Sader, Ancient Tyre between Myth and History (SBL)

NEW BOOK FROM SBL PRESS:

Ancient Tyre between Myth and History

Hélène Sader

ISBN 9781628378290
Volume ABS 36
Status Available
Publication Date August 2026

Hardback $70.00
Paperback $50.00
eBook $50.00

Hélène Sader gathers and synthesizes the archaeological and textual evidence from excavations conducted during the past fifty years at Tyre and its far-flung settlements. By incorporating the results obtained from western Tyrian sites rich in metals, Sader confirms that Tyre and its colonies, which stretched to the Atlantic coast of Spain, held incredible wealth. In addition to her analysis of the material remains, soundings, and surveys, Sader includes a thorough discussion of the main Tyrian gods and the practice of cremation introduced at the beginning of the Iron Age. More than seventy-five images and maps illuminate the development of Tyre and its cultural heritage. The result is a more complex picture of the history of Tyre than that known from its description in the Hebrew Bible, ancient Near Eastern sources, and classical histories. Tyre emerges from the shadows of myth as the main protagonist of the Phoenician maritime expansion.

Cross-file under Phoenician Watch. And for more on Tyre, see here and links.

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Deuteronomy and secular slaughter as an innovation

PROF. BERNARD M. LEVINSON: It’s Tradition! How Deuteronomy’s Reform Permits Non-Sacrificial Slaughter (TheTorah.com).

To consume meat, Exodus (20:24) requires that the animal be sacrificed at a local altar, i.e., in any place where YHWH proclaims His name. When Deuteronomy centralized the cult to “the place,” it had to permit secular slaughter for those who lived far away, and it did so by presenting this innovation as an interpretation of the older law.

The Priestly writer dispensed with this innovation.

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Eisenstock, TALMUD CHRONICLES (Urim)

NEW BOOK FROM URIM PUBLICATIONS:

TALMUD CHRONICLES: Bringing Talmudic Events to Life

by Zalman Eisenstock

Price: $34.95 $31.00

Hardcover, 112 pages, includes b/w images and illustrations throughout
Urim Publications, 2026
ISBN: 978-965-524-389-5

From Rabban Gamliel’s fight with Rabbi Yehoshua in 100 CE through significant events over the next century, experience the story of the Talmud set against the background of the ancient world, and uniquely retold in the form of a modern daily newspaper. The engaging format of News from the Past brings this transformative period to life and makes it accessible to readers of all ages. Experience the resilience of the Jewish people as they faced two major revolts — the Parthian Revolt (115–117 C.E.) and the tragic Bar Kochba rebellion (132–135 C.E.). Despite these challenges, visionary leaders emerged to reinforce the Torah, culminating in the creation of the Mishnah — the foundational compilation of the Oral Law.

Well that's different. Cross-file under Talmud Watch.

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Intertextuality as Reinterpreting Texts (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Intertextuality as Reinterpreting Texts

Papers Read at the 19th Joint Meeting of the Society for Old Testament Study and the Oudtestamentisch Werkgezelschap in Nederland en België, ’s-Hertogenbosch, 2024

Series:
Oudtestamentische Studiën, Old Testament Studies, Volume: 86

Volume Editors: Archibald L.H.M. van Wieringen, Katharine J. Dell, and Arie Versluis

Intertextuality is a multifaceted and complex phenomenon, that can be studied form various perspectives, both diachronically and synchronically. An intertextual relationship is essentially about reinterpreting texts for creating new texts. This volume aims to highlight various approaches by exploring both the methodological dimensions of intertextual research and the ways in which such research may be concretized with regard to specific Old Testament texts.

Copyright Year: 2026

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-76621-1
Publication: 29 Jul 2026
EUR €128.00

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-76618-1
Publication: 27 Aug 2026
EUR €128.00

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The Michigan papyrus collection

WORKSHOP REPORT: Unveiling history: University of Michigan home to America’s largest collection of ancient papyrus (Matt Jaworowski, WoodTV.com).

Earlier this month, researchers from across the world made the trek to Ann Arbor to check out the collection and to learn more about proper preservation techniques. Some of the highlights include a 2,200-year-old portion of “The Iliad,” some of the “lost works” of Greek philosopher Epicurus and a portion of the oldest-known copy of the Epistles of St. Paul.

The collection, the largest in North America, holds more than 7,000 ancient manuscripts and approximately 17,000 individual fragments from between 1,000 B.C. and 1,000 A.D.

It also includes ancient magical papyri and Coptic texts. Some PaleoJudaica posts on it are here, here, and here. For more information on the workshop, and on the collection generally, make sure to follow the links in the article.

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

The Temple of Ištar-of-Akkad in Babylon

BIBLIOGRAPHIA IRANICA: The Temple of Ištar-of-Akkad in Babylon from the Neo-Assyrian until the Persian Period.

Notice of a New Book: Boivin, Odette. 2026. The Temple of Ištar-of-Akkad in Babylon from the Neo-Assyrian until the Persian Period. The Archival Texts (Abhandlungen der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft 33). Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. Follow the link for description and a link to the publisher's page.

I like to keep track of what was happening in Babylon in the Second Temple period, both in reality, as here, and in Greek and Aramaic fantasy.

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

Talmudic legends about the Roman emperors

TALMUD WATCH: Rome says Nero died. The Talmud gives him a very different ending. Jewish legends recast Rome’s emperors in extraordinary ways, from Nero converting and becoming Rabbi Meir’s ancestor to Titus tormented by a gnat, Hadrian outwitted by rabbis and Antoninus drawn toward Judaism after Rome destroyed Jerusalem (Liran Friedmann, YNetNews).

On June 9, 68 CE, Emperor Nero died outside Rome after being declared a public enemy and abandoned by much of the political establishment. Or did he? Roman historians say yes. Jewish tradition has another version entirely. According to the Babylonian Talmud, Nero did not simply disappear from history. He fled a Roman campaign against Jerusalem, converted to Judaism and eventually became an ancestor of Rabbi Meir, one of the greatest rabbis of the Mishnah.

[...]

The Talmudic story about Nero has come up before, but it's fun to revisit. It is not remotely credible, but the Roman account of his death isn't credible either. For commentary, see here and links.

The stories about the other emperors are similarly not credible but entertaining. For another legend about Yohanan ben Zakkai and Vespasian, see here. For a bit more on the legends about "Antoninus," see here.

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On Hermes Trismegistos and the Sibyls

ETHNIC RELATIONS AND MIGRATION IN THE ANCIENT WORLD: Egyptian and Babylonian wisdom: Lactantius on the authority of Hermes Trismegistos and the Sibyls (early fourth century CE) (Philip A. Harland).

The Sybilline Oracles and the Sibyl(s) have come up now and then on PaleoJudaica. Some posts are here and links, and here, here, here, and here. And recently (and occasionally earlier) on the ancient Hermetic literature here (cf. here) and Renaissance Hemeticism here.

The late-antique Christian writer Lactantius collected some fascinating ancient traditions about both.

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Papyrus rolls in stone?

VARIANT READINGS: Realistic Renderings of Papyrus Rolls in Stone (Brent Nongbri).

I checked Theodor Birt’s classic book on the depiction of papyrus rolls in art, and he of course also took note of the fine carving of these papyrus rolls:

“The large sarcophagus in the Athens Museum (inv. 1497) is like a marble illustration of Pliny’s account of the manufacture of papyrus: On its lid, a reclining male figure leans with his shoulder against a massive bundle of papyrus rolls, the outer edge of which alone contains no fewer than 18 rolls. These rolls depict the composition of the papyrus in horizontal and vertical strips, rendered with great care. On the rolls located on the back side of the lid, only the vertical strips are visible; on those on the front, both are visible. It was not possible to take a photograph due to the lighting in the room.”1

But the rendering may be even more clever than Birt describes. ...

Indeed. Cross-file under Sculpture.

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The Book of Joshua (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

The Book of Joshua

Composition, Reception, and Interpretation

Series: Formation and Interpretation of Old Testament Literature, Volume: 203/11
Vetus Testamentum, Supplements, Volume: 203/11

Volume Editors: Lissa M. Wray Beal, Craig A. Evans, and D. Allen Hutchison

The Book of Joshua presents many interpretive challenges. These include its depiction of warfare violence, its engagement with modern archaeological enterprise, its use in colonial expansion, and its insistence on the sole worship of Yahweh in pluralistic religious contexts. The expert contributors to this volume examine such questions and also ground the reader in ongoing scholarly discussion of key issues of composition, genre, theology, and Nachleben. This book serves as a valuable resource for graduate students and scholars alike, presenting a snapshot of the state of Joshua scholarship while opening new avenues for scholarly consideration.

Copyright Year: 2026

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-75746-2
Publication: 08 Jun 2026
EUR €140.00

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-52985-4
Publication: 09 Jul 2026
EUR €140.00

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