Gruen, Scriptural Tales Retold (T&T Clark)

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

Scriptural Tales Retold

The Inventiveness of Second Temple Jews

Erich S. Gruen (Author)

Hardback
$115.00 $80.50

Ebook (PDF)
$103.50 $72.45

Ebook (Epub & Mobi)
$103.50 $72.45

Product details

Published Aug 22 2024
Format Hardback
Edition 1st
Extent 184
ISBN 9780567715173
Imprint T&T Clark

Dimensions 9 x 6 inches
Series Jewish and Christian Texts
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

Description

Erich S. Gruen investigates a remarkable phenomenon in religious and literary history: the freedom with which Jewish writers in antiquity retold and recast, sometimes distorted or bypassed, biblical narratives that ostensibly had the status of sacred texts. Gruen asks the question of what prompted such tampering with tales that carried divine authority, and what implications this widespread practice of liberal revising had for attitudes toward the sacrality of the scriptures in general. Gruen focuses upon writings of the Second Temple period, an era of the deep integration of Jewish history and the Greco-Roman world. Gruen brings to the task the training of a classicist and ancient historian rather than that of a biblical textual critic or a rabbinics scholar, not pursuing the commentaries of the later rabbis with their very different approaches, methods, and goals. As such, Gruen's emphasis rests upon narrative rather than legal matters, the haggadic rather than the halakhic. The former lends itself most readily to the creative instincts of the re-tellers.

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

More on that Masada excavation

THAT STORY ON THE MASADA SIEGE CAMP WALL continues to get lots of media attention. Here are two recent articles:

Roman Siege of Masada Was Much Quicker Than Assumed, Israeli Archaeologists Say. Analysis of Roman siege works around the desert stronghold of Masada show they took only a couple of weeks to build. Also, could the terrible tragedy of the Jews there have a different origin than assumed? (Ariel David, Haaretz)

Masada legend upended: ‘The Romans came, saw and conquered, quickly and brutally’ The costly Roman operation was likely undertaken only after Masada-based Jewish forces raided nearby Ein Gedi and disrupted production of balsam, a precious commodity, TAU prof says (Gavriel Fiske, Times of Israel)

The headlines, which are typical of the overall coverage, focus on a point not raised in my earlier post. The main point of the JRA article was to publish new evidence that the siege wall was built quickly, an estimated 11-16 days. But the authors also deployed this point as evidence (I would say fairly indirect evidence) in favor of the hypothesis of J. Roth, published in 1995, that the whole siege itself was much briefer than previously estimated: 4-9 weeks rather than three years.

Josephus actually doesn't tell us how long the siege lasted. The three-year figure is a modern estimate. But it's possible the siege started well after the fall of Jerusalem.

For more on the fall of Masada, with emphasis on its archaeology, start here and follow the links. Some of them deal with revisionist views of what happened. In a sense, this new study is "revisionist" too, but only revising another widely-accepted modern interpretation of the evidence.

The other revisionist views mostly challenge the reliability of the ancient narrative of Josephus, who gave us the only surviving account of the siege. Some also challenge elements of Yadin's interpretation of the evidence he excavated at Masada.

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

Michael Stone awarded Armenia’s Medal of Gratitude

ARMENIAN WATCH: Hebrew University’s Professor Michael Stone Honoured with Armenia’s Medal of Gratitude (British Friends of the Hebrew University).

Professor Emeritus Michael Stone, Founder of the Chair of Armenian Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has been awarded the prestigious Medal of Gratitude by the President of Armenia, Vahagn Khachaturyan. The award recognises his significant contributions to Armenian studies and his dedication to preserving Armenian cultural heritage.

Congratulations to Professor Stone on this well-deserved honor. He is a titan in both Armenian studies and ancient Jewish studies.

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

Review of Infants as votive offerings: Phoenician tophet precincts in context

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: Infants as votive offerings: Phoenician tophet precincts in context.

Brien K. Garnand, Joseph A. Greene, Infants as votive offerings: Phoenician tophet precincts in context. Journal of Ancient History, 11.2. Berlin; Boston: De Gruyter, 2023. Pp. 323. ISSN 23248106.

Review by
Matthew M. McCarty, University of British Columbia. matthew.mccarty@ubc.ca

... Overall, this volume is a welcome—if ultimately preliminary—contribution of excavation data and related thematic studies on the Carthage tophet. Until the final publication of the ASOR excavations, it will serve to offer a rough approximation of finds from the site: the most current data that we have. If nothing else, the volume points to the difficulty in drawing together and interpreting disparate forms of material and data from an excavation run over 40 years ago, studied by different teams of specialists in relative isolation and sometimes with contradictory results—a problem exacerbated by the untimely death of the project director. ...

Alas, this is the fate of all too many archaeological excavations. Final reports still unpublished long after the passing of the chief excavator. That project director, by the way, was Larry Stager. I remember that when I participated in the Ashkelon excavation in the late 1980s, some of the staff there had previously worked at this Carthage excavation. Hopefully the final report will come out soon.

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

Review panel on Miroshnikov (ed.) Parabiblica Coptica

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: AJR Forum | Parabiblica Coptica.

On Thursday, March 14 2024, a review panel dedicated to the new volume edited by Dr. Ivan Miroshnikov (Uppsala), Parabiblica Coptica, was organized by Dr. Alexei Somov at the University of Regensburg (Germany). AJR is thrilled to feature the responses of Dr. Samuel Cook and Dr. Jacob Lollar along with the response of Dr. Miroshnikov in this three-part series.

Miroshnikov, Ivan, editor. Parabiblica Coptica. Parabiblica 3. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2023. V–241 pages. €119.

This section proceeds with a summary of the contents of the volume and links to the two other essays posted so far:

The Possibilities and Limits of "Parabiblical" Literature (Samuel Cook)

Parabiblica Coptica and the Study of Apocrypha: Some observations from a scholar of Syriac ‘Parabiblica’ (Jacob Lollar)

I noted the publication of the book here. Cross-file under Coptic Watch and New Testament Apocrypha Watch.

UPDATE (10 September): For the editor's response, see here.

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

On Hebrew names in cuneiform

THE BIBLE AND INTERPRETATION:

Hebrew Names in Babylonian Garb

Have you ever wondered about the origin and meaning of your personal name? This quest for understanding can be particularly challenging with Hebrew names, as they appear in various contexts, both Jewish and non-Jewish, and often trace back to biblical times. Hebrew names, for instance, are found in cuneiform sources from the time of the Babylonian Captivity and shortly afterwards. This article explores how to recognize these names in cuneiform garb, what they might reveal about their bearers, and some of the challenges involved in this process.

See also “Hebrew Names” in Personal Names in Cuneiform Texts from Babylonia (c. 750–100 BCE): An Introduction (Cambridge University Press, 2024).

By Kathleen Abraham
History Department
KU Leuven, Belgium
September 2024

Cross-file under (open-access) New Book.

The first half of this article is technical. It is of interest mainly to philologists. But the second half is accessible to a more general audience.

For many PaleoJudaica posts on the unprovenanced, but apparently genuine, Al-Yahudu Babylonian cuneiform archive, start here (cf. here) and follow the links. I do not follow the reasoning in the current article for translating Āl Yāhūdu, even loosely, as "Jerusalem." The name, as the article goes on to note, means "Town of Judea."

Alas, the only PaleoJudaica post involving the Murashu (Murašû) archive now leads to a dead link.

For more on Babylonian (and Aramaic) scribes, see here. I see that that odd translation "Jerusalem" came up there too.

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

CFP: Rutgers Rabbinics Conference

H-JUDAIC: CFP: Rutgers Rabbinics Conference, Spring 2025.

Papers may be on any topic related to classical rabbinic literature, culture, or history of Late Antiquity. Papers from adjacent fields that are in dialogue with rabbinics are also welcome.

The conference takes place on 2-3 March 2025. The paper proposal deadline is 1 December 2024. Follow the link for the proposal form and additional details.

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

The Tel Dan Stele is going on display in Oklahoma

EXHIBITION: Artifact confirming Jewish King David as historical figure on display in Edmond, Oklahoma. The Tel Dan Stele, a key biblical artifact, will be displayed at Herbert W. Armstrong College from September 22 to November 25 (Jerusalem Post).

The legendary Tel Dan Stele artifact will be available for public viewing at Herbert W. Armstrong College campus in Edmond, Oklahoma, between September 22 and November 25, The Armstrong International Cultural Foundation and Israel Antiquities Authority announced in a joint announcement on Tuesday.

According to the press release, the 9th-century BCE “sensational” fragment is currently on loan from the Israel Museum and will be part of the “Kingdom of David and Solomon Discovered” exhibit at the Armstrong Auditorium on the Armstrong College campus.

[...]

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

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

Tenure-track job in Ancient Mediterranean Religions at UT Austin

H-JUDAIC: FEATURED JOB: Assistant Professor in Ancient Mediterranean Religions, University of Texas at Austin.

This is a tenure-track position. Second Temple Judaism is an areas of possible interest. Review of applications begins on 30 September 2024. Follow the link for further particulars.

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

Kamesar, Philo of Alexandria: Quod deterius potiori insidiari soleat (CUP)

NEW BOOK FROM CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS:

Philo of Alexandria: Quod deterius potiori insidiari soleat
Introduction, Text, Translation, and Commentary

£ 150.00
Hardback

EDITOR AND TRANSLATOR: Adam Kamesar, Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion, Ohio
DATE PUBLISHED: July 2024
AVAILABILITY: Available
FORMAT: Hardback
ISBN: 9781009234795

Description

Philo's Quod deterius is a discussion of the Cain and Abel episode in the Bible. Philo follows the Greek translation of the Septuagint, not the Hebrew text, although he may have known traditions that relied on the Hebrew. His treatment of the text is unique, combining elements of traditional Greek commentary on literary texts, moralizing diatribe in highly wrought rhetorical language, midrashic-like exegesis involving the extensive use of other biblical passages, and philosophical theory. The present commentary illuminates these various components of Philo's discussion, especially by means of parallel texts, pagan, Jewish, and Christian, from across antiquity. Using these sources and paying attention to ancient exegetical thinking, Adam Kamesar attempts to trace the overall direction and coherence of what Philo is saying. This kind of treatment of Philo's allegorical treatises has rarely been undertaken before on this scale. The volume also includes a new English translation of the work.

• Provides the Greek text in a redesigned format along with a new translation
• Investigates and sets out the sources of and parallels to Philo's exegetical discussions
• Illustrates the structure of the text by means of chapter division and introductory summaries of each chapter's content

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

Investigation of the Masada siege camp wall

SURVEY ARCHAEOLOGY: The Romans Surrounded Masada with Towers and a Wall Over 4 Kilometers Long in Just Two Weeks (Guillermo Carvajal, LVB Magazine).

A recent archaeological study on the Roman siege system at Masada, published in the Journal of Roman Archaeology, reveals new and important findings about this historic conflict of the 1st century CE. An international team of researchers, led by Hai Ashkenazi from the Israel Antiquities Authority and Goethe University Frankfurt, has used cutting-edge technology to deeply analyze the war landscape surrounding the ancient Jewish fortress.

[...]

The underlying article is open access. The LBV essay is a good summary of it.

The Roman siege system of Masada: a 3D computerized analysis of a conflict landscape [Link now fixed!]

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 August 2024

Hai Ashkenazi, Omer Ze'evi-Berger, Boaz Gross and Guy D. Stiebel

Abstract

The 1st-c. CE Roman siege system of Masada exhibits a high degree of preservation due to its remote location and the arid climate. However, unlike the thoroughly excavated Masada fortress, the siege system has not received due attention. This article is part of a research project aimed at advancing our understanding of the conflict landscape around Masada using contemporary archaeological methods. Following a comprehensive surface survey and photogrammetric 3D modelling, we show that the circumvallation wall stood to a height of 2–2.5 m and served several functions – as an obstacle, a means of psychological warfare, and a platform from which to mount counterattacks. Based on our measurements and workload estimations, we argue that the construction of the siege wall and the camps around Masada occurred fairly quickly.

For more on the archaeology of Masada, see here and links.

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

Rollston on some dubious NWS inscriptions

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: Promises and Pitfalls. Sensational inscriptions from the biblical world.

This essay is a summary of an article by Northwest Semitic epigrapher Christopher Rollston in the current issue of Biblical Archaeology Review. The article itself is behind the subscription wall, but the summary is informative.

For PaleoJudaica's coverage of the Hebrew lapidary inscription fragment that may have mentioned King Hezekiah, see here and links and here (with more from Rollston); of the Mount Ebal curse tablet/fishing weight, see here and links; and of the fake Darius ostracon, see here (eighth item) and links.

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

Book recommendations on the Shroud of Turin

VARIANT READINGS: Two Good Books on the Shroud of Turin (Brent Nongbri).

I assume this post is in response to this recent story about a new technological attempt to date the Shroud.

If you are not yet sick of the Shroud of Turin, then reading recommendations by Brent Nongbri are worth following up.

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

Another ram from the Battle of the Aegates

PUNIC WATCH: Archaeologists Uncover Ancient Warship’s Bronze Battering Ram, Sunk During an Epic Battle Between Rome and Carthage. Found near the Aegadian Islands, just west of Sicily, the bronze rostrum played a role in the last battle of the First Punic War, which ended in 241 B.C.E. (Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine).

In 241 B.C.E., two empires faced off in a naval clash off the coast of Sicily. By then, Rome and Carthage had been fighting for more than two decades. Rome’s victory in the skirmish, officially called the Battle of the Aegates, brought an end to the First Punic War, the initial conflict in a series of wars between the two ancient powers.

Now, explorers have recovered a piece of that final battle: the bronze battering ram of an ancient warship. According to a statement from Sicily’s Superintendence of the Sea, the ram was found on the seafloor off the western coast of the Mediterranean island, at a depth of around 260 feet. To retrieve the artifact, the team used deep-water submarines from the Society for Documentation of Submerged Sites (SDSS) and the oceanographic research vessel Hercules.

[...]

For several PaleoJudaica posts on the archaeology of the Battle of the Aegates, start here and follow the links. Note especially here on the underwater ecology of another ram (they have found lots of them) from the same site and the same battle.

Crosss file under Marine (Maritime, Underwater) Archaeology.

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

More on that inscribed genie seal

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: An Assyrian Genie in First Temple Jerusalem. Israeli archaeologists uncover rare stone seal (Nathan Steinmeyer).

This essay reports some new suggestions, including that the "genie" represents a Mesopotamian antediluvial sage (apkallu) and that the seal may be a reused Assyrian seal.

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

Four-year-old accidentally breaks Bronze-Age jar in Haifa museum

OH DEAR: Kid shatters 3,500-year-old jar in Haifa museum, gets invited back. The Hecht Museum says it has no plans to change its long-held policy of displaying certain items ‘without barriers or glass walls’ (Gavriel Fiske, Times of Israel).

The jar is restorable. I appreciate the museum's open and family-friendly policy. But they might want to invest some more effort into childproofing.

Oh, and the story, which has received a lot of attention over the weekend, has a follow-up: Boy who smashed ancient Bronze Age jar returns to museum (BBC)

There seems to be some confusion whether the boy is four or five.

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

Biblical Studies Carnival #219

READING ACTS: Biblical Studies Carnival #219 for Summer 2024 (Phil Long).

That's right. An extended Carnival covering the whole summer.

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

Morlet & Oiry (eds.), 2 Samuel / 2 Règnes Peeters)

NEW BOOK FROM PEETERS:

2 Samuel / 2 Règnes
Textes, histoire, réceptions

SERIES:
Orient & Méditerranée, 43

EDITORS:
Morlet S., Oiry B.

PRICE: 39 euro
YEAR: 2023
ISBN: 9789042952881
E-ISBN: 9789042952898
PAGES: 223 p.

SUMMARY:

Le deuxième livre de Samuel («II Règnes» dans la Septante) est consacré à l’arrivée au pouvoir et au règne du roi David, événement central dans l’histoire de la royauté en Israël. Le texte, transmis en différents états (texte massorétique, fragments qumrâniens, plusieurs traductions grecques, latines et orientales), fait partie des «livres historiques» de la Bible et présente à cet égard une valeur documentaire considérable et en même temps problématique. Cet ouvrage croise les approches des philologues, des historiens, des spécialistes de l’exégèse, sur l’histoire du texte et sur ses réceptions jusqu’à l’époque contemporaine.

The second book of Samuel (“II Kingdoms” in the Septuagint) is devoted to the coming to power and reign of King David, a central event in the history of kingship in Israel. The text, which has been handed down in various states (Massoretic text, Qumran fragments, several Greek, Latin and Oriental translations), is one of the “historical books” of the Bible and, in this respect, is of considerable documentary value, as well as being problematic. This book brings together the approaches of philologists, historians and specialists in exegesis, on the history of the text and its reception up to the present day.

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