Paleography chair being axed at KCL

THE LAST PALAEOGRAPHY (PALEOGRAPHY) CHAIR IN THE UK is being eliminated by Kings College London, and all hell is starting to break loose. As it should.

Writing off the UK's last palaeographer

o John Crace
o The Guardian, Tuesday 9 February 2010

The decision by a London university to axe the UK's only chair in palaeography has been met by outrage from the world's most eminent classicists. John Crace on why the study of ancient writings matters – and why history will be lost without it

Dry, dusty and shortly to be dead. Palaeographers are used to making sense of fragments of ancient manuscripts, but King's College London couldn't have been plainer when it announced recently that it was to close the UK's only chair of palaeography. From ­September, the current holder of the chair, Professor David Ganz, will be out of a job, and the subject will no longer exist as a separate academic discipline in British universities. Its survival will now depend entirely on the whim of classicists and medievalists studying in other fields.

The decision took everyone by ­surprise. "It was only recently that Rick Trainor [the principal of King's] was calling the humanities department [to which palaeography is attached] the jewel in the university's crown," says Dr Mary Beard, professor of ­classics at Cambridge University. "There had been a complete overhaul of ­minority disciplines in the mid-1990s, so there was consensus that everything had been pared down to the bare minimum."

How things change. With Lord Mandelson – in his incarnation as secretary of state for business, industry and skills – now imposing a minimum 10% cut in spending throughout higher education, universities are looking to slash and burn departments. And esoteric subjects such as palaeography are easy targets; they attract comparatively few students and, most importantly, comparatively little in the way of research grants – the only way the past few governments have measured a subject's worth.

But if Trainor was hoping palaeography would do the decent thing, he badly misjudged the situation. Professor Ganz – the fourth person to have held the chair since it was endowed in 1949 – didn't roll over and die quietly. "On the assumption that this means the end of the chair of palaeography, I am having to fight for my subject," he says, "and I have been deeply moved by the level of support from friends, many of whom I have never met."

That's pretty much all Ganz is saying for now – but, having initially raised a very restrained, academic form of hell, others are now doing the talking for him. A Facebook page to save the chair has more than 4,000 members, and many of the world's most distinguished classicists have petitioned King's to ­reconsider its position. Even his ­students are stepping in to defend him. "Without a palaeography professor such as David Ganz, not only will King's be sorely deprived of a basis on which to teach almost every other university discipline," says Alexandra Maccarini, "but the study of humanities everywhere will suffer from the absence of a devoted specialist in the subject."

[...]

If you are on Facebook, please go and join the Facebook page, which is here. I have. And whether you are on Facebook or not, you can sign the petition (currently has almost 5500 signatures, including mine) here.

The article is quite sympathetic and offers a robust defense of palaeography. A couple of excerpts:

Either way, the point is much the same. It's not just that we wouldn't have a clue what the Dead Sea Scrolls or the Cyrus Cylinder (over which the British Museum and the Iranian government are currently locking horns) actually mean without palaeography; we wouldn't know how to evaluate their historical importance. Multiply this by every fragment and every hand-written folio, and the history of the world begins to be up for grabs.
[...]

Giving up on palaeography is like giving up on art, history and culture. It's like deciding we know all we want to know about the past, so we're not going to bother to find out any more: "It's not as if we can come back to it in 15 years' time if we then decide there's enough money," says Beard. "Palaeography can't be taught in an online tutorial; it's a skill handed down from one academic to another. If King's does go through with its decision, it's the end of the subject in this country."

One criticism of the piece though; it shouldn't assume that subjects like paleography can't bring in research grant money. The research councils and other funding sources recognize the value of such things and are quite willing to fund projects on them if they are well thought out. My own (comparably arcane) research on the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha depends heavily on palaeographic work (my own and that of many others) and I have raised more than £100,000 in research grants for it in the last five years.

I hope the Principal of KCL reconsiders this action and does the right thing.

Ph.D. scholarship on Second Temple Judaism at Groningen

NOTE THE PH.D. SCHOLARSHIP on Second Temple Judaism at the University of Groningen, on which I posted this weekend.

Row over Cyrus Cylinder takes a new twist

THE ROW OVER THE CYRUS CYLINDER has taken a new twist:

Iran cuts cultural links with British Museum over Cyrus Cylinder

Lucy Bannerman (London Times)

Iran has severed all cultural ties with the British Museum over the institution’s failure to hand over an ancient Persian treasure.

At the centre of the diplomatic row is a 2,500-year-old cuneiform tablet, known as the Cyrus Cylinder, which most historians regard as the world’s first declaration of human rights.

Curators had been due to lend the artefact to Tehran last month, but announced that the handover would be delayed after the discovery of new tablets that they believe could help its research. The delay has provoked the anger of Iranian officials, who announced an end to dialogue yesterday in protest at a decision that they believe is politically motivated.

[...]

Given the shaky prospects of the current Iranian regime, it may be just as well if the artifacts don't go there anytime soon. Background and related thoughts are here.

50th anniversary

50TH ANNIVERSARY:

February 8, 1960: Tel Aviv, Israel — Archaeologists hoped today they may have uncovered another cache of 'Dead Sea Scrolls' in an obscure cave once used as a hideout by rebels against the Romans. They reported finding fragments of parchment scrolls, believed to have been written about the same time as the Dead Sea scrolls. The new scrolls are the first found on the Israel side of the Dead Sea.

This must be referring to Yigael Yadin's excavations of the Bar Kokhba caves, which did produce some impressive epigraphic discoveries in 1960, including battle communiques dictated by Bar Kokhba himself.

Temple Mount Watch: Mughrabi Gate bridge

TEMPLE MOUNT WATCH: Jordan is still resisting renovations to the Mughrabi (Mugrabi) Gate bridge:

BJordanian Pressure Preventing Western Wall Walkway Construction

by Gil Ronen

(IsraelNN.com) Jordanian pressure is preventing the completion of a walkway to the Temple Mount next to the Western Wall (Kotel), according to Nadav Shragai, senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

[...]

The plan for renovating the walkway to the Rambam Gate has been approved, Shragai said, but the government is delaying its implementation. “At first they wanted the bridge to be suspended from support columns,” the veteran former journalist explained, “but environmental groups objected. In the end it was decided that the bridge would be placed on what remains of the [dirt] ramp, in order to avoid damage to houses in the Mughrabim neighborhood. This plan currently has the necessary approvals and all that is needed is a construction permit from the Kotel Heritage Fund which answers to the Prime Minister's Office. For some reason, because of pressure from the Jordanian government, the government is not granting this permit.”

[...]

Background here.

James Tabor lecture: What kind of Jew was Jesus?

JAMES TABOR is lecturing on "What Kind of Jew was Jesus?"

How would Jesus worship? Scholar to address Jewishness of Jesus at UNCA

By Arnold Wengrow • February 7, 2010 (Citizen-Times)

ASHEVILLE — Should Jews who are committed to their faith be interested in Jesus? Would Christians who believe in the divinity of Christ want to know about Jesus the Jew?

James Tabor, a scholar of early Christianity, says he will pose these “deliberately provocative” questions in his talk “What Kind of Jew Was Jesus?” at 7 p.m. Thursday at UNC Asheville's Reuter Center.

“Next to Moses, Jesus was the most famous Jew on the planet,” Tabor said in a telephone interview from his office at UNC Charlotte, where he chairs the religious studies department. “If he was a faithful Jew in his own world,” he said, “there's a sense, as (Jewish philosopher) Martin Buber said, that Jews can reclaim him. Not as what the church made him, but as he was.”

Christians should be interested in the Jewishness of Jesus, Tabor said, because “whatever their theology might be, history must be brought in. Even the Catholic Church is interested.”

Tabor, the author of “The Jesus Dynasty,” a book about the historical Jesus and his family, noted that the current pope, Benedict XVI, is writing a two-volume book that discusses both the history and the theology of Jesus' life.

[...]

For the "Jesus Family Tomb" or Talpiot Tomb, see here and follow the links.

Essay on names in Genesis 1-11

AN ESSAY ON NAMES IN GENESIS 1-11 has been published at Bible and Interpretation:

Names in Genesis 1-11

The names are often overlooked by modern readers, but not by the ancient Israelites, who understood Hebrew.

See Richard S. Hess, Studies in the Personal Names of Genesis 1-11 (Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2009)

By Richard S. Hess
Earl S. Kalland Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages
Denver Seminary
February 2010

One of his conclusions is that some of these names are very old indeed.

By the way, the name Japheth is surely related to the name of the Greek Titan Iapetus.

Essay on the Archangel Gabriel

THE ARCHANGEL GABRIEL is the subject of an essay at Bible and Interpretation:

Gabriel Blow Your Horn! - A Short History of Gabriel within Jewish Literature

From the ancient to the modern world, angels have been the subject of fascination and wonder. Perhaps only second to Michael in fame, the angel Gabriel has enjoyed a long and celebrated history among Jews and Christians alike.

By David L. Everson
Classics Department
Xavier University (Cincinnati, OH)
December 2009

An interesting discussion of early references to Gabriel. I'm not clear why the book of Daniel is segregated from "Second Temple Literature," especially inasmuch as most scholars think the Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 1-36) is earlier than Daniel. Gabriel is also mentioned in the Qumran War Scroll and also, of course, in the recently published Vision of Gabriel inscription (see here and here and follow the links). The latter really ought to have been noted.

Book Review (BMCR): Bagnall, Early Christian Books in Egypt

BOOK REVIEW (BMCR):

Roger S. Bagnall, Early Christian Books in Egypt. Princeton/Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2009. Pp. xv, 100. ISBN 9780691140261. $29.95.

Reviewed by Benjamin Garstad, Grant MacEwan University (garstadb@macewan.ca)

Roger Bagnall is one of the foremost authorities on the written remains of Roman Egypt and the evidence they offer us for a lost world, but in this slender volume he wears his formidable learning lightly. The four essays that make up the book are adapted from lectures he gave at the École Pratique des Hautes Études in Paris in 2006. They offer engaging and approachable insights into a field of research in which even professional classicists are compelled to defer to the training and experience of experts, but which remains of interest to many. With a sweeping breadth that sacrifices remarkably little in the way of convincing depth, Bagnall makes an up-to-date survey of the topic of early Christian books in Egypt, indicates where (and why) research may have gone astray in the past, and points the way forward for future work.

[...]

This part in particular is of interest:

Bagnall follows his argument for the paucity of Christian literary remains we should expect before the turn of the second century with a pair of case studies. The first concerns Carsten Peter Thiede's attempt to date the Magdalen papyrus fragment of the Gospel of Matthew to the first century and support his overall contention that the Gospel was composed before the fall of Jerusalem in 71. I can only imagine that it was the notoriety of this case which suggested it as an example of a private or partisan agenda skewing the scholarship of early Christian papyri toward an early date. It certainly required no subtlety for Bagnall to demolish Thiede's claims for the benefit of the reader. Indeed, it might be considered a mean-spirited exaggeration to describe an affair which might have been dismissed with a shrug as "gruesome" and "horrifying" and to characterize Thiede's ZPE article as a parody of academic form with none of its substance, particularly in light of his recent death. De mortuis nihil nisi bonum, after all. Without lash in hand Bagnall seems, by contrast, inconclusive in his treatment of Antonio Carlini's suggestion that a fragment of the Shepherd of Hermas might belong to the first half of the second century. Carlini himself concedes that the palaeographic evidence is at odds with the testimony of the Muratorian Canon (dated to near the end of the second century) that the Shepherd was written during the episcopate of Pius in Rome (142-55). Bagnall offers a generous hearing to Carlini's resolution of the problem with reference to the composite nature of the Shepherd and the possibility that we might find remains of its independently circulating parts. The Hermas fragments highlight the complications of serious and disinterested scholarship. The contrasting examples of early dating might have played well to the audience of a lecture, but are perhaps not so instructive in the less ephemeral format of a written essay.

The late Prof. Thiede's attempts to find fragments of the Greek New Testament among the Dead Sea Scrolls have also not been found persuasive. Also, the Muratorian Canon has been redated to the fourth century by some scholars.

An early codex of the book of Isaiah also figures in the book.

St. Anthony's monastery restored

ST. ANTHONY'S MONASTERY in Egypt has undergone restoration:

World's oldest monastery restored

(BBC)

Egypt has completed the restoration of reputedly the world's oldest Christian monastery, called Saint Anthony's.

The monastery is believed to be 1,600 years old. The government-sponsored restoration project cost over $14m (£8.9m) and took more than eight years.

The monastery is a popular site for Coptic Christian pilgrims.

The restoration comes soon after Egypt's worst incident of sectarian violence in a decade, when six Copts were shot dead on Christmas Eve.

[...]

Of tangential interest to PaleoJudaica, but noted because of the connection the Egyptian authorities (including Zahi Hawass) have been making with the Nag Hammadi murders, already covered here. And the restoration is a good demonstration that the Egyptian Government is taking care of non-Muslim antiquities. This should go without saying, of course, but under current circumstances I can see why they would want to emphasize it.

Second Temple Judaism Ph.D. position at Groningen

A PH.D. POSITION dealing with Second Temple Judaism is being advertised at the University of Groningen. Mladen Popovic e-mails:

PhD position The Jewish Revolt against Rome (0,9 fte) (210026) at the Qumran Institute of the University of Groningen, the Netherlands

The Graduate School of Theology and Religious Studies of the University of Groningen is looking for a PhD candidate (0,9 fte) for the project 'The Jewish Revolt against Rome: Religious Groups and the Shaping of Identities in First-Century Judaea'.

This PhD position is financed by a grant of the SNS/Reaal Fund. It will run parallel to the interdisciplinary NWO VENI project The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Jewish War against Rome (66-70), which investigates the impact of Rome on the self-understanding of a Jewish group at Qumran prior to the revolt. PhD candidates are expected to carry out research within the historical and a f first-century Judaea in relation to the impact of the Roman Empire on the region and the conflict of 66-70/73. Projects may investigate e.g. Flavius Josephus' position, specific Jewish groups, Roman reactions, specific sites, regions or interregional connections from different perspectives and on the basis of different sources (literary, archaeological and/or numismatic). The final form of the PhD project will be determined in consultation with the PhD candidate.

We are looking for enthusiastic candidates with a Master's degree or equivalent, in a (sub)discipline in which the doctoral study will take place. Candidates with a degree in Hebrew Bible, J! ewish Stu assics, or Archaeology are especially encouraged to apply.

The degree must have been obtained within a reasonable period of time and with results that justify the expectation that the student will be able to successfully complete the programme in four years.

This PhD position is available as of September 1st, 2010.

Signed applications should be received by the Graduate School Office by March 1.

For additional information see:

http://www.rug.nl/ggw/vacatures/10PhDJRR

BBC: Archaeology and the struggle for Jerusalem

THE POLITICS OF JERUSALEM ARCHAEOLOGY is addressed by the BBC in Archaeology and the struggle for Jerusalem. Like the essay I commented on a couple of days ago, this article raises a number of valid concerns, but it too ignores entirely the part played by Islamist denial of basic historical facts such as the existence of Jewish Temples on the Temple Mount in antiquity. It's curious that this myopia is so common among Westerners who comment on the situation.

The Samaritan High Priest has passed away

THE SAMARITAN HIGH PRIEST has passed away.

Samaritans mourn their high priest
BY BEN HARTMAN
05/02/2010 05:00 (Jerusalem Post)

Elazar ben Tsedaka, 83, ‘wise’ and ‘selfless,’ traced his office back to Aaron.

Snow flurries drifted to the ground on Mount Gerizim overlooking Nablus on Thursday, as mourners gathered to bury the spiritual leader of the Samaritans, who passed away the previous day.

High Priest Elazar ben Tsedaka ben Yitzhaq was born during a snowstorm 83 years ago, one mourner said. On Thursday, as he was being laid to rest at the holiest site in the Samaritan religion, the snow began to fall again.

According to Samaritan tradition he was the 131st holder of the post since Aaron. This is not be accepted by all historians, but the office may well go back to the Hellenistic period, which would still make it the oldest office in the world. One account in Josephus suggest that it is an offshoot of the Zadokite high priests in Jerusalem from around the time of Alexander the Great.

Mourners took shelter from the storm inside the community center in the hilltop neighborhood of Kiryat Luza, where much of the ethnoreligious group of 730 lives. Nearly all the rest live in Holon’s Neveh Pinchas neighborhood.

Inside, well over 100 men gathered in a somber, eerily quiet ceremony around the casket holding Elazar, who will be replaced as head priest by his cousin Aharon Ben-Av Hisda Cohen.

[...]

Photos of the funeral are here. I don't know what Samaritans say for this, but I hope that may his memory be for a blessing will serve.

(Heads up, Carla Sulzbach.)

Rashi's Daughters trilogy completed

THE RASHI'S DAUGHTERS TRILOGY by Maggie Anton is now complete.

Background here.

On the congeniality of an apocalyptic Jesus

HELEN BOND finds an apocalyptic Jesus all too congenial to today's world and therefore no safeguard against distortion when we try to reconstruct the historical Jesus (Bible and Interpretation again). In the 1980s the Jesus Seminar found a Jesus that always looked to me suspiciously like a contemporary American humanities professor, so the problem is not new. The best rule of thumb is to try to follow the evidence on a detailed level where it leads, without assuming that any reconstruction is likely to be more objective in principle than any other. And it's also important to face the fact that our historical evidence for Jesus was not written with our interests in mind and may well not suffice for the type of historical reconstruction of his ministry and his teaching which we want.

Biblical Scholarship and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

JULIA M. O'BRIEN has recently visited Israel and the West Bank and has reflections on Biblical Scholarship and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict at Bible and Interpretation. She is quite right that solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian issues must be political ones and that uncritical use of the Bible and ideological use of the archaeology of the area are entirely unhelpful. That said, I was disappointed that she completely ignored the Islamist ideologies that are very much in play and which try to deny any historical connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel/Palestine, often resorting to Orwellian dismissal of the historical evidence (as with the persistent denial that there was a Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount). Scholars need to combat both trends so that the politicians can proceed without distraction by historically worthless ideologies. PaleoJudaica spends a good deal of time on this problem.

UPDATE (5 February): Related thoughts here.

The Holiness Code cramps today's Jerusalem lifestyle

ABIGAIL PICKUS is finding that those laws in the Holiness Code of Leviticus are cramping her social life in Jerusalem. Note especially Leviticus 20:13 and 21:14.

Biblical Studies Carnival 50 (?)

BIBLICAL STUDIES CARNIVAL 50 (or something) has been posted by Duane Smith at Abnormal Interests.

Clergy on the Milwaukee DSS exhibition

CLERGY WEIGH IN on the Milwaukee Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition:

Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit creating local excitement

MICHAEL BURKE mburke@journaltimes.com | Posted: Monday, February 1, 2010 7:00 am |

The Milwaukee appearance of the Dead Sea Scrolls has enlivened interest in the ancient documents among Christians and Jews alike, say area clergy.

[...]

A rabbi and two ministers comment.

Background here.

Lunar Calendar Conference in Jerusalem

A CONFERENCE ON THE LUNAR CALENDAR has just been held at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem:

Conference Shed Moonlight on Lunar Calendar

by Yoni Kempinski

(IsraelNN.com)

The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem hosted an international conference January 30 through February 1, called: Living the Lunar Calendar: Time, Text and Tradition. Leading international scholars presented three days of lectures, sessions and events, including a fully-guided tour to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were hidden for centuries.

A partial list of speakers included: Prof. Lawrence H. Schiffman, New York University; Prof. Sacha Stern, University College London; Prof. Wayne Horowitz, Hebrew University Jerusalem; Prof. John Steel, Brown University USA; Prof. Stanislaw Iwaniszewski, National Institute of Anthropology and History, Mexico; Dr. Jonathan Ben-Dov, University of Haifa.

[...]

There's also a video interview with Larry Schiffman and Sacha Stern. And the cuneiform calendrical tablet in the Bible Lands Museum is also mentioned. For more on it, see here.

Companion presentation to Milwaukee DSS exhibition

THE MILWAUKEE DEAD SEA SCROLLS EXHIBITION is connected to a companion show at a local planetarium:

Stars align for Dead Sea Scrolls

Posted: Jan. 31, 2010 (Journal-Sentinel)

The Milwaukee Public Museum's new exhibit, "Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible," reveals many secrets of the famous scrolls. Find out the answer to more of their mysteries at the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium's companion presentation, "Secrets of the Dead Sea."

[...]

Background here.

Update on the Raphael Golb case

THE RAPHAEL GOLB online-impersonation case has taken a new twist according to Inside Higher Ed:

But new court documents point to evidence suggesting that Norman Golb, his wife, Ruth, and their other son, Joel, were aware of the alias-based campaign and may have assisted in carrying it out. Raphael Golb stands accused of harassing various scholars who do not believe that the Dead Sea Scrolls originated in Jerusalem — a theory Norman Golb advocated in a 1995 book. The new documents, released last month, purport to show transcripts of e-mails exchanges among members of the Golb family indicating coordinated efforts to advance Norman Golb’s theories though Web aliases. They also include sharp criticisms of Schiffman, which the prosecution is trying to use as evidence of motive and intent for the identity theft — the only felony charge against Raphael Golb. The evidence was released to the court after the defense moved to suppress it. Norman Golb could not be reached for comment.

See the article itself for a link to the relevant "new court documents." An e-mail from Norman Golb to Inside Higher Ed is quoted later in the article, but it seems not to be addressing this latest accusation.

Background here.

Phoenicia reaches South Africa

THE GOOD SHIP PHOENICIA has reached South Africa:

Phoenicia - they've reached South Africa

(Sail-World)
.
Leg by leg, they're getting there.

Recreating the first circumnavigation of Africa in a 600BCE replica boat was never going to be easy.

But this week Phoenicia was greeted with a very warm welcome at Richards Bay in South Africa, a little north of Durban.

A convoy of 21 yachts came out to meet Phoenicia and back at the Zululand Yacht Club a party of journalists, television cameras, port officials and local supporters were ready to welcome the Phoenician Ship Expedition team to South Africa.

[...]

Background here.

Gnosticism: here come the laywers

GNOSTICISM: HERE COME THE LAWYERS.

Lawyers criticise Charity Commission's decision on gnostics

By Paul Jump, Third Sector, 26 January 2010

Regulator 'obliged to draw on absurd case law'

The Charity Commission's rejection of the Gnostic Centre's application for charitable registration is "begging" to be appealed to the charity tribunal, according to charity lawyer Rosamund McCarthy.

An internal commission review decided that gnosticism did not meet the legal definition of a religion because it did not promote "a positive, beneficial, moral or ethical framework" .

But McCarthy, a partner at Bates Wells & Braithwaite, said the case law the commission was obliged to draw on was "absurd" and needed to be tested legally. She said it was also possible that the commission had breached the Human Rights Act, which requires religions and other moral belief systems to be treated equally.

[...]

Can't say I'm surprised. Background here.

Latest on Milwaukee DSS exhibition

THE LATEST on the Milwaukee Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibition:

Dead Sea Scrolls stir pride in Jewish community

By Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Jan. 29, 2010

When organizers started planning Sunday's Jewish community event around the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum, they were hoping for 100, maybe 150, takers.

No one expected the overwhelming response that is propelling Jewish Night at the Museum into one of the largest events in the local Jewish community in years.

As of Friday, more than 500 people had registered.

They are drawn not only by the scrolls - these 2,000-year-old remnants of Jewish texts excavated from caves in the Judean desert - but also, according to organizers, a sense of pride and community.

[...]

Events involving the Dead Sea Scrolls always seem to draw more interest than the organizers expect.

Background here.

Jesus and Anacreon

A NEW ESSAY at Bible and Interpretation:

Jesus and Anacreon: The Gospels as Copy Exercises

Looking for the “origin” of a gospel is bit like looking for the body of Jesus in the tomb on Easter morning: it was here just a minute ago.

By R. Joseph Hoffmann

Excerpt:

I mention Anacreon because he stands at the beginning of a long tradition of preservation through imitation. In a 1958 collection of his work by Bruno Gentili (Rome, Edizioni dell’ Ateneo) the editor for the Classical Review of that year complained that at least 37 of the poems included as genuine–based on his assessment of vocabulary, testimonia, and metrics–were not authentic and should be moved to an appendix or to the nearest dustbin. There is even a suggestion that the editor tried to smuggle some very obviously non-anacreonic verse into the edition because he thought they were “pretty”—for shame.

What everyone knows about classical tradition, however, is that Anacreon’s name, reputation, style and prestige is preserved through the art of literary imitation. –Through copying.

New Testament scholars are very much more familiar with classical civilization than they used to be. So much so that biblical studies on the New Testament side has matured enormously in the twentieth and early twenty-first century from the parochial theological discipline it was in the nineteenth. But at a programmatic level, it needs to scrap the idea of authorial attribution completely and to acknowledge that the production of New Testament gospels, at least in the case of the synoptics, was an anacreonic process—a process of imitation, based on the desire to imitate and enhance rather than merely to produce or propagate an original. Admirers of the Jesus-story were using a prototype for copy exercises. Whose story it was is of no importance, and remains of no importance well into the second century.

Interesting.

Tu B'Shevat begins this evening

TU B'SHEVAT "the new year for trees," begins tonight at sundown.

Gnosticism does not qualify for charitable status

GNOSTICISM (at least in one form) is not a religion and does not qualify for charitable status according to the UK Charities Commission:

Commission rejects Gnostic Centre's bid for charitable status

By Paul Jump, Third Sector Online, 15 January 2010

Review by regulator upholds earlier decision to turn down application

The Charity Commission has rejected an application for charitable status from an organisation that promotes an ancient mystical belief system called gnosticism.

The Gnostic Centre, which is based in Leeds, applied to be a charity with the possible purposes of advancing education, advancing religion or promoting the moral or spiritual welfare or improvement of the community.

However, in an internal review carried out by two of the regulator's board members, the commission upheld its earlier decision to reject the application.

The board members decided that the Gnostic Centre did not advance education as understood in charity law because its objects included the promotion of modern gnosticism, whereas education had to be "based on broad values that are uncontroversial and would generally be supported by objective and informed opinion".

The centre told the commission that gnostics believed the world was created by a lesser god, while gnostics' efforts were concentrating on getting in touch with the true, higher god.

The board members agreed that gnosticism possessed some of the legal qualities of a religion, such as belief in a supreme being, but did not promote "a positive, beneficial, moral or ethical framework" because it focused too narrowly on the spiritual welfare of individuals.

The commission found no evidence of "shared morals or ethics" among the movement's followers and said the centre needed to provide hard evidence that as people's spiritual awareness increased, they "exhibited positive behaviours for the benefit of society".

[...]

A follow-up article here indicates that the Gnostic Centre may appeal. The website of the Leeds Gnostic Centre is here. I'm not a lawyer and I don't know how accurately the board's position is being represented in this article, but if they really think they can formulate a legally useful definition of religion, I wish them joy.

Gesenius conference in Halle, Germany

CONFERENCE ON GESENIUS:

Conference at the University of Halle (Germany), 14-18 March 2010

"Biblical Exegesis and Hebrew Lexicography: Gesenius' Hebrew Dictionary as Resource and Mirror of Old Testament Scholarship, throughout 200 Years since its first Publication"

Wilhelm Gesenius (1786-1842), professor for Biblical studies at the University of Halle, was the founder of modern Hebrew lexicography and grammar. His numerous works on Hebrew and on further Semitic languages were most influential, especially his "Hebraeisch-deutsches Handwoerterbuch" and the "Thesaurus philologicus criticus linguae Hebraeae et Chaldaeae Veteris Testamenti".

The conference, celebrating 200 years since the first edition of the "Handwoerterbuch" was published in 1810, will deal with different aspects of the lexicographical and exegetical work of Wilhelm Gesenius, its basis and its influence, its different editions, its re-worked editions, and its translations. The central question will be how Biblical exegesis influenced the dictionary and its development during its different editions, on the one hand, and how the dictionary influenced the critical exegesis of the Hebrew Bible, on the other.

Jewish Studies Postdoc at Colgate

A JEWISH STUDIES POSTDOC is being advertised at Colgate University.

NEH Grant for Cynthia Baker

CONGRATULATIONS TO PROFESSOR CYNTHIA BAKER, who has received an NEH Grant for work in Jewish studies:

Religion professor receives NEH grant for 'identity terms' research
Posted by: Bates Views on Tuesday, January 26, 2010

"Identity terms" are the words that people use to affiliate themselves and others with particular groups — ethnic, racial, religious, social and so on.

Cynthia Baker, associate professor of religious studies at Bates [College in Maine], recently received $50,400 from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support her research into one of history's most fraught identity terms: "Jew," a word that can convey praise, pride, prejudice or pure description.

No studies exist that analyze the use and the historical development, from ancient times through the postmodern era, of that term, Baker says. The NEH grant will enable her to research and write a book slated for publication in the "Key Words in Jewish Studies" series published by Rutgers University Press.

The book will map the emergence, evolution and current permutations of the term "Jew." Baker's yearlong research will involve experts and archives in the U.S., Europe and Israel, among other resources. She will examine ancient inscriptions and conduct art-historical analyses of images of Jews including those from medieval European churches, manuscripts, modern cartoons, propaganda and current pop art.

[...]

Review of Milwaukee DSS exhibition

THE MILWAUKEE DEAD SEA SCROLL EXHIBITION is reviewed in OnMilwaukee.com:

Stunning "Dead Sea Scrolls" a trove of history
The Book of Isaiah was the only entire book of the Bible to be discovered among the scrolls.

By Bobby Tanzilo
Managing Editor

Published Jan. 26, 2010 at 9:03 a.m.
Tags: dead sea scrolls and the bible, john trever, golda meir, qumran, israel, milwaukee public museum, st. john's bible, jerusalem

There's no doubt that being in the presence of the Dead Sea Scrolls wields a special power for the devout. But faith is not a prerequisite for marveling at "Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible: Ancient Artifacts, Timeless Treasures," on display at the Milwaukee Public Museum through June 6.

However, a good pair of reading glasses -- if you require them -- wouldn't hurt.

The exhibit, which features fragments of original scrolls, artifacts, photographs, facsimiles of an intact scroll, models and more, is loaded with informational panels that tell you all you need to know about the history of the scrolls and their discovery, the historical context, the battle for control of the scrolls, attempts to decode them and much more.

[...]

A nice review that covers the entire exhibit in some detail.

Setbacks for the Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem

THE MUSEUM OF TOLERANCE in Jerusalem has been scaled down and has lost its architect:

Museum of Tolerance halves building plan
January 25, 2010 (Jerusalem Dispatch)

by Dan Slobodkin
A Museum of Tolerance will open in Mamilla within four years, though at half the size and cost previously planned,
Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, told the Los Angeles Jewish Journal on Sunday.
“While it seemed perfectly possible in 2002 to raise the money, by 2009 we were forced to reconsider in light of the declining economy,” he said by phone from Independence Park in Jerusalem, where he is currently staying to attend a granddaughter’s wedding.
Last week celebrated architect Frank Gehry announced he was stepping down from the controversial project. His design called for eight separate buildings, totaling 240,000 square feet at an estimated cost of $250 million. The plan has been scaled down to one large building of 120,000 square feet, at an estimated cost of under $100 million.

[...]

This museum project has been beset by controversy ever since it was realized that it is being built over an old Muslim cemetery. The latest on that:

Since then the site has been plagued by legal holdups following claims the site for the museum lies partly on an ancient Muslim cemetery, but two weeks ago the High Court rejected a petition to reopen the case and fined the plaintiffs.

Background here and follow the links.

Tomb of Ezekiel Watch

TOMB OF EZEKIEL WATCH: The Iraqi Government seems to be on the defensive regarding the desecration of Ezekiel's (traditional) Tomb in Al-Kifl. Good. Haaretz reports:

Iraqi workers erased an ancient Hebrew inscription from the tomb of biblical prophet Ezekiel while renovating a nearby mosque, Army Radio reported on Sunday.

[...]

Iraq maintains that the damage was done unintentionally by untrained workers. Professor [Shmuel] Morre [of Hebrew University], however, is skeptical. "I urge UNESCO to supervise the renovations and to have them carried out by professionals and not simple workers," Morre told Army Radio.
[...]

According to Army Radio, the Iraqi government dispelled claims the damage was done on purpose, and asserted that it sees the Jewish sites as assets important for tourism. It maintains that the incident isn't only damaging to Jewish history, but is also harmful to the interests of the Iraqi government

Yes, I would say so. I'm glad they're catching on to that.

Background here and keep following the links back. For what seems to be the now-erased Hebrew inscription, see here. I've posted a transcription and translation, but the pictures I had linked to are now gone.

New fragments of the Cyrus Cylinder

NEW FRAGMENTS OF THE CYRUS CYLINDER, found in the British Museum, have manifold political implications.

British Museum in battle with Iran over ancient 'charter of rights'

Tehran alleges time-wasting as curator trawls through thousands of cuneiform clay fragments for Cyrus the Great's legacy

* John Wilson
* The Observer, Sunday 24 January 2010

The discovery of fragments of ancient cuneiform tablets – hidden in a British Museum storeroom since 1881 – has sparked a diplomatic row between the UK and Iran. In dispute is a proposed loan of the Cyrus cylinder, one of the most important objects in the museum's collection, and regarded by some historians as the world's first human rights charter.

The Iranian government has threatened to "sever all cultural relations" with Britain unless the artefact is sent to Tehran immediately. Museum director Neil MacGregor has been accused by an Iranian vice-president of "wasting time" and "making excuses" not to make the loan of the 2,500-year-old clay object, as was agreed last year.

The museum says that two newly discovered clay fragments hold the key to an important new understanding of the cylinder and need to be studied in London for at least six months.

[...]

On the new fragments:

Irving Finkel, curator in the museum's ancient near east department, said he "nearly had a coronary" when he realised what he had in his hands. "We always thought the Cyrus cylinder was unique," he said. "No one had even imagined that copies of the text might have been made, let alone that bits of it have been here all along."

Finkel must now trawl through 130,000 objects, housed in hundreds of floor-to ceiling shelving units. His task is to locate other fragments inscribed with Cyrus's words. The aim is to complete the missing sections of one of history's most important political documents.

On the Iranian Government:

Six months before pro-democracy protests were met with violence in the wake of the presidential election, tea and sweet pastries were offered to the British guests at the Iranian cultural heritage ministry. MacGregor was there to meet Hamid Baqaei, a vice-president and close ally of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Their friendly discussion was a significant diplomatic breakthrough at a time when tensions between Britain and Iran had been strained to breaking point after the expulsion of British Council representatives from Tehran. The recent launch of the BBC Persian television service had also been interpreted as a provocation by London.

[...]

MacGregor may have been put on the spot by Baqaei, but he agreed to a three-month loan by the end of 2009. A year later, Baqaei's tone towards MacGregor is not so friendly. Quoted by the Fars news agency in Iran, he accused the museum of "acting politically". Further "British procrastination" would result in a "serious response" from Iran.

But others are also making political use of the Cyrus Cylinder:

The Cyrus cylinder remains a compelling political tract more than two and half millennia after its creation. Accepting her Nobel peace prize in 2003, the Iranian human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi cited Cyrus as a leader who "guaranteed freedoms for all". She hailed his charter as "one of the most important documents that should be studied in the history of human rights".

In 2006, the then foreign secretary, Jack Straw contrasted the freeing of Jewish slaves by Cyrus with Ahmadinejad's "sickening calls for Israel to be wiped from the face of the map".

And even if the current Iranian Government wins on this one, they may find it a victory with unintended consequences:

They may well be getting more than they bargained for. To the Ahmadinejad regime, the cylinder is an iconic object, one that fuels collective pride in national heritage. But to those who are fighting for freedom of expression in Iran in the face of violence, the return of Cyrus could offer a potent new rallying point.

One can hope.

Cool photo of Irving Finkel.

Background to this political controversy (before the discovery of the new fragments) is here. Follow the links at the bottom of that post for previous posts on the Cyrus Cylinder. Although it's true that its contribution to the progress of civil rights has been exaggerated at times, it is still not much of a showpiece for the current Iranian Government and its oppressive policies. And given the present instability of that government, I think the BM is right to be wary of loaning them precious cultural treasures. For some related thoughts (involving Iraq), see here.

Metatron "Slays" Goliath. Really.

ARCHANGEL METATRON WATCH:

"Metatron 'Slays' Goliath."

Content Deal Brings Another 4,000 Hours of Premium Movies and TV to Mobile Platforms

(January 22, 2010)

SAN DIEGO, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 01/22/10 -- Metatron Inc. (PINKSHEETS: MRNJ) today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Goliath Motion Picture Promotions Inc. of Los Angeles, CA to bring over 4,000 hours of premium television programming to the iPhone and Droid mobile platforms.

[...]

Cross-file under "headline of the week."

Milwaukee DSS exhibit Watch

MILWAUKEE DEAD-SEA-SCROLLS-EXHIBITION WATCH:

There's insight - but not proof - in the Dead Sea Scrolls

By Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Jan. 23, 2010 10:14 p.m.

They speak of a Teacher of Righteousness and a pierced messiah, of cleansing through water and a battle of light against darkness.

But anyone looking to the Dead Sea Scrolls in search of proof, say, that Jesus of Nazareth was the messiah presaged by the prophets, or that John the Baptist lived among the scroll's authors, will be disappointed.

What the scrolls provide instead, scholars say, is a window into a world of religious ferment 2,000 years ago that gave rise to Judaism and Christianity as we know them today.

[...]

Hints of the Scrolls in Bible

By Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Jan. 23, 2010 10:32 p.m.

To understand how the Dead Sea Scrolls influenced early Christianity, just turn to the New Testament.

Take, for example, the Great Isaiah Scroll, a facsimile of which is on display as part of the Milwaukee Public Museum's Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit. Written around 125 B.C. and the only scroll to emerge virtually intact from the caves at Qumran, its messianic message is quoted in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, John and Luke, the earliest of which wasn't written until around A.D. 65.

[...]

Also, more Scrolls events around this exhibit are noted here.

Four DSS conservators

FOUR DEAD SEA SCROLL CONSERVATORS are profiled by Haaretz:

4 Israeli women work tirelessly to save Dead Sea Scrolls

By Nir Hasson, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Qumran, Dead Sea

For the past two and a half months, Tania Treiger, a conservator with the Israel Antiquities Authority, has been pouring over a piece of parchment about 20 centimeters square. It began with a microscopic examination of the fragment to gauge its condition, and continued with the placement of special paper over the writing to very slowly remove the circa 1970s adhesive tape.

Treiger, whose tools include Q-tips, tweezers and lots of patience, is one of four "guardians" of the Dead Sea Scrolls. These four women, all from the former Soviet Union, are the only people in the world permitted to touch the scrolls.

First paragraph: I really do hope the author means "poring."

Second paragraph: it's kind of cool that I seem to be one of the last few people who were permitted to touch the Scrolls, around 1987-90 when I was working on the Genesis-Exodus material in my dissertation, which later came out in DJD 12. Although I suppose it would have been better for the Scrolls if we hadn't been permitted.

This is news to me:

The first of the Dead Sea Scrolls, among the most important archaeological finds in the world, were discovered in the mid-1940s in the Dead Sea area, and have been making headlines ever since. This week, the Hebrew daily Maariv reported that the IAA had decided to stop sending the scrolls abroad to exhibitions for fear of legal complications, after the Jordanian government demanded that Israel return scrolls to Jordan. ...

Not a good development, although perhaps understandable. Background on the Jordan demand is here.

The work of these four conservators is exceedingly important and I am glad to see them getting some public recognition for it.

Milwaukee DSS exhibit opens

THE MILWAUKEE DEAD SEA SCROLLS EXHIBITION has opened:

Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit inspires visitors

By Jackie Loohauis-Bennett of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Jan. 22, 2010 10:57 p.m.

The ink on the 2,000-year-old parchments has faded. But for visitors at the opening of the Milwaukee Public Museum's "Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible" exhibit Friday, the power of the ancient writings remains.

The museum sold more than 1,500 tickets to the first day of the largest temporary exhibit it has ever produced. The exhibit displays more than 200 artifacts, including actual fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls from the third century B.C. to first century A.D., carrying biblical texts from such books as Genesis, Exodus and Deuteronomy. Medieval and modern Bibles also are on display.

[...]

Photo gallery here. Video here.

UPDATE: There's a lecture series to go with the exhibit.

Postdoc in Second Temple Judaism at UCL

A POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP with the title Research Associate: By the Rivers of Babylon: New Perspectives on Second Temple Judaism from Cuneiform Texts is being advertised by University College London.

UCL History Department is distinctive for the breadth of its expertise, stretching from the fourth millennium BC to the contemporary world. We are seeking a researcher to work within the framework of a comparative project under the direction of Dr Caroline Waerzeggers studying Second Temple Judaism and the Neo-Babylonian temple cult, specifically focusing on the post-exilic temple community of Jerusalem. The postholder will also be expected to do a moderate amount of teaching.

The post is funded by the European Research Council for 4 years from 1 September 2010.

(Via the Agade list.)

Jobs: Jewish Studies Chair and Lectureship at Nottingham

JOBS: A Chair in Jewish Studies is being advertised at the University of Nottingham.

This post is available from 1 September 2010 (or as soon as possible thereafter) and will be offered on a permanent contract

Applications are invited for a Chair in Jewish Studies. Candidates should have an outstanding record of research in some area of Jewish studies, and a sufficiently high international reputation to attract research students and research grants. The successful candidate will contribute to the Department’s teaching programme, and play a role in the administration and leadership of the Department. Applications are welcomed from any area within Jewish studies, ancient, medieval or modern, and from those whose approaches are textual, historical, philosophical or theological

Nottingham is also advertising a Lectureship in Religious Studies with a preferred expertise in Jewish studies:

This full-time, permanent post is available from 1 September 2010

Applications are invited for the above post in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies. Candidates should hold, or be near completion of, a PhD. Candidates should be able to demonstrate a good research record and potential in religious studies, preferably with expertise in the Jewish tradition, but applications are also welcome from those whose specialism lies in the sociology or anthropology of religion, or comparative religion, or from those with an interest in the Islamic tradition. The successful candidate will be responsible for teaching undergraduate and postgraduate modules, for supervising postgraduate research and for contributing to departmental administration

(Via the BNTS list.)

SAD NEWS: Abraham Malamat

SAD NEWS: the Agade list reports that Abraham Malamat has passed away:

From Shmuel Ahituv ahituvs@013.net came this very sad message:
===================================================

I am sorry to convey the sad message that Professor (emeritus) Abraham Malamat of the Hebrew University has passed away today January 21 at the age of 87.

The funeral will take place at Har Hamenuchot cemetery, Jerusalem on Sunday. For further details as known, contact 02-5631587.

Shiv'a will be at the Malamats' residence: 1 Rashba Street, Jerusalem.

Charles Halton collects some information about Professor Malamat's publications over at Awilum. May his memory be for a blessing.

More on the Talpiot Tomb

MORE ON THE TALPIOT TOMB: the tomb from which the Jerusalem Shroud came and the one that some have argued to be the burial place of Jesus and his family. A Bible and Interpretation essay offers replies to various refutations of the statistical evidence that has been brought forth to prove a connection with Jesus:

Talpiot Dethroned

We have noted that a number of scholars have misstated facts in analyzing the statistics of the tomb. We also acknowledge that despite these errors, the Talpiot tomb might not be the Jesus family tomb. Nevertheless, an analysis on the calculations of the names in the tomb should at least be accurate and based on acceptable statistical methods.

By Kevin Kilty
Department of Physics and Engineering
LCCC, Wyoming

With Mark Elliott
Editor, Bible and Interpretation

I think all I can say here is that such debates belong in peer-review journals. It's helpful to have a popular essay from time to time which summarizes the discussion in the journals, but the discussion itself isn't going to be advanced in popular essays.

For some past coverage of the Talpiot Tomb see here, here, here, here, and here. For the Jerusalem Shroud see here and follow the links.

Davila 666?

NO RELATIONS, I assure you.

Silviu Bunta to lecture on Cain and Abel

SILVIU BUNTA is giving a public lecture at Illinois Wesleyan University in March:

Monday, March 8
Assistant Professor of Religious Studies Silviu Bunta from the University of Dayton will present “Whose Son was Cain Anyway?: Genesis 4:1 as a Case of Textual Insinuation.” The story of Cain and Abel can be found in many religions, appearing in the Bible, the Torah and the Qur’an. Some versions allege Cain was the son of the serpent in the Garden of Eden.

Bunta, a native of Romania, holds a doctorate from Marquette University (Wisconsin). He specializes in the study of Judaism and Christian origins, focusing particularly on mystical trends in early literature not included in canon writing, but attributed to biblical figures. Bunta has recently published several articles in the field of Jewish and Christian mysticism in volumes and scholarly journals such as Henoch, the Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha, Catholic Biblical Quarterly and the Journal for the Study of Judaism.

Professor Bunta is also involved with the Society of Biblical Literature's Early Jewish and Christian Mysticism Group.

Ashdod antiquities exhibit looted

THIEVES with a sense irony have looted an antiquities exhibit in Ashdod:

Burglars swipe artifacts from 'Antiquities Thieves' exhibit

By Yanir Yagna (Haaretz)
Tags: Israel news

In a display of what might be called ironic chutzpah, burglars broke into an Ashdod museum this week and stole silver coins from the Hellenistic period and other archaeological finds that were part of an exhibit called "Antiquities Thieves in Israel."

The exhibit, at the Korin Maman Museum, displayed artifacts that the Israel Antiquities Authority had previously recovered from antiquities thieves. Now it seems the authority will have to begin its hunt all over again.

[...]

New effort to carbon date the DSS

A NEW EFFORT to carbon date the Dead Sea Scrolls:

International researchers find method to date Dead Sea Scrolls
2010-01-21 08:38 BJT

STOCKHOLM, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- A Danish archaeochemist and an international team of researchers have found a way to enable scientists to precisely date the Dead Sea Scrolls, according to reports reaching here from Copenhagen on Wednesday.

"For more than a decade we've been saying that there was no point in dating the scrolls before we found a method to remove the oil. Now we have found just such a method," Kaare Lund Rasmussen, Associate Professor and Archaeochemist of the University of Southern Denmark, was quoted as saying by the Danish newspaper Politiken online.

Treatment of the scrolls included being spread out using plant oil, which in turn made precise carbon dating of the scrolls almost impossible, said Politiken.

The article notes that some of the Scrolls were carbon dated in the 1990s, but this new project aims to remove the oil to get a more accurate dating.

Review of Milwaukee DSS exhibition

THE MILWAUKEE DEAD SEA SCROLL EXHIBITION is reviewed by Jackie Loohauis-Bennett in the Journal Sentinel. Excerpt:

The exhibit offers plenty of spectacles to get visitors into an epic mood. Enter the exhibit through the monumental re-creation of Jerusalem's 1st century B.C. Robinson's Arch, for instance, and you expect Charlton Heston to pop up and lead the way.

Rooms filled with rare artifacts from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem quickly whisk visitors into the same time and space as the scrolls. Some of these artifacts - medical instruments, oil lamps - almost never leave Israel, and they provide insight into the culture that gave birth to the Old Testament.

A limestone plaque made to scare off the devil if he looked in its mirror reveals just how closely the people of Jerusalem lived to the supernatural world every day.

To open up the exhibit even more, the museum quickly gives the scroll saga a human face with a series of amazing artifacts. A sandal and comb were probably owned by one of the legendary Jewish rebels who committed suicide during the Roman assault of Masada. An ossuary box brings to life the biblical figure of Simon of Cyrene, said to have carried Jesus' cross.

The Dead Sea Scroll fragments, of course, star in the exhibit, and they're bound to send shivers down the back of any Bible student. Visitors can follow the English translations of texts from Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus line for line on the scroll fragments as they were set down 2,000 years ago.

The Isaiah text, "Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks," packs a new punch when read in the handwriting of a scribe who believed he was communicating a warning directly from God.

The scrolls' fragments range from the size of a stamp to a book page-sized segment. Here again, the museum staff conquered a difficult exhibition problem: the physical display of such ancient, tiny texts. Specially-built cases and lights make the fragments easy to see and experience.

Like the scrolls themselves, the exhibit does have its share of controversy. Does the Jeselsohn Stone really refer to a Messiah rising from the dead after three days? If so, does the stone itself date from before, during or after the time of Jesus? The museum gives visitors enough information to seek out the answer on their own.

SBTS buys 3 DSS fragments

THREE DEAD SEA SCROLLS FRAGMENTS have been acquired by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary:

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary obtains 3 fragments of Dead Sea Scrolls
Posted Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010

By CHRIS VAUGHN (Star-Telegram)

cvaughn@star-telegram.com

FORT WORTH — Only eight months after the Kimbell Art Museum purchased an exceedingly rare Michelangelo painting, the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary dropped its own antiquities bombshell Wednesday — the school has acquired three fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls, one of the world’s most important archaeological and spiritual discoveries.

The fragments — appearing to carry verses from the biblical books of Exodus, Leviticus and Daniel — are admittedly tiny, measuring only a few square inches each and protected in a sheath of glass. But because the scrolls are the oldest version of the Hebrew Bible ever discovered, it would be impossible to overstate their importance to religious scholars, not to mention the leadership of the Baptist seminary.

"This is an occasion of considerable consequence," said Paige Patterson, president of the seminary.

The seminary bought the pieces for an undisclosed price from a private collector who had them in a Swiss bank.

[...]

SBTS is looking to buy more Scroll fragments. Last September, Azusa Pacific University also bought some Scroll fragments.

Tomb of Ezekiel (traditional) Watch

TOMB OF EZEKIEL (TRADITIONAL) WATCH: YNet News has an update on current efforts to stop the turning of this tomb in Iraq into a mosque. The new information:

Manager of the "Justice for Jews" organization Shlomo Alfassa has approached US government authorities in Washington following the reports and demanded to "stop the Islamization of the Jewish prophet's tomb."

An application has also been made to the UNESCO headquarters, which is responsible for maintaining the religious character of holy sites.

Background here.

Qeiyafa Ostracon watch

QEIYAFA OSTRACON WATCH: Christianity Today has a helpful roundup of scholarly responses to Gershon Galil's proposed translation:

Archaeology: What an Ancient Hebrew Note Might Mean
Scholar says five lines of ancient script on a broken piece of pottery confirm Kingdom of Israel's existence in 10th century B.C. Others are cautious.
Gordon Govier | posted 1/18/2010 09:59AM

Five lines of ancient script on a broken piece of pottery, first spotted by a 17-year-old excavation volunteer in the summer of 2008, have been proclaimed as one of the oldest known examples of Hebrew writing. An Israeli historian believes they also testify to the formation of the kingdom of Israel and the writing of Hebrew Scriptures.

The ostracon (a piece of pottery with writing on it, the ancient equivalent of note paper) was found at Khirbet Qeiyafa, the 3,000-year-old ruins of a city on a ridge above the Valley of Elah. The ruins overlook the valley where the Bible says David slew Goliath roughly 3,000 years ago.

Professor Gershon Galil, the chair of the Department of Jewish History at Haifa University, has released a reading of the ostracon which he says confirms that the Kingdom of Israel existed in the 10th century B.C. (the time of King David), and that the biblical Scriptures were written centuries earlier than many modern scholars believe.

Whether other scholars will accept Galil's reading after it's published in a scholarly journal remains to be seen. Some already believe he has overstated his case.

[...]

Responses follow from Seth Sanders, James Hoffmeier, Chris Rollston, William Schniedewind, and Aren Maier.

Background here and follow the links back.

Jacob Neusner's meeting with the Pope

A REPORT on Jacob Neusner's meeting with the Pope (Catholic News Service blog):

US rabbi says pope has finished second volume on Jesus
Posted on January 19, 2010 by Cindy Wooden

VATICAN CITY — U.S. Rabbi Jacob Neusner, a prolific author and professor at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., told the Vatican newspaper that Pope Benedict XVI has finished the second volume of his book on Jesus.

The rabbi says the pope told him so during their 20-minute meeting yesterday.

The fact that the pope would tell a U.S. rabbi that the manuscript is finished isn’t quite as odd as it would appear. In the pope’s first volume, “Jesus of Nazareth,” there were more quotes from Rabbi Neusner than from anyone but the Gospel writers and St. Paul.

[...]

Matthew and the Age of Pisces?

MATTHEW AND THE AGE OF PISCES? Professor Jay Williams asks Who Were the Magi? (at Bible and Interpretation) and comes up with a novel answer involving astrology. Excerpt:

Jews, on the whole, officially refused to accept astrology because of the emphasis upon the seven “planets” that were understood to be gods. Nevertheless, it would have been difficult for anyone during the later Hellenistic age not to be aware of the findings and beliefs of astrology. It was, after all, considered by many to be a highly acceptable science. Several centuries later, Jews constructed a synagogue at Beth Alpha that had on its floor an astrological diagram. Another such synagogue existed also in Tiberias.

In any event, it is quite probable that many people at the time of Jesus knew that they were, slowly but surely, entering a new age, the age of Pisces, the fish. Both Aries and Pisces are rather vague constellations and do not have the sharp outlines of the Big Dipper or Orion. Nevertheless, those who watched the heavens carefully could see the first star of Pisces rising in the east at the time of the vernal equinox. The new age was beginning.

It is doubtful that any Persians would have thought that the spiritual power of the New Age was to be born in Judea as the Jewish Messiah, but that is beside the point. The author of Matthew was surely not Persian but probably Jewish in background and it is he who, according to our theory, wished to connect Jesus to the coming of the New Age. Indeed, Jesus is seen by him as the Lord of the New Age, as the reign of heaven becomes a reality.

I'm not sure what "officially" means here. It's hard to pin down an "official" Judaism in this period. The Temple priests? But we don't know what position, if any, they advanced about astrology. And there are astrological texts among the Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q186, 4Q534, 4Q561, 4Q318). But, if anything, that strengthens rather than weakens Professor Williams's case. So one more interpretation of the Star of Bethlehem to add to the list. More on the Magi and the Star of Bethlehem here.

In the mail

IN THE MAIL - or at least in my mailbox. A copy from my colleague Professor De Troyer:

Kristin De Troyer, Armin Lange (eds), with the assistance of Lucas L. Schulte, Prophecy after the Prophets? The Contribution of the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Understanding of Biblical and Extra-Biblical Prophecy (CBET 52; Leuven: Peeters, 2009)

Shlomo Sand interview

SHLOMO SAND, author of The Invention of the Jewish People is interviewed by in the Guardian. Excerpt:

Sand is scathing about accusations made by Jews living elsewhere that his book is anti-Israel. From the comfort of the diaspora they charge him with sedition. Some say his thesis fuels antisemitism. Overseas donors to Tel Aviv University have called for him to be sacked.

But Sand has voted for Israel with his feet. He is not anti-Zionist, he says, but post-Zionist: accepting modern Israel as a fait accompli. Besides, his interest in the country's survival as a democracy is not theoretical. His family lives there.

Diaspora Zionists can nurture the Jewish myth of biblical nationhood as dual citizenship alongside their passports from safer states. When they refer to "Israel" and "Jerusalem" in their prayers, they do not have to distinguish between scriptural metaphor and political reality. It is a distinction on which Israel's survival depends.

Otherwise the interview doesn't really address criticisms of the book aired in earlier reviews (for some of which, go here and keep following the links).

Iraqi Jewish Archive update

IRAQI JEWISH ARCHIVE UPDATE: The AP reports that the Iraqi authorities want the archive back. My own view (based on natural justice, not any expertise in the law) is that ancient cultural treasures belong first to humanity. Claims of the country of origin are certainly important and legitimate to take into account, but the key question is how the artifacts can best be preserved for humanity. In this case, Iraq is not giving the world any reason for confidence in its ability and willingness to care properly for Jewish artifacts, given its current treatment of the (traditional) Tomb of Ezekiel. This point is made rather more vigorously by CAMERA.

Background here and possibly here and here.

UPDATE (24 May): Dead link fixed. Sorry about that.

Nag Hammadi murders update

NAG HAMMADI MURDERS UPDATE:

Egypt security court trial in Copt killings

(Gulf Times)

Three Muslims accused of gunning down six Egyptian Christians on the Coptic Christmas Eve will stand trial before an emergency security court, the state prosecutor said yesterday. Abdel Magid Mahmud said in a statement that the three men were charged with premeditated murder aimed at harming national interests. ...

And Egyptian bloggers have entered the picture:

'Naga Hammadi bloggers' released after one-day detention

Pakinam Amer (Al-Masry Al-Youm)

Around 30 bloggers and activists were released Saturday after being briefly detained in Qena's Security Directorate. The young men and women were apprehended in Naga Hammadi's train station, southern Qena, after traveling from Cairo to offer condolences to the families of victims of sectarian violence and pay their respect to Bishop Kirollos of the Naga Hammadi Diocese, who was allegedly himself a target in the attacks against Christians there.

[...]

The bloggers, who are on their way back to Cairo as time of writing, were among a group of Egyptians that include politicians like Osama Ghazali Harb of the liberal Democratic Front Party, Kifaya leader George Ishaaq and Cairo university professor and opposition leader Mohamed Abul Ghar, who wanted to visit Naga Hammadi to show solidarity with the town's Christians, whose moves are also stifled. However, the politicians had taken a different route, and were on their way to Naga Hammadi in private cars.

Wael Abbas, prominent bloggerm said he spent "one of the worst nights ever in detention." On his way back to Cairo, he told Al-Masry Al-Youm on the phone that they were left to sleep on the cold floor in jail all night. "When we were transferred to Qena's prosecution, we were told we faced charges of 'illegal gathering, disrupting authorities' work, and shouting slogans that could cause sectarian rifts'," he said, adding that he was questioned in the absence of his lawyers.

The bloggers include Amira el-Tahawy, Mustafa el-Naggar, Ahmed Badawi, Shahinaz Abdel Salam, Mohamed Khaled known by his alias "Demagh Mak" and human rights activist Paula Abdo -- himself an eyewitness to some of the clashes that occurred earlier in Naga Hammadi following the shooting.

[...]

Doesn't sound like the greatest moment for free speech and freedom of expression in Egypt.

Background here.

The Milwaukee DSS exhibition starts on the 22nd

THE MILWAUKEE DEAD SEA SCROLLS EXHIBITION opens on 22 January. The Journal Sentinel gives its top ten high points:

Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit sheds light on discovery, Bible

By Jackie Loohauis-Bennett of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Jan. 16, 2010

The Dead Sea Scrolls saga is an epic that would have made Hollywood director Cecil B. DeMille twitch with envy.

The story has all the elements of DeMille's "Ten Commandments" and more, everything from biblical prophecies and international intrigue to an ancient treasure map.

The Milwaukee Public Museum's exhibit "Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible: Ancient Artifacts, Timeless Treasures," running Jan. 22 through June 6, is an epic production in its own right. Five years in the making, it's the largest temporary exhibit ever produced by the museum. The show contains more than 200 items from scroll fragments to pages from medieval Bibles.

The exhibit is designed to explain the importance of the 2,000-year-old Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in Qumran beginning in 1947. These parchments have shed new light on the Bible itself and on the times in which the Old Testament was created.

Exhibit visitors might find their heads spinning from the scope of the show. Here's our "10 Things You Must Not Miss" guide to the Dead Seas Scrolls exhibit.

[...]

The Vision of Gabriel stone and the Copper Scroll are included.

The exhibit also honors John Trever, as another article, also in the Journal Sentinel, notes:

Exhibit puts spotlight on Milwaukee scholar who helped preserve Dead Sea Scrolls

By Jackie Loohauis-Bennett of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Jan. 17, 2010 3:05 a.m.

The Milwaukee native dodging bullets as he ran through the streets of Jerusalem in 1948 carried a remarkable secret. He knew that if he were hit, the greatest biblical discovery of all time might be lost to the world forever.

John Trever, a student of the Old Testament at the American Schools of Oriental Research, was playing a leading role in revealing the importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls. In the Milwaukee Public Museum's upcoming exhibit, "Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible," opening Jan. 22, Trever is honored as a hero in interpreting and preserving the scrolls and their meaning.

[...]

Trever arrived to study at the American Schools of Oriental Research and found himself almost alone there during spring break in February 1948. The original scrolls were then in the hands of the archbishop of the Syrian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem, who was trying to identify them in the midst of the violence surrounding the partition of Palestine.

After a series of mysterious phone calls and covert negotiations, the scrolls were brought to the school and shown to Trever and fellow student William Brownlee.

Trever had done his doctoral dissertation on the Book of Isaiah. When the first scroll was unrolled before him, Trever recognized the writings immediately. According to Weston W. Fields' new book, "The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Full History," Trever "burst into (Brownlee's) room with the thrilling announcement." The writing on the scroll was, amazingly, from Isaiah.

"Dad recognized it very quickly, and he realized it was very significant. He knew from the writing the scroll wasn't a fake. He realized it would push the origin of the complete Bible text back more than 1,000 years. He was coincidentally the best-suited person in the world for that initial revelation," James Trever said.

John Trever knew the scrolls were priceless. As gunfire and mortars went off around him breaking fragments of the scrolls onto the floor, he knew they must be preserved somehow for future research.

He needed to save the writings through photographic copies. But he was out of film.

[...]

Background here.

A hoard of ancient coins from Gaza

A HOARD OF ANCIENT COINS has been found in Gaza near Egypt. The AFP reports that there are 1300 silver coins. No information on what kind of coins they are, but there is reference to fourth-century-BCE architecture in the article as well.

Other ancient coin hoards recently in the news are noted here and here.

U.C. Davis makes Talmud appointment

U.C. DAVIS MAKES TALMUD APPOINTMENT:

U.C. Davis snags dynamic, young Talmud scholar

by dan pine, staff writer (JWeekly.com)

As a Tel Aviv University undergrad, Moulie Vidas had no trouble befriending the other students in the Talmud department.

There was only one.

Apparently, not many secular Israelis chose to study the Talmud there, and eventually the department was closed, and folded into a larger one.

But Vidas’ passion for the great compendium of Jewish law never waned, and today, at just 26, he is a young lion in the realm of academic Talmud scholarship.

With his doctorate from Princeton fresh in hand, Vidas is also the latest addition to the Jewish studies faculty at U.C. Davis. His title: assistant professor in religious studies.

“Getting Moulie was quite a coup,” said Diane Wolf, director of the U.C. Davis Jewish studies program. “He had many interviews all over the country last year and several job offers. That he chose U.C. Davis speaks to the quality of our religious studies faculty and burgeoning Jewish studies program. He brings a new perspective that enriches us all.”

The Jewish studies interdisciplinary program at U.C. Davis is a offered as a minor, and includes courses on everything from the Holocaust to the Bible on film.

This quarter, Vidas teaches a class on the Dead Sea Scrolls, with one on rabbinic literature next quarter. Soon, he hopes to add classes in his specialty: how the sages redacted and edited the Babylonian Talmud, as well as the surprisingly vibrant interaction among Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians in late ancient Mesopotamia.

[...]

Congratulations to Professor Vidas - and to U.C. Davis.

Ezekiel's Tomb update

EZEKIEL'S TOMB (traditional) in Al-Kifl, Iraq is going down the Islamist memory hole. Further confirmation from the Jerusalem Post:

Recently "Ur," a local Iraqi news agency, reported that a huge mosque will be built on top of the grave by Iraq's Antiquities and Heritage Authority, while Hebrew inscriptions and ornaments are being removed from the site, all as part of renovations.

Prof. Shmuel Moreh of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, winner of the 1999 Israel Prize in Middle Eastern studies and chairman of the Association of Jewish Academics from Iraq, speaking to The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday, confirmed the report.

"I first heard the news of tomb desecration from a friend of mine who is a German scholar. After visiting the site he called me and said that some Hebrewinscriptions on the grave were covered by plaster and that a mosque is planned to be built on top of the tomb. He told me that he found the changes at the tomb disturbing and warned me that I'd better act quickly, before any irreversible damage will be inflicted," Moreh said.

"I had contacted Mr. Shelomo Alfassa, US director of Justice for Jews from Arab Countries, and told him about this situation. Then I saw the report from the Ur news agency, mentioning the decision of the Antiquities and Heritage Authority to build a mosque and to erase the Hebrewinscriptions and ornaments," Moreh said.

He asked friends to check out the developments at the site. The most recent to visit the shrine said that some of the inscriptions are now hidden by a layer of plaster.

Iraqi press reports claim that the building must be destroyed because of its poor condition. However, Alfassa believes that Iraq's Antiquities and Heritage Authority "has been pressured by Islamists to historically cleanse all evidence of a Jewish connection to Iraq - a land where Jews had lived for over a thousand years before the advent of Islam."

Again, this "renovation" is a travesty. As the article says, someone needs to act, and fast.

Background here.

Israel rejects Jordan's UN petition to claim the DSS

ISRAEL REJECTS Jordan's UN petition to claim the Dead Sea Scrolls (Arutz Sheva):

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said that Jordan's claims were "ridiculous. The Dead Sea Scrolls are an intrinsic part of Jewish heritage and religion. The scrolls have no relation to Jordan or the Jordanian people," said Palmor, adding that "Jordan's occupation of the West Bank was never recognized by the international community and the kingdom relinquished all claims on the territories. On what grounds are they trying to lay claims to the scrolls, which are a cornerstone of Jewish cultural history?"

Background here.

NT Wrong on stunning new epigraphic find

SPEAKING OF STUNNING NEW EPIGRAPHIC FINDS, NT Wrong is back and reporting on one: Archaeological Find of the Century: Letter written by King David. Most amusing.

Rollston on the Khirbet Qeiyafa ostracon

THE KHIRBET QEIYAFA OSTRACON HYPE is taken down a notch or three by epigrapher Christopher Rollston in his blog post Reflections on the Qeiyafa Ostracon. It could be earlier than the tenth century; it's in Early Alphabetic/Proto-Phoenician script, not Old Hebrew; the only-attested-in-Hebrew words aren't; the scribe was not terribly sophisticated; Rollston isn't ready to say what he thinks it says but he doesn't think it will turn out to be startling; and he's not even sure in which direction the script runs.

Background here.

Sanhedrin tombs in a sad state

THE SANHEDRIN TOMBS in Jerusalem are in a sad state:

As state slumbers, volunteers step in to rescue neglected Sanhedrin Tombs
By Nir Hasson (Haaretz)

If ever you want to find the Sanhedrin Tombs in northern Jerusalem, don't use the half-lira bill from the 1950s as your guide.

That banknote depicted an impressive burial site from the Second Temple period, which the Israel Antiquities Authority calls "one of the most important antiquities sites in Jerusalem and in the country as a whole." But today it is neglected, unmarked, and covered with graffiti and soot - and the bureaucratic bickering about who's responsible indicates that isn't likely to change any time soon.

The ultra-Orthodox residents of Sanhedria, the neighborhood where the tombs are located, have expressed little interest in maintaining the ancient burial caves, though they were recently cleaned up by a group of Russian-speaking immigrants who have little connection to Judaism. However, the dirt quickly accumulated once more and the signposts they put up have been removed.

Rafi Kasimov, who coordinates the Land of Israel program for Russian speakers at the Conservative movement's Schechter Institutes, called on the ultra-Orthodox to join his students' attempt to restore the site.

[...]

Hats off to those Russian-speaking immigrants. I hope the Ultra-Orthodox local residents do take an interest, but it sounds as though the authorities need to step in if the job is to be done properly. I hope the municipality and/or the IAA take notice.

Why Read the Zohar (book review)

BECAUSE IT'S COOL:

Why Read The Zohar?
Demystifying Kabbalah For English Readers
By Alan Brill
Published January 13, 2010, issue of January 22, 2010. (The Forward)

The Pritzker translation of the Zohar into English by Daniel Matt — the fifth volume of which has just appeared — should be greeted as a major cultural event. Yet, the publication of each volume has typically produced tiresome book reviews on the ownership of the word Kabbalah, comparing the academic approach of Gershom Scholem to Madonna’s New Age approach. The reviews do not answer the basic question: Why read parts of Kabbalah like the Zohar? Nor do they explain why the Zohar speaks to our age more than the myriad other kabbalistic works.

The Zohar corpus as published in the 16th century contains many reworked texts of ancient and medieval materials; a large chunk of the Zohar portrays the epic story of Rabbi Shimon and his companions, but there are many segments that do not.

Melila Hellner-Eshed, in her book, “A River Flows From Eden: The Language of Mystical Experience in the Zohar,” provides an indispensible work that, finally, explains why the Zohar is an important and alluring work for our time. Susan Sontag taught readers to ask not what the art means, but rather “how it is what it is.” Hellner-Eshed follows Sontag and seeks to offer an experiential aesthetic of the Zohar.

Hellner-Eshed’s book is comparatively easy to read, despite being a scholarly work that assumes the reader has already read the terse prose of Scholem. Her work nevertheless does offer the nonacademic a chance to see the current state of Kabbalah study at Hebrew University among the students of Yehuda Liebes and Moshe Idel.

[...]

Armed with these books, one can now begin to appreciate a cultural and religious treasure of Judaism. No journalist or book reviewer should write about Kabbalah again without first reading Hellner-Eshed. Her work steers the English reader between the Scylla of Kabbalah as technical knowledge of sefirot and the Charybdis of Kabbalah as personalized New Age spirituality. Hellner-Eshed’s work treats the Zohar as a mystical fantasy in which the Knights of the Round Table are rabbis living in an eroticized Middle Earth and spurred to great deeds by their love of the damsel Shechinah. Then, the beautifully edited Pritzker translation allows the interested reader to travel on these mystical journeys, yet still return home safely.

A nice long book review (giving plenty of reasons in addition to mine). Worth reading in full. For background on the Zohar and Daniel Matt's translation, go here and follow the links.

Jacob Neusner has private Papal udience

JACOB NEUSNER has a private udience with the Pope scheduled for Monday 18 January. Thought you might like to know.

Can't make it up: LOLCat Bible Translation Project

CAN'T MAKE IT UP: The LOLCat Bible Translation Project.

Did the Kingdom of Judah Invent "Separation of Church and State?"

QUESTION FOR THE DAY: "Did the Kingdom of Judah Invent 'Separation of Church and State?'" This in a Bible and Interpretation essay by Stephen Gabriel Rosenberg. Excerpt:

King Jehoash (Joash) came to the throne of Judah in the year 835 BCE. His reign should have started six years earlier, but he was then only a baby, and the throne was usurped by his grandmother, Athaliah. With the untimely murder of her son, King Ahaziah, she took the precaution, normal for the period, of wiping out all possible rivals, but she missed Jehoash, Ahaziah's infant son, who was hidden in the Temple by his aunt, Jehosheba, wife of the priest, Jehoyada.

Athaliah, the daughter of notorious Jezebel, imposed Baal worship on Judah and appointed Mattan to be High Priest. It became the state religion, imposed on an unwilling population. We say unwilling, because six years later, when Jehoyada thought the young Jehoash was old enough to be presented as the rightful heir, he was brought out of hiding and proclaimed king, to the cheers of the people and the army, who then slaughtered Athaliah and Mattan. This palace revolution led to a remarkable pair of national agreements.

“And Jehoyada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the people, that they should be the Lord’s people, and between the king and the people” (2 Kings 11:17, my emphasis). The intention of these two agreements is clear: the first one is the conventional religious covenant, while the second one is secular and omits the Lord.

Well, maybe. The essay seems to me to take the account of the Deuteronomistic History more on the level of literal fact than I would be inclined to do. And I doubt that Baal worship was "imposed" on the people any more than Yahwism was. The Deuteronomists certainly did no believe in religious freedom: see, for example, Deuteronomy 17:2-7.

Oh, and antidisestablishmentarianism is the longest (non-coined and non-technical) word in the English language.

Jordan ups the ante

JORDAN UPS THE ANTE and asks the United Nations for the Dead Sea Scrolls:

Jordan wants Israel to give back 'Dead Sea' scrolls

12 January 2010 (World Jewish Congress)

The Jordanian government has said that the ancient Dead Sea Scrolls were seized illegally by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War and has asked the United Nations for them to be restored to Jordan. "The government has legal documents that prove Jordan owns the scrolls," a government official in Amman said, adding that a complaint had been filed with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Antiquities Authority of Israel rejected the claim, saying Israel was the rightful custodian of the scrolls.

[...]

Background here.

Are Taliban descendants of Israelites?

TECHNOLOGY WATCH: DNA analysis may provide answers to some surprising questions:

Are Taliban descendants of Israelites?

By AMIR MIZROCH (Jerusalem Post)

Are the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan descendants of an Israelite tribe that migrated across Asia after it was exiled over 2,700 years ago?

This intriguing question has been asked by a variety of scholars, theologians, anthropologists and pundits over the years, but has remained somewhere between the realms of amateur speculation and serious academic research.

But now, for the first time, the government has shown official interest, with the Foreign Ministry providing a scholarship to an Indian scientist to come to the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa and determine whether or not the tribe that provides the hard core of today's Taliban has a blood link to any of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, and specifically to the tribe of Efraim.

Shahnaz Ali, a senior research fellow at the National Institute of Immunohaematology, Mumbai, has joined the Technion to study the blood samples that she collected from Afridi Pathans in Malihabad, in the Lucknow district, Uttar Pradesh state, India, to check their putativeIsraelite origin.

Shahnaz, an expert in DNA profiling and population genetics, will be supervised by Prof. Karl Skorecki, director of Nephrology and Molecular Medicine at the Technion Faculty of Medicine. Skorecki is famous for his breakthrough work on Jewish genetic research.

[...]

Count me as very skeptical about this whole idea, but it will be interesting to see what she comes up with.