ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: The Developmental Composition of the Bible in View of Qumran. A review by David Sigrist of Ulrich, Eugene, The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Developmental Composition of the Bible, VTSup 169 (Leiden: Brill, 2015). The biblical scrolls from Qumran show that textual criticism bleeds into redactional criticism and even source criticism. Each is its own discipline, but they are on a continuum. Septuagint studies are relevant for all three as well and complementary to Qumran studies.
This sounds like a fascinating and useful book.
Earlier essays in the AJR series on the Dead Sea Scrolls (in honor of the 70th anniversary of their discovery) are noted here and here and links.
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Forum on Cynthia Baker's "Jew"
MARGINALIA REVIEW OF BOOKS: Introduction: Forum on Cynthia Baker, Jew. Shaul Magid and Annette Yoshiko Reed introduce Marginalia’s newest forum. This is in some ways a follow-up to the 2014 forum on the terminology debate over "Jew" vs. "Judean." I noted the latter here and here, and weighed in on that topic myself here.
The current forum promises numerous essays on the book. The first, by Daniel Boyarin, is already published: Yeah Jew!
Cynthia Baker's book Jew was published in 2017 by Rutgers University Press. I only just learned that it is out. But I noted back in 2010 that it was underway.
The current forum promises numerous essays on the book. The first, by Daniel Boyarin, is already published: Yeah Jew!
Cynthia Baker's book Jew was published in 2017 by Rutgers University Press. I only just learned that it is out. But I noted back in 2010 that it was underway.
The monks who saved the O. T. Pseudepigrapha
OLD TESTAMENT PSEUDEPIGRAPHA WATCH: The Christian Monks Who Saved Jewish History (Malka Z. Simkovich, Lehrhaus). HT Mosaic Magazine. This article deals with St. Catherine's Monastery in the Sinai and Mount Athos Monastery in Greece. Scribal monks did indeed save much ancient Jewish literature from oblivion.
That said, the examples given are mostly problematical. It is debatable whether Joseph and Aseneth is a Jewish work. The Greek Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, including the Testament of Levi, draw on some Jewish texts, but are Christian compositions. It is correct, however, that the Testament of Levi manuscript from Mount Athos contains (in Greek translation) some verbatim material that is otherwise only known from Aramaic Levi.
The Testament of Solomon is a Christian composition. The Testament of Adam probably is as well. It is not clear whether the Testament of Job is a Christian or Jewish composition.
There are undoubtedly Jewish texts that survive in Greek and were transmitted only by Christians. These include Greek translations of the Book of Watchers and of the Epistle of Enoch (both from 1 Enoch), the Letter of Aristeas, 3-4 Maccabees, and, as the article does mention, the works of Philo and Josephus. But I'm not sure how many of these, if any, survive in manuscripts specifically from these two monasteries.
My caveats aside, it is always good to see the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha getting some attention. Hopefully a more nuanced understanding will filter out into popular coverage in due course. And, as I said, the main point of this article does stand. For some bibliography on the topic of the provenance of such texts (by me) see the list here.
For much more on St. Catherine's Monastery and its manuscripts, start here and follow the many links. And for more on Mount Athos Monastery (and its cats!), see here.
That said, the examples given are mostly problematical. It is debatable whether Joseph and Aseneth is a Jewish work. The Greek Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, including the Testament of Levi, draw on some Jewish texts, but are Christian compositions. It is correct, however, that the Testament of Levi manuscript from Mount Athos contains (in Greek translation) some verbatim material that is otherwise only known from Aramaic Levi.
The Testament of Solomon is a Christian composition. The Testament of Adam probably is as well. It is not clear whether the Testament of Job is a Christian or Jewish composition.
There are undoubtedly Jewish texts that survive in Greek and were transmitted only by Christians. These include Greek translations of the Book of Watchers and of the Epistle of Enoch (both from 1 Enoch), the Letter of Aristeas, 3-4 Maccabees, and, as the article does mention, the works of Philo and Josephus. But I'm not sure how many of these, if any, survive in manuscripts specifically from these two monasteries.
My caveats aside, it is always good to see the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha getting some attention. Hopefully a more nuanced understanding will filter out into popular coverage in due course. And, as I said, the main point of this article does stand. For some bibliography on the topic of the provenance of such texts (by me) see the list here.
For much more on St. Catherine's Monastery and its manuscripts, start here and follow the many links. And for more on Mount Athos Monastery (and its cats!), see here.
Josephus, Masada, and archaeology
MASADA REVISIONISM: Did the Jews Kill Themselves at Masada Rather Than Fall Into Roman Hands? The tradition of mass suicide at the ancient desert fortress as described by Josephus has little archaeological support (Elizabeth Sloane, Haaretz). Yes, that's about the size of it.
One of my students did a seminar paper on this topic in that aforementioned (in the preceding post) Ancient Jewish Literature course this semester. The class was persuaded that the archaeological evidence did not support Josephus's account of a mass suicide. His account is incoherent in other ways as well. He claims that it was only the men who were present at Eleazar ben Yair's final speeches, and they are specifically addressed to the men only, yet supposedly a surviving woman gave a full account of them. And it makes no sense that the Romans succeeded in burning down the last defensive wall and then went back to their camp to sleep until morning. Meanwhile the rebels all quietly committed suicide and no Roman watchmen noticed. And so on.
The seminar paper also evaluated Josephus's account of the fall of Gamla in light of archaeology, and came to similarly skeptical conclusions about the its reliability.
I have collected past posts on a variety of topics related to Masada here. Past posts that deal specifically with problems with Josephus's account of its fall are collected here.
On another note, this article alerted me to the fact that President Trump's speech planned for Masada has been canceled "due to the heavy heat." The speech will be given at the Israel Museum instead. More on the trip's itinerary is in this Reuters article: Trump to visit Jewish, Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
One of my students did a seminar paper on this topic in that aforementioned (in the preceding post) Ancient Jewish Literature course this semester. The class was persuaded that the archaeological evidence did not support Josephus's account of a mass suicide. His account is incoherent in other ways as well. He claims that it was only the men who were present at Eleazar ben Yair's final speeches, and they are specifically addressed to the men only, yet supposedly a surviving woman gave a full account of them. And it makes no sense that the Romans succeeded in burning down the last defensive wall and then went back to their camp to sleep until morning. Meanwhile the rebels all quietly committed suicide and no Roman watchmen noticed. And so on.
The seminar paper also evaluated Josephus's account of the fall of Gamla in light of archaeology, and came to similarly skeptical conclusions about the its reliability.
I have collected past posts on a variety of topics related to Masada here. Past posts that deal specifically with problems with Josephus's account of its fall are collected here.
On another note, this article alerted me to the fact that President Trump's speech planned for Masada has been canceled "due to the heavy heat." The speech will be given at the Israel Museum instead. More on the trip's itinerary is in this Reuters article: Trump to visit Jewish, Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.
The Talmud on scriptural exegesis
THIS WEEK'S DAF YOMI COLUMN BY ADAM KIRSCH IN TABLET: Taking a ‘Sharp Knife’ to the Talmud. Daf Yomi: Interpreters of ancient Jewish law ‘often give the impression of doing whatever needs to be done to make the Bible mean what they want it to mean.’ The title (for which I imagine Mr. Kirsch is not responsible) is a little off. The issue in the essay is how the Talmudic sages "take a sharp knife" to the scriptures.
Scriptural interpretation in Second Temple Jewish texts and the Talmud sometimes gives the appearance of arbitrary eisegesis. Nevertheless, these exegetes worked with a clear set of rules that made perfect sense to them. They belived that all scripture was revealed by prophetic inspiration. Therefore every word was meaningful and nothing was accidental. And any scriptural passage could potentially be used to interpret an obscurity in any other passage. A favorite way of doing this was to take a difficult word in one passage and interpret it in light of how it is used in another passage (the "catchword" principle.
Some of their conclusions seem ill-founded from our historical-critical perspective today, but they believed that they were being logical and rigorous in their exegesis.
We spent quite a bit of time looking at the exegesis of scripture in my course on Ancient Jewish Literature from 1 Enoch to the Mishnah this semester.
Earlier Daf Yomi columns are noted here and links.
Scriptural interpretation in Second Temple Jewish texts and the Talmud sometimes gives the appearance of arbitrary eisegesis. Nevertheless, these exegetes worked with a clear set of rules that made perfect sense to them. They belived that all scripture was revealed by prophetic inspiration. Therefore every word was meaningful and nothing was accidental. And any scriptural passage could potentially be used to interpret an obscurity in any other passage. A favorite way of doing this was to take a difficult word in one passage and interpret it in light of how it is used in another passage (the "catchword" principle.
Some of their conclusions seem ill-founded from our historical-critical perspective today, but they believed that they were being logical and rigorous in their exegesis.
We spent quite a bit of time looking at the exegesis of scripture in my course on Ancient Jewish Literature from 1 Enoch to the Mishnah this semester.
Earlier Daf Yomi columns are noted here and links.
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
The Magdala Stone on display in Rome
VATICAN MENORAH EXHIBITION: Magdala Stone, known as Jewish-Christian ‘crossroads,’ gets its public debut (Sean Savage, JNS.org). The Magdala Stone is an extraordinarily significant, if perhaps sometimes over-interpreted, item of ancient Jewish iconography.
Past PaleoJudaica posts on the Magdala Stone are here, here (with a photo), here, and follow the links. Past posts on the “Menorah: Cult, History and Myth” exhibition by the Vatican and the Jewish Museum of Rome, which opened yesterday, are here and here.
Past PaleoJudaica posts on the Magdala Stone are here, here (with a photo), here, and follow the links. Past posts on the “Menorah: Cult, History and Myth” exhibition by the Vatican and the Jewish Museum of Rome, which opened yesterday, are here and here.
Tunisian PM visits Djerba
DIPLOMACY: Tunisian PM in Djerba for Jewish pilgrimage to Ghriba. Over 2,500 Jews and 12,000 visitors every year (ANSAmed). The Ghriba Synagogue is an ancient synagogue site on the island of Djerba. It is an annual site of Jewish pilgrimage on Lag B'Omer. The visit of the Tunisian Prime Minister is an important political statement, not least in connection with the recent proposal to make the island a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Background here and links.
Background here and links.
Bar Kokhba caves opened for Lag B'Omer
TOURISM AND ARCHAEOLOGY: JNF opens ancient caves from era of Bar Kokhba revolt (Dan Lavie,Israel HaYom). The complex of caves used during the Bar Kokhba Revolt at Khirbet Burgin at the Adullam Grove Nature Reserve was opened to the public over the weekend (and beyond?). This seems to have been in honor of Lag B'Omer, although this article doesn't specify this. The Bar Kokhba-era caves at the Adullam Grove Nature Reserve have been known for some time. See the posts from 2004 here and here. The area was also in the news recently for its ancient Jewish pyramid.
An article by Yisrael Katzover in Hamodia seems to think that new caves from the period have just been discovered: Caves Uncovered from Bar Kochva Period. But that doesn't seem to be the understanding of the Israel HaYom article. Such caves have been excavated recently at at Ramat Bet Shemesh. Adullam Park is nearby, but I have not seen reports of any new caves there.
An article by Yisrael Katzover in Hamodia seems to think that new caves from the period have just been discovered: Caves Uncovered from Bar Kochva Period. But that doesn't seem to be the understanding of the Israel HaYom article. Such caves have been excavated recently at at Ramat Bet Shemesh. Adullam Park is nearby, but I have not seen reports of any new caves there.
The Lead Books Centre's AGM is in London today
MORE ON THOSE LEAD CODICES: Scholars begin to unlock mystery of Jordanian lead books, and say they are genuine (Paul Handley, Church Times). The main news in this article is that The Centre for the Study of the Jordanian Lead Books is holding its annual general meeting in London today. The article summarizes the current state of the discussion pretty well. Most of the content is already familiar to regular PaleoJudaica readers. As I have noted before, what "genuine" means here is not very clear. The meeting will include films on the codices which will also be posted on the Centre's website.
Films are well and good, but any real advance on the state of the question needs to come from publications in peer-review venues. As I have said before, the evidence I have seen so far makes me think the codices are clumsy modern productions. I published a detailed statement on them a couple of months ago: The Jordan Department of Antiquities disavows the lead codices. At present I have nothing to add. Follow the links there for many past posts on the subject.
As always, I will have a look at what the Lead Books Centre has to say, but I encourage the members to move the discussion into the realm of real scholarly publications.
Cross-file under Fake Metal Codices Watch. I acknowledge that various elements of the current discussion may point to some of the codices being something other than fake, but I remain to be convinced. And in any case, I continue to include this cross-file rubric so that all my posts on the subject can be accessed together.
Films are well and good, but any real advance on the state of the question needs to come from publications in peer-review venues. As I have said before, the evidence I have seen so far makes me think the codices are clumsy modern productions. I published a detailed statement on them a couple of months ago: The Jordan Department of Antiquities disavows the lead codices. At present I have nothing to add. Follow the links there for many past posts on the subject.
As always, I will have a look at what the Lead Books Centre has to say, but I encourage the members to move the discussion into the realm of real scholarly publications.
Cross-file under Fake Metal Codices Watch. I acknowledge that various elements of the current discussion may point to some of the codices being something other than fake, but I remain to be convinced. And in any case, I continue to include this cross-file rubric so that all my posts on the subject can be accessed together.
Will Trump become the first sitting President to visit the Western Wall?
TEMPLE MOUNT WATCH: Trump set to become first sitting US president to visit Western Wall. As candidates, many US politicians stop by the Jerusalem holy site, but once in the White House, they’ve all stayed away (Raphael Ahren, Times of Israel). The official itinerary, however, has not yet been released. But "sources" say that the Western Wall will be included, for whatever that is worth.
While we're on the subject of "sources," a diplomatic tempest over the Western Wall seems now to have been resolved: White House Clarifies Western Wall Position with JewishPress.com (Hana Levi Julian). Whoever told Israeli officials that the Western Wall "is not in your territory" was not giving "the position of this administration."
While we're on the subject of "sources," a diplomatic tempest over the Western Wall seems now to have been resolved: White House Clarifies Western Wall Position with JewishPress.com (Hana Levi Julian). Whoever told Israeli officials that the Western Wall "is not in your territory" was not giving "the position of this administration."
Monday, May 15, 2017
Opening of the Vatican menorah exhibition
NO. NEXT QUESTION: Can Vatican display shed light on the fate of the Menorah? Starting Monday, a co-hosted exhibit about sacred Temple relic sets a new precedent for cooperation between the Holy See and Rome’s Jewish community (ROSSELLA TERCATIN, Times of Israel). Despite the clickbait headline (for which I do not hold the author responsible), this is a good article on the “Menorah: Cult, History and Myth” exhibition by the Vatican and the Jewish Museum of Rome, which opens today.
Background on the exhibition is here. A few other recent posts on the lost Temple menorah are here, here, and here. Follow the links in those posts for much more on the Temple menorah and on ancient menorahs in general.
UPDATE: Incorrect link now fixed!
Just to be clear, my comments above were directed at the claim that the Vatican knows something it isn't telling about the fate of the golden menorah looted by the Romans from the Jerusalem Temple. There is no reason to think the Vatican has the menorah or any special information about it. Follow the background links above for details.
The exhibition sounds very informative about the history of the menorah in general.
Background on the exhibition is here. A few other recent posts on the lost Temple menorah are here, here, and here. Follow the links in those posts for much more on the Temple menorah and on ancient menorahs in general.
UPDATE: Incorrect link now fixed!
Just to be clear, my comments above were directed at the claim that the Vatican knows something it isn't telling about the fate of the golden menorah looted by the Romans from the Jerusalem Temple. There is no reason to think the Vatican has the menorah or any special information about it. Follow the background links above for details.
The exhibition sounds very informative about the history of the menorah in general.
Early misunderstandings of the Damascus Document
THE ANXIOUS BENCH: Alternative Scriptures: From Qumran to Christ. Philip Jenkins has dug up (heh) some early twentieth century scholarship on the Qumran sect. The sect was already known from the Cairo Geniza manuscript of the Damascus Document. Some quite reputable scholars were publishing unwarranted speculation about a direct Christian connection with the sect.
It goes to show how easy it is to take exciting new sources and draw inferences from them which go beyond the evidence. There has still been plenty of that after the discovery and publication of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Past posts in Professor Jenkins's series on "Alternative Scriptures" have been noted here and here.
It goes to show how easy it is to take exciting new sources and draw inferences from them which go beyond the evidence. There has still been plenty of that after the discovery and publication of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Past posts in Professor Jenkins's series on "Alternative Scriptures" have been noted here and here.
Were the kosher laws originally only for priests?
HISTORY OF RELIGION: Can We Eat Bacon Now? Leviticus Was Written for Priests, Not You, Say Scholars. The Book of Leviticus is thought to lay down rules for all Jews, but some biblical scholars think the laws were originally meant for a more select group. There seems to be some room for debate about the history of these rules. But by the time of the rabbinic literature there was no doubt that they applied to all Jews.
Relevant, but not mentioned, is Jacob Neusner's proposal about the Pharisees. He argued that they made it a condition of their group that lay people follow the Priestly laws as though they were priests serving in the Temple. Their perspective formed the foundation of rabbinic Judaism.
Relevant, but not mentioned, is Jacob Neusner's proposal about the Pharisees. He argued that they made it a condition of their group that lay people follow the Priestly laws as though they were priests serving in the Temple. Their perspective formed the foundation of rabbinic Judaism.
Djerba to be proposed as UNESCO World Heritage Site
EXCELLENT IDEA: North Africa's oldest synagogue to become a world heritage site? Tunisia seeks UNESCO World Heritage status for Djerba Island, "isle of kohanim" and site of 2,500 years old Ghriba synagogue (AFP via Arutz Sheva). I haven't been able to find out exactly how old this synagogue site is, but it does seem to be old.
As as aside, it looks as though the Lag B'Omer celebrations in Djerba went safely, despite the recent terrorism alert. That is good news.
Background on the Ghriba Synagogue on the island of Djerba in Tunisia is here and links.
As as aside, it looks as though the Lag B'Omer celebrations in Djerba went safely, despite the recent terrorism alert. That is good news.
Background on the Ghriba Synagogue on the island of Djerba in Tunisia is here and links.
Lag B'Omer celebrations
AGAIN THIS YEAR: Hundreds of thousands flock to Galilee mountain for Lag B’Omer festival. Huge crowds defy state rabbinate’s delay of holiday to celebrate the ancient sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai near his tomb on Mount Meron (Times of Israel). I hadn't heard about the decision to delay the celebration by one day (so that people wouldn't be traveling on the Sabbath to get to the celebrations). It sounds as though that did not go over very well.
Background here and links.
Background here and links.
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Review of Weiss, Pious Irreverence
H-JUDAIC BOOK REVIEW:
Dov Weiss. Pious Irreverence: Confronting God in Rabbinic Judaism. Divinations: Rereading Late Ancient Religion Series. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016. xii + 291 pp. $69.95 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-8122-4835-7.In what sense is confrontation with God "protest" in the Hebrew Bible and the Rabbinic literature? And to what degree does this protest "humanize" God? Tabory's review is positive.
Reviewed by Joseph Tabory (Bar-Ilan University)
Published on H-Judaic (May, 2017)
Commissioned by Katja Vehlow
Another review of Prochnik, Stranger in a Strange Land
BOOK REVIEW: Book World: Looking for the man who took the Kabbalah mainstream. Stranger in a Strange Land: Searching for Gershom Scholem and Jerusalem (Randy Rosenthal, Washington Post, rpt. Edwardsville Intelligencer). The earlier review by Alan Newhouse (noted here) concentrated more on Prochnik, the biographer. This one concentrates more on the subject of the biography, Gershom Scholem, and on Scholem's friend Walter Benjamin. The essays of Benjamin led Prochnik to Scholem's writings.
So many Herods!
IS THAT IN THE BIBLE? (BLOG): Know Your Herods: A Guide to the Rulers of Palestine in the New Testament (Paul Davidson). Cross-file under News You Can Use.
For past posts on Herod the Great, start here and follow the links. Posts on Herod Agrippa I are here, here, and here. A post on Herod Antipas is here. Past posts on Salome, daughter of Herodias, are collected here. And for possible "composite Herods" in Luke-Acts, see here.
For past posts on Herod the Great, start here and follow the links. Posts on Herod Agrippa I are here, here, and here. A post on Herod Antipas is here. Past posts on Salome, daughter of Herodias, are collected here. And for possible "composite Herods" in Luke-Acts, see here.
Timshel
THAT'S NOT IN THE BIBLE: How Did John Steinbeck And An Obama Staffer Get The Bible So Wrong? (Aviya Kushner, The Forward). Thanks to Steinbeck's East of Eden, timshel seems to have become an honorary Hebrew word.
Kharoshti
PALAEOGRAPHY: Kharoshti: Story of the ancient scripts (Iqbal Ahmad, Kashmir Images). (An article mostly based on the Wikipedia article on the same subject.) This gives a brief account of the story of Kharoshti, an ancient Indian script based on the Aramaic alphabet. It was used to write texts in Sanskrit and related dialects. A cache of Buddhist manuscripts written in the Kharoshti script (the Gandhāran Buddhist texts) was discovered in Pakistan and was given to the British Library in 1994. The manuscripts date to the first century CE, around the same time as the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Cross-file under Aramaic Watch.
Cross-file under Aramaic Watch.
Saturday, May 13, 2017
Lag B'Omer 2017
LAG B'OMER: THE COUNTING OF THE OMER begins tonight at sundown. Best wishes to all observing it.
The biblical background of the holiday is Leviticus 23:15, which mandates the counting of seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot (Weeks). Lag B'Omer just means the 33rd day of this count (the 18th of Iyar). The festival commemorates, among other things, the traditional date of the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Yohai).
Last year's Lag B'Omer post is here with links, and see also here and here. More recent posts are here, here, here, and here, with links.
The biblical background of the holiday is Leviticus 23:15, which mandates the counting of seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot (Weeks). Lag B'Omer just means the 33rd day of this count (the 18th of Iyar). The festival commemorates, among other things, the traditional date of the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Yohai).
Last year's Lag B'Omer post is here with links, and see also here and here. More recent posts are here, here, here, and here, with links.
Schiffman remembers Feldman
PROF. LAWRENCE H. SCHIFFMAN: REMEMBERING LOUIS H. FELDMAN: RENOWNED EXPERT ON FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS. This obituary by Professor Schiffman in Ami Magazine remembers the late Professor Feldman and recounts the latter's many scholarly contributions, especially to the study of Josephus.
Background here and here.
Background here and here.
The Investiture of the Archangel Gabriel
ALIN SUCIU: Guest Post: Lance Jenott – The Investiture of the Archangel Gabriel. An English translation of this little-known text written in the little-known genre of (apocryphal) "apostolic memoirs." Cross-file under New Testament Apocrypha Watch and Coptic Watch.
The Epic of Gilgamesh
HERITAGE DAILY: Guide to the classics: the Epic of Gilgamesh. (Louise Pryke). This is a nice summary of the story of Gilgamesh in the Epic, other related stories about Gilgamesh, and a brief account of the importance of the Gilgamesh traditions, the history of the rediscovery of Gilgamesh, and the current state of our knowledge of the text of the Epic.
One detail: my understanding of the Epic (and I did read much of it in Akkadian with William Moran, many years ago) is that Gilgamesh received the secret of extended life, not eternal life. Utnapishtim (or whatever they think the correct form of the name is now) gave him a plant that would make him young again, but there is no indication that the youth would be permanent. In any case, Gilgamesh carelessly lost the plant, so we will never know.
Regular readers will be aware that Gilgamesh is a character in ancient Jewish literature. He appears as one of the giants in the Book of Giants.
I have collected many past posts on Gilgamesh here. There you can read about him in the Book of Giants, and even in a later Syriac text, and also about most of the other issues mentioned above. And I have some additional posts involving Gilgamesh here, here, here, and here.
One detail: my understanding of the Epic (and I did read much of it in Akkadian with William Moran, many years ago) is that Gilgamesh received the secret of extended life, not eternal life. Utnapishtim (or whatever they think the correct form of the name is now) gave him a plant that would make him young again, but there is no indication that the youth would be permanent. In any case, Gilgamesh carelessly lost the plant, so we will never know.
Regular readers will be aware that Gilgamesh is a character in ancient Jewish literature. He appears as one of the giants in the Book of Giants.
I have collected many past posts on Gilgamesh here. There you can read about him in the Book of Giants, and even in a later Syriac text, and also about most of the other issues mentioned above. And I have some additional posts involving Gilgamesh here, here, here, and here.
Chabad on noncanonical scriptures
ASKING THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: Is the Apocrypha Kosher? What Is the Jewish View? (Yehuda Shurpin, Chabad.org). Chabad.org is a religious site and this essay is written from a particular religious perspective, which is fine. I am always interested when noncanonical scriptures receive some attention. This essay discusses Ben Sira, 1 Enoch, 1-2 Maccabees, etc. And it mentions several other works.
Cross-file under Old Testament Apocrypha Watch and Old Testament Pseudepigrapha Watch.
Cross-file under Old Testament Apocrypha Watch and Old Testament Pseudepigrapha Watch.
Friday, May 12, 2017
Bar Kokhba letters anniversary
ON THIS DAY IN 1960, Yigael Yadin made his famous announcement of the discovery of a cache of documents from the time of the Bar Kokhba Revolt. The anniversary was noted by Haaretz in 2015, but I cant find any notice of it in the media this year. The announcement was one of the most dramatic moments in the history of Israeli archaeology. You can read about it here.
This year's anniversary almost counts as a cosmic synchronicity, because it comes the day before Lag B'Omer. This holiday has become, among other things, an annual commemoration of the Bar Kokhba Revolt.
A couple of years ago I collected past PaleoJudaica posts on the Bar Kokhba Revolt, including ones on its connections with Lag B'Omer. I also linked to posts on the site of Betar (Battir), the central site of the revolt, on which more here and in yesterday's post. Yesterday's post also collected recent posts on Philip Esler's new book on the Babatha archive.
Since the roundup two years ago, there have been posts on the archaeology of the revolt (more or less) here, here, here, here, here, and here. Posts on last year's archaeological expedition to re-explore the the Cave of Skulls are here, here, here, and links. Recent posts on coins of the Bar Kokhba Revolt are here and here. Other posts on the Bar Kokhba Revolt from the last couple of years are here, here, here, here, and here.
This year's anniversary almost counts as a cosmic synchronicity, because it comes the day before Lag B'Omer. This holiday has become, among other things, an annual commemoration of the Bar Kokhba Revolt.
A couple of years ago I collected past PaleoJudaica posts on the Bar Kokhba Revolt, including ones on its connections with Lag B'Omer. I also linked to posts on the site of Betar (Battir), the central site of the revolt, on which more here and in yesterday's post. Yesterday's post also collected recent posts on Philip Esler's new book on the Babatha archive.
Since the roundup two years ago, there have been posts on the archaeology of the revolt (more or less) here, here, here, here, here, and here. Posts on last year's archaeological expedition to re-explore the the Cave of Skulls are here, here, here, and links. Recent posts on coins of the Bar Kokhba Revolt are here and here. Other posts on the Bar Kokhba Revolt from the last couple of years are here, here, here, here, and here.
The first Dead Sea Scroll was from Cairo
THE ANXIOUS BENCH: Alternative Scriptures: The First Discovery of Qumran. Philip Jenkins reviews the discovery of the Cairo Geniza in the late 19th century. Solomon Schechter found portions of the Damascus Document in the Geniza. Fragments of the Damascus Document were found much later among the Dead Sea Scrolls and it turned out that it was a Qumran sectarian document.
Schechter drew many correct inferences from his medieval copy of the Damascus Document about the Qumran sectarians, although he got some things wrong too.
The first post in Professor Jenkins's Alternative Scriptures series was noted here. Schechter's centennial yahrzeit (death anniversary) was in 2015. See here and here. For past PaleoJudaica posts on the Cairo Geniza, see here and many links.
Schechter drew many correct inferences from his medieval copy of the Damascus Document about the Qumran sectarians, although he got some things wrong too.
The first post in Professor Jenkins's Alternative Scriptures series was noted here. Schechter's centennial yahrzeit (death anniversary) was in 2015. See here and here. For past PaleoJudaica posts on the Cairo Geniza, see here and many links.
Sabar coming to Göttingen re GJW
ALIN SUCIU: Ariel Sabar in Göttingen. Mr. Sabar will be at Georg-August-Universität on 23 May to discuss the Gospel of Jesus' Wife forgery.
Background on the story of the GJW is here with oh so many links.
Background on the story of the GJW is here with oh so many links.
Springsteen and the Bible
LYRICS, DUDE! Into the Fire: A Jewish studies prof. searches for The Bible in the lyrics of The Boss. Azzan Yadin-Israel maps theological parallels in the songs of Bruce Springsteen, finding Sodom and Gomorrah, the Exodus, and much more from Testaments Old and Ne (CATHRYN J. PRINCE, Times of Israel). A postmodern project from a specialist in ancient Judaism. I'm not convinced that all of the scriptural allusions proposed in this article are really in Springsteen's lyrics, but a lot of them are.
Tamimi charged with murdering Hannah Bladon
UPDATE: Israel charges Palestinian man with murdering British student on Jerusalem tram (Raf Sanchez, The Telegraph). Ms. Bladon was a biblical studies student at the University of Birmingham. She was on an exchange semester at the Rothberg International School in Jerusalem. The man charged with killing her, Jamil Tamimi, had a long history of mental illness and had just been released from a psychiatric hospital the day before. He has been found competent to stand trial.
Background here.
Background here.
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Was the Qumran community celibate?
BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: First Person: Was the Dead Sea Scroll Community Celibate? Biblical Archaeology Review editor Hershel Shanks comments on an article on the Qumran community by Devorah Dimant in the current issue of BAR.
Yes, this is a good question, the answer to which is not at all clear to me. And yes, research on the Qumran sectarians is "unsettled." I think we know less about them now than scholars thought they did a generation or two ago. Paradoxically, I also think that is progress.
I have collected some past posts on the subject of the Qumran sectarians here.
Yes, this is a good question, the answer to which is not at all clear to me. And yes, research on the Qumran sectarians is "unsettled." I think we know less about them now than scholars thought they did a generation or two ago. Paradoxically, I also think that is progress.
I have collected some past posts on the subject of the Qumran sectarians here.
On the Bar Kokhba Revolt
TIMES OF ISRAEL BLOG: Bar Kokhba: When (rabbinic) leadership fails (Aaron Koller). This essay gives a good summary of what we know about the Bar Kokhba Revolt. It also offers some plausible speculation about why the Tanaaitic literature (the Rabbinic literature up to the third century) says virtually nothing about it.
Incidentally, I have found one, and only one, reference to the Bar Kokhba Revolt in the Tannaitic literature. In Mishnah Tannaith 4.6 there is a brief list of bad things that happened on the 9th of the month Av in the Jewish calendar. These were very bad things, including the destruction of the Temples by the Babylonians and the Romans. One of the items in the list is "and Betar was captured." The city Betar, we learn from later Rabbinic traditions, was the center of the Bar Kokhba Revolt. Bar Kokhba himself supposedly died there when it fell to the Romans. The Mishnah assumes that the reader knows the full story and this is all it has to say.
There are many past PaleoJudaica posts on the Bar Kokhba Revolt. I will have more to say about that tomorrow. Recent posts on the Babatha archive are here, here, and here.
UPDATE (12 May): the post promised above is now here.
Incidentally, I have found one, and only one, reference to the Bar Kokhba Revolt in the Tannaitic literature. In Mishnah Tannaith 4.6 there is a brief list of bad things that happened on the 9th of the month Av in the Jewish calendar. These were very bad things, including the destruction of the Temples by the Babylonians and the Romans. One of the items in the list is "and Betar was captured." The city Betar, we learn from later Rabbinic traditions, was the center of the Bar Kokhba Revolt. Bar Kokhba himself supposedly died there when it fell to the Romans. The Mishnah assumes that the reader knows the full story and this is all it has to say.
There are many past PaleoJudaica posts on the Bar Kokhba Revolt. I will have more to say about that tomorrow. Recent posts on the Babatha archive are here, here, and here.
UPDATE (12 May): the post promised above is now here.
More on Trump's visit to Israel
ITINERARY: TRUMP’S ISRAEL VISIT SAID TO INCLUDE STOPS AT MASADA, WESTERN WALL. A partial schedule for US President Donald Trump's much-expected visit to Israel has been released; Masada, the Western Wall and Yad Vashem are some of the highlights in his two-day stop (JTA via the Jerusalem Post). There have been conflicting reports on whether a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum will be included. As far as I can work out, though, the issue being negotiated is the length of the visit rather than whether it takes place.
Meanwhile, PARKS AUTHORITY PREPARES MASADA FOR POTENTIAL TRUMP VISIT (Sharon Udasin, Jerusalem Post).
Background here and here.
Meanwhile, PARKS AUTHORITY PREPARES MASADA FOR POTENTIAL TRUMP VISIT (Sharon Udasin, Jerusalem Post).
Background here and here.
"Salomé" in London
THEATRE REVIEW: Review: Salomé (National Theatre).Yaël Farber revists the myth of the woman who demanded the head of John the Baptist (Matt Trueman). Mr. Trueman hated this production: "The South African director's own version of the biblical myth – a feminist reclamation – is so confounding that it might as well be written entirely in Aramaic." That sounds okay to me, but I can see it wouldn't work for everyone.
For more positive takes on the Farber production of Wilde's Salomé, see here and here. Past posts on the historical Salome are here and here. For more on Salome and the arts, see here.
For more positive takes on the Farber production of Wilde's Salomé, see here and here. Past posts on the historical Salome are here and here. For more on Salome and the arts, see here.
Looting arrest near Hebron
APPREHENDED: Stolen Antique Coins, Jewelry, Seized in Arab Village (JNi.Media). This bust took place in the West Bank town of Beit Ula. There was another one in the town of Hawara (Huwara) last week. See here for that and other recent apprehensions in Israel and the West Bank.
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
The Talmud on measurements in real-estate deals
THIS WEEK'S DAF YOMI COLUMN BY ADAM KIRSCH IN TABLET: Terms of Service. In this week’s ‘Daf Yomi,’ why the law is in the details. In particular, the details about what percentage of sold land can be unusable for agriculture, how precisely the areas of the sold land has to be specified, etc.
Earlier Daf Yomi columns are noted here and links.
Earlier Daf Yomi columns are noted here and links.
Interview with Michael Stone
AUDIO: I fell in love with Armenian. Interview with Professor Michael Stone. Professor Stone has dedicated his life to Armenian studies and founded and directed for many years the Program of Armenian Studies at Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Vahe Kateb, SBS). Seen on Facebook.
I have noted reviews of a few recent books by Professor Stone here, here, here, and links. His work on Second Temple Judaism and on Armenian literature is renowned.
Some past posts on the Armenian language and alphabet are collected here.
I have noted reviews of a few recent books by Professor Stone here, here, here, and links. His work on Second Temple Judaism and on Armenian literature is renowned.
Some past posts on the Armenian language and alphabet are collected here.
"The words of Job are ended." Or something.
THE BIBLE AND INTERPRETATION:
Job’s Colophon and Its Contradictions
As a paratext, the colophon’s functions can be summarily and quickly described. It marks the ending of a text. In the era before printing this was a necessity, so that later copyists would know that they had a complete text before them to reproduce. This is the case with many Egyptian and Akkadkian colophons. As such, a colophon is an assertion of authority. In marking the end of a text it pronounces that text to be in some way, “finished,” whole or complete. It also protects the text from any supplementation by its very visual presence, because any additional text would be clearly marked as literally and figuratively outside the bounds of the normative text.
By Thomas M. Bolin
Professor of Theology and Religious Studies
St. Norbert College
May 2017
"Holocaust of Giants"
REMNANT OF GIANTS: New True Legends ‘Documentary’: Holocaust of Giants (Deane Galbraith). Don't miss the video. What would we do if we didn't have Deane to, uh, dig these things up for us?
Reports of the finding of giant skeletons go back at least to Josephus and show no sign of abating. Some relevant posts are collected here. And then there is this and this.
Reports of the finding of giant skeletons go back at least to Josephus and show no sign of abating. Some relevant posts are collected here. And then there is this and this.
On R. Shimon bar Yochai
FOR LAG B'OMER: The Life of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. A glimpse into the greatness of this towering scholar whose yahrzeit is commemorated on Lag B’Omer (Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld, Aish.com).
This essay is a nice compilation of (legendary) traditions about Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Yohai), also known as the Rashbi. The stories come mostly from the Talmud. R. Shimon is also the traditional (but pseudepigraphic) author of the Zohar, the largest and most influential Jewish mystical work. For more on him, start here and follow the links.
This essay is a nice compilation of (legendary) traditions about Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Yohai), also known as the Rashbi. The stories come mostly from the Talmud. R. Shimon is also the traditional (but pseudepigraphic) author of the Zohar, the largest and most influential Jewish mystical work. For more on him, start here and follow the links.
Tuesday, May 09, 2017
The Levitical line in Qumran Aramaic texts
ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: The Compositions Relating to the Levitical Line in the Qumran Aramaic Scrolls (Liora Goldman). These texts raise some fascinating questions. If, in their mythology, Levi was already a priest, what did their authors think of the elevation of the line of Aaron to the priesthood in the Mosaic Torah? That resulted in the tribe of Levi being made into attendants to the Tabernacle (Temple) and servants to the Aaronid (Zadokite) priests. That sounds like a demotion from the perspective of the Qumran Aramaic texts. Do these texts preserve memories of a non-Zadokite Levitical priesthood? Did such a priesthood survive into Second Temple times?
Last year I discussed some of these issues briefly in my summing-up post on the "John the Jew" Enoch Seminar at Camaldoli. But I have many more questions than answers.
Last year I discussed some of these issues briefly in my summing-up post on the "John the Jew" Enoch Seminar at Camaldoli. But I have many more questions than answers.
The Polish army's archaeological collection
RECENTLY REDISCOVERED: Biblical Artifacts Collected by anti-Nazi Polish Soldiers Found in Israel. The thousands of items in the archaeological treasure trove, which sat for decades in Jerusalem's Old City, span from the second century B.C.E. to the early 20th century (Nir Hasson, Haaretz). The, uh, collected artifacts were kept in a basement in the Polish Embassy. The IAA gave permission for most of them to be taken to Poland to be exhibited there. International law required that the two cuneiform tablets and a fresco fragment not be moved abroad.
Yes, the artifacts were looted, but no one seems inclined to make a big issue of that now. These guys were fighting Nazis, after all. Sort of like Indy, only in real life.
Yes, the artifacts were looted, but no one seems inclined to make a big issue of that now. These guys were fighting Nazis, after all. Sort of like Indy, only in real life.
Archaeology and the Six-Day War
ARCHAEOLOGY AND POLITICS: Six-Day War Catapults Archaeology in Jerusalem to New Heights (Chris Mitchell, Christian Broadcasting Network News). Israeli Archaeologists Eilat Mazar and Gabriel Barkay (Barkai) tell CBN how the Six-Day War and the reunification of Jerusalem fundamentally changed the discipline of archaeology in the State of Israel and how their own careers were affected.
Archaeological garden opens at Davidson Center
ARCHAEOLOGY AND POLITICS: ISRAEL UNVEILS ARCHAEOLOGICAL GARDEN IN JERUSALEM’S OLD CITY. “Everything we are doing in Jerusalem is in order to reassure and confirm our existence here.” (Daniel K. Eisenbud, Jerusalem Post). The opening of the archaeological gardent was timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem at the end of the Six-Day War.
The Davidson Center Archaeological Park and its connection with Elad have been somewhat controversial, even to the point of litigation. Background here and links.
Some past PaleoJudaica posts on other archaeological gardens in Israel are here and links.
The Davidson Center Archaeological Park and its connection with Elad have been somewhat controversial, even to the point of litigation. Background here and links.
Some past PaleoJudaica posts on other archaeological gardens in Israel are here and links.
Monday, May 08, 2017
A saint's tomb at Hippos-Sussita?
ARCHAEOLOGY: Tomb of Unknown Saint Found in Israel, Archaeologists Deduce. Clustered churches in Hippos-Sussita in sixth century C.E. indicate mutual tolerance among early Christian sects, which was not to last (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz). The saint, or whoever she was, was a woman in her fifties buried in one of the five Christian churches in Hippos-Sussita in the sixth century.
This article has a long and detailed discussion of the late antique Christian remains recovered at this site.
For past posts on the excavations at the site of Hippos-Sussita, start here and follow the links. Many of the earlier posts dealt with pagan remains from the Roman period and late antiquity.
This article has a long and detailed discussion of the late antique Christian remains recovered at this site.
For past posts on the excavations at the site of Hippos-Sussita, start here and follow the links. Many of the earlier posts dealt with pagan remains from the Roman period and late antiquity.
The Lod Mosaic is back in Israel
EXHIBITION: The Lod Mosaic // This Exquisite Israeli Mosaic Has Been Seen Across the World but Never in Israel. Discovered in central Israel 21 years ago, this beautiful artwork has toured the world but still has no home in Israel. It’s worth taking a trip to see a small part of the masterpiece in Haifa (Moshe Gilad, Haaretz).
The Lod Mosaic was on an international display tour for some years, and PaleoJudaica kept regular track of its peregrinations. Start here and follow the links. The same trail of links will lead you to information on a second ancient mosaic discovered recently in Lod.
Now, though, a small part of the mosaic is on display at the Israel National Maritime Museum in Haifa (until April 2018). The section on show is covered with fish, sea monsters and ships. It is incredible and is undoubtedly worth the trip. The big question now is why we have to journey to Haifa to see it, and not its home city of Lod in central Israel?Mr. Gilad is impatient about this matter:
Three institutions are partners in preserving and displaying the “Lod Mosaic”: the IAA is the professional body in charge; the Leon Levy Foundation and Shelby White are supposed to fund the IAA’s activities; and Lod City Hall is the host. The three provided answers to questions from Haaretz last week, all basically saying, “What’s the rush? Patience!” Sure, because it has only been 21 years and the mosaic has yet to be fully shown in Israel.This is a long, detailed article about this beautiful ancient mosaic. It's worth reading in full - soon, before it goes behind the subscription wall.
The Lod Mosaic was on an international display tour for some years, and PaleoJudaica kept regular track of its peregrinations. Start here and follow the links. The same trail of links will lead you to information on a second ancient mosaic discovered recently in Lod.
Copper Scroll gender mystery
AND THEN HE WAS A SHE: Patrice Mince Sets Her Eyes on Six Legendary Sunken Treasures (Digital Journal). Regular readers who click through the link and read this press release will find it familiar and yet somewhat different. I noted the same press release here a few weeks ago, only the name of the intrepid explorer was Aaron Guetterman and he was a he. The same press release is still there. The six legendary treasures are the same, including those of the Copper Scroll, and the wording of the press releases are exactly the same apart from the name of the explorer and the gender of the pronouns.
I could speculate on the reasons for for the differences. But instead I simply pass the story on to my readers as yet another unexplained Copper Scroll mystery.
I could speculate on the reasons for for the differences. But instead I simply pass the story on to my readers as yet another unexplained Copper Scroll mystery.
There might have been a Miss Universe pageant at Masada
VENUE PROPOSAL: When Donald Trump wanted to hold Miss Universe pageant at Masada. US president reportedly believed that having a beauty contest at palace built by Judean king Herod would be a good PR opportunity (Ben Sales, JTA via Times of Israel). For whom the PR would have been good was not specified. The 2011 pageant was held in São Paulo, Brazil, instead.
Background here. There have been operas at Masada but, as far as I know, no beauty contests.
Background here. There have been operas at Masada but, as far as I know, no beauty contests.
The Newark Stones as emancipationist forgeries?
NOT ANCIENT NEW WORLD ARTIFACTS, ANYWAY: Archaeology: Newark ‘Holy Stones’ are 19th century fake news (Brad Lepper, The Columbus Dispatch). The Newark stones are Hebrew-inscribed objects found in found near Newark, Ohio, in 1860. They have been argued to be ancient, but no one remains convinced today.
Dr. Lepper and his colleague Jeff Gill at the Ohio History Connection are making the case that the objects were forged in the nineteenth century by the Rev. Charles McIlvaine. They were intended as a compelling argument for the abolition of slavery in the U.S.A. The case sounds indirect to me, but Dr. Lepper really doesn't have the space to make it fully in this brief essay. I look forward to hearing more.
Everyone agrees that the Newark Stones are not genuine ancient New World artifacts, although Rochelle Altman argued some years ago in a Bible and Intepretation essay that they are medieval Jewish artifacts that were placed secondarily in the locations where they were found. But if this theory was every published in a peer-review journal, I haven't seen it.
Some past posts on the Newark Stones and other dubious New World Hebrew inscriptions are here, here, here, here, and here. Dr. Lepper and his theory come up in a couple of these posts.
Dr. Lepper and his colleague Jeff Gill at the Ohio History Connection are making the case that the objects were forged in the nineteenth century by the Rev. Charles McIlvaine. They were intended as a compelling argument for the abolition of slavery in the U.S.A. The case sounds indirect to me, but Dr. Lepper really doesn't have the space to make it fully in this brief essay. I look forward to hearing more.
Everyone agrees that the Newark Stones are not genuine ancient New World artifacts, although Rochelle Altman argued some years ago in a Bible and Intepretation essay that they are medieval Jewish artifacts that were placed secondarily in the locations where they were found. But if this theory was every published in a peer-review journal, I haven't seen it.
Some past posts on the Newark Stones and other dubious New World Hebrew inscriptions are here, here, here, here, and here. Dr. Lepper and his theory come up in a couple of these posts.
Sunday, May 07, 2017
On the Oriental Institute
THE FORWARD: Fact-Checking The Bible—In Chicago’s Oriental Institute (Aimee Levitt). This is a dreadful, clickbait title, but the article isn't bad. It surveys the work of the Oriental Institute via an interview with postgraduate Joey Cross. There is particular attention to connections between the Hebrew Bible and ancient cuneiform inscriptions such as the Sennacherib prism.
Some past PaleoJudaica posts involving Sennacherib and his invasion of Judah are here, here (sort of), here, and here.
Some past PaleoJudaica posts involving Sennacherib and his invasion of Judah are here, here (sort of), here, and here.
Frankel Institute Fellows 2017-18
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN: Announcing the 2017-18 Frankel Institute Fellows Led by Head Fellow Rachel Neis, our new fellows will explore the theme of "Jews and the Material in Antiquity."
I noted the fellowship as upcoming and accepting applications last year here and here. Looks like they have come up with an excellent lineup.
This fall, the Frankel Institute for Advanced Judaic Studies will host a prestigious group of scholars who will gather around the theme "Jews and the Material in Antiquity." They will be led by Head Fellow Rachel Neis.
The 2017–18 Frankel fellows and their fields of research are: ...
I noted the fellowship as upcoming and accepting applications last year here and here. Looks like they have come up with an excellent lineup.
Who is a "neighbor" according to the Bible?
PROF. RICHARD ELLIOTT FRIEDMAN: The Exodus, the Alien, and the Neighbor (TheTorah.com). If I were told I could only take one chapter of the Bible to a desert island, I think I would skip it and worry about other packing. But Professor Friedman's answer leads to an interesting essay.
Been there before, mostly
THE ANXIOUS BENCH: Alternative Scriptures and Necessary Amnesia. Philip Jenkins says there is nothing new under the sun or in biblical scholarship. And within the parameters he sets - groundbreaking overarching theories - he has a point. His post is the first of a new series.
Grabbe on 1-2 Kings
THE ASOR BLOG: Why 1 and 2 Kings? (Lester Grabbe). An introduction to Professor Grabbe's new study guide on 1-2 Kings: 1 & 2 Kings: An Introduction and Study Guide (Bloomsbury, 2016).
Saturday, May 06, 2017
Video on conserving the Cairo Geniza collections
GENIZA EXHIBITION: A BRUSH WITH HISTORY: Conserving the Geniza Collections. A fascinating video on the nuts and bolts of conserving the manuscript fragments of the Cairo Geniza. Produced in association with the Discarded History exhibition at Cambridge University, on which more here and links. Start there also for links to the many, many past PaleoJudaica posts on the Cairo Geniza.
HT Peter Gurry at the ETC Blog.
HT Peter Gurry at the ETC Blog.
Review of Sanders, Paul
EUANGELION BLOG: E.P. Sanders on Paul’s Life, Letters, and Thought (Michael F. Bird).
E.P. Sanders
Paul: The Apostle’s Life, Letters, and Thought
Minneapolis: Fortress, 2015.
Available at Amazon.com
E.P. Sanders, surely one of the most significant NT interpreters since the late 70s, has published his life and thought of Paul. It is not quite a Pauline biography but certainly not a Pauline theology either. More of an extended sketch of Paul’s life and thought as known from his letters. Despite the impression that the typesetting and binding were done on the cheap in a Bangladeshi print shop, it is quite an enjoyable read. There is nothing groundbreaking and no bold new claims from Sanders, but it gives Sanders’s overview of Paul, and what I enjoyed most of all is that something of Sanders’s own personality shines through- you feel like you are getting to know him.
Some things I noticed were: ...
Museum of the Bible opening soon
IN NOVEMBER: Museum of the Bible prepares for DC opening (Jennifer G. Hickey, Fox News). The $500m museum opens in the autumn and seems to be on a publicity campaign. It and the associated Green Collection have not been without controversy. Background on both is here and many links.
New books on the LXX and the transmission of the HB
OTTC BLOG: Book Notices on Editing the Bible and the Legacy of Barthélemy (Drew Longacre). The post notes two new books from Helsinki:
Insights into Editing in the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near EastThus bringing our Septuagint bibliography into 2017. Go to the post for descriptions and links.
What Does Documented Evidence Tell Us about the Transmission of Authoritative Texts?
edited by R. Müller and J. Pakkala
The Legacy of Barthélemy
50 Years after Les Devanciers d'Aquila
edited by Anneli Aejmelaeus and Tuukka Kauhanen
Septuagint studies published in 2016
NEWS YOU CAN USE: Jim Aitken’s Reading List for LXX Studies (Jim West). Because you should know these things.
Friday, May 05, 2017
Four mikvaot excavated at Magdala
BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: Discoveries in Mary Magdalene’s Hometown. Four ritual baths unearthed in the Magdala excavations (Marek Dospěl). The bulk of this essay is on Mary Magdalene and her home town Magdala, which may or may not be the site called Magdala that is now being excavated. Be that as it may, the site has produced some wonderful things. Not least among these is the "Magdala Stone" on which more here and links. And follow the links there for stories on the site of Magdala in general.
The end of the BHD essay finally gets to its real news: the recent discovery of the four mikvaot (mikva'ot). To read more about them you need a subscription to Biblical Archaeology Review.
Some past PaleoJudaica posts involving ancient mikvaot in Israel are here, here, here, here, and links.
The end of the BHD essay finally gets to its real news: the recent discovery of the four mikvaot (mikva'ot). To read more about them you need a subscription to Biblical Archaeology Review.
Some past PaleoJudaica posts involving ancient mikvaot in Israel are here, here, here, here, and links.
P the poet?
DR. JASON M. H. GAINES: Poetic Laws (TheTorah.com).
A fresh look at the legislation in Parashat Kedoshim: Are we reading the legal details wrong?Poetry in Leviticus? Who knew?
On looting in the West Bank
MOTIVATIONS: How Jews and Arabs Collaborate on Antiquities Theft in the West Bank. Thousands of artifacts are being stolen every year and making their way into Jewish hands, yet the Israeli division responsible for theft prevention has just one inspector to cover 2,600 sites (Yotam Berger, Haaretz). Interesting article. It infers quite a bit from the law of supply and demand, but perhaps not implausibly. It also introduces the claim, which is new to me, that the looters have an ideological motive to destroy any Jewish connection to archaeological sites. I don't know what to make of that one.
Again, read the article now before it goes behind the subscription wall. Or you can read a limited number of premium Haaretz articles every month with a free registration.
Some recent PaleoJudaica posts on antiquities looting in Israel and the West Bank are collected here.
Again, read the article now before it goes behind the subscription wall. Or you can read a limited number of premium Haaretz articles every month with a free registration.
Some recent PaleoJudaica posts on antiquities looting in Israel and the West Bank are collected here.
Donald Trump to speak at Masada
POLITICS: Why Does Trump Want to Address Israel at Masada? The famous fortress is about pageantry, and specifically the pageantry of the underdog (Sigal Samuel, The Atlantic). The article speculates about President Trump's motivations for choosing this venue for the main speech of his upcoming visit to Israel. But it also gives some background on Masada and the importance of the story of its fall in Israeli culture.
Some of the many, many past PaleoJudaica posts on Masada are collected here.
Some of the many, many past PaleoJudaica posts on Masada are collected here.
Review of Prochnik, Stranger in a Strange Land
BOOK REVIEW: A Writer Embraces the Scholar Who Introduced the Kabbalah to Secular Society. Alana Newhouse reviews:
STRANGER IN A STRANGE LANDIt sounds like an oddly autobiographical biography. Nevertheless, it is at least nominally about Gershom Scholem, who nearly singlehandedly established Jewish mysticism as a scholarly discipline in the first half of the twentieth century. So PaleoJudaica takes note. One brief excerpt:
Searching for Gershom Scholem and Jerusalem
By George Prochnik
Illustrated. 522 pp. Other Press. $27.95
If you’re interested in experiencing the complex mix of thoughts and emotions I felt in that moment — challenged and stymied, satisfied and frustrated, amused, annoyed, tingling with a sensation so unnerving you might even call it hope — then pick up “Stranger in a Strange Land: Searching for Gershom Scholem and Jerusalem,” a new book by George Prochnik. To describe it as part biography and part memoir is to miss the point; it is instead a hunt through the crevices of one life in search of clues that might unlock the mysteries — intellectual, religious, political and psychological — of another.One has to wonder if the title of the book is meant to evoke Valentine Michael Smith as well as the biblical Gershom.
Thursday, May 04, 2017
A scribe at ancient Persepolis
BIBLIOGRAPHIA IRANICA: Treasury Secretary at Persepolis. Notice of an article posted on Academia.edu: Stolper, Matthew W. 2017. “From the Persepolis Fortification Archive Project, 6 The Dossier of Šarbaladda, Treasury Secretary at Persepolis.” ARTA: Achaemenid Research on Texts and Archaeology, no. 001 (2017): 1–33.
This article is a collection of material concerning a single clerk working in ancient Persepolis. Despite its narrow scope, it is of some interest in that he seems to have been a sepīru, a scribe who wrote in Aramaic primarily on leather. We know of such scribes, but the humid climate in Iraq and Persia has obliterated all (as far as I know, without exception) of the ancient parchment documents they produced. Any details we can learn about them are welcome.
By contrast, we have endless thousands of cuneiform tablets from the same region, because baked clay lasts for many thousands of years. Technically cuneiform tablets were produced by tupsharru (tablet) scribes, although it is hard to tell how much overlap there was between the two types of scribe. Learning to write Aramaic script was easy, whereas learning to write documents in cuneiform was difficult and took years to master.
More on ancient Babylonian scribes here. Cross-file under Aramaic Watch.
This article is a collection of material concerning a single clerk working in ancient Persepolis. Despite its narrow scope, it is of some interest in that he seems to have been a sepīru, a scribe who wrote in Aramaic primarily on leather. We know of such scribes, but the humid climate in Iraq and Persia has obliterated all (as far as I know, without exception) of the ancient parchment documents they produced. Any details we can learn about them are welcome.
By contrast, we have endless thousands of cuneiform tablets from the same region, because baked clay lasts for many thousands of years. Technically cuneiform tablets were produced by tupsharru (tablet) scribes, although it is hard to tell how much overlap there was between the two types of scribe. Learning to write Aramaic script was easy, whereas learning to write documents in cuneiform was difficult and took years to master.
More on ancient Babylonian scribes here. Cross-file under Aramaic Watch.
Hurtado on two recent books on coins
LARRY HURTADO: Two Recent Books on Coins. The two books are: Coins and the Bible, eds. Richard Abdy & Amelia Dowler (London: Spink, 2013) and Judaea and Rome in Coins 65 BCE – 135 CE, eds. David M. Jacobson and Nikos Kokkinos (London: Spink, 2012).
The conference that led to the publication of the second volume was noted here and here. And there was a day-conference on Coins and the Bible at the University of Edinburgh last weekend.
Regular readers of PaleoJudaica will be aware of the importance of ancient coins for our knowledge of ancient Judaism. Cross-file under Numismatics.
The conference that led to the publication of the second volume was noted here and here. And there was a day-conference on Coins and the Bible at the University of Edinburgh last weekend.
Regular readers of PaleoJudaica will be aware of the importance of ancient coins for our knowledge of ancient Judaism. Cross-file under Numismatics.
Four different accounts of Moses
ANCIENT ORIGINS: 4 Completely Different Versions of the Story of Moses (Mark Oliver). And all four are quite different from the stories in the Bible. These are the accounts of Moses by Manetho, Strabo, Artapanus (n.b., not Atrapanus), and Tacitus.
Mithras temple uncovered in southeast Turkey?
ARCHAEOLOGY: 1,700-year-old temple reveals ancient religion in east Anatolia (Daily Sabah). The report is that a 4th century CE temple of Mithras has been uncovered. There isn't a lot of detail about how they reached that conclusion. Mithraism was an ancient mystery religion that was in some competition with Christianity in the early centuries CE.
There is another report in Hurriyet Daily News: Underground Mithras temple discovered in Diyarbakır. This one has more details, but also some obvious errors. It can't decide whether the temple is 1700 years old or 700. The proper term for a temple of Mithras is a Mithraeum, not a "Mithraea." And Mithras was a god, not a goddess. So be cautious with the information in the article.
The discovery of this new Mithraeum is at the Zerzevan Castle in the Diyarbakır province in southeast Turkey. The discovery of an ancient Christian chapel there, which had Aramaic inscriptions on its walls, was reported back in 2015. Background here.
Past PaleoJudaica posts involving Mithras and Mithraism are here, here, here, here, and here.
There is another report in Hurriyet Daily News: Underground Mithras temple discovered in Diyarbakır. This one has more details, but also some obvious errors. It can't decide whether the temple is 1700 years old or 700. The proper term for a temple of Mithras is a Mithraeum, not a "Mithraea." And Mithras was a god, not a goddess. So be cautious with the information in the article.
The discovery of this new Mithraeum is at the Zerzevan Castle in the Diyarbakır province in southeast Turkey. The discovery of an ancient Christian chapel there, which had Aramaic inscriptions on its walls, was reported back in 2015. Background here.
Past PaleoJudaica posts involving Mithras and Mithraism are here, here, here, here, and here.
Saint Catherine's Monastery MSS now online
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS: Manuscripts in St. Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai. This collection includes photographs of 1687 manuscripts that were photographed by the Clark expedition in 1949. They are in Greek, Syriac, Georgian, Coptic, Armenian, Arabic, Ottoman Turkish, and Ethiopic, and Old Church Slavonic. The images have been digitized and placed online for free.
HT Peter M. Head at the ETC Blog and Brice C. Jones.
Saint Catherine's Monastery has been in the news recently with a report of what may have been a narrowly averted terrorist attack on it. Follow that link, and see also here and links, for much additional background on the monastery and its precious collection of manuscripts. And for many other manuscript digitization projects, start here and follow the links.
HT Peter M. Head at the ETC Blog and Brice C. Jones.
Saint Catherine's Monastery has been in the news recently with a report of what may have been a narrowly averted terrorist attack on it. Follow that link, and see also here and links, for much additional background on the monastery and its precious collection of manuscripts. And for many other manuscript digitization projects, start here and follow the links.
Wednesday, May 03, 2017
In honor of Annette Reed
CONGRATULATIONS TO PROFESSOR ANNETTE YOSHIKO REED, who will be moving from the University of Pennsylvania to take up a post at New York University in the Fall.
Recently her postgraduate students held a day-conference in her honor at Penn: “Annette Reeds’ Fallen Angels: A Conference in Honor of Annette Yoshiko Reed.” The conference has been "storified" (which I only just found out is now a thing): 4/26 “Annette Reeds’ Fallen Angels: A Conference in Honor of Annette Yoshiko Reed.”
I am especially impressed by the following, which is indisputably the best present ever:
Recently her postgraduate students held a day-conference in her honor at Penn: “Annette Reeds’ Fallen Angels: A Conference in Honor of Annette Yoshiko Reed.” The conference has been "storified" (which I only just found out is now a thing): 4/26 “Annette Reeds’ Fallen Angels: A Conference in Honor of Annette Yoshiko Reed.”
I am especially impressed by the following, which is indisputably the best present ever:
Parting gift = my very own magic bowl - made by Alex Ramos & @hobbes344 (pretty much all I've ever wanted in the world) #annettereadsangels pic.twitter.com/fgEASFSgdb
— Annette Yoshiko Reed (@AnnetteYReed) April 27, 2017
The Talmud on defective merchandise
THIS WEEK'S DAF YOMI COLUMN BY ADAM KIRSCH IN TABLET: Caveat Emptor. In this week’s ‘Daf Yomi,’ Talmudic sages ask what it is safe to assume in matters of transactions within the law, and what must be specifically proven. The discussion moves into b. Bava Batra 6, which explores the obligations of buyer and seller. The sages did not accept the principle of caveat lector, "buyer beware."
Earlier Daf Yomi columns are noted here and links.
Earlier Daf Yomi columns are noted here and links.
UNESCO resolution passed
THE VOTE WAS 22 TO 10: Unesco passes resolution criticising Israel's annexation of east Jerusalem. The move drew further condemnation from Israelis, but was celebrated among Palestinians (Tareq Haddad, International Business Times). You can pretty much guess who voted which way.
I have linked to the full text of the draft resolution here. Follow the links there for further background on this and other recent UNESCO resolutions involving Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.
I have linked to the full text of the draft resolution here. Follow the links there for further background on this and other recent UNESCO resolutions involving Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.
Advisory council for Museum of the Bible
MEMBERS ARE LISTED AT THE LINK: Museum of the Bible Announces Formation of International Advisory Council (Gospel Herald). Some names regular readers of PaleoJudaica may recognize include Seymour (Sy) Gitten and Emanuel Tov.
For past posts involving the Museum of the Bible and the Green Collection, see here and here and many links.
For past posts involving the Museum of the Bible and the Green Collection, see here and here and many links.
Another terrorism alert at Djerba
TRAVEL ADVISORY - AGAIN THIS YEAR: Terror warning for Djerba Lag B'Omer celebration. Counterterrorism Bureau sharpens current travel warning for Tunisia following terrorist motivation increase to attack Jews. A synagogue has reportedly existed at the same site on the island of Djerba since antiquity, but I have not been able to locate any sources or evidence so far. The current synagogue has been there since the 19th century.
There have been similar terrorism warnings for Djerba at Lag B'Omer in the last couple of years, but everything proceeded safely nonetheless. Let's hope for the same this year. Background here, here, here, here, and links.
There have been similar terrorism warnings for Djerba at Lag B'Omer in the last couple of years, but everything proceeded safely nonetheless. Let's hope for the same this year. Background here, here, here, here, and links.
Tuesday, May 02, 2017
Excerpt from Holtz, Rabbi Akiva
TABLET MAGAZINE: THE AFTERLIFE OF RABBI AKIVA. An excerpt from Barry W. Holtz's new biography of the 1st-century sage of the Talmud. Past PaleoJudaica post on the book are here and here.
Another UNESCO resolution on Jerusalem
CONTROVERSY: ISRAEL TO UNESCO: REJECT FAKE HISTORY ON JERUSALEM. A day prior to a UNESCO vote in Paris on a resolution that rejects Israel's sovereignty in Jerusalem, Israel's Deputy FM Tzipi Hotovely called attempts to promote the resolution "fake history" (Tovah Lazaroff, Jerusalem Post).
Background on this and earlier UN resolutions on Jerusalem and the Temple Mount is here and links.
Israel urged UNESCO’s 58-member Executive Board not to promote “fake” history by approving on Tuesday a Palestinian-backed resolution that rejects Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem.More specifically:
"Tomorrow, even as we celebrate, UNESCO will be voting against Israel's right to sovereignty in its capital city, Jerusalem,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely ahead of the vote which is slated to take place on the same day Israel marks its 69th Independence Day.
"This is absurd. We have become used to the concept of 'fake news'. Well, welcome to 'fake history,” Hotovely said.
[...]
At issue is a text that states: “All legislative and administrative measures and actions taken by Israel, the occupying power, which have altered or purport to alter the character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and in particular the ‘basic law’ on Jerusalem, are null and must be rescinded forthwith.”The Times of Israel has published the full text of the draft resolution: Full text of May 2017 UNESCO resolution on ‘Occupied Palestine.’ The cultural agency’s executive board slams Israel for ‘persistent excavations, tunneling, works and projects in East Jerusalem’.
The vague nature of the language could mean that the text refers to the issue of Israeli sovereignty over all of Jerusalem.
Israel is concerned both by the language of the text and the public relations aspect of a UNESCO board disavowing Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem on the country’s Independence Day.
Background on this and earlier UN resolutions on Jerusalem and the Temple Mount is here and links.
Drawnel on the Mesopotamian background of Jewish Aramaic literature
ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: Between Mesopotamia and Qumran: Cuneiform Literature and Jewish Aramaic Texts of the Second Temple Period (Henryk Drawnel). Observations on Aramaic Levi, the Enochic Astronomical Book, and the watchers myth.
Another interesting essay for AJR's Aramaic month. Earlier essays in the AJR series on the Dead Sea Scrolls (in honor of the 70th anniversary of their discovery) are noted here and links.
Another interesting essay for AJR's Aramaic month. Earlier essays in the AJR series on the Dead Sea Scrolls (in honor of the 70th anniversary of their discovery) are noted here and links.
Reading Acts goes to Israel
PHIL LONG: Reading Acts is Going to Israel.
For the next two weeks I am leading a (mostly) student group from Grace Bible College on a tour of Israel and Jordan. This is my eighth trip leading a group to Israel. I have 35 students and parents on this trip, so it is by far the largest group I have led.His itinerary follows. Sounds like fun. I wish Phil and his students safe travels and an informative trip.
Days one and two are travel, by Wednesday we will be in the Old City. Here is our itinerary with some links. I plan on posting each day, so check back often for updates. There is a tab near the top of this page with posts from previous trips and two videos.
[...]
Yet another review of Glinert, The Story of Hebrew
APPROPRIATE FOR ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY: Celebrating the Hebrew Language (Jeremy Rosen, The Algemeiner).
Where did the Hebrew language come from? When did it begin? What language does God speak? And, for that matter, what language did the snake use to converse with Eve in the Garden of Eden? Is modern Hebrew a development out of Biblical Hebrew, or is it really a new and different language? Questions such as these have challenged us for years.Earlier reviews of the book have been noted here and here. Past posts pertaining to Israel Independence Day from the last couple of years are here and here
Once upon a time, the source one would turn to for answers would be Hebrew: The Eternal Language, by William Chomsky (a man world away from his son Noam, who has renounced Israel and Judaism). Now Chomsky’s mantle has been passed to Lewis Glinert — professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Languages and Literatures at Dartmouth College — a former Brit and, briefly, a teaching colleague of mine. His new book, The Story of Hebrew, is a brilliant, informative, readable and enjoyable romp through the history of Hebrew, from its earliest beginnings to the present day. It is a must-have for any thinking person’s Jewish library.
[...]
Monday, May 01, 2017
Again, the origin of the term "Zionism"
ETYMOLOGY: Why Is Zionism Called Zionism? Theories for the origin of the word reach into long-forgotten eras of history, and the speculated origin in 'wild cat' isn't necessarily the most fanciful (Elon Gilad, Haaretz).
Much of the article discusses the more recent developments that led to the word "Zionism. Then it returns to the etymological question:
For additional discussion of the question see this recent post.
The word "Zionism" refers to Jewish nationalism, or supporting it, in the historic land of Israel.The word is, of course, based on a biblical name for Jerusalem:
Before 1948, "Zionist" meant support for the establishing of a Jewish nation state in Palestine. Since the State of Israel's establishment that year, it is taken to mean the preservation of the state as a Jewish nation-state.
[...]
But before that, we must peer thousands of years into the past. The story of the word "Zionism" really starts, in the pre-Israelite period, before King David conquered Jerusalem from the Jebusites, according to the bible.I'm not sure how much we can rely on the biblical account of Jerusalem in the pre-Israelite period. And there's that odd episode about the priest-king Melchizedek to take into account too. See Genesis 14 and Psalm 110. But that's the information we have.
Simply, "Zion" was the name of Jerusalem’s acropolis in the pre-Israelite period, around 3,000 years ago.
That acropolis was in the part of the city that would subsequently be called “The City of David,” as 2 Samuel says: "David took the stronghold of Zion, which is now the city of David" (5:7).
Later, during the Babylonian Exile, starting in 586 B.C.E., "Zion" morphed into a poetic name for the city of Jerusalem as a whole. With time, it became a poetic name for the Land of Israel as a whole, appearing in songs and prayers of yearning for the return to the land throughout Jewish history.
Much of the article discusses the more recent developments that led to the word "Zionism. Then it returns to the etymological question:
In 1897, when Theodor Herzl founded the World Zionist Organization, he adopted the name and the rest is history.Various suggested etymologies follow. Again, read the article fast before it goes behind the subscription wall. Or you can read a limited number of premium Haaretz articles every month with a free registration.
But what does the word "Zion" mean?
We don't know. Scholars do not agree, but at least there is a multitude of theories to choose from.
Once it was commonly claimed that the name is pre-Semitic, and some strange foreign etymologies were proposed, such as the Hurrian word sheya (“water”) or the Elamite word tziya (“temple”).
Now most scholars agree the word is probably Semitic in origin: Archaeology indicates that Semitic peoples controlled the entire region for more than a millennium before the time of David.
For additional discussion of the question see this recent post.
How ancient Christian Arabs made the Negev bloom
ARCHAEOLOGY: How Arabs Made Israel’s Desert Bloom More Than 1,500 Years Ago. Israelis like to boast about their success in developing the Negev, but under the Byzantine empire, Christian Arabs were the first to turn the desert into a garden (Ariel David, Haaretz).
The tiny olive grove sits atop a dry canyon in the middle of the Negev desert, surrounded by barren hills and a few wisps of withering vegetation. Despite the parched setting, the ancient, gnarled trees are alive, their branches heavy with green leaves and ready to bear fruit.The Nomadic, pagan Nabateans (Nabataeans) converted to Christianity and settled down to become farmers in the desert. Then a few centuries later they disappeared.
Researchers believe these few trees, located a handful of kilometers outside the ruins of the ancient Byzantine settlement of Shivta, grew there through no fluke of nature. They may be among the last living witnesses to a complex civilization that built prosperous towns and farmed the Negev during the Byzantine period, more than 15 centuries before Zionists started imagining they could make Israel’s desert bloom.
Fresh research is shedding new light on these Byzantine desert dwellers – who were they? How did they shape their environment to such an extent? And why they ultimately, and quite mysteriously, abandon the lands they had fought for so hard?
Researchers say these questions are key not just for historians but for any society, including modern Israel, that wishes to develop and grow sustainably in an extreme environment like the desert.
“This was a complex society, so this question is very relevant to us, because the next time that the Negev was so densely settled was with Zionism and the creation of Israel,” says Haifa University archeologist Guy Bar-Oz. “It is very relevant for us to understand how they did it and what went wrong.”
[...]
The regional capital, Halutza – once the seat of a bishop, public baths, churches and a theater – has largely been left buried under the sand, mostly due to lack of funds and frequent looting by local Bedouins.Read the whole article before it goes behind the subscription wall. Cross-file under Nabatean Watch (Nabataean Watch). Background here.
The second largest Byzantine town in the area – Ruheibe, also known as "Rehovot in the Negev" – has been partially excavated. But it is difficult to access, including because it is surrounded by an Israeli army firing zone.
Still, archaeologists have managed to glean some information about the people who lived there, says Uzi Dahari, deputy director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, who in January published an article on research in Ruheibe in the Israeli journal Kadmoniot.
Tribal population of Nabateans
The inhabitants worshipped in churches and wrote in Greek, the Byzantine empire’s official language. But the architecture of towns like Ruheibe – clusters of small houses and tight winding alleys to keep the sand out and provide shade – point to a local, tribal population, Dahari says.
Historical reliability of Luke-Acts, part 5
THE BIBLE PLACES BLOG: Luke & Acts: Historical Reliability - 5 (Michael J. Caba). This post is on Lysanias, tetrarch of Abilene, mentioned in Luke 3:1.
Earlier posts in the series have been noted here and links.
UPDATE: broken link now fixed. Sorry about that.
Earlier posts in the series have been noted here and links.
UPDATE: broken link now fixed. Sorry about that.
Kropp and Raja (eds.), The World of Palmyra
BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW:
Background on Palmyra, its history, the ancient Aramaic dialect spoken there (Palmyrene), and the city's tragic reversals of fortune, for now trending for the better, is here (cf. here) with many, many links. Cross-file under Palmyra Watch.
Andreas Kropp, Rubina Raja (ed.), The World of Palmyra. Scientia Danica. Series H, Humanistica, 4, vol. 6; Palmyrene studies, 1. Copenhagen: The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, 2016. Pp. 246. ISBN 9788773043974. 220 DKK (pb).Palmyrene sculpture is the main topic of this book, but the epigraphic evidence is also relevant and is not neglected.
Reviewed by Maria Teresa Grassi, Università degli Studi di Milano (maria.teresa.grassi@unimi.it)
This book is the first volume of a new series (Palmyrenske Studier/ Palmyrene Studies) published by the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, and includes the proceedings of the conference organized in Copenhagen under the auspices of the Palmyra Portrait Project in December, 2013.
The Palmyra Portrait Project was set up in 2012 by Rubina Raja and Andreas Kropp.1 As Syria has been in a state of war since 2011 and all field investigations have been interrupted, it is now undoubtedly the most interesting ongoing project focused on Palmyra. It consists of the compilation of a database of all known Palmyrene portraits scattered across the world, which is, unbelievably, still missing,2 and of the publication of Harald Ingholt’s archive and diaries, which hold important information about his excavation in Palmyra in the 1920s. Ingholt pioneered the study of Palmyrene sculpture in 1928, when he published Studier over palmirensk skultpur, which still stands as a milestone in this field.
[...]
Background on Palmyra, its history, the ancient Aramaic dialect spoken there (Palmyrene), and the city's tragic reversals of fortune, for now trending for the better, is here (cf. here) with many, many links. Cross-file under Palmyra Watch.
Another Henrichs obituary
THE HARVARD CRIMSON: Albert Henrichs, Scholar of Greek Literature, Dies at 74 (Archie J.W. Hall).
Cross-file under Manichean Watch (Manichaean Watch).
Albert Henrichs, a globally-renowned scholar of Greek literature and religion, died April 16. He was 74.The earlier obituary was noted here. That article also covered the information on his fascinating publications quoted above. But this one includes additional information about his life and personality. I got my PhD at Harvard in the 1980s in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. I had some contact with Classics but, regrettably, I cannot remember ever meeting Professor Henrichs.
Born in Cologne, Germany, Henrichs was just 26 when he made his first major academic discovery.
“He took four lumps of leather in a cigar case from Cologne through to Vienna, and gave them to the conservator there to try and unpeel them,” recalled Kathleen M. Coleman, a Classics professor.
What Henrichs unveiled was a codex that detailed the origins of the Manichean religion, an early rival to Christianity, in far more detail than was previously known. Following this breakthrough, Henrichs was also the first to assemble and translate 46 fragments of papyrus from Cologne, which turned out to contain portions of an ancient Greek novel, called the “Phoinikika,” or “Phoenician Saga.”
This novel included “a hugely exciting scene of cannibalism,” in which, as Coleman described it, “the protagonist joined a band of robbers in Egypt and they murdered a boy, took out his heart, roasted it, applied olive oil and seasonings, cut it up, and ate it to swear an oath of allegiance to the gang.”
[...]
Cross-file under Manichean Watch (Manichaean Watch).
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Renberg, Where Dreams May Come
NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:
Where Dreams May ComeThe description does not specify whether this book includes dream incubations in ancient biblical and Jewish tradition, but arguably there are such. These would include Solomon's dream at the Gibeon sanctuary in 1 Kings 3 and Enoch's dream at the waters of Dan in sight of the holy Mount Hermon (1 Enoch 13-15). And see also this recent post on ancient Jewish dream visions.
Incubation Sanctuaries in the Greco-Roman World
Gil H. Renberg
In this book, Gil H. Renberg examines the ancient religious phenomenon of “incubation", the ritual of sleeping at a divinity’s sanctuary in order to obtain a prophetic or therapeutic dream. Most prominently associated with the Panhellenic healing god Asklepios, incubation was also practiced at the cult sites of numerous other divinities throughout the Greek world, but it is first known from ancient Near Eastern sources and was established in Pharaonic Egypt by the time of the Macedonian conquest; later, Christian worship came to include similar practices. Renberg’s exhaustive study represents the first attempt to collect and analyze the evidence for incubation from Sumerian to Byzantine and Merovingian times, thus making an important contribution to religious history.
C-14-dating makeover?
TECHNOLOGY WATCH: Radiocarbon dating gets a postmodern makeover (Emily Litvack, PhysOrg).
For decades, radiocarbon dating has been a way for scientists to get a rough picture of when once-living stuff lived. The method has been revolutionary and remains one of the most commonly used dating methods to study the past.I don't really see the title's "postmodern" element of the makeover, but more attention to the dendrochronological data may well give radiocarbon dating a more precise anchoring.
Charlotte Pearson says it's ready for a makeover.
Pearson, an assistant professor of dendrochronology at the University of Arizona, studies the past lives of trees to better understand the history of civilizations. Dendrochronology and radiocarbon dating have intertwined histories, she explains, with roots firmly planted at the UA.
[...]
A New MethodNone of this is immediately relevant to ancient Judaism. But there is much potential. A more precise framework of radiocarbon dating could, for example, confirm or complicate the paleographic dating of manuscripts from the Second Temple period.
According to Pearson, recent discoveries of large-scale "spikes" of radiocarbon in certain years have led to a growing need to revisit the way radiocarbon dates are calibrated.
Radiocarbon dating, as of now, dates samples to within a few decades using a calibration curve made up of groups of ten tree rings plotted as series of single points on a graph. The points represent an average amount of radiocarbon present in those rings. This doesn't account for spikes in the data —individual rings with unusually high or low amounts of carbon-14. These spikes in radiocarbon can come from a number of short-term events, such as solar flares, volcanic eruptions and changes in oceanic circulation. By lumping 10 years' worth of radiocarbon data into a single data point, spikes in radiocarbon may inadvertently skew the curve, making dates less accurate.
"Spikes are a potential limitation to how well the current radiocarbon calibration curve works, and we want to investigate that for time periods of archaeological controversy. But they also offer enormous potential to act as a sort of chronological anchor for our floating chronologies," Pearson said.
With funding from the Malcolm Hewitt Wiener Foundation, Pearson is targeting a period in the Bronze Age from 2,400 to 1,400 BC, getting measurements of carbon-14 in single tree rings from a range of growth locations. What this reveals about yearly radiocarbon variation during this time period will then be applied to archaeological controversies and floating chronologies from the East Mediterranean and beyond.
"Tree rings just record. They are impartial recorders of change over time. They have no bias, and they have no political agenda; they just stand at locations all over the world," Pearson says. "They capture a moment. We still have many discoveries, I believe, to make about what they can teach us."
Cole, Numerals in Early Greek New Testament Manuscripts
THE OTTC BLOG: Zachary Cole on Greek Numerals (Drew Longacre).
Zachary Cole has published a new book on Numerals in Greek NT manuscripts that sounds very interesting, including for those interested in Septuagint manuscripts.Published by Brill in 2017.
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