Review of Foss, Pliny and the eruption of Vesuvius

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: Pliny and the eruption of Vesuvius.

Pedar W. Foss, Pliny and the eruption of Vesuvius. Abingdon and New York: Routledge, 2022. Pp. 352. ISBN 9780415705462 $160.00.

Review by
Margot Neger, University of Cyprus. neger.margot@ucy.ac.cy

... One would expect that by now everything important has already been said about these letters, but Foss succeeds in showing that there are still several aspects which deserve further discussion and analysis. An archaeologist, he examines the two Vesuvius letters from an interdisciplinary perspective, choosing a “multifaceted” approach, “from volcanology to verb forms; from chiasmus references to retracing coastlines”, as the preface announces (xv). ...

For many PaleoJudaica posts on the eruption of Vesuvius and its destruction of Pompeii and Heculaneum, as well as the younger Pliny's two letters about the eruption and the Elder Pliny's rescue mission into the conflagration, start here and follow the links.

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Archaeology and Biblical ceramics

DR. NAVA PANITZ-COHEN: Biblical Cookware and Crockery (TheTorah.com).

The Bible contains numerous references to ceramic pots, bowls, jugs, and other types of dishes. What do we know about these vessels?

A comprehensive overview. Cross-file under Material Culture.

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Hasmonean-era sling bullet found at Yavneh

ANCIENT ARTIFACT: Greek Sling Bullet From Hasmonean Period Found in Yavne Reveals Case of Ancient Psychological Warfare. The bullet was inscribed with the slogan ‘Victory of Heracles and Hauronas,’ showing that emblazoning ammunition with threatening words isn’t a solely modern-day practice. Archeologists say ‘it’s not impossible’ that it was used in the conflict between the Greeks and the Hasmoneans. (Ofer Aderet, Haaretz).

"It's not impossible" is not exactly conclusive, but the object is an important find whether or not it has any connection with the Maccabean Revolt (or, perhaps not coincidentally, Hanukkah).

For the Tryphon sling stone from Tel Zif, see here.

The site of Yavne (Yavneh, Yavneh Yam) had produced many notable archaeological discoveries dating from the Iron Age to late antiquity and beyond. Some PaleoJudaica posts are here, here, here, here, here, here, and here, and follow the many links.

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

Jenkins, He Will Save You from the Deadly Pestilence (OUP)

THE ANXIOUS BENCH: My Latest Book! On “The Many Lives of Psalm 91.” Philip Jenkins has a New Book coming out imminently with Oxford University Press on the reception history of Psalm 91.

For PaleoJudaica posts on Psalm 91, some interacting with earlier posts by Professor Jenkins, see here and links.

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

The Gaza Roman cemetery is being excavated

ARCHAEOLOGY: Gaza: excavations begin at Roman cemetery (Middle East Monitor).

The director-general of the ministry, Jamal Abu Rida, pointed out that details about funerals during the Roman era have been discovered through the initial excavations. He said that the way that the remains of the bodies are arranged suggest that the people buried in the cemetery were high-ranking Romans. Abu Rida explained previously that "several discoveries" have been made in the past, but this is the "most important" archaeological discovery in the past ten years.

HT Rogue Classicism.

I noted the discovery of the cemetery by a construction crew earlier this year. Originally twenty graves were located, but they were expecting to find many more. The number is now estimated at "up to 100."

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Hartog & Perrin (eds.), The Dead Sea Scrolls in the Context of Hellenistic Judea (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

The Dead Sea Scrolls in the Context of Hellenistic Judea

Proceedings of the Tenth Meeting of the International Organization for Qumran Studies (Aberdeen, 5–8 August, 2019)

Series: Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah, Volume: 142

Volume Editors: Pieter B. Hartog and Andrew Perrin

Approaching the Qumran scrolls as an intrinsic part of Hellenistic and Roman antiquity, this volume shows how the authors and collectors of the Scrolls shared the interests of other inhabitants of the ancient Mediterranean and Near East and engaged in the same debates and dialogues as others in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Thus, this volume offers an invitation to both Scrolls scholars and academics working on other disciplines to create opportunities for interdisciplinary research and exchange.

Prices from (excl. shipping): €121.00

Copyright Year: 2023

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-52244-2
Publication date: 17 Oct 2022

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-52245-9
Publication date: 15 Nov 2022

I noted the CFP for the conference here.

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Meta-archaeology at the Sifting Project

THE TEMPLE MOUNT SIFTING PROJECT BLOG: THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF ARCHAEOLOGY.

About once a year, the soil stored on-site at our Mitzpe HaMassuot sifting facility runs out, and we must bring more from the Temple Mount soil reserves which are still stored in the Emek Tzurim National Park. This time we chose a storage area which we had always preferred to postpone for the future. Namely, a large quantity of Temple Mount soil that had been placed in landscaping terraces within the National Park.

Also, they still need contributions for the work.

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

Conference volume on Arrian's Alexander

BIBLIOGRAPHIA IRANICA: The World of Alexander in Perspective. Forthcoming book: Rollinger, Robert & Julian Degen (eds.). 2022. The World of Alexander in Perspective: Contextualizing Arrian (Classica et Orientalia 30). Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.

For many PaleoJudaica posts on Alexander and his connection with ancient Jewish traditions, notably in the Alexander Romance, start here and follow the links.

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

E. P. Sanders, 1937-2022

SAD NEWS: Professor E. P. Sanders passed away in November.

Remembering E.P. Sanders, a New Testament scholar who offered a new look at Judaism. Sanders forcefully called on fellow New Testament scholars to reject caricatures of Judaism (Mark Chancey, RNS).

... From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, Sanders turned out a series of massive tomes, including “Paul and Palestinian Judaism,” “Jesus and Judaism” and “Judaism: Practice and Belief 63 BCE–66 A.D.,” exploring the relationship between early Judaism and early Christianity. In his work and personally he forcefully called on fellow scholars to reject caricatures of Judaism and to immerse themselves more deeply in ancient Jewish sources. ...

Requiescat in pace.

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Saint Nicholas Day

'TIS THE SEASON: The REAL Saint Nicholas! December 6 (Carl Rassmussen, Holy Land Photos' Blog).

For more on the late antique, Anatolian, historical St. Nicholas, who hasn't much in common with Santa Claus, see here and links.

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Section of Roman road discovered in Galilee

ANCIENT INFRASTRUCTURE: ‘Highway of ancient world’: Part of an 1,800-year-old Roman road found in Galilee. Antiquities Authority says it was paved during the reign of emperor Hadrian; excavation works also unearth pottery shards, metal vessels and coins (Times of Israel).

For more on the Sanhedrin Trail, start here and follow the links.

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

Syriac poetry: "the original Christian Rock"

SYRIAC WATCH: Video: Theology Professor Jeff Wickes on The Formation of Syriac Christian Culture Through Poetry (Margaret McVeigh, University of Notre Dame, Department of Theology).

Jeff Wickes, associate professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame, focuses on the interplay between Syriac literature, theology, and liturgy in the context of late antique Christianity. Building projects that work from close readings of Syriac texts, he gravitates in his work towards larger questions of genre (especially poetry), religion, and theology as they play out within the historical horizons of late antique Christianity, and as those horizons meet our own in the contemporary world. ...

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

Money for Cartagena's archaeological heritage

PUNIC WATCH: Cartagena to spend 5.4 million euros on archaeological heritage in 2023. The Roman Amphitheatre and the Despeñaperros fortress are among the sites where Cartagena Town Hall will be concentrating its efforts (Murcia Today).

Cartagena, Spain, was a Punic town (Carthago Nova - New Carthage) founded in the third century B.C.E. It was important in the history of the Second Punic War. It is best known today for its annual Carthagianians and Romans Festival in September. For more, see here and links.

It is good to see that citizens of Cartagena are investing in the important archaeological heritage of their town.

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

Sokolskaya, Die griechische Bibel in Alexandrien (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Die griechische Bibel in Alexandrien

Ihre Legende und die exegetische Praxis im hellenistischen Judentum

Series: Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism

Author: Maria Sokolskaya

The translation of the Torah into Greek in Alexandria is an intriguing puzzle. Why was it undertaken at all? Was it a need of the Alexandrian Jews? Or did the Jewish wisdom intrigue the Egyptian ruler? Is the legend of the miraculous creation of the Septuagint a manifesto of cultural assimilation into the Hellenic culture? Does the Alexandrian Greek biblical exegesis, especially that of Philo, aim to break with the Hebrew tradition? According to this book, Philo, although not fluent in Hebrew himself, moves in the same shared Hebrew-Greek Torah universe that a closer look on the Septuagint legend reveals as well.

Die Übersetzung der Tora ins Griechische in Alexandrien ist ein intrigierendes Rätsel. Warum wurde sie überhaupt unternommen? War sie ein Bedürfnis der alexandrinischen Juden? Oder machte die jüdische Weisheit den ägyptischen Herrscher neugierig? Ist die Legende über die wundersame Entstehung der Septuaginta ein Manifest der kulturellen Assimilation an die hellenische Kultur? Bezweckt die alexandrinische griechische Bibelexegese, vor allem diejenige Philons, den Bruch mit der hebräischen Tradition und die Anpassung an die hellenistische Philosophie? Nach Ansicht dieses Buches bewegt sich Philon, obwohl selbst des Hebräischen nicht mächtig, in demselben gemeinsamen hebräisch-griechischen Tora-Universum, welches die Septuaginta-Legende bei näherer Betrachtung beschreibt.

Prices from (excl. shipping): €129.00

Copyright Year: 2023

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-52316-6
Publication date: 19 Sep 2022

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-52317-3
Publication date: 21 Oct 2022

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

Persian inscriptions at Persepolis

ANCIENT PERSIAN EPIGRAPHY: Magnificent ruins and clues about Persian script evolution (Tehran Times).

TEHRAN– Apart from matchless royal arts and architecture, the UNESCO-designated Persepolis, which was once the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (c. 550– 330 BC), holds treasured clues to the Persian writing and script as well.

[...]

This article has a good brief overview of the evidence, especially from Persepolis, for the Persian language, from Old Persian in cuneiform to the late-antique Middle Persian form called Pahlavi, written in a version of an Aramaic script.

For a recent post on a probably-Jewish graffiti inscription in the Aramaic language but written in the Pahlavi script, see here. I know; it gets complicated.

For many PaleoJudaica posts on Persepolis and its inscriptions, start here and follow the links.

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

Bickart, The Scholastic Culture of the Babylonian Talmud (Gorgias)

NEW BOOK FROM GORGIAS PRESS:

THE SCHOLASTIC CULTURE OF THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD
By Professor Noah Benjamin Bickart

The Scholastic Culture of the Babylonian Talmud studies how and in what cultural context the Talmud began to take shape in the scholastic centers of rabbinic Babylonia. Bickart tracks the use of the term tistayem ("let it be promulgated") and its analogs, in contexts ranging from Amoraic disciple circles to Geonic texts, and in comparison with literatures of Syriac-speaking Christians. The study demonstrates increasing academization during the talmudic period, and supports a gradual model of the Talmud's redaction.

Formats Hardback

Publication Status: In Print
Series: Judaism in Context 31
Publication Date: Oct 4,2022
Interior Color: Black
Trim Size: 6 x 9
Page Count: 263
Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-4632-0657-4

The online price as of this posting is $69 USD.

Cross-file under Talmud Watch.

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Lecture on the Judean Babylonian cuneiform archive

THE AL-YAHUDU ARCHIVE: Babylonian Tablets Unearth Insights into Judean Life in Exile. We shouldn’t rush to conclusions on details they do not reveal, expert says (Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review).

Beyond what the Bible says, mentions of Judean life during the Babylonian exile have generally been scarce throughout history. All of that changed in 2014, when archaeologists discovered about two hundred tablets written in cuneiform script that reveal aspects of the life of Jews who lived in Babylon at the time of the exile.

On November 16, at the 2022 Evangelical Theological Society annual meeting in Denver, Colorado, United States, Assyriologist and expert in Mesopotamic archaeology George Heath-Whyte discussed what the ongoing translation of the tablets reveals, what it doesn’t say, and what conclusions we can and cannot derive from those findings.

[...]

The article gives a good summary of what the tablets do and do not tell us.

For many posts on the Babylonian-Jewish cuneiform archive of Al-Yahudu, start here and follow the links.

The tablets are unprovenanced. For most inscriptions, that should make us dubious whether they are genuine. I have taken cuneiform tablets to be an exception to this rule, since they seem prohibitively hard to forge. But that may no longer be true.

In any case, cuneiform specialists take this archive to be unambiguously genuine. The question is outside my expertise.

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Biblical Studies Carnival 201

READING ACTS: Biblical Studies Carnival 201 for November 2022 (Phil Long).

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

Review of Jewish and Christian Women in the Ancient Mediterranean

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: Jewish and Christian Women in the Ancient Mediterranean (Alexiana Fry).

Sara Parks, Shayna Sheinfeld, and Meredith J.C. Warren. Jewish and Christian Women in the Ancient Mediterranean. New York: Routledge, 2022.

... If it hasn’t already been said before, Parks, Sheinfeld, and Warren make it easy to use this book as a full-fledged textbook for courses. Not only is the information within the book well formed, so too, are the many activities and discussion questions that are found within it for both pedagogical and even devotional purposes. ...

I noted the publication of the book here.

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Rituale und Magie in Ugarit (Mohr Siebeck)

NEW BOOK FROM MOHR SIEBECK: Rituale und Magie in Ugarit. Praxis, Kontexte und Bedeutung Herausgegeben von Reinhard Müller, Hans Neumann, Reettakaisa Sofia Salo unter Mitarbeit von Clemens Steinberger [Rituals and Magic in Ugarit. Practice, Contexts, and Meaning.] 2022. XV, 341 pages. Orientalische Religionen in der Antike 47. 139,00 € including VAT. cloth ISBN 978-3-16-156724-7.

Published in German.
Rituals and magical practices were a central aspect of the everyday life in the Ancient Near East and played a decisive role in all areas of life. They also influenced the history and culture of the Bronze-Age Ugarit, which can be seen through the textual and material evidence. The volume takes the diversity of these phenomena into account and surveys their social and cultural historical contexts.

The articles are in German and English.

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