Levine et al., Ancient Synagogues Revealed 1981-2022 (IES)

NEW BOOK FROM THE ISRAEL EXPLORATION SOCIETY:

Ancient Synagogues Revealed 1981-2022

300,00₪ Price

Author Lee I. Levine, Zeev Weiss, Uzi Leibner (eds.)

Year 2023

Publisher
Israel Exploration Society, The Institute of Archaeology- The Hebrew University of Jerusalem , Jeselsohn Epigraphic Center of Jewish History

This companion volume to Ancient Synagogues Revealed, published in 1981, apprises the reader of the latest archaeological and historical data culled from the excavations of ancient synagogues since that date. The articles, written by the excavators of these sites, reveal a plethora of synagogue buildings, artistic remains, inscriptions, and small finds that shed light on many aspects of this ancient institution and increase the number and range of scholarly interpretations and theories regarding the synagogue in the first millennium of its existence. Diverse aspects of the ancient synagogue—archaeology, history, art, epigraphy, language, and literature—allow for new and creative interpretations of these intriguing archaeological finds.

HT Todd Bolen at the Bible Places Blog

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

Monsters of the biblical world

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: Biblical Monsters. Seven mysterious creatures of the biblical world (Nathan Steinmeyer).

I'm not sure why we have a Halloween essay in July. But this is a good list, if incomplete.

I have collected many PaleoJudaica posts on biblical monsters here (and add here, here and here). For Beelzebul/Beelzebub and other manifestations of the diabolical one, see here and links, plus here.

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

Hensel et al. (eds.), Social Groups behind Biblical Traditions (Mohr Siebeck)

NEW BOOK FROM MOHR SIEBECK: Social Groups behind Biblical Traditions. Identity Perspectives from Egypt, Transjordan, Mesopotamia, and Israel in the Second Temple Period. Edited by Benedikt Hensel, Bartosz Adamczewski, and Dany Nocquet. 2023. VIII, 267 pages. Forschungen zum Alten Testament 167. 129,00 € including VAT. cloth ISBN 978-3-16-161887-1.

Published in English.
Is the Hebrew Bible purely a product of Jerusalem or were there various social groups who each played a role in its development during the Second Temple period? This is the guiding question of the present volume, which fills a crucial gap in recent research by combining current literary-historical, redactional and text-historical analysis of the Hebrew Bible with the latest results pertaining to the pluriform social and religious shape of early Judaism. For the first time, the thirteen articles in this volume address the phenomenon of religious plurality by bringing together archaeological, (religious-) historical, and literary-critical approaches. The articles by internationally renowned scholars cover the panorama of currently known social groups of Yahwistic character and the impact of this phenomenon on the making of the Hebrew Bible – from the Persian period to the time of Qumran.

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

Schmid, The Scribes of the Torah (SBL)

NEW BOOK FROM SBL PRESS:

The Scribes of the Torah: The Formation of the Pentateuch in Its Literary and Historical Contexts

Konrad Schmid

ISBN 9781628375237
Volume AIL 45
Status Available
Publication Date May 2023

Paperback $110.00
Hardback $130.00
eBook $110.00

A revised view of the Pentateuch with consequences for the broader literary history of the Bible

This collection of thirty-one studies on the Pentateuch represents more than twenty years of Konrad Schmid’s research and publications advocating for a new view of the Pentateuch’s formation. Schmid’s essays present the case for a Persian period Priestly document that provided a basic narrative thread to the Torah, which included separate, pre-Priestly components of narratives in Genesis and the Moses story. Schmid’s open discussion includes evidence from various fields, such as literary history, comparative cultural history, historical linguistics, epigraphy, and archaeology. The essays are divided into eight sections usefully structured around the themes of the Pentateuch in the Enneateuch, the history of scholarship, the formation of the Torah, Genesis, the Moses story, the Priestly document, legal texts, and the Pentateuch in the history of ancient Israel’s religion.

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

Review of Waters, King of the World: The Life of Cyrus the Great

LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS: Drowned in a Bowl of Blood (Josephine Quinn).

King of the World: The Life of Cyrus the Great
by Matt Waters.
Oxford, 255 pp., £21.99, September 2022, 978 0 19 092717 2

... Why should we care? Cyrus has received almost universal praise since his own time, and in ancient traditions is famed as a just ruler. Plato presents him as a guardian of free speech and reasoned argument, Cicero as a model of righteous empire. According to Isaiah, he was destined to ‘make justice shine upon the nations’. In the 20th century, Iranian shahs put him at the centre of national ideology, as an emblem of the country’s pre-Islamic past. Cyrus has long held out an alluring prospect of benevolent tyranny, and of liberty through order and imperial subjection.

This is, of course, an illusion. The peaceful capture of Babylon is remembered over the brutal battle for Opis a few weeks earlier. The return of the exiled Israelites is commemorated, but not the plight of the Phokaians, who fled a Persian siege of their city. The evangelicals are closer to the mark: Cyrus didn’t do things because they were good, but because they worked. What we make of that tells us more about ourselves than it does about him.

PaleoJudaica posts on the book are here and here.

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

More on that "underworld portal" cave

SPELUNCIC, CHTHONIC, NECROMANTIC ARCHAEOLOGY UPDATE: New finds show cave near Beit Shemesh may have been seen as a door to the underworld. Oil lamps and fragments of human skull lead archaeologists to believe Teomim Cave was used for necromancy, or communication with dead, some 1,700 years ago (Melanie Lidman, Times of Israel).

Zissu said one of the things that was so strange about excavating the archaeological discoveries from the cave was that there was so little digging. Instead, it was more like fishing the finds out of cracks in the rocks. The digging happened later, during the research phase, as the archaeologists sifted through research about ancient rituals and religions.

“Only later we became aware of other possibilities, that these could be the remains of necromancy rituals,” said Zissu. “We put our finds together with archaeological data from other digs and made this suggestion.”

I noted the announcement of the discovery of the cave, with link to the underlying HTR article, here. A potentially related post is here. This ToS article has some additional background information.

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

Another lead sarcophagus in Gaza?

ARCHAEOLOGY: 2nd Roman-era sarcophagus uncovered at Gaza's cemetery site (huaxia, Xinhua).

In February I noted the excavation of a lead sarcophagus at the Roman-era cemetery in Gaza. According to this Xinua article, a second one was found there in March. This is the first I have heard of it.

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

On marine archaeology

UNDERWATER ARCHAEOLOGY: Marine excavations offer glimpse into ancient history preserved under the sea. While much of Israel’s land has already been dug up and explored, archaeological discoveries underwater are just beginning to surface (Melanie Lidman, Times of Israel).

But for those still searching for the swashbuckling sense of adventure and discovery of uncovering ancient artifacts à la Indiana Jones, [Prof. Assaf] Yasur-Landau believes there’s no greater place to dig than underwater. There are hundreds of archaeologists in Israel, including more than 100 working at various academic institutions, and dozens working at the Israel Antiquities Authority. But only seven — five from universities and two at the IAA — are experts in underwater archaeology, he said. It’s one of the last unexplored frontiers in a country where archaeology regularly makes the news.

For PaleoJudaica posts on ancient shipwrecks, see here, here, here, here, here, here, and follow the many links.

There are also many posts on Marine (Maritime, Underwater) Archaeology more generally. For some relatively recent ones, see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here, with links. For many more, see the archive.

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

West Bank archaeology initiative

ARCHAEOLOGY AND POLITICS: Netanyahu on West Bank archaeology initiative: We’re deepening our roots. There are some 3,000 antiquity sites in the West Bank, of which 80% are in Area C, which is under IDF military and civilian control (Tovah Lazaroff, Jerusalem Post).

The government approved an initial NIS 120 million to embark on a wide-ranging plan to preserve archaeological sites in Area C of the West Bank, including the remains of the Maccabean palaces on the outskirts of the Palestinian city of Jericho.

[...]

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

Covenant – Concepts of Berit, Diatheke, and Testamentum (Mohr Siebeck)

NEW BOOK FROM MOHR SIEBECK: Covenant – Concepts of Berit, Diatheke, and Testamentum. Proceedings of the Conference at the Lanier Theological Library in Houston, Texas, November 2019. Edited by Christian A. Eberhart and Wolfgang Kraus in collaboration with Richard J. Bautch, Matthias Henze, and Martin Rösel. 2023. X, 720 pages. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 506. 179,00 € including VAT. cloth ISBN 978-3-16-161773-7.

Published in English.
The topic of covenant is as important to the study of ancient Near Eastern religions, Second Temple Judaism, early Christian literature, and the early Christian Church and Rabbinic Judaism as it is complex and disputed among ancient and modern scholars. It permeates much of biblical and cognate literature throughout many centuries. The essays in this collection explore the diverse spectrum of covenant concepts that emerged during this time period in different parts of the ancient Near East and the Eastern Mediterranean. They also discuss theological implications and later applications in mostly religious texts from different scholarly perspectives. The result is a detailed, comprehensive, and thorough presentation of the tremendous range of covenantal concepts and their complexities in biblical and cognate literature throughout the ages, together with a keen look at the history of pertinent scholarly research.

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

Tyrian coins in the reign of Elagabalus

NUMISMATICS: Long Table 145. Tumultuous Times: Tyre in Phoenicia Under the Emperor Elagabalus (American Numismatic Society video).

Cross-file under Phoenician Watch.

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

John the Baptist and the Mandaeans at SBL 2023

RELIGION PROF: New SBL Consultation on John the Baptist! Mandaean Convention in San Antonio! (James McGrath).

For many posts on Professor McGrath's work on John the Baptist and on the Mandeans (Mandaeans), see here and links, here, here, here and here

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

Jones, Priesthood, Cult, and Temple in the Aramaic Scrolls from Qumran (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Priesthood, Cult, and Temple in the Aramaic Scrolls from Qumran

Analyzing a Pre-Hasmonean Jewish Literary Tradition

Series: Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah, Volume: 145

Author: Robert E. Jones

The Hellenistic period was a pivotal moment in the history of the Jewish priesthood. The waning days of the Persian empire coincided with the continued ascendance of the high priest and Jerusalem temple as powerful political, cultural, and religious institutions in Judea. The Aramaic Scrolls from Qumran, only recently published in full, testify to the existence of a flourishing but previously unknown Jewish literary tradition dating from the end of Persian rule to the rise of the Hasmoneans. Throughout this book, Robert Jones analyzes how Israel’s priestly institutions are represented in these writings, and he demonstrates that they are essential for understanding the Jewish priesthood at this crucial stage in its history.

Prices from (excl. shipping): €139.00

Copyright Year: 2023

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-54616-5
Released online: 05 Jun 2023

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-54287-7
Publication date: 06 Jun 2023

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

On the Epic of Gilgamesh

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: The Epic of Gilgamesh. A Mesopotamian story of longing and loss (Marek Dospěl).

A good overview of the Akkadian Epic of Gilgamesh, its Sumerian antecedents and Mesopotamian transmission, its importance for biblical studies, and modern translations of it.

For more on the later survival of the figure Gilgamesh, notably in the Book of Giants, and also in modern popular culture, see here and links. And for many other PaleoJudaica posts on Gilgamesh and his epic, see here and links, plus here.

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

Edwards, In the Court of the Gentiles (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

In the Court of the Gentiles: Narrative, Exemplarity, and Scriptural Adaptation in the Court-Tales of Flavius Josephus

Series: Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism, Volume: 209

Author: David Edwards

Edwards explores how Josephus in Antiquities adapts the scriptural stories of Joseph and Esther in unexpected ways as models for accounts of more recent Jewish figures. Terming this practice “subversive adaptation,” Edwards contextualizes it within Greco-Roman literary culture and employs the concept of “discourses of exemplarity” to show how Josephus used narratives about past figures to engage Roman elites in moral reflection and pragmatic decision-making. This book supplies analysis of frequently overlooked accounts as well as Josephus’ broader literary strategies, and shows how ancient Jews appropriated imperial historiographical conventions and forms of discourse while countering Greco-Roman claims of cultural superiority.

Prices from (excl. shipping): €110.00

Copyright Year: 2023
E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-54906-7
Released online: 05 Jun 2023

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-54905-0
Publication date: 31 May 2023

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

Review of Augé, Field Manual for the Archaeology of Ritual, Religion, and Magic

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY BOOK REVIEW: Field Manual for the Archaeology of Ritual, Religion, and Magic, by C. Riley Augé (Thomas E. Emerson). HT Rogue Classicism.

Field Manual for the Archaeology of Ritual, Religion, and Magic
C. Riley Augé. New York: Berghahn 2022. Pp. 188. ISBN 978-1-80073-504-0 (ebook) $27.95.

... While Augé addresses her volume to archaeologists, it seems to me that it has value also for those involved more tangentially, such as researchers in material culture studies, epigraphers, historic site inter-preters, and members of the general public with interests in the spiritual side of the material world.

The review is open access.

This book would be of interest for a number of ancient sites in Israel, including Arad and, recently, the Te’omim Cave.

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

The Jerusalem Pilgrimage Road excavation

ARCHAEOLOGY: A new excavation of an ancient Jerusalem road expected to draw modern-day pilgrims. Inside City of David’s excavation of the ancient Pilgrimage Road, which once led directly to the Second Temple (Gabby Deutch, JewishInsider).

Known as the “stepped street,” or the “Pilgrimage Road,” the wide stone slabs that make up this pedestrian street were believed to be built by the Romans. The road was rediscovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority in 2004, after a sewage pipe burst. Archaeologists expect visitors to be able to walk the length of the road in two years, following the completion of an intricate excavation process.

For more than a decade now, archaeologists have overseen an underground excavation of the road, using heavy iron beams to prop up the above-ground infrastructure while they hollow out everything that has accumulated on top of the road over the past two millennia. Historians and archaeologists assert that the road connected the Pool of Siloam, a Roman-era pool used by Jewish pilgrims as a ritual bath, to the Second Temple.

PaleoJudaica posts on the Pilgrimage Road excavation and its discoveries are here (and links), here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and links.

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

On the influence of Indy

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: Indiana Jones and Archaeology. The good and bad of the Indiana Jones franchise (Nathan Steinmeyer). A timely and thoughtful essay.

No, digging up a 4,000-year-old lamp is not the same as finding the Holy Grail, but at that moment, you would not be able to tell the difference. The rush of your trowel hitting the earth, knowing that soon you will be uncovering clues to the daily life and activities of ancient people, is very much the same emotion of watching Indy unravel one of his ancient mysteries, discovering the lost object, and thwarting the villain.

Indy was a career inspiration for many of this generation's archaeologists and even biblical scholars. For me, somewhat earlier, it was Erich Von Däniken, for similar reasons.

Related recent post here.

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

Why so many stories in the Talmud?

TALMUD WATCH: Why Does the Talmud Include So Many Stories? The stories in the Talmud demonstrate the important difference between the law and the application of the law (Paul Socken, Jewish Journal).

The subtitle answers the question in the headline. But the article illustrates the point with — of course! — a story.

Why would volumes of intricate discussions of law include stories that are anything but legal? Stories that tell of demons, recount interpersonal relations, and often delve into the realm of the mystical are seemingly out of place in such a context. A fascinating example is found in Kiddushin 29b. The rabbis are discussing who should be sent to study at the yeshiva, the father or the son. The rabbis decide, surprisingly to the modern mind, that it should be the father unless the son is unusually gifted.

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

Be careful with fasting!

PROF. RABBI HERBERT BASSER: Ascetic Fasting and the Dangers of Piety (TheTorah.com).

To meet Yofiel, the angel of Torah, to ward off the devil, or to pronounce God's name are some reasons for ascetic fasting. But beware: Publicizing your fast not only negates your act of piety but can bring down divine wrath. Just ask Miriam daughter of Onion Leaf.

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