Nir, Characterization in Midrash and Medieval Jewish Bible Commentaries (SBL)

NEW BOOK FROM SBL PRESS:

Characterization in Midrash and Medieval Jewish Bible Commentaries
Sivan Nir

ISBN 9781628376142
Volume BibRec 8
Status Available
Publication Date December 2024

Paperback $78.00
Hardback $98.00
eBook $78.00

Sivan Nir meticulously examines the reimaginings of the biblical figures Balaam, Jeremiah, and Esther in a wide range of Jewish texts from second-century rabbinic sources to medieval Jewish biblical commentaries. Nir’s unique approach analyzes the continuity, or lack thereof, that emerges when characterization is viewed in relation to and in contrast with its cross-cultural context, including the contemporary conventions found in Hellenistic rhetoric and novels, Byzantine Christian literature, Islamic adab and Mu‘tazila literature, and more. Such an approach reveals a transition from typological depictions to richer, more lifelike portrayals—a transformation shaped by rival notions of literature and history. Nir translates the sources into accessible English for students and scholars of not only Jewish exegesis but also those in Christian theology, Islamic studies, and world literature.

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A new Regius Professor of Hebrew at Cambridge

ANNOUNCEMENT: Aaron Koller joins AMES. Aaron Koller joins AMES as the new Regius Professor of Hebrew (Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Cambridge University).

Welcome to Professor Aaron Koller who will join the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the end of September 2025 as the newly appointed Regius Professor of Hebrew.

[..]

Yeshiva University also has an announcement of his departure:

Professor Koller to Depart YU, Join Cambridge as Regius Professor of Hebrew (Daniel Kohn, YU Commentator).

Professor Aaron Koller (YC ‘97, BRGS ‘09), instructor for Near Eastern Studies at Yeshiva University, will join Cambridge as Regius Professor of Hebrew next fall.

[...]

Congratulations both to Professor Koller and to Cambridge University on the new appointment.

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Review of Llewellyn-Jones, The Cleopatras

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: The Cleopatras: the forgotten queens of Egypt.

Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, The Cleopatras: the forgotten queens of Egypt. New York: Basic Books, 2024. Pp. 384. ISBN 9781541602922.

Review by
Deirdre Klokow, University of Texas at Austin. deirdre.klokow@austin.utexas.edu

... Although a much-needed update to John Whitehorne’s 1994 The Cleopatras, Llewellyn-Jones’ chronicle of the foundations laid by the ascent to power of these often-ignored royal women is hindered by a novelistic style and less-than critical approach to the complexities of the source material. ...

For many PaleoJudaica posts on Cleopatra VII (the Cleopatra), who reportedly spoke Hebrew and Aramaic, start here (cf. here) and follow the links.

PaleoJudaica posts involving Cleopatra V Tryphaena, who likely was the mother of Cleopatra VII, are here and here. And comments on Cleopatra I Syra and Cleopatra III are here, and more on Cleopatra I is here and here. The latter two Cleos are mentioned in the Book of Daniel (I) and in 1 Maccabees (III).

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The Text Lab

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: Introducing the Text Lab: Helping Students Engage with Ancient Sources (Alexander Chantziantoniou and Isaac Soon).

This article introduces a classroom activity called a Text Lab, which helps students engage critically with ancient texts while familiarizing them with the tools and scholarship necessary to analyze these sources. While this has been applied to the specific fields of its authors (biblical studies), it is applicable to any field within the humanities involving source media (e.g., literature, classics, history, philosophy, etc.), just as its predecessor does, the “gobbet.” After introducing what a Text Lab is, we outline the details of how it works, before concluding with a brief discussion of why it works.

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On the Behistun inscription in Aramaic

BIBLIOGRAPHIA IRANICA: Authority, Assimilation and Afterlife of the Epilogue of Bīsotūn (DB 4:36–92).

This post flags an important open-access article on the Behistun inscription:

"Imitatio Dei, Imitatio Darii: Authority, Assimilation and Afterlife of the Epilogue of Bīsotūn (DB 4:36–92)" by Gad Barnea in Religions 2025, 16(5), 597; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16050597.

Abstract

The Bīsotūn inscription of Darius I (DB) is a masterpiece of ancient literature containing descriptions of historical events, imperial propaganda, cultic statements, ethical instructions, wisdom insights, blessings and curses, and engagements with posterity. It was disseminated far and wide within the empire and left a lasting impression on the cultures with which it came into contact. However, a specific section of this royal inscription (DB 4:36–92), carefully crafted to address future audiences in the second person, stands out sharply from the rest of the text. This passage has made a striking, profound, and durable impression on future generations—which extended over the longue durée in both time and space. This article focuses on the decisive cultic theme undergirding DB in general and its fourth column in particular namely, the king’s profound sense of imitatio dei in the cosmic battle against “the Lie,” complemented by his appeal to an imitatio Darii by all future audiences of his words. The impact of this call can be traced in later literature: in a DB variant found at Elephantine and, most notably, a hitherto unknown exegetical legend found in Qumran, which seeks to explain this portion of DB through an Achaemenid court tale.

This inscription is of great historical and philogical interest. It was important for the decipherment of Akkadian cuneiform.. It is also of some interest as a propaganda precursor to the Aramaic Fantasy Babylon tradition. The latter is important for understanding, in particular, the biblical Book of Daniel. For relevant PaleoJudaica posts see here and here (cf. here and here).

In the Behistun inscription Darius recounts, among many other events, his putting down the revolts of two Babylonian kings, Nidintu-Bel (Nebuchadnezzar III) in 522 B.C.E. (lines 16-19), and Arakha (Nebuchadnezzar IV) in 521 B.C.E. (lines 49-51).

As this article notes, a fragmentary Aramaic translation of the inscription was recovered among the Elephanitine papyri. This demonstrates that Persian anti-Babylonian propaganda was already being translated into Aramaic in the fifth century BCE. The article also deals with an Aramaic form of the inscription that inspired a recently deciphered Jewish work (4Q550) among the Dead Sea Scrolls.

For additional PaleoJudaica posts on the Behuistun (Bistun, Bīsotūn) inscription, see here and links.

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Karatepe bilingual inscriptions added to UNESCO Memory of the World International Register

PHOENICIAN WATCH: Karatepe Aslantas inscriptions enter UNESCO Memory of World Register (Türkiye Today Newsroom).

The ancient bilingual inscriptions of Karatepe Aslantas Open-Air Museum in Osmaniye, Türkiye, have been officially inscribed into the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register.

These inscriptions, written in both Anatolian Hieroglyphic and Phoenician scripts, highlight one of the earliest known examples of bilingual writing in the ancient Near East and provide invaluable insights into the linguistic and cultural landscape of the first millennium B.C.

[...]

This is good news. The article has more information on the award, the importance of the inscriptions, and their significance for tourism and cultural heritage. All good.

But, oddly, it never gets around to telling us what the inscriptions say. I am sometimes bemused by the questions that (some, not all) journalists ask and don't ask.

Luckily for you, readers, PaleoJudaica is here for you. The lapidary biligual Karatepe Phoenician/Luvian inscriptions are also known as the Azatiwada inscriptions, after the name of the 8th century BCE Cicilian local king who erected them. They tell of his accomplishments and his service to his patron overlord. You can read more about Azatiwada and his inscription, with an English translation of the latter, at Wikipedia's Karatepe bilingual entry.

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More Philodemus from Herculaneum

TECHNOLOGY WATCH: X-ray reveals ancient Greek author of charred first century BC Vesuvius scroll. Ink traces show text is part of work by Epicurean philosopher Philodemus, burned during AD79 volcano eruption (Ian Sample, The Guardian).

A charred scroll recovered from a Roman villa that was buried under ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted nearly 2,000 years ago has been identified as the influential work of an ancient Greek philosopher.

Researchers discovered the title and author on the Herculaneum scroll after X-raying the carbonised papyrus and virtually unwrapping it on a computer, the first time such crucial details have been gleaned from the approach.

Traces of ink lettering visible in the X-ray images revealed the text to be part of a multi-volume work, On Vices, written by the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus in the first century BC. The scroll is one of three from Herculaneum housed at the Bodleian Libraries in Oxford.

[...]

This scroll ( P.Herc. 172) was in the news earlier this year, when it was already speculated (based on several deciphered words) that it was by Philodemus. But now the researchers have found in addition the author, title, and perhaps a volume number. That confirms who wrote it, which work it was, and possibly that it was volume 1. But there's still a lot of work to do to recover any substantial part of the scroll.

Nevertheless, progress is progress and we should celebrate it. Bit by bit, a letter at a time, whatever it takes. Until we're done.

The Heculaneum library was carbonized during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE. What is left of it is gradually being recovered and deciphered with cutting-edge new technology. For much more on it and on the works by the philosopher Philodemus already recovered from Heculaneum, start here (cf. here) and follow the links.

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On Jannes and Jambres, with an important announcement

ETHNIC RELATIONS AND MIGRATION IN THE ANCIENT WORLD: Egyptian / Persian / Judean wisdom: Judean legends of Jannes and Jambres as Magians in the Exodus account (third century CE and earlier) (Philip A. Harland).

This post is a useful introduction to the traditions about Jannes and Jambres. It includes translations of substantial fragments of the ancient book about them.

For more on this blog, see here and here and links.

With the publication of Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 2, More Noncanonical Scriptures, we have considerably more information the about the Book of Jannes and Jambres, with translations of new fragments of the Greek text and of a recently discovered Ethiopic translation. An additional manuscript of a complete copy of the Ethiopic version was discovered just too late for us to include a full translation. But Ted Erho has provided an appendix with a preliminary summary of the contents of the manuscript.

I hinted at this discovery here, but was unable to say more at the time.

Bit by bit, a letter at a time, whatever it takes. Until we're done.

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Review of Lang, Handbook of the Vulgate Bible and its reception (open access)

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: Handbook of the Vulgate Bible and its reception

Bernhard Lang, Handbook of the Vulgate Bible and its reception. Vulgata in dialogue. Berlin: The Vulgate Institute, 2023. Pp. 778.

Review by
Matthew Kraus, University of Cincinnati. Matthew.kraus@uc.edu

Open access

“The Handbook of the Vulgate Bible and Its Reception has no model and no predecessor, being the first work of its kind” (p.5), boldly announces Bernhard Lang in the Preface. Loosely structured as a classified and annotated bibliography and including literature reviews, a glossary of biblical Latin, a preliminary linguistic commentary on selected biblical verses, sidebars on discrete topics, and covering the history of the Vulgate from its origins to the present, the work indeed defies conventional classifications. And yet this approach from multiple, discrete angles best serves a text relevant to numerous fields. ...

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Conference: The Achaemenid Persian Empire and its Non-Western Borderlands: A Change of Paradigm (Innsbruck)

BIBLIOGRAPHIA IRANICA:The Achaemenid Persian Empire and its Non-Western Borderlands: A Change of Paradigm.

At Innsbruck University, Australia, on 20-23 November 2025, with the first and last day for arrival and departure. Follow the link for the program. Oddly, I can't find registration information anywhere, but there are a few more details here.

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Ptolemaic and Roman-era military fortifications excavated in North Sinai

ARCHAEOLOGY: Fortress discovered in Northern Sinai, including Roman-era soldiers' dwellings. Well-preserved Roman-era soldiers' dwellings were unearthed, providing a clear picture of daily life at the fortress during the reigns of emperors Diocletian and Maximian (Jerusalem Post Staff).

Excavations at the Tell Abu Seifi site in North Sinai uncovered extensive remains of ancient military fortifications, soldiers' quarters, and a trench.

The mission revealed more than 500 clay planting circles made of mudbrick on both sides of an ancient road. These circles are believed to have been used to cultivate trees that adorned the fortress's grand entrance during the Ptolemaic era, enhancing understanding of aesthetic and functional elements of military architecture in that period.

Well-preserved Roman-era soldiers' dwellings were also unearthed, offering a clear picture of daily life at the fortress during the reigns of Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. These structures provide valuable information on the living conditions and organization of Roman soldiers in Egypt's eastern frontier.

[...]

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Masoretic Text variants in Rabbinic quotations

PROF. SIMCHA KOGUT: Variants in the Masoretic Text: From Talmud to Rashi (TheTorah.com).

Rabbinic quotations of the Bible differ in some instances from the Masoretic Text. In some cases, the rabbis were aware it was a variant; other times they were not.

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Tony Burke's Regensburg Year: April

THE APOCRYPHICITY BLOG: My Regensburg Year Part 9: April 2025.

Tony Burke is on research sabbatical for the 2024-25 academic year at the University of Regensburg in Germany.

This month's post includes a Croatian adventure and report on work on the introductory chapter of Tony's book, "telling a chronological history of the composition, transmission, and publishing of Christian apocrypha."

For earlier posts in the series and more on Tony's work, see here and links.

Cross-file under New Testament Apocrypha Watch.

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Educational excavation at Chorazin

ARCHAEOLOGY: Tourists and Child Archaeologists Break New Ground at Ancient Chorazin. Sixth-graders unearth homes near the synagogue of Chorazin where Jesus preached. Archaeologist Achia Kohn-Tavor is leading a project to involve everybody – foreign tourists, whole families, toddlers included – in revealing their heritage (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz).

Chorazin's excavation began in 1905, continued in the 1920s, was picked up in 1962 and again in the 1980s, and since 2009, has been pursued by foreign tourists and elementary schoolchildren.

Under the direction of the archaeologist Achia Kohn-Tavor since 2014, this is not a toy excavation. It's the real deal with little kiddies, whole families and foreign tourists paying for the experience to actually dig at a real site for an hour, or a day, or a few days, breaking unexcavated ground and making genuine discoveries.

Besides describing the creative educational approach of the excavation, this long article discusses the ancient site of Chorazin—best known for being cursed by Jesus—in much detail.

For PaleoJudaica posts on Chorazin (modern Korazim), see here and links.

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NEH funding canceled for Critical Edition of the Hebrew Psalter Project

AN UNFORTUNATE DECISION: Trump Cuts to Humanities Grants Undermine a Stated Priority: Restoring Religion (YONAT SHIMRON, RNS [reportedly - I can't find the article there] via Word&Way).

But along with nearly 1,500 other NEH grants that supported work at colleges and universities, the Psalms project was canceled earlier this month as part of the Trump administration’s purge of the independent agency that supported research and scholarship in religion as well. That purge included the elimination of 65% of NEH’s employees. ...

The project included building a computer database of hundreds of early copies of the Psalms, a set of 150 lyrical poems beloved by Jews and Christians alike. Among the oldest scrolls are 40 fragments of the Psalms discovered in caves near the Dead Sea between 1946 and 1956, as well as about 150 medieval manuscripts and many Greek scrolls and codices.

Strawn and Longacre’s project was an attempt to reconstruct the best readings of the Psalms from all the versions that have been unearthed so far. The grant covered the first 50 of the 150 Psalms. Other scholars have already been selected to complete the remaining 100 Psalms.

The archetype that Strawn and Longacre were going to create, sometimes called an “eclectic” edition, would become the foundational text for all modern translations of the Bible. Bible scholars have already completed an eclectic edition of the New Testament, but none exists for the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible books.

“With around 200 volunteers, we’re training a large proportion of America’s up-and-coming Bible scholars in how to work with manuscripts and digital text editing,” Longacre said. “With that much impact for the buck, canceling the grant makes no sense.”

The "chainsaw approach" of DOGE is clearly eliminating grants that, like this one, do further the President’s agenda and should, on the Trump administration's own terms, be preserved. But it's also true that many of DOGE's cuts have been restored upon review.

I encourage the recipients of this grant to make the case vigorously that the decision should be reversed. I'm not sure what the NEH review process is in this unprecedented situation, but, whatever it is, pursue it. And some respectful posts on X making the case on the administration's own terms, and amplified by as many people as possible, could have an effect.

The project advances a better understanding of the text of the Bible, which is in the public's interest, it coheres with the administration's priorities, and it is a good use of taxpayer funds, with well-defined and measurable outcomes. It involves the Dead Sea Scrolls, for which the public has much interest and enthusiasm.

Say that. Say it in detail, echoing the language of the NEH announcement of its new priorities.

There is a strong case to be made here, so make it. Feel free to link to this post if you think it would help.

I noted the Critical Edition of the Hebrew Psalter Project here and here.

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Teen Bible contest opens the Codex Sassoon exhibit

EXHIBITION COMPETITION: Jewish teens from around the world compete in International Bible Contest in Tel Aviv. Teens showcase biblical knowledge as contest airs live on Ynetnews, celebrating biblical heritage alongside the unveiling of the ancient Codex Sassoon (Ynetnews).

Jewish teenagers from across the globe gathered Sunday at the ANU – Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv for the International Youth Bible Contest, marking the first time the prestigious event was held at the museum. The competition, which airs live on Ynetnews, is part of a month-long celebration marking the permanent display of the Codex Sassoon, the world’s oldest and most complete Hebrew Bible.

[...]

Also on display:

As part of the celebrations, the museum opened an exhibition of the Oritā of Kes Abba Yitzhak Aysu, a rare manuscript from the Ethiopian Jewish tradition. The exhibition, curated in collaboration with Tel Aviv University, offers a glimpse into the sacred texts and oral traditions preserved by the Beta Israel community.

This is an Ethiopic Octateuch (the Pentateuch plus Joshua, Judges, and Ruth). More on it here.

Background on the sale of Codex Sassoon and its donation to ANU, the Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, is here and many links.

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Vidas, The Rise of Talmud (OUP)

NEW BOOK FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS:

The Rise of Talmud

Moulie Vidas

The Bible and the Humanities

£119.00

Hardback
Published: 20 March 2025
368 Pages
234x156mm
ISBN: 9780198915027

Also Available As:
E-book

Description

The rabbinic sages of antiquity are known for their sophisticated and creative reading of Scripture. But beginning in the third century CE, these sages also took on extensive commentary on another kind of text: the sages' own teachings. Focusing on the first collection attesting to this branch of scholarship, the oft-neglected Talmud Yerushalmi, The Rise of Talmud argues that this new project presented a wide-ranging transformation of the sages' scholarly practice and self-perception. On the one hand, it engaged premises and methods distinct from those the sages applied to Scripture, such as textual criticism and the interpretation of texts in light of the individuals to whom they were attributed. On the other hand, this book shows, this distinct approach did not stem from preexisting differences in the conceptions of Scripture and rabbinic teachings: it reflected a broad reconceptualization of the tradition, diverging from how these teachings were construed by earlier generations. Recognizing these unique aspects of ancient Talmudic scholarship centers its development as a pivotal moment in Jewish intellectual history and offers a richer picture of rabbinic hermeneutics; it also allows us to situate it better among other scholarly traditions of the Greco-Roman world and to examine how different ideas, aims, and contexts shape textual scholarship—including our own.

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