Porter& Yoon (eds.), The Johannine Prologue and its Resonances (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

The Johannine Prologue and its Resonances

Series:
Johannine Studies, Volume: 4

Volume Editors: Stanley E. Porter and David I. Yoon

The Prologue to John's Gospel has been an enigmatic object of inquiry in the history of biblical scholarship. This volume reengages readers with thirteen essays from various perspectives on the Prologue. These perspectives include source oriented approaches, form oriented approaches, functional approaches, and alternative non-traditional approaches. This book attempts to pave new paths to understanding the Prologue and cause readers to think more deeply about the beginning of John's Gospel.

Copyright Year: 2024

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-69894-9
Publication: 24 Jun 2024 EUR €135.00

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-69893-2
Publication: 27 Jun 2024
EUR €135.00

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Punic pots preserved in Pompeii necropolis

PUNIC WATCH: Fields of Artichokes and Vegetables Preserved Under the Ashes of the 79 AD Eruption and a Pre-Roman Necropolis with Punic Amphorae, Discovered in Pompeii (Guillermo Carvajal, LBV).

These are simple pit inhumations, a semicappuccina or with amphora coverings (all of North African import, some with Punic inscriptions, arranged alternately neck-to-puntal in a recurrent number of 7), characterized by the presence of few grave goods (mainly perfume bottles and coins) and by an excellent state of conservation of the skeletal remains, thanks to the immersion of the graves in groundwater, which has allowed the initiation of a paleo-anthropological research campaign on the remains.

Unfortunately, none of the punic inscriptions on the jars are visible in the photos.

The article reports on lots of other important paleobotanical and artifactual discoveries in the excavation.

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On Zelophehad’s Daughters

PROF. NEHAMA ASCHKENASY: Zelophehad’s Daughters Challenge the Law and Moses is Speechless (TheTorah.com).

Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah skillfully structure their petition to inherit land not by confronting the patriarchy, but by couching their request as an attempt to preserve their father’s name.

With attention to the exegesis of the story of Zelophehad’s Daughters (Numbers 26:33, 27:1-11, 36:1-12) in Midrash Sifre Numbers etc. For Talmudic exegesis of this story, see here and here.

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Fallen Western Wall stone finds a new home

TEMPLE MOUNT WATCH: Massive 900-pound stone from Western Wall finds new permanent resting place. Six years after massive ancient stone fell from Western Wall onto non-segregated prayer section, narrowly missing woman in prayer, stone relocated to join other fallen stones in Jerusalem Archaeological Garden (Itamar Eichner, Ynet News).

For the original frightening but lucky incident, see here. The stone seems to have quadrupled in weight since then. For follow-ups, see here and links.

For more on the Jerusalem Archaeological Garden at the Davidson Center, see here.

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Evidence for Matthew's earthquake? Big maybe.

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: Is Jesus’ Crucifixion Reflected in Soil Deposition? A geological study may indicate Earthquake described by Matthew.

According to the Gospel of Matthew, an earthquake shook Jerusalem on the day of Jesus’ crucifixion. A study of cores of soil deposition and seismic activity near the Dead Sea in the Volume 54, Issue 10 of International Geology Review* may provide scientific data relating to the event described in Matthew 27.

[...]

The article presents evidence that there was a local earthquake within a few years of the crucifixion of Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew (27:51) says there was an earthquake at the time Jesus was crucified. Maybe there was. Perhaps more likely, the author of Matthew knew there was an earthquake around that time and added it to the story. Or the oral traditions about the crucifixion acquired the earthquake over time. Who knows? As stories are told, they tend to attract and include other signficant characters and events.

The Discovery News article mentioned in the next paragraph reportedly tried to work out the exact date of the crucifixion based on the new evidence about the earthquake. The lead author of the International Geology Review disavowed this claim. See the relevant note to this essay.

For other biblical earthquakes, see here.

The Synoptic Gospels (Mark 15:33 par.) report another upheaval of nature during the crucifixion; the three hours of darkness. For more on that, and a supposed solar eclipse around the same time, see here (scroll down).

For the walking dead episode in Matthew 27:52-53, which, as far I know, no one has tried to connect to some other historical event, see here.

I was about to press publish when I saw that this BHD essay is actually 12 years old. Never mind, I missed it the first time. The comments are still relevant.

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National Lottery grant for the Egyptian Exploration Society

OXYRHYNCHUS WATCH: National Lottery grant boosts plan to exhibit Oxyrhynchus Papyri in London (Ian Mansfield, IanVisits).

The London-based Egypt Exploration Society has been awarded a grant that could see a redevelopment of their headquarters and the internationally significant Oxyrhynchus Papyri displayed in London for the first time. ...

They are planning to submit a bid for a full National Lottery delivery grant, which will secure up to two-thirds of the project’s cost. Ahead of that, the National Lottery Heritage Fund has granted them an initial £61,321 which will go towards the cost of producing the full bid documents. ...

Congratulations to the EES on the initial grant and good luck with the full grant application.

I am glad the EES is benefitting from it ... but don't play the lottery.

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Review article on Finkelstein, Jerusalem the Center of the Universe

BOOK REVIEW: In the Service of Empires: How Ancient Jerusalem Became Great. New book by leading biblical archaeologist Israel Finkelstein concludes that ancient Jerusalem and Judah thrived best when serving a foreign empire (Ariel David, Haaretz).

Since its emergence as an urban center some 5,000 years ago, the fortunes of Jerusalem have been influenced by great empires. Its greatness was forged more by pragmatists who knew how to navigate and adapt to complex imperialist agendas than by warriors and messianic rebels who took up arms.

A long and thorough review of a wide-ranging new book on the history of Jerusalem.

I have just noted the publication of the book here.

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Finkelstein, Jerusalem the Center of the Universe (SBL)

NEW BOOK FROM SBL PRESS:

Jerusalem the Center of the Universe: Its Archaeology and History (1800–100 BCE)

Israel Finkelstein

ISBN 9781628374995
Status Available
Publication Date July 2024

Paperback $50.00
eBook $50.00
Hardback $85.00

Jerusalem is the center of the universe, the hub of the three great monotheistic religions, yet how did a city located on the desert fringe, in the semi-arid southern highlands of Israel with little tillable land achieve such dominance? To provide answers to this enduring riddle, Israel Finkelstein has collected twenty-four of his best articles and essays covering the Middle Bronze Age to the late Hellenistic period. With critical and well-informed care, he analyzes archaeological evidence that often stands in tension with the biblical text. Topics of particular interest include the archaeology of the tenth century BCE; Saul, David, and Solomon in the Bible and archaeology; the first expansion of the city in the ninth century; its full growth in the late eighth to seventh centuries; Jerusalem and Judah under the Assyrian Empire; the days of King Josiah; and transformations in the Persian-Hellenistic era. Short addenda update the reader on recent developments.

UPDATE: For a long review article by Ariel David in Haaretz, see here.

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Lieber, Staging the Sacred: SBL review panel, part 2

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: That's a Lot More Than Entertainment: Laura Lieber's Staging the Sacred (Michael Swartz).

SBL 2023 Review Panel | Staging the Sacred: Theatricality and Performance in Late Ancient Liturgical Poetry, by Laura Lieber

... Laura Lieber has not set an easy task for herself: she seeks to lead us out of our critical editions of piyyut, poetic Syriac sermons and hymns, and early Byzantine kontakia; and into the living world of performance—the voices, gestures, choreography, and emotions of the human beings who embodied them in ancient churches, synagogues, and streets. There will still be gaps between the textual realm and the lost realm of sound, sight, and affect, but Staging the Sacred brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to bring these worlds closer together. ...

For part one and background, see here and links.

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Review of Korytko, Death of the Covenant Code

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: Death of the Covenant Code: capital punishment in old Greek Exodus in light of Greco-Egyptian law.

Joel Korytko, Death of the Covenant Code: capital punishment in old Greek Exodus in light of Greco-Egyptian law. Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism, 211. Leiden; Boston: Brill, 2023. Pp. xii, 362. ISBN 9789004682030.

Review by
Dries De Crom, Tilburg University. d.j.l.a.decrom@tilburguniversity.edu

This monograph focuses on laws prescribing the death penalty in Exodus 21-22, a section of the book of Exodus also known as the “Book of the Covenant” or the “Covenant Code”. The main thesis of this study can be summarized as follows. The author argues that the Old Greek translation of Exodus subtly alters and/or excises references to the death penalty in Ex 21-22, while maintaining “superficial semantic fidelity” (pp. 2-4) to the source text. ...

I noted the publication of the book here.

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Pot of gold (darics) excavated in Turkey

NUMISMATICS: Persian gold coins likely used to pay mercenaries found at site of ancient Greek city in western Turkey (University of Michigan Press release).

A team of researchers led by a University of Michigan archaeologist has uncovered a hoard of gold coins, likely used to pay mercenary troops, buried in a small pot in the ancient Greek city of Notion in western Turkey.

The coins show a figure of a kneeling archer, the characteristic design of the Persian daric, a type of gold coin issued by the Persian Empire and probably minted at Sardis, 60 miles northeast of Notion, according to U-M archaeologist Christopher Ratté, professor of ancient Mediterranean art and archaeology and director of the Notion Archaeological Project, the project that discovered the coins.

The hoard, which the U-M team dated to the fifth century B.C., will provide another datapoint that can tell historians about the Persian daric’s timeline and history.

[...]

Everyone else is reporting this story, so I may as well find an excuse to as well.

Gold darics appear several times in the Hebrew Bible: anachronistically in the time of King David in 1 Chronicles 29:7 and in a more plausible sixth-to-fifth-century BCE context in Ezra 2:69, 8:27; Nehemiah 7:70-72. It is the first coin mentioned in the Bible.

For more the daric, see here.

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Roman soldier boot-nails sifted from Temple Mount

THE TEMPLE MOUNT SIFTING PROJECT BLOG: THE NAILS THAT ATTEST THE PRESENCE OF ROMAN LEGIONARY ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT.

While, in the Sifting Project, we have not found stones as described in this account, we do find many stones from the Temple Mount’s paving, some with scratches or grooves possibly from ancient times, as well as over a hundred shoe nails typologically dated to the Roman period. Some are likely from caligae sandal-boots, while others may be from civilian hobnailed shoes.

Which account? Read at the link.

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Lieber, Staging the Sacred: SBL review panel, part 1

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: Liturgy and Theater: Hearing Poetry Anew (Susan Ashbrook Harvey).

SBL 2023 Review Panel | Staging the Sacred: Theatricality and Performance in Late Ancient Liturgical Poetry, by Laura Lieber

... A major achievement of the book is the successful setting of Jewish, Samaritan, and Christian hymnody in shared spotlight, as partakers together of their cultural world, its landscapes, society, literary, oral, aural, and visual cultures (and, one might add, olfactory culture as well: with incense everywhere to cleanse and adorn the air of worship, and fragrant lamp oils to illuminate with beauty). ...

For more on the book and the work of the author, see here and links.

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Elephantine exhibition: opening hours extended

STAATLICHE MUSEEN ZU BERLIN: More than 150,000 Visitors Have already Attended “Elephantine: Island of the Millennia”: Opening Hours Extended until 1 September 2024 (Museumsinsel Berlin).

More than 150,000 people have seen the special exhibition Elephantine: Island of the Millennia at the James-Simon-Galerie and the Neues Museum since it opened on 26 April 2024. Due to the overwhelming response to the exhbition, the opening hours have been extended until 1 September 2024 from Tuesday to Saturday from 9 am to 8 pm, and on Sundays from 9 am to 6 pm. The exhibition will be on show until 27 October 2024.

There is more info at the link. Background here.

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BHD: Millard obituary

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: Milestones: Alan Millard (1937–2024) (K. Lawson Younger).

Alan Millard passed away in Leamington Spa, England, on June 6, 2024. He was 86 years old. Millard was Rankin Professor Emeritus of Hebrew and Ancient Semitic Languages and Honorary Senior Fellow at the University of Liverpool in England.

[...]

Background here and links.

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Kelle (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Hosea

NEW BOOK FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS:

The Oxford Handbook of Hosea

Edited by Brad E. Kelle

Oxford Handbooks

£115.00

Hardback
Published: 19 June 2024
520 Pages
248x171mm
ISBN: 9780197639597

Description

The Oxford Handbook of Hosea is a collection of essays that provide resources for the interpretation of the book of Hosea. The volume examines interpretive elements and approaches that are deemed essential for interpretation or that are representative of significant trends in present and future study. Each essay addresses one particular element or approach and will critically survey prior scholarship before presenting current and prospective approaches.

In many ways, research on the book of Hosea is representative of the developments and current trends in prophetic study as a whole. Hence, while dedicated to the book of Hosea, the collection of essays in this volume provides a snapshot of what today's fully orbed scholarship on a prophetic book should look like. The collection begins with background-oriented essays that discuss the history, text, and compositional growth of Hosea. The volume includes a section of essays that survey established and emerging perspectives on key representative texts from the book. The essays then treat the book of Hosea's major theological and literary elements, themes, and motifs before moving on to examine diverse interpretive theories, contexts, and approaches. The final group of essays in the volume investigates major trends in the reception history of Hosea, including the book's use in popular movies and novels, as well as Asian and African American interpretation.

The Handbook provides state-of-the-art essays for graduate students and scholars on a wide variety of key subject areas relating to the interpretation of the book of Hosea

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