Late-antique oil lamp inscribed with menorah excavated

FOR HANUKKAH: Rare oil lamp with Temple menorah found from time when Romans barred Jews from Jerusalem. Intricately designed 1,700-year-old artifact was discovered intact near the Mount of Olives, will go on display in Jerusalem (Gavriel Fiske, Times of Israel).

A rare, 4th-century CE ceramic oil lamp recently discovered during Israeli Antiquities Authorities excavations near the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem will be displayed to the public for the first time during the current Hanukkah holiday, the IAA said Thursday.

The unusual lamp is decorated with imagery related to the services in the Jewish Second Temple in Jerusalem, including a Temple menorah (which had seven branches, unlike the nine-branched menorahs used during Hanukkah). Also depicted on the small lamp are an incense shovel, which Temple priests used when making offerings, and a lulav, the date palm frond used during the Sukkot holiday.

[...]

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Narsai: The Homilies. Volume 1 (Peeters)

NEW BOOK FROM PEETERS:

Narsai: The Homilies. Volume 1

SERIES:
Eastern Christian Texts in Translation, 6

EDITORS:
Butts A.M., Heal K.S., Kitchen R.A.

PRICE: 58 euro
YEAR: 2024
ISBN: 9789042950986
PAGES: XVI-189 p.

SUMMARY:

Narsai, who is variously called “the tongue of the East” and “the harp of the Spirit”, is among the most important and influential Syriac authors. His life spanned the fifth century, which was a tumultuous time for Christians following the controversies surrounding the First Council of Ephesus, the Second Council of Ephesus, and the Council of Chalcedon. Playing a crucial role at this critical juncture, Narsai would ultimately be remembered as one of the foundational figures of the Church of the East. The present volume inaugurates the series Narsai: The Homilies, which aims to provide English translations of all the surviving homilies of Narsai. The homilies translated in this volume are “On Revelations to Patriarchs and Prophets (I)” (1), “On Jonah” (14), “On Peter and Paul” (8), “On Stephen” (10), “On Mary” (5), and “On the Evil of the Time” (12).

For another new translation of selected homilies by Narsai, see here. Cross-file under Syriac Watch.

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Anthony & Shoemaker, The Capture of Jerusalem (ISAC)

BIBLIOGRAPHIA IRANICA: The Capture of Jerusalem.

Notice of a New Book: Anthony, Sean W. & Stephen J. Shoemaker. 2024. The capture of Jerusalem by the Persians in 614 CE by Strategius of Mar Saba (Late Antique and Medieval Islamic Near East 5). Chicago: Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures.

Follow the link for description and link to the free downloadable pdf version.

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The oldest Hebrew manuscript of Esther?

GENIZA FRAGMENT OF THE MONTH (DECEMBER 2024): T-S A36.18 – hole-y megillah it’s the oldest! (Marc Michaels).

There is a long and technical paleographic analysis of the manuscript, which adds up to this:

Overall, it would seem that this megillah, represented by the single surviving fragment of T-S A36.18, was likely written sometime during the 10th century. This is clear from comparisons with the dated ketubba fragment T-S 24.35, the midrash on Esther, and the gimel, in particular, of the Codex Babylonicus from the National Library of Russia. However, it could even be a little earlier than that based on the Bodleian's Ms. Heb. d. 26.

The implications:

In conclusion, T-S 36.18 may have originally attracted attention because of its visually interesting damage pattern, but a full examination of this fragment has yielded what may be the oldest Megillat ʾEster fragment found to date.

The article notes that no fragments of the Book of Esther have been recovered from the Dead Sea Scrolls.

This Geniza manuscript may be the oldest preserved of the original Hebrew. There is at least one much older Greek manuscript. And at least one earlier manuscript of a Syriac translation.

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2025 digs in Israel etc.

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: Digs 2025. Join an excavation to unearth the biblical past (Nathan Steinmeyer).

Let us hope and pray that the war is over by next summer.

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Looting arrests at Horbat Binit

APPREHENDED: Suspects Caught Red-Handed Looting Galilee Archaeological Site (Pesach Benson / TPS, Jewish Press).

Horbat Binit is a significant ancient settlement known for its well-preserved agricultural installations, particularly olive oil production facilities. Situated on a remote hill between the villages of Ilaniya and Kfar Kana, the site is important for understanding the agricultural and economic life in the region during several historical periods, including the Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine eras.

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Hanukkah 2024

HAPPY HANUKKAH (CHANUKKAH, CHANUKAH, HANNUKAH) to all those celebrating! The eight-day festival begins tonight at sundown.

Last year's Hanukkah post is here. It links to earlier Hanukkah/Hasmonean-era-related posts. And see also here here, here, and here.

As noted in the immediately preceding post, this year's cosmic synchronicity places Christmas and the beginning of Hanukkah on the same day. Have a great day, however you choose to celebrate or enjoy it.

UPDATE (2 January 2025): Additional Hanukkah-related posts are here, here, here, and here.

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Christmas 2024

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all those celebrating!

For posts of Christmases past, see my 2023 Christmas post and links.

More recent Christmas-related posts are here, here, here, here, and here. And since we haven't yet done the Star of Bethlehem or the Magi this year, see also here.

In a cosmic synchronicity, Hanukkah also begins this evening. See the next post (above).

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Megillat Antiochus

FOR HANUKKAH: Megillat Antiochus: The “Biblical” Chanukah Scroll (Dr. A. J. Berkovitz, TheTorah.com).

The medieval Scroll of Antiochus does more than enrich Chanukah with details. It models the holiday after Purim by telling the story in the biblical language and idiom of Daniel, Ezra, and Esther.

For PaleoJudaica posts on Megillat Antiochus, start here and follow the links. Also see here.

We did not include this work in MOTP2, for reasons explained at the latter link. But for an English translation, see the link noted here.

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The origins of the Hanukkah menorah

HANUKKAH IS NEARLY HERE: The Hanukkah Menorah and Its Obscure Origins and Evolution. Ancient Jews also marked Hanukkah with fire, but the menorahs we know today are a modern innovation (Elon Gilad, Haaretz).

On Hanukkah Jews the world over light a menorah to commemorate a miracle that occurred at the height of the Maccabean revolution against their Greek oppressors in the 2nd century BCE. But that is a postfact explanation for a tradition whose origins are shrouded in mystery.

[...]

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When did December 25th become Christmas?

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: December 25th and Christmas. When did December 25 become the date for Christmas? (Megan Sauter).

This essay's answer to the question may surprise you.

For more on this subject, see here.

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What does Daniel 11 actually say about Antiochus IV?

HANUKKAH IS COMING: Antiochus IV’s Persecution as Portrayed in the Book of Daniel (Prof.Reinhard G. Kratz, TheTorah.com).

Two key accusations against Antiochus IV in 1 Maccabees are that he suspended the tamid, the daily offering, and that he placed an “abomination of desolation” on the Temple altar— either a cultic object or a new, pagan altar. What does the older source, Daniel 11:31, actually tell us about these two accusations and, more broadly, about Antiochus IV’s intervention in the Jerusalem cult?

Some interesting revisionist commentary on the account of Antiochus's desecration of the Temple in Daniel 11.

Some PaleoJudaica posts on Daniel 11 are here, here, here, here, here, here, and here, with links and commentary.

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

Where was Jesus born?

'TIS THE SEASON: A second Bethlehem? Some researchers re-think Jesus' birthplace. Recent findings suggest Jesus' birthplace may differ from tradition, with experts proposing Nazareth or another Bethlehem in Galilee (Jerusalem Post).

Scientists and historians are raising fresh questions over the long-held belief that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea. Recent archaeological findings and scholarly debates suggest that the historical birthplace of Jesus may not align with traditional narratives, with some experts proposing alternative locations such as Nazareth or another Bethlehem in Galilee.

[...]

I don't seem to have posted on this question since 2007, but I agree with what I said there and don't have much to add. The current article does refer to more evidence that Bethlehem of Judea may have been inhabited in the first century CE. It's also interesting, but not significant, that the apocryphal Protevangelium of James places Jesus' birth not quite in Bethlehem, but in the desert between Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

Jesus was born sometime around the turn of the era in Bethlehem of Judea, or another Bethlehem, or Nazarerth, or somewhere. We really don't know.

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Late-antique incised menorah defaced at Mount Karkom

VANDALISM: Ancient menorah carving vandalized at Mount Karkom as visitors return to site. Israel Nature and Parks Authority suspects deliberate defacement of ancient menorah engraving at Mount Karkom, with branches etched to obscure them; guide calls it attempt to erase Jewish history (Gilad Carmeli, Ynet News).

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Late-antique oil-lantern lamp excavated in Sepphoris

JUST IN TIME FOR HANUKKAH: Rare, intact 1,500-year-old ceramic lantern discovered in Galilee. Small clay lantern uncovered in Tzippori National Park dated to the 4th-6th centuries CE, was likely used by flourishing Jewish community there, archaeologists say (Gavriel Fiske, Times of Israel).

The small round lantern, dated to the Byzantine period (4th to 6th centuries CE), is just 18 centimeters in diameter and 19 centimeters high (4.1×4.5 inches) and could be rested on a flat surface or hung. It has a rectangular opening in the front, into which an oil lamp would be placed, and some 55 small openings or “light slits” around the body to radiate light, the notice said.

For more on the archaeology of Sepphoris (Zipori//Tzipori/Tzippori/Zippori), start here (cf. here) and follow the links.

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James Ossuary on display in Atlanta

CONTROVERSIAL ARAMAIC EPIGRAPHY: Ossuary inscribed with the words ‘brother of Jesus’ now on display in Atlanta. In 2003, its owner, Oded Golan, was accused of forging the inscription. Golan was later acquitted of all charges (Ami Matthew Bonder, Jerusalem Post).

An ancient ossuary inscribed with the words "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus" in now on display at Pullman Yards in Atlanta, sparking renewed controversy and debate over its authenticity and historical significance. The 2,000-year-old limestone box is part of an exhibition featuring 350 historical artifacts from the time of Jesus.

PaleoJudaica has followed the James Ossuary story from nearly the beginning. For the posts, start here and keep following the links. The authenticity of the second part of the inscription, "brother of Jesus," remains highly debated.

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

Those legs of the Queen of Sheba

PROF. JILLIAN STINCHCOMB: The Queen of Sheba’s Hairy Legs (TheTorah.com).

In the Bible, the Queen of Sheba is an unnamed foreign visitor to Solomon’s court. How did she later become a paradigmatic religious convert, Solomon’s wife, and the mother of Nebuchadnezzar and Menelik I, the founding figure of the Ethiopian royal court? The answer begins in the Qur’an.

For many PaleoJudaica posts on the Queen of Sheba and the legends about her, including about her legs, start here and and follow the links. And for posts on the the medieval Ethiopian national epic, the Kebra Negast, follow the links from there too.

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Forderer & Schumann (eds.), Antiocha I (Mohr Siebeck)

NEW BOOK FROM MOHR SIEBECK: Antiochia I. Frühchristliche und diasporajüdische Identitätsbildung im Ausstrahlungsbereich einer antiken Großstadt. Edited by Tanja Forderer and Daniel Schumann. [Antioch I. Early Christian and Diaspora Jewish Identity Formation in the Sphere of Influence of an Ancient Metropolis.] 2024. VIII, 502 pages. Civitatum Orbis MEditerranei Studia (COMES) 8. Published in German. €159.00 including VAT. cloth available 978-3-16-163900-5. Also Available As: eBook PDF €159.00.

Summary

Antioch on the Orontes is of great importance for the formation of Hellenistic Judaism in the Diaspora and the emergence of Christianity. This volume shows the factors that influenced the shape and development of both religious communities from different specialist perspectives and emphasizes the religious-historical significance of Antioch.

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Simkovich, Letters from Home (Eisenbrauns)

NEW BOOK FROM EISENBRAUNS:

Letters from Home

The Creation of Diaspora in Jewish Antiquity

Malka Z. Simkovich

“An excellent and thought-provoking analysis of Hellenistic period Jewish literature.”—Daniel L. Smith-Christopher, Catholic Books Review

$74.95 | Hardcover Edition
ISBN: 978-1-64602-274-8

$24.95 | Paperback Edition
ISBN: 978-1-64602-275-5

Available as an e-book

230 pages
6" × 9"
1 map
2024

Description

The announcement by the Persian king Cyrus following his conquest of Babylon in 539 BCE that exiled Judahites could return to their homeland should have been cause for celebration. Instead, it plunged them into animated debate. Only a small community returned and participated in the construction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. By the end of the sixth century BCE, they faced a theological conundrum: Had the catastrophic punishment of exile, understood as marking God’s retribution for the people’s sins, come to an end?

By the Hellenistic era, most Jews living in their homeland believed that life abroad signified God’s wrath and rejection. Jews living outside of their homeland, however, rejected this notion. From both sides of the diasporic line, Jews wrote letters and speeches that conveyed the sense that their positions had ancient roots in Torah traditions. In this book, Malka Z. Simkovich investigates the rhetorical strategies—such as pseudepigraphy, ventriloquy, and mirroring—that Egyptian and Judean Jews incorporated into their writings about life outside the land of Israel, charting the boundary-marking push and pull that took place within Jewish letters in the Hellenistic era. Drawing on this correspondence and other contemporaneous writings, Simkovich argues that the construction of diaspora during this period—reinforced by some and negated by others—produced a tension that lay at the core of Jewish identity in the ancient world.

This book is essential reading for scholars and students of ancient Judaism and to laypersons interested in the questions of a Jewish homeland and Jewish diaspora.

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What is "Late Antiquity?"

ASKING THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: What is “Late Antiquity”? (Michael L. Satlow). After a detailed and informative discussion, he concludes:

My own conception of Late Antiquity emerges from my background as a historian of Jews and Judaism. It thus covers the years 70 CE – 620 CE, with special attention to the third through sixth centuries (the rabbinic period). There has been much scholarly discussion, due to its relevance to the question of Christian origins, about whether there was a “common Judaism” when the Jerusalem Temple stood. Less attention has been paid to the time after the Temple’s destruction. Chronology, though, is only one component of Late Antiquity. Late Antiquity also gestures toward a shared culture. Jews are part of this fabric, neither central nor marginal. The evidence that they left can thus be seen as reflecting this wider culture, not as the parochial writings of an isolated community.

PaleoJudaica's focus is on the Second Temple Period to the end of Late Antiquity, so this question is of interest. I think everyone agrees (I know, I just jinxed it) that the Second Temple Period runs from the building of the Second Temple in the late 500s BCE to the destruction of its Herodian restoration in 70 CE. This overlaps with the Hellenistic and Roman Periods.

My conception of Late Antiquity is similar to Professor Satlow's. I would start it in the early third century CE (when the Mishnah was assembled) and like him take it to the rise of Islam in the early seventh century. Some would end it with the fall of Rome c. 400, others with the Carolingian Renaissance c. 800. I use the latter occasionally, when it suits me.

In any case, focus is not mandate. I try to maintain some relevance to ancient Judaism and not veer off into, e.g., politics and latest-thing current events. Within that range, I post on what I think is interesting. Anything pertaining directly to ancient Judaism, of course. But also most news involving Northwest Semitic epigraphy, many stories dealing with the broadly-construed biblical period, and some about the Middle Ages. Even an occasional modern story.

For more details see my About PaleoJudaica page.

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