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Saturday, July 30, 2022

Review of Berthelot et al. (eds.), Legal engagement

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: Legal engagement: the reception of Roman law and tribunals by Jews and other inhabitants of the Empire.
Katell Berthelot, Natalie Dohrmann, Capucine Nemo-Pekelman, Legal engagement: the reception of Roman law and tribunals by Jews and other inhabitants of the Empire. Collection de l'École française de Rome, 579. Rome: Publications de l’École française de Rome, 2021. Pp. 544. ISBN 9782728314645 €40,00.

Review by
Erich Gruen, University of California Berkeley. gruene@berkeley.edu

... The principal point of comparison inevitably is that between the Roman legal system and the legal discourse of the rabbis. That is where our principal evidence resides and represents the focus of most of the papers. The two systems emerged in tandem, a fact that naturally stimulates inquiry into questions of influence, adaptation, reaction, overlap, or resistance. ...

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Lugt, The Rhetorical Design of Isaiah 40-48/55 (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:
The Rhetorical Design of Isaiah 40-48/55

Zion's Incomparable Saviour and His Servants

Series: Oudtestamentische Studiën, Old Testament Studies, Volume: 82

Author: P. van der Lugt

In this volume, Pieter van der Lugt offers a comprehensive analysis of the rhetorical structure of Isaiah. As in his previous studies on the Book of Job and the Psalter the author demonstrates that classical Hebrew poetry displays a well-defined structure consisting of balanced main parts (cantos) and subdivision into strophes. This rhetorical starting point is of crucial importance for the delimitation of the individual poems in Isaiah 40-48 and in many cases determines their interpretation. Subsequently, it is demonstrated that the successive compositions form well-defined and coherent cycles of poems.

Copyright Year: 2022

Prices from (excl. VAT): €220.00 / $265.00

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-51476-8
Publication date: 08 Jun 2022

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-51397-6
Publication date: 02 Jun 2022

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Friday, July 29, 2022

More on the Mt. Arbel fortress(es)

LEEN RITMEYER: The fortresses of Arbel. A case of mistaken identity.
For a long time, it was thought that Fahr al-Din’s citadel was the fortress of the Jewish rebels who fought against Herod. The late Zvi Ilan conducted a systematic survey of these caves in 1987- ‘88, in which I participated. ...
I noted the Jerusalem Post article on the Mt. Arbel fortress by Judith Sudilovsky here. This blog essay gives lots of additional information about the site.

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Maeir on excavation publication

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: Publish or Perish. Reflections on publishing archaeological excavations (Aren M. Maeir).

Professor Maeir is powering down the Tell es-Safi/Gath excavation in order to publish its finds. Good for him.

So, in summary, I believe publishing your excavations in your lifetime is perhaps the most important part of an archaeologist’s professional role. I am trying to keep to this standard, and I hope I will serve as an example for my colleagues, students, and future generations.
His excavation blog is at The Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project Official (and Unofficial) Weblog.

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Firth & Melton (eds.), Reading Esther Intertextually (T&T Clark)

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:
Reading Esther Intertextually

David Firth (Anthology Editor), Brittany N. Melton (Anthology Editor)

Hardback
$115.00 $103.50

Ebook (PDF)
$103.50 $82.80

Product details

Published Jun 16 2022
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Extent 256
ISBN 9780567703019
Imprint T&T Clark
Dimensions 9 x 6 inches
Series The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

Description

Looking at the Book of Esther through the lens of intertextuality, this collection considers its connections with each division of the Hebrew Bible, along with texts throughout history. Through its exploration, it provides and invites further study into the relationship between Esther and its intertexts, many which are under explored. Topics covered in the book include considerations of Esther alongside the Torah and the prophetic books, as well as in dialogue with the Qumran community.

As an edited collection, the book draws together scholars with expertise in the wide variety of texts that are intertextually connected with Esther, offering the reader a more nuanced and informed discussion. By including some reflection on the nature of intertextuality as a 'method', it also enables the reader to appreciate the varying intertextual approaches currently employed in biblical studies. In applying these to a focused analysis of Esther, this collection will facilitate greater insight on both the book of Esther and current methodological research.

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Thursday, July 28, 2022

New Heidelberg Research Center For Aramean Studies

ARAMAIC WATCH: Heidelberg University: Research Center For Aramean Studies Formally Inaugurated (IndiaEducationDiary.com).
A new research unit at Heidelberg University – the Research Center for Aramean Studies – will focus not only on the Semitic language Aramaic but also on the literature, art, history, sociology and migration of Arameans, with special consideration of the recent experience of diaspora. The research unit started work last winter semester at the Semitic Studies division of the Department of Languages and Cultures of the Near East and will be officially opened at a ceremony on 29 July 2022. The guests at the inauguration include Archbishop Mor Philoxenus Mattias Nayis of the Syrian-Orthodox Archdiocese in Germany and Theresia Bauer, Baden-Württemberg’s Minister of Science, Research and the Arts.

[...]

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McGrath in the footsteps of John the Baptist (4)

RELIGION PROF: In the Footsteps of John the Baptist Part 4: Samaria.
Another first for me on my recent trip to the Holy Land was visiting Samaria. I had the absolute best guide possible. Seriously, who could possibly offer more insight to the Samaritans and their way of life than Abood Cohen, the grandson of the Samaritan high priest? ...
I have note the first three installments here and links

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Elman memorial volume (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:
Land and Spirituality in Rabbinic Literature

A Memorial Volume for Yaakov Elman ז''ל

Series: The Brill Reference Library of Judaism, Volume: 71

Editor: Shana Strauch Schick

This volume is devoted to the texts, traditions, and practices of the Land of Israel from the end of the Second Temple period through late antiquity. Based upon a conference organized by the Yeshiva University Center for Israel Studies, this collection uses a range of critical methodologies and sources, including the Palestinian and Babylonian Talmudim, archaeology, and Samaritan and Jewish liturgical poetry. It presents a vibrant, complex, and multi-layered series of snapshots of rabbinic culture, written by leading contemporary scholars.

Copyright Year: 2022

Prices from (excl. VAT): €124.00 / $149.00

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-50316-8
Publication date: 22 Feb 2022

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-50315-1
Publication date: 15 Mar 2022

For the abovementioned conference in 2019, see here. Follow the links from there for more on the late Professor Elman.

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Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Diesel channeling Hannibal?

PUNIC WATCH: The Historical Trilogy Vin Diesel Has Wanted To Make Since 2002 (Adam Wescott, SlashFilm).

That trilogy, of course, is the long-awaited one on Hannibal Barca. I have been following Diesel's hopes for the project since 2005. For all the posts (I think), see here and links and here. This article goes over the whole story, including some details I didn't know.

To Vin Diesel, directing movies means bringing the Hannibal Barca trilogy to fruition. "God," he says in an interview with The National, "you promised the universe, very specifically, the Hannibal Barca trilogy, and you haven't delivered." Diesel discussed his efforts to "channel the character" in an IGN interview published in 2003.
It sounds like the project is still on. I hope so. Cross-file under Cinema.

For many PaleoJudaica posts on Hannibal Barca, the valiant Carthaginian general who nearly won the Second Punic War with Rome, see here links.

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

Finitsis (ed.), Dress Hermeneutics and the Hebrew Bible (T&T Clark)

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:
Dress Hermeneutics and the Hebrew Bible

"Let Your Garments Always Be Bright"

Antonios Finitsis (Anthology Editor)

Hardback
$115.00 $103.50

Ebook (PDF)
$103.50 $82.80

Product details

Published Jun 16 2022
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Extent 296
ISBN 9780567702685
Imprint T&T Clark
Illustrations 8 bw illus
Dimensions 9 x 6 inches
Series The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

Description

Antonios Finitsis and contributors continue their examination of dress and clothing in the Hebrew Bible in this collection of illuminating essays. Straddling the divide between the material and the ideological, this book lends shape and texture to topics including social standing, agency, and the motif of cloth and clothing in Esther. Essays also explore the function of dress metaphors in imprecatory Psalms, the symbolic function of headdresses, and the divine clothing of Adam and Eve and the hermeneutics of trauma recovery. Together, the contributors continue to shape scholarly discourse on a growing body of scholarship on dress in the Bible.

By turning their analytical gaze to this primary evidence, the contributors are able to reveal the social, psychological, aesthetic, ideological and symbolic meanings of dress in the Hebrew Bible, thereby producing insights into the literature and cultural world of the ancient Near East.

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New director for JPS

PUBLISHING: JPS Selects Dr. Elias Sacks as New Director (Boulder Jewish News).
Dr. Sacks has published widely on modern Jewish thought, including the 2017 book “Moses Mendelssohn’s Living Script,” which explores the writings and contemporary relevance of Moses Mendelssohn, the German-Jewish thinker often seen as the founder of modern Jewish philosophy. Dr. Sacks also sits on the board of the Society of Jewish Ethics and the editorial board of “The Encyclopedia of the Bible and its Reception.” He plays leadership roles in a wide range of efforts to elevate the voices of emerging scholars and promote conversations between academia and the broader public, including spearheading partnerships with civic, philanthropic, and Jewish institutions.
Congratulations to Dr. Sacks and to the Jewish Publication Society.

JPS publishes a wide range of books on Judaism, including many of interest for the study of ancient Judaism. I have noted quite a few of their publications in recent years.

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

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Despotis & Löhr (eds), Religious and Philosophical Conversion in the Ancient Mediterranean Traditions (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:
Religious and Philosophical Conversion in the Ancient Mediterranean Traditions

Series: Ancient Philosophy & Religion, Volume: 5

Volume Editors: Athanasios Despotis and Hermut Löhr

The interest in interdisciplinary research on the experience of religious conversion or spiritual transformation grows progressively. In light of this burgeoning area of study, this volume explores conversion or converting experience in the ancient Mediterranean with attention to early Judaism, early Christianity, and philosophy in the Roman empire. The contributions include both historical and philological reconstructions relying on source material and utilizing interdisciplinary approaches. Similarly, the authors analyze the literary use of the motif of conversion, the topic of philosophical conversion as well as ritual, social and embodied aspects of spiritual transformation.

Copyright Year: 2022

Prices from (excl. VAT): €149.00 / $180.00

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-50177-5
Publication date: 07 Mar 2022

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-50176-8
Publication date: 18 Mar 2022

I noted the announcement (posted by James McGrath) of the 2018 conference on which the volume is based.

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Gmirkin, Plato’s Timaeus and the Biblical Creation Accounts (Routledge)

NEW BOOK FROM ROUTLEDGE:
Plato’s Timaeus and the Biblical Creation Accounts
Cosmic Monotheism and Terrestrial Polytheism in the Primordial History

By Russell E. Gmirkin
Copyright Year 2022

Hardback
£120.00
eBook
£33.29

ISBN 9781032020822
Published May 3, 2022 by Routledge
360 Pages

Book Description

Plato’s Timaeus and the Biblical Creation Accounts argues that the creation of the world in Genesis 1 and the story of the first humans in Genesis 2-3 both draw directly on Plato’s famous account of the origins of the universe, mortal life and evil containing equal parts science, theology and myth.

This book is the first to systematically compare biblical, Ancient Near Eastern and Greek creation accounts and to show that Genesis 1-3 is heavily indebted to Plato’s Timaeus and other cosmogonies by Greek natural philosophers. It argues that the idea of a monotheistic cosmic god was first introduced in Genesis 1 under the influence of Plato’s philosophy, and that this cosmic Creator was originally distinct from the lesser terrestrial gods, including Yahweh, who appear elsewhere in Genesis. It shows the use of Plato’s Critias, the sequel to Timaeus, in the stories about the Garden of Eden, the intermarriage of "the sons of God" and the daughters of men, and the biblical flood. This book confirms the late date and Hellenistic background of Genesis 1-11, drawing on Plato’s writings and other Greek sources found at the Great Library of Alexandria.

This study provides a fascinating approach to Genesis that will interest students and scholars in both biblical and classical studies, philosophy and creation narratives.

I have commented on Gmirkin's earlier work here, here, and here. Those comments apply equally well to this book.

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Prof. Joseph Dan (1935-2022)

SAD NEWS FROM H-JUDAIC: Passing of Prof. Joseph Dan.
H-Judaic is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Joseph Dan (1935-2022), emeritus professor of Jewish Thought at the Hebrew University, where he held the inaugural Gershom Scholem chair; winner of the Israel Prize; and the foremost scholar of his time in the field of Jewish mysticism and thought. Born in Budapest, Dan and his parents immigrated ("illegally") to Palestine to escape the Nazis. He studied at the Hebrew University where he worked with Profs. Scholem, Tishby and Urbach. He proceeded to publish widely across all areas of Jewish literature from the Second Temple to the present, specializing in Kabbalah, mysticism, Hasidut, Ethical literature and Homiletical literature. Toward the end of his life he published,in Hebrew, a thirteen-volume scholarly overview of Jewish esoteric literature.

[...]

May his memory be for a blessing.

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Baumgarten, Studies in Qumran Law and Thought (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:
Studies in Qumran Law and Thought

Series: Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah, Volume: 138

Author: Joseph M Baumgarten
Editors: Ruth A. Clements and Daniel R. Schwartz

The study of the laws of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the light of ancient rabbinic law, and vice versa, by a master of both corpora, sheds light on their interpretation, their history, and the spiritual stances they bespeak. The thirty-two studies united in this volume, a selection of Joseph M. Baumgarten’s work in the three decades that followed the appearance of his Studies in Qumran Law (Brill, 1977), focus on legal concerns, both general and detailed, shared by the Qumran sectarians and the ancient rabbis—concerns that elicited responses that were sometimes similar, sometimes different, even to the extent of arousing polemics. An introductory essay by Lawrence H. Schiffman contextualizes the studies and points out the broader themes to which they relate.

Copyright Year: 2022

Prices from (excl. VAT): €132.00 / $159.00

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-50508-7
Publication date: 07 Mar 2022

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-50458-5
Publication date: 13 Apr 2022

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Sunday, July 24, 2022

Hensel et al. (eds.), About Edom and Idumea in the Persian Period (Equinox)

BIBLIOGRAPHIA IRANICA: About Edom and Idumea in the Persian Period. Notice of a New Book: Hensel, Benedikt, Ehud Ben Zvi & Diana V. Edelman (eds.). 2022. About Edom and Idumea in the Persian Period: Recent Research and Approaches from Archaeology, Hebrew Bible Studies and Ancient Near Eastern Studies. Sheffield: Equinox.

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William Ross's year

WILLIAM A. ROSS: SUMMER ’22 UPDATE. Professor Ross has been busy in the last year with the Septuagint and related matters. Here's an update.

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