Archaeomagnetometry, geomagnetic fluctuations, and the Acra Fortress

TECHNOLOGY WATCH: Hellenistic Wine Jars from Rhodes Reveal the Secrets of Earth’s Magnetic Field and the Jerusalem of the Maccabees. An international study uses Hellenistic ceramics with Rhodes stamps to track abrupt changes in the magnetic field and shed light on the Seleucid fortress of Acra in Jerusalem ( Guillermo Carvajal, LBV).

A team of researchers from Tel Aviv University, Ariel University, and the University of California San Diego has managed to extract high-resolution geomagnetic information from 24 ceramic pieces found in three Jerusalem sites: the City of David, the Jewish Quarter, and the Givati parking lot.

The result, published in Archaeometry, confirms that the magnetic field suffered a dramatic collapse in the first half of the 2nd century BCE and, moreover, offers an unexpected tool to precisely date the most controversial archaeological contexts of Hellenistic Jerusalem.

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For PaleoJudaica posts on the Givati Parking Lot excavation and the many discoveries there, start here and follow the links.

For more archaeomagnetic (geomagnetic, paleomagnetic, etc.) dating stories, see here and links.

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

Secret Mark—Three times bogus?

THE ANXIOUS BENCH: A Third Novel That Proves “Secret Mark” Is A Forgery.And Another Good Reason Why “Secret Mark” is Bogus (Philip Jenkins).

I must ask for help on one question. Can anyone think of where Graves was getting his idea of a secret gospel transmission, presumably channeled through bishops? Is there any ancient warrant for that at all? Or did he make it up entirely himself? Because if there is no ancient source, I think we have another powerful piece of evidence confirming that Morton Smith forged the letter of Clement of Alexandria in which he describes The Secret Gospel of Mark.

As I've noted before, Professor Jenkins thinks the idea of Secret Mark being genuinely ancient anything is laughable. The possibility that it is a late-antique forgery is still being defended. And I see that, perhaps contrary to my earlier comment, New Testament Apocrypha expert Tony Burke still (as of 2024) thinks that the Secret Gospel of Mark "might be authentic" and "is probably not a forgery," although I'm not sure exactly what that means. I'm also not sure what other positions specialists are still prepared to defend. This is not my area of expertise. I'm just watching. 🍿

For many PaleoJudaica posts on the Secret Gospel of Mark debate, follow the links from the link above.

I think this AB post is a continuation of Professor Jenkins's Lost and Found Scriptues series. For earlier posts, see here and links.

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King Tarhaqa and Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: King Taharqa of the Kingdom of Cush. Did Nubian kings save Judah? (Marek Dospěl).

This essay summarizes a BAR article (behind the subscription wall) by James K. Hoffmeier.

I'm always interested in adding another piece to the puzzle of the events around Sennacherib's siege of Jerusalem in the time of Hezekiah. I have mentioned King Tarhaqa (Tarhaqo, Tirhakah) here and links, with some comments about 2 Kings 19:9 (//Isaiah 37:9) in the context of the siege here. For many other posts, start here and follow the links.

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

On writing The Magi

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: Lessons Learned from the Magi (Eric Vanden Eykel).

If writing about the Magi taught me anything, it is that interpretive certainty is often unfounded. The twelve verses about the Magi in Matthew do not invite final answers; they invite attention, patience, and the persistence to keep digging. In this way, the Magi become less a prooftext about Gentiles and Jews and more a pressure test for our reading and interpretive habits. The history of interpretation for the story of the Magi exposes how easily Christian interpretation drifts into anti-Judaism when “outsider versus insider” dynamics are allowed to stand in for more careful and intentional study.

A very personal account of the writing of the author's book, The Magi: Who They Were, How They’ve Been Remembered, and Why They Still Fascinate (Fortress, 2022), on which more here.

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

Obeid, Le langage métaphorique dans le texte hébreu de Ben Sira (Mohr Siebeck)

NEW BOOK FROM MOHR SIEBECK:

Charlotte Obeid

Le langage métaphorique dans le texte hébreu de Ben Sira

[Metaphorical Language in the Hebrew Text of Ben Sira.]
2025. 404 pages.
Forschungen zum Alten Testament 2. Reihe (FAT II) 171

€109.00
including VAT

sewn paper
available
978-3-16-164680-5

Also Available As:
eBook PDF

Summary

Charlotte Obeid analyzes the use of metaphorical language for educational purposes in the Hebrew text of Ben Sira, providing interpretative tools that not only contribute to a better understanding of Ben Sira's message but can be applied to the interpretation of metaphors in other writings as well.

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