and dictators and imitated around the world. The Arch of Titus has special significance for the once-defeated Jews. Its menorah is now the national symbol of modern Israel.

The Arch of Titus: From Jerusalem to Rome—and Back assembles an international array of scholars to explore the Arch in all of its complexity. This volume celebrates an exhibition mounted at Yeshiva University Museum and is the final statement of the Yeshiva University Arch of Titus Project.

Prices from (excl. VAT): €110.00 / $132.00

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44779-0
Publication Date: 25 May 2021
Copyright Date: 01 Jan 2021

Hardback
Availability: Not Yet Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44778-3
Publication Date: 20 Jun 2021
Copyright Date: 01 Jan 2021

For background on the Yeshiva University Arch of Titus Project and Exhibition, see here and follow the links.

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

What William Ross is doing this summer

WILLIAM ROSS: SUMMER ’21 UPDATE. Despite the pandemic, Dr. Ross remains busy with Septuagint-related activities and projects.

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

Yale Digital Dura-Europos Archive (YDEA)

THE AWOL BLOG: Yale Digital Dura-Europos Archive (YDEA).

YDEA IS HARNESSING THE POWER OF LINKED OPEN DATA (LOD) TO REASSEMBLE AND RE-CONTEXTUALIZE ARCHAEOLOGICAL DATA FROM DURA-EUROPOS.

For many PaleoJudaica posts on the site of Dura-Europos, its late antique synagogue, and that synogogue's remarkable murals, start here (cf. here) and follow the links.

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

Where did the Israelites cross into the Promised Land?

HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY: Wadi Zered (Dr. David Ben-Gad HaCohen, TheTorah.com).

Crossing Wadi Zered marks the end of Israel’s 38-year sojourn in the wilderness and their entry into the land. Why does its location differ in Numbers and Deuteronomy?

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Burnett on interpreting the New Testament through inscriptions

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: Interpreting the New Testament Through Inscriptions: An Introduction (D. Clint Burnett). For more on Dr. Burnett and his recent book on the New Testament and inscriptions, see here and links.

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Review of Henderson & Thomas (eds.), The Loeb Classical Library and its progeny

BRYN MAY CLASSICAL REVIEW: The Loeb Classical Library and its progeny.

Jeffrey Henderson, Richard F. Thomas, The Loeb Classical Library and its progeny: proceedings of the First James Loeb Biennial Conference, Munich and Murnau, 18–20 May 2017. Loeb Classical Monographs. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2020. Pp. 456. ISBN 9780674248717 $30.00.

Review by
Mirte Liebregts, Radboud University. mirte.liebregts@ru.nl

[...]

This volume is not just a promotion of the four Harvard bilingual series; the bilingual format itself and the accessibility of a text through the vernacular are now and then challenged (Wilson, Tyler). The publication is more broadly relevant for understanding the ways in which the act of translating ‘classical’ texts has functioned in the past and functions in the present, and it exemplifies that the study of translation transcends disciplinary borders. ...

PaleoJudaica has mentioned the Loeb Classical Library from time to time. For the Digital Loeb Classical Library®, see here. Many of the volumes are out of copyright and are available for free at the Loebolus website, on which see here and links. And follow the links from there for more.

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

The archaeology of fingerprints?

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: Archaeological Forensics. What fingerprints on ancient pottery reveal about their creators (Marek Dospěl).

To learn the nitty-gritty of the science behind these observations and to explore the social implications of how ancient pottery work was organized, read Kent D. Fowler’s article “Making an Impression: How Fingerprints Can Identify Ancient Potters,” published in the Summer 2021 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.

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Rising sea levels at Hellenistic Dor

ANCIENT CLIMATOLOGY: Israel sea level rose 2 m. in Hellenistic period, could explain decline. "We do not know of such an increase in history. It is an increase that is recognized only when talking about the end of the ice age and the great melting of glaciers." (Rossella Tercatin and Hadassah Brenner, Jerusalem Post).

What’s more, historical and archaeological evidence of deserted or declining coastal cities supports the theory that a rapid rise saw buildings flooded and coastlines disappearing.

“We have seen similar evidence of a decline in Acre and other Hellenistic coastal cities, and we speculate that the inhabitants of the period, seeing entire buildings gradually covered by the water, recognized the rapid rise in sea level, but in many cases failed to adapt to the new conditions successfully,” Dr. Gil Gambash, a historian from the University of Haifa, noted.

The underlying technical article was published at Plos One:

New relative sea-level (RSL) indications from the Eastern Mediterranean: Middle Bronze Age to the Roman period (~3800–1800 y BP) archaeological constructions at Dor, the Carmel coast, Israel

Assaf Yasur-Landau , Gilad Shtienberg, Gil Gambash, Giorgio Spada, Daniele Melini, Ehud Arkin-Shalev, Anthony Tamberino, Jack Reese, Thomas E. Levy, Dorit Sivan

Published: June 9, 2021https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251870

Abstract

This article presents new archaeological observations and multidisciplinary research from Dor, Israel to establish a more reliable relative sea level for the Carmel Coast and Southern Levant between the Middle Bronze Age and the Roman period (ca. 3500–1800 y BP). Our record indicates a period of low relative sea level, around -2.5 m below present, from the Middle Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period (ca. 3500–2200 y BP). This was followed by a rapid rise to present levels, starting in the Hellenistic period and concluding during the Roman period (ca. 2200–1800 y BP). These Roman levels agree with other relative sea-level indications from Israel and other tectonically stable areas in the Mediterranean. Several relative sea-level reconstruction models carried out in the current study provide different predictions due to their parameters and do not model the changes observed from field data which points to a non-isostatic origin for the changes. Long-term low stable Iron Age relative sea level can be seen in Dor, where Iron Age harbor structures remain around the same elevation between ca. 3100–2700 y BP. A similar pattern occurs at Atlit, the Iron Age harbor to the north used continuously from ca. 2900 y BP to the beginning of the Hellenistic period (ca. 2200 y BP). An examination of historical and archaeological sources reveals decline and occasional disappearance of Hellenistic sites along the coast of Israel at ca. 2200 y BP (2nd century BCE), as in the case of Yavneh Yam, Ashdod Yam, Straton’s Tower, and tel Taninim. In Akko-Ptolemais, the large harbor installations built in the Hellenistic period were never replaced by a substantial Roman harbor. The conclusions of this research are thus relevant for the sea-level research community and for the historical analyses of the Israeli and South Levantine coastline.

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

Maqdala artifacts to be repatriated to Ethiopia

ETHIOPIC WATCH: Looted Maqdala objects—pulled from rural English auction at the last minute—will be returned to Ethiopia. Busby auction house confirms it has "negotiated a settlement" after Ethiopian officials requested the return of items stolen by British troops in a brutal 1868 battle (Martin Bailey, The Art Newspaper).

The looted items were an eighteenth-century Coptic Bible and three horned beakers of unspecified date. Arguably this post should have been headed Coptic Watch, but the story also bears on Ethiopic matters

The artifacts are not particularly valuable. Their total estimated value was £400-£700. But their repatriation establishes a precedent that could have wider implications.

There are some 350 manuscripts in the British Library and at least five at the University of Edinburgh which were also looted at the Battle of Maqdala. They include two copies of the Ethiopian national epic the Kebra Negast and a copy of the Book of Isaiah, all presumably in the Ethiopic language. So far, requests for their repatriation to Ethiopia have been declined. It will be interesting to see if this latest development has any effect on that decision.

For background on the manuscripts and artifacts looted at the Battle of Maqdala, see here and links. For PaleoJudaica posts involving the Kebra Negast, see here and here and links.

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

Talmud Yerushalmi Zoom Seminar

H-JUDAIC: Invitation: Talmud Yerushalmi Zoom Seminar, Netanya Academic College.

The Jewish Heritage Center at Netanya Academic College has been holding an ongoing seminar - Study of Talmud Yerushalmi. Over the past year we have completed the third chapter of Megillah and the eighth chapter of Bava Kamma.

We are delighted to invite all who may be interested to join our latest cycle - the tenth chapter of Sheviit [In anticipation of the upcoming Jewish Year which will be a Shemita year].

The seminar takes place on Monday nights at 21:00 Israel time. Seminar led by Dr. Moshe Pinchuk

Follow the link above for access to the Zoom link.

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Harris, The Forgotten Sage (Cascade)

RECENT BOOK FROM WIPF AND STOCK:

The Forgotten Sage
Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah and the Birth of Judaism as We Know It

by Maurice D. Harris
Foreword by Leonard Gordon
Imprint: Cascade Books
184 Pages, 6.00 x 9.00 x 0.00 in

Paperback
9781498200769
Published: May 2019
$23.00 / £17.00 / AU$34.00

eBook
9781498200776
Published: May 2019
$23.00

Hardcover
9781498286510
Published: May 2019
$43.00 / £31.00 / AU$63.00

DESCRIPTION

Just after the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E., there lived a poor and ugly nail-maker who was also, for a time, the leading rabbi of his generation. His name was Joshua ben Hananiah, and he helped give us the Judaism we know--the complicated, word-filled tradition of debates, multiple viewpoints, and endless questions. Through his humanity, humility, and occasional audacity, Joshua helped set Judaism on its course towards becoming the decentralized, multi-opinionated, exile-surviving, other-religion-respecting, pragmatic-yet-altruistic, wounded-yet-hopeful religion that it is at its best. And yet, inside and outside the Jewish community, few people know about him. This book wants to change that. In these pages, people of all faiths or backgrounds will find accessible and vivid translations of some of the most stunning stories in the Talmud and in Midrash. Rabbi Maurice Harris is a friendly guide through the texts and dramas of early rabbinic Judaism, providing general audiences with clear and compelling explanations of complex narratives, legal issues, and historical contexts. Venture inside this book and discover Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah, one of the bravest and humblest heroes you'll ever meet in sacred literature.

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John J. Collins is retiring

YALE DIVINITY SCHOOL: Professor John Collins looks back on stellar academic career (Timothy Cahill). Best wishes to Professor Collins for a long and productive retirement.

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

Circumcision conference with Edinburgh New College

ZOOM EVENT announced by ChristianOrigins:

We are excited to announce our forthcoming conference: Circumcision, Gender, and Ethnicity in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity. The conference will take place over Zoom on three Mondays in August (16/23/30).

Follow the link for the flier and registration information.

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Hannibal's nemesis

PUNIC WATCH: Rome’s Greatest General: Who Was Scipio Africanus? Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus was a Roman general and statesman who saved Rome and defeated Hannibal, laying the foundation for Rome’s overseas expansion (Vedran Bileta, The Collector).

Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (236-183 BCE) had a fascinating life. Scipio’s youth was marked by one of the most traumatic events in Rome’s history – the invasion of Italy by Hannibal Barca. An eyewitness to the massacre at Cannae, Scipio spent the following years studying his nemesis – Hannibal – in order to eventually outwit the master-tactician. [...]

For many PaleoJudaica posts on Hannibal Barca, see the links collected here. As the article says, Hannibal receives much more attention that Scipio, but I have mentioned the latter now and again.

For the disastrous Roman defeat by Hannibal at the Battle of Cannae, see that same link.

Scipio's conquest of Cathago Nova in Spain turned the tide in favor of the Romans. This city survives today with the name Cartagena. The modern city makes full use of the archaeological and tourism potential of its Punic history, not least in its annual Romans and Carthaginians Festival in September. More recently, see here, here, and here.

Scipio went on to defeat the Carthaginians decisively at the Battle of Zama.

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Borgen, Illuminations by Philo of Alexandria (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Illuminations by Philo of Alexandria: Selected Studies on Interpretation in Philo, Paul and the Revelation of John

Series: Studies in Philo of Alexandria, Volume: 12

Author: Peder Borgen
Volume Editor: Torrey Seland

This volume contains a collection of 17 essays on Philo written by Peder Borgen between 1987 and 2018. The first six studies deal with important issues in Philo’s religious thought and social world, such as his views on Flaccus, prayers, and his eschatology. The next five essays illustrate how an understanding of Philo can contribute to the interpretation of Paul, especially his Letter to the Galatians. The final six studies deal with the importance of Philo’s writings for the interpretation of the Revelation of John, a subject too rarely touched upon in recent scholarship.

Prices from (excl. VAT): €138.00 / $166.00

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-45278-7
Publication Date: 25 May 2021
Copyright Date: 01 Jan 2021

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-45276-3
Publication Date: 20 May 2021
Copyright Date: 01 Jan 2021

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Ezekiel's Merkavah anniversary 2021

TODAY IS THE 5TH OF TAMUZ, the anniversary of Ezekiel's Merkavah Vision: Tuesday, 5 Tammuz, 5781 June 15, 2021.

Jewish History
Ezekiel's Vision of the "Chariot" (429 BCE)
On the 5th of Tammuz of the year 3332 from creation (429 BCE), Ezekiel, among the only prophets to prophesy outside of the Holy Land, beheld a vision of the Divine "Chariot" representing the spiritual infrastructure of creation.

I give Chabad credit for noticing the date. It isn't receiving much attention elsewhere. They are using a rabbinic chronology that differs from the scholarly date by a good bit. The vision took place in the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin (Ezekiel 1:2), which according to the scholarly chronology was 593 BCE.

Ezekiel's wild vision of heaven and its denizens is recorded in chapter 1 of his book. A follow-up vision from a year later (September 592, Ezek 8:1) is recorded in chapter 10. This vision is the foundation for Western mysticism. I have discussed it in detail here with links. Additional relevant post are here, here, and here. The vision also acquired some connections with the Festival of Shavuot. See here and here.

And here's something I've been saving up. This seems like a good time to post it. Cross-file under Just For Fun: The secret Jewish history of UFOs (and why Ezekiel might have had a close encounter) (Seth Rogovoy, The Forward).

Ezekiel’s vision of a merkavah, or chariot, the foundation of a whole school of kabbalistic thought called Merkavah mysticism, is perhaps the best-known Bible story that can be read as an account of a close encounter.

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Hebrew Bible job at the Harvard Divinity School

RECEIVED FROM THE HARVARD DIVINITY SCHOOL:

HARVARD DIVINITY SCHOOL
May 2021
Position in Hebrew Bible

Harvard University’s Faculty of Divinity seeks to make a full-time, tenure-track appointment in the field of Hebrew Bible. The search is open to a variety of approaches and to any area of specialization within the field, understood as the critical study of the Hebrew Bible within the broader context of the history, literature, and religious thought of ancient Israel and Second Temple Judaism. The successful candidate should be proficient in the appropriate languages and demonstrate promise of excellence in research and teaching in the field of Hebrew Bible.

The successful candidate will work closely with students in the Divinity School’s Masters programs and the doctoral program in the Committee on the Study of Religion in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. They will also likely teach and advise undergraduates in the College, as well as graduate students in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and related departments and programs in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Applicants should also be able to contribute to the Divinity School’s degree programs, including its multi-religious Master of Divinity program. We therefore seek a candidate who is attentive to the interpretation of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh, Old Testament) within later communities of reception, and who is familiar with forms of analysis that address race, gender, and social location.

If travel and on-campus visits during the next academic year prove difficult or even impossible, the Faculty of Divinity intends to proceed with online interviews and visits.

Applications should be made online at: http://academicpositions.harvard.edu. The application includes a CV, a cover letter, and the names of three references whom the School will contact. Thereafter it will be the responsibility of the candidates to ensure that three references have been uploaded by the referees to their applications. Review of applications will begin on September 1, 2021, although applications will continue to be accepted until the position is filled.

Letters of nomination are also welcome and should be sent to Dean David N. Hempton at hdsdeansoffice@hds.harvard.edu. Applicants should address any questions regarding the position itself or the online application system to the HDS Faculty Search Office at hebrewbiblesearch@hds.harvard.edu.

HDS is an equal opportunity, affirmative-action employer, and encourages applications and nominations of women and/or ethnic minority candidates, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.

UPDATE: Part of the announcement was cut off in the original posting. Now corrected!

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The lost Roman altar on Mount Gerizim

THE AWOL BLOG: Open Access Articles in the Journal of Roman Archaeology. One article is of particular interest:

A Roman altar on Mount Gerizim: Rediscovering a civic icon on tetradrachms of Neapolis (Samaria) (Andreas J. M. Kropp)

Abstract

This article examines the iconography of a type of Caracalla tetradrachm that has been newly attributed to Neapolis in Roman Palestine and whose reverse depicts a monumental altar decorated with statues of Tyche, Ephesian Artemis, and Kore Persephone. The study contextualizes these deities in the religious life of Neapolis and identifies the monument as an altar often depicted as a miniscule element in panoramic views of Mount Gerizim on the bronze coins of Neapolis. The tetradrachms provide, for the first time, a close-up view of this long-lost civic monument.

We hear a lot about the altar on Mount Ebal (more recently, here and links) and the Samaritan Temple on Mount Gerizim. It seems there was a Roman altar on Mount Gerizim too. I had not heard of it before.

Cross-file under Numismatics.

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Willi, Roman Writing Equipment

THE ETC BLOG: Roman Writing Equipment (Peter M. Head). A new e-book by Anna Willi from The LatinNow Project. Good to know.

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

More on that evil-eye amulet

NAUGHTY APOTROPAIC AMULET: New Discovery Highlights How Jews and Christians Were Once Naughty with Magic (Candida Moss, Daily Beast/Yahoo News).

While the amulet was certainly used to protect the wearer from hostile supernatural forces, and for most people this will be news, the IAA’s framing of the discovery as novel is overstated. The collection of images shown attacking the evil eye on the amulet is remarkably similar to a mosaic from ancient Antioch.

I didn't know that. The link in the quote leads to a post at Dr. Bond's blog. You can see an image of the "House of the Evil Eye" mosaic there.

Professor Moss also discusses the challenges for establishing the provenance of the object.

Background here.

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Starts today! Caesarea Maritima International Conference

ONLINE CONFERENCE: Caesarea Maritima International Conference (Charles Savelle, The BibleExposition Blog). It takes place on 13-15 June and begins in just a few hours. Follow the link for the program and the viewing link.

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Who really destroyed the first Temple?

HERE'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT: Who Really Destroyed Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem? Renowned biblical scholar Richard Elliott Friedman suggests we got it wrong all along: that the real culprits weren’t the Babylonians (Elon Gilad, Haaretz).

... This, says renowned biblical scholar Richard Elliott Friedman, a professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Georgia and author of the best-selling book “Who Wrote the Bible?” may have been a case of mistaken identity. The Babylonians may have destroyed Judah and kicked out its populace, but they did not destroy the temple. The culprits were the Edomites, a small kingdom in the southern Transjordan, he posits.

Just when you think there is something in biblical studies that everyone agrees on ...

I am skeptical about this one. But you decide. You can read the underlying article by Professor Friedman here. Link courtesy of Joseph Lauer.

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Just like Jonah?

IT HAPPENS: Humpback whale swallows diver whole, then spits him out. 56-year-old Michael Packard lives to tell tale after spending 30 to 40 seconds inside huge marine mammal (Times of Israel/AP). Granted, Jonah was in the big fish for three days, but 30 seconds of that would feel like three days. I bet he was praying like Jonah was too. I would be praying.

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Mermelstein, Power and Emotion in Ancient Judaism (CUP)

NEW BOOK FROM CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS:

Power and Emotion in Ancient Judaism
Community and Identity in Formation

AUTHOR: Ari Mermelstein, Yeshiva University, New York
DATE PUBLISHED: June 2021
AVAILABILITY: This ISBN is for an eBook version which is distributed on our behalf by a third party.
FORMAT: Adobe eBook Reader
ISBN: 9781108934633

$ 80.00 USD Adobe eBook Reader

Description

In this book, Ari Mermelstein examines the mutually-reinforcing relationship between power and emotion in ancient Judaism. Ancient Jewish writers in both Palestine and the diaspora contended that Jewish identity entails not simply allegiance to God and performance of the commandments but also the acquisition of specific emotional norms. These rules regarding feeling were both shaped by and responses to networks of power - God, the foreign empire, and other groups of Jews - which threatened Jews' sense of agency. According to these writers, emotional communities that felt Jewish would succeed in neutralizing the power wielded over them by others and, depending on the circumstances, restore their power to acculturate, maintain their Jewish identity, and achieve redemption. An important contribution to the history of emotions, this book argues that power relations are the basis for historical changes in emotion discourse.

• Theorizes the relationship between power, emotion, and identity
• Analyses a broad array of ancient Jewish sources to demonstrate the importance of this relationship
• Provides an account of Jewish identity which includes not just practice and belief but also emotion

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Rashi and Charlemagne

PROF. RABBI ROBERT HARRIS: On the Origins of Rashi's Peshat Commentary (TheTorah.com).

The shift in biblical exegesis from homiletic readings to literary, contextual commentaries has its roots in Charlemagne's 9th century Carolingian Revolution. It comes to the fore only in the 11th century with Rashi's quasi-peshat commentary, soon followed by the peshat approach of R. Joseph Kara and Rashbam.

The section on the reign of Charlemagne is also of interest. By one reckoning, his reign marks the end of late antiquty. His patronage of scribal scholarship helped to preserve much ancient literature that otherwise might have been lost.

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Review of A catalogue of Greek manuscripts at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: A catalogue of Greek manuscripts at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Nadezhda Kavrus-Hoffmann, Pablo Alvarez, A catalogue of Greek manuscripts at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2021. Pp. xxxiii, 321. ISBN 9780472131891 $99.00.

Review by
Georgi Parpulov, University of Binghamton. g.r.parpulov@bham.ac.uk

This looks like a useful resource. It seems to have a good online counterpart as well.

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Fertility charms or erotica?

ICONOGRAPHY: Birth Rites in Canaan: The Enigma of the Nude Female Figurines. Canaanite homes in the Bronze Age had nude female figurines but none showing birth. Other areas did have birth figurines. What could this mean? (Haaretz, Ruth Schuster).

One such figurine was found in Israel this March.

For some thoughts on fertility and infertility in the Bible, see here.

For more on that perplexing drawing from Kultillet Ajrud, see here and links and here.

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