"Was Sefer Yetzirah Written by a Woman?"

FEMINISM AND RELIGION: Was Sefer Yetzirah Written by a Woman? Jill Hammer. It is quite possible that the community behind the mystical tractate Sefer Yetzirah included women.

There were women magicians in late antiquity and the early Middle Ages (see the Aramaic Babylonian incantation bowls etc.) and there was a famous late-antique female alchemist called Maria the Jewess. I would be surprised if there weren't also practicing female mystics, although I don't know offhand of decisive evidence for one. If any readers do, please drop me a note. (I touched on the question here some time ago.) Back in first-century Egypt, the mystical Therapeutae included women.

For PaleoJudaica posts on Sefer Yetzira (Sefer Yetsira, Sepher Yetsira, Sefer Yesira) see here and links (cf. here).

Cross-file under New Book: Jill Hammer Return to the Place: The Magic, Meditation, and Mystery of Sefer Yetzirah (Ben Yehuda Press, 2020). For more on Rabbi Dr. (and Kohenet) Jill Hammer, see here.

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Jacob and Esau: twin tension

PROF. GEORGE SAVRAN: Did Jacob and Esau Reconcile? (TheTorah.com).

Upon meeting again after twenty years, Esau approaches his brother with a buoyant spirit and a warm embrace. Jacob, however, is formal and submissive. Why doesn’t he reciprocate Esau’s overtures?

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New Coptic Museum coming in Alexandria

COPTIC WATCH: Alexandria Patriarchate to house new Coptic museum in 2021 (Al Masry Al Youm/Copts United).

[General Undersecretary of the Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Alexandria, Abram] Emil told Al-Masry Al-Youm on Thursday the museum will include important collections of the cathedral s ancient holdings, most notably a number of historical Bibles, old books and some vessels used in church prayers.

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Did Josephus know Hebrew?

MICHAEL SATLOW THINKS HE DIDN'T KNOW HEBREW WELL: Josephus’s Knowledge of Scripture. Sounds like an interesting article.

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Rollston on forging DSS etc.

IT'S EASIER THAN YOU'D THINK: How to Fake a Fragment of the Dead Sea Scrolls. And other things you wanted to ask an expert in forged biblical antiquities (INTERVIEW [with Prof. Christopher Rollston] BY DANIEL SILLIMAN, Christianity Today).

Basically what is required is a good knowledge of the ancient language, whether that’s Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Latin, or Coptic; a very good knowledge of the script; and a really good knowledge of the medium as well. A forger has to know how a piece was produced, like the chemical composition of the ink and other technical aspects. But if someone knows the language quite well and knows the script and has access to a scanning electron microscope with extended depth-of-field determinations of the chemical composition of the patina and the inks, it’s not all that difficult.

Fortunately most people who go to the effort to learn all that don't want to make forgeries. But all it takes is one.

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Gaming die excavated near Beit El

ANCIENT ENTERTAINMENT: Game die from Second Temple period uncovered in Beit El. Another find uncovered by Civil Administration during archaeological excavations in Beit El: Game cube from Second Temple period (Arutz Sheva). Another artifact excavated in Khirbet Kfar Mor (Khirbet Kafr Murr, Khirbet Kafr Mer). It looks remarkably modern. (HT Joseph Lauer.)

Is this die one of those unspecified "complete clay objects" (cf. here) found at the site? I guess the ancient inhabitants could have sat at a decorated stone table while they drank from those clay vessels and played dice. Good times.

An ancient entertainment center containing game boards was excavated near Gedera in 2018.

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Online exhibition: Living in Ancient Judah

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: Living in Ancient Judah. A new virtual exhibition from the Badè Museum of Biblical Archaeology (Jonathan Laden).

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

Middlemas, Lamentations: An Introduction and Study Guide

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

Lamentations
An Introduction and Study Guide

By: Jill Middlemas

Published: 12-10-2020
Format: EPUB/MOBI eBook (Watermarked)
Edition: 1st
Extent: 160
ISBN: 9780567696939
Imprint: T&T Clarkv Series: T&T Clark’s Study Guides to the Old Testament
List price: $22.45
Online price: $17.96
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About Lamentations

In this guide, Jill Middlemas introduces students to the Book of Lamentations by examining the book's structure and characteristics, covering the latest in biblical scholarship on Lamentations, including historical and interpretive issues, and considering a range of scholarly approaches. In particular, the guide provides students with an introduction to Hebrew poetry as it relates to Lamentations and includes insights from the field of trauma and postcolonial studies.

With suggestions of further reading at the end of each chapter, this guide will be an essential accompaniment to study of Lamentations.

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Re-measuring Goliath?

ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE AND STATURE: Biblical Goliath may not have been a giant (Owen Jarus, Live Science). This is a fun story, which Mr. Jarus explains in a clear and simple manner. A few points of interest.

The archaeologists have measured ruins in biblical Gath and revised estimates of biblical measures. A "span" is about 22 centimeters, which is about what I would have expected. But a "cubit" is now 54 centimeters, which is larger than once thought. My RSV Oxford Annotated Bible gives a span as 8.745 inches (22.2 cm) and a cubit as 17.49 inches (44.4 cm).

The new measurements in turn have an effect on the reputed size of the giant Goliath. The Hebrew of the Masoretic Text gives him a height of six cubits and a span (1 Samuel 17:4). The Greek of the Septuagint says four cubits and a span. Everybody takes the Greek reading as the more original. Giants did not lose stature in the telling.

By the previous measure, four cubits and a span would be just under 79 inches – 6'7" or about 200 cm. This is very tall indeed, even for today, but maybe just believable. But with the new measurement four cubits and a span is 238 cm or just under 94 inches (7'10"), which is considerably harder to believe.

Six cubits and a span by the new measure (346 cm or 11'4") would be much taller than any human being on record.

But wait, we're not done. It turns out that the thickness of the city wall of Gath in Goliath's time was – you guessed it – four cubits and a span. Does that mean that Goliath's reputation made him as tall as the city wall was wide? And maybe he was actually not quite so huge?

Maybe. Such things happen. It's a notable coincidence anyway.

All this, of course, depends on the accuracy of the various new measurements. They should be published soon.

UPDATE: Reader Andy Harrington reminds me that 4QSamuel^a and Josephus (J.A. 6.171) also read "four cubits and a span." I know that some manuscripts of the Septuagint read "five" or "six" for the cubits. That doesn't matter for my comments above.

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Inscribed altar to Pan in ancient church wall

GREEK EPIGRAPHY: Altar to Greek god found in wall of Byzantine church raises questions. This excavation is now focusing on figuring out how this pagan altar came to be part of the church wall and what the inscription on it means (Hannah Brown, Jerusalem Post).

I noted here the recent discovery in the Golan Heights of the Byzantine-era church built over a Pan sanctuary. This is the first I have heard of the inscribed altar.

Derelict stone buildings have typically been dismantled and the stones reused in antiquity and even more recently. Here in St. Andrews, the ruins of the cathedral were scavenged for stones after it was ransacked by John Knox and his friends. The stones are scattered around the town in other stone buildings.

Cathedral of St. Andrews
By e6La3BaNo - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12350992

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Philistine craft beer?

WE NEED A REASON? Why Archaeologists Are Brewing Ancient Beers. Scientists are partnering with brewers to taste test ancient recipes and sip a long-lost past (Sara Toth Stub, Atlas Obscura). Resurrecting ancient Philistine, Egyptian, and Phrygian beer.

For many past posts on ancient beer and modern efforts to recreate it, see here and links.

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Biblical Studies Carnival 177

THE LIBRARY MUSINGS: Biblical Studies Carnival 177 (Bobby Howell).

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Ross's LXX research

WILLIAM ROSS is keeping us up to date on his own Septuagint research:

MY (ONLINE) 2020 CONFERENCE ACTIVITY

WHAT IS THE SEPTUAGINT? A TWO-PART INTERVIEW (WITH ME)
For notice of his interviews with other Septuagint scholars, see here and links.

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Woolstenhulme, The Matriarchs in Genesis Rabbah

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

The Matriarchs in Genesis Rabbah

By: Katie J. Woolstenhulme

Published: 12-10-2020
Format: EPUB/MOBI eBook (Watermarked)
Edition: 1st
Extent: 240
ISBN: 9780567695765
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: The Library of Second Temple Studies
List price: $103.50
Online price: $82.80
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About The Matriarchs in Genesis Rabbah

Katie J. Woolstenhulme considers the pertinent questions: Who were 'the matriarchs', and what did the rabbis think about them? Whilst scholarship on the role of women in the Bible and Rabbinic Judaism has increased, the authoritative group of women known as 'the matriarchs' has been neglected. This volume consequently focuses on the role and status of the biblical matriarchs in Genesis Rabbah, the fifth century CE rabbinic commentary on Genesis.

Woolstenhulme begins by discussing the nature of midrash and introducing Genesis Rabbah; before exploring the term 'the matriarchs' and its development through early exegetical literature, culminating in the emergence of two definitions of the term in Genesis Rabbah – 'the matriarchs' as the legitimate wives of Israel's patriarchs, and 'the matriarchs' as a reference to Jacob's four wives, who bore Israel's tribal ancestors. She then moves to discuss 'the matriarchal cycle' in Genesis Rabbah with its three stages of barrenness; motherhood; and succession. Finally, Woolstenhulme considers Genesis Rabbah's portrayal of the matriarchs as representatives of the female sex, exploring positive and negative rabbinic attitudes towards women with a focus on piety, prayer, praise, beauty and sexuality, and the matriarchs' exemplification of stereotypical, negative female traits. This volume concludes that for the ancient rabbis, the matriarchs were the historical mothers of Israel, bearing covenant sons, but also the present mothers of Israel, continuing to influence Jewish identity.

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Havukainen, The Quest for the Memory of Jesus

NEW BOOK FROM PEETERS:

The Quest for the Memory of Jesus: a Viable Path or a Dead End?

SERIES:
Contributions to Biblical Exegesis & Theology, 99

AUTHOR:
Havukainen T.

YEAR: 2020
ISBN: 9789042941250
E-ISBN: 9789042941267
PAGES: X-336 p.
PRICE: 67 euro

SUMMARY:
This study is focused on the active international field of study in which various theories of memory (e.g. social/collective memory and individual memory) and ancient media studies (e.g. study of oral tradition and history) are applied to historical Jesus research. The main purpose of the monograph is to study whether the memory approach constitutes a coherent methodological school of thought. The dissertation discusses in what ways the memory approach distinguishes itself from earlier research and whether one can speak of a new beginning in historical Jesus research. A central focus of the study is the research-historical discussion on the nature and processes of the transmission of the Jesus traditions in early Christianity, which is a significant research problem for both earlier historical Jesus research and the memory approach.

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Beuken, From Servant of YHWH to Being Considerate of the Wretched

NEW BOOK FROM PEETERS:

From Servant of YHWH to Being Considerate of the Wretched
The Figure David in the Reading Perspective of Psalms 35-41 MT

SERIES:
Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium, 305

AUTHOR:
Beuken W.A.M.

YEAR: 2020
ISBN: 9789042941144
E-ISBN: 9789042941151
PAGES: XIV-173 p.
PRICE: 69 euro

SUMMARY:
This study attempts an investigation of Psalms 35–41 in the Masoretic tradition from two viewpoints and in the wake of current research on the Psalter. Firstly, the common opinion that they form a sub-unit of their own within the structure of the first ‘book’ of the Psalter (Psalms 3–41) is verified on the basis of their concatenation and pragmatics. The deepened insight leads to the conclusion that the bundle consists of two clusters, Psalms 35–37 and Psalms 38–41, each of which deals with the question of how to understand God’s tolerance towards the wicked, and how readers, following in the psalmist’s footsteps, might live on with that knowledge. The two clusters also provide evidence of an advancing argument in two parallel moves that are covered by the book’s main title: ‘From Servant of YHWH to Being Considerate of the Wretched’. Secondly, the Davidisation of the psalmist throughout the whole bundle is examined, not insofar as it is limited to explicit references to the historical David (especially in psalm headings), but also by feasible, lexical (Hebrew) analogies with the vita David in 1-2 Samuel (with 1 Kings 2). In this way, intertextuality is envisaged as a literary process that is initiated by the author and can be continued by well-informed readers. The monograph’s subtitle renders this as ‘The Figure David in the Reading Perspective of Psalms 35–41 MT’.

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Where does Jacob leave home from?

DR. DAVID BEN-GAD HACOHEN: Where Do Isaac and Rebecca Live When Jacob Leaves Home? (TheTorah.com).

Isaac and Rebecca live in Beersheba (Gen 26:23), Beer-lahai-roi (Gen 25:11) and Kiryat-arba (Gen 35:27). When Jacob sets off to Laban’s house, where is he leaving from?

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Beyond Canon: Early Christianity and the Ethiopic Textual Tradition (ed. Gebreananaye, Watson, Williams)

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

Beyond Canon
Early Christianity and the Ethiopic Textual Tradition

Editor(s): Meron Gebreananaye, Francis Watson, Logan Williams

Published: 12-24-2020
Format: Hardback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 192
ISBN: 9780567695857
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: The Library of New Testament Studies
Volume: 643
Illustrations: 4 bw illus
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price: $115.00
Online price: $103.50v Save $11.50 (10%)

About Beyond Canon

This book seeks to highlight the significance of a group of five texts excluded from the standard Christian Bible and preserved only in Ge'ez, the classical language of Ethiopia. These texts are crucial for modern scholars due to their significance for a wide range of early readers, as extant fragments of other early translations confirm in most cases; yet they are also noted for their eventual marginalization and abandonment as a more restrictive understanding of the biblical canon prevailed – everywhere except in Ethiopia, with its distinctive Christian tradition in which the concept of a “closed canon” is alien.

In focusing upon 1 Enoch, Jubilees, the Ascension of Isaiah, the Epistula Apostolorum, and the Apocalypse of Peter, the contributors to this volume group them together as representatives of a time in early Christian history when sacred texts were not limited by a sharply defined canonical boundary. In doing so, this book also highlights the unique and under-appreciated contribution of the Ethiopic Christian Tradition to the study of early Christianity.

Cross-file under Old Testament Pseudepigrapha Watch and Christian Apocrypha Watch.

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Hempel, The Community Rules from Qumran. A Commentary

NEW BOOK FROM MOHR SIEBECK: Charlotte Hempel. The Community Rules from Qumran. A Commentary. 2020. XXV, 346 pages. Texts and Studies in Ancient Judaism 183. 144,00 € including VAT. cloth ISBN 978-3-16-157026-1.

Published in English.
In this volume, Charlotte Hempel offers the first comprehensive commentary on all twelve ancient manuscripts of the Rules of the Community, works which contain the most important descriptions of the organisation and values ascribed to the movement associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls. The best preserved copy of this work (1QS) was one of the first scrolls to be published and has long dominated the scholarly assessment of the Rules. The approach adopted in this commentary is to capture the distinctive nature of each of the manuscripts based on a synoptic translation that presents all the manuscripts at a glance. Textual notes and Commentary deal with the picture derived from all preserved manuscripts. The publication of the Cave 4 manuscripts in 1998 can be likened to a volcanic eruption that challenged prevalent notions of the Community Rules that were founded on the quasi-archetypal status of the Cave 1 copy published in 1951. Since then the smoke has lifted and, as the pieces have begun to settle, we see green shoots emerging in the scholarly debate.. This commentary embraces the post-volcanic landscape of the Community Rules, which is carefully sifted for clues to establish a fresh reading of the material in conversation with the latest research on the Scrolls. The evidence suggests that some of the practices described as the beating heart of the movement's organization reflect the aspirations of a privileged sub-elite from the late Second Temple Period.

For another recent book by this author on the same texts, see here.

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Oerter & Vitkova (eds.), Coptica, Gnostica und Mandaica

NEW BOOK FROM DE GRUYTER:

Coptica, Gnostica und Mandaica
Coptica, Gnostica, and Mandaica: Language, Literature, and Art as Media for Interreligious Encounters
Sprache, Literatur und Kunst als Medien interreligiöser Begegnung(en)

Series: Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der altchristlichen Literatur, 185

Edited by: Wolf B. Oerter and Zuzana Vitkova
De Gruyter | 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110619904

OVERVIEW

The book presents the proceedings of the conference Coptica - Gnostica - Mandaica III held in Prague 2017. The volume consists of 14 articles on the specific themes of Coptic, Gnostic, early Christian, Manichean and Mandean literature as well as on Coptic language and iconography. Most of the articles are devoted to the 'meetings' of different kinds, including Pagan, Christian, Jewish, and Gnostic myths and translators.

FORMATS

Hardcover
ISBN: 978-3-11-061812-9
Published: 06 Jul 2020

PDF
ISBN: 978-3-11-061990-4
Published: 06 Jul 2020

EPUB
ISBN: 978-3-11-061912-6
Published: 06 Jul 2020

The essays are in German and English. Cross-file under Coptic Watch and Mandean (Madaean) Watch.

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The names of the Magi

BIBLIOGRAPHIA IRANICA: The names of the Magi: A historical-religious investigation. Notice of a New Book: Panaino, Antonio. 2020. I nomi dei magi evangelici. Un’indagine storico-religiosa. Con contributi di Andrea Gariboldi, Jeffrey Kotyk, Paolo Ognibene e Alessia Zubani. Milano: Mimesis.

For many PaleoJudaica posts on Matthew's Magi etc., see here and links. Cross-file under 'Tis the Season.

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Rachel's barrenness and bride-price

DR. KRISTINE HENRIKSEN GARROWAY: Bride-Price: The Story of Jacob’s Marriage to Rachel and Leah (TheTorah.com).

To marry a woman, a man had to first pay her father a מֹהַר (mohar), “bride-price.” Although Laban allows Jacob to marry Rachel before working off his debt, she only has her first child at the end of the seven-year period.

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Krasovec, The Transformation of Biblical Proper Names

RECENT BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

The Transformation of Biblical Proper Names

By: Joze Krasovec

Published: 05-30-2019
Format: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 176
ISBN: 9780567688927
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price: $39.95
Online price: $27.96
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About The Transformation of Biblical Proper Names

In the transmission we encounter various transformations of biblical proper names. The basic phonetic relationship between Semitic languages on the one hand and non-Semitic languages, like Greek and Latin, on the other hand, is so complex that it was hardly possible to establish a unified tradition in writing biblical proper names within the Greek and Latin cultures. Since the Greek and Latin alphabets are inadequate for transliteration of Semitic languages, authors of Greek and Latin Bibles were utter grammatical and cultural innovators. In Greek and Latin Bibles we note an almost embarrassing number of phonetic variants of proper names. A survey of ancient Greek and Latin Bible translations allows one to trace the boundary between the phonetic transliterations that are justified within Semitic, Greek, and Latin linguistic rules, and those forms that transgress linguistic rules.

The forms of biblical proper names are much more stable and consistent in the Hebrew Bible than in Greek, Latin and other ancient Bible translations. The inexhaustible wealth of variant pronunciations of the same proper names in Greek and Latin translations indicate that Greek and Latin translators and copyists were in general not fluent in Hebrew and did therefore not have sufficient support in a living Hebrew phonetic context. This state affects personal names of rare use to a far greater extent than the geographical names, whose forms are expressed in the oral tradition by a larger circle of the population.

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Halbertal, ... Confronting Uncertainty in Early Rabbinic Literature

NEW BOOK FROM SBL PRESS;

The Birth of Doubt: Confronting Uncertainty in Early Rabbinic Literature
Moshe Halbertal

$20.30 – $57.40

Series: Brown Judaic Studies
Volume: 366

Publisher: Brown Judaic Studies
Publication Date: 2020
ISBN: 9781951498757

Description

In the history of halakhah, the treatment of uncertainty became one of the most complex fields of intense study. In his latest book, Moshe Halbertal focuses on examining the point of origin of the study of uncertainty in early rabbinic literature, including the Mishnah, Tosefta, and halakhic midrashim. Halbertal explores instructions concerning how to behave in situations of uncertainty ranging from matters of ritual purity, to lineage and marriage, to monetary law, and to the laws of forbidden foods. This examination of the rules of uncertainty reveals that these rules were not aimed at avoiding but rather at dwelling in the midst of uncertainty.

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Putthoff, Gods and Humans in the Ancient Near East

NEW BOOK FROM CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS:

Gods and Humans in the Ancient Near East

AUTHOR: Tyson L. Putthoff, University of Oklahoma
DATE PUBLISHED: November 2020
AVAILABILITY: Available
FORMAT: Hardback
ISBN: 9781108490542

$ 99.99 (C)
Hardback

Description

In this book, Tyson Putthoff explores the relationship between gods and humans, and between divine nature and human nature, in the Ancient Near East. In this world, gods lived among humans. The two groups shared the world with one another, each playing a special role in maintaining order in the cosmos. Humans also shared aspects of a godlike nature. Even in their natural condition, humans enjoyed a taste of the divine state. Indeed, gods not only lived among humans, but also they lived inside them, taking up residence in the physical body. As such, human nature was actually a composite of humanity and divinity. Putthoff offers new insights into the ancients' understanding of humanity's relationship with the gods, providing a comparative study of this phenomenon from the third millennium BCE to the first century CE.

• Explores multiple Ancient Near Eastern views on divine aspects of human in a single volume in a way that no other work has done
• Introduces each region of the Ancient Near East in a way that allows non-specialists and specialists alike to engage with the material in each chapter
• Will appeal to scholars and students interested in the history, philosophy, theology and anthropology of the Near Eastern or biblical world

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Muraoka, A Biblical Aramaic Reader (2nd, revised edition)

NEW BOOK EDITION FROM PEETERS:

A Biblical Aramaic Reader
With an Outline Grammar. Second, Revised Edition

AUTHOR:
Muraoka T.

YEAR: 2020
ISBN: 9789042943971
E-ISBN: 9789042943988
PAGES: X-85 p.
PRICE: 19 euro

SUMMARY:
This reader is for anyone very eager to read the story of Daniel in the lions' den and many other fascinating stories in their original language, Aramaic.

A brief outline of Biblical Aramaic grammar is followed by a verse-to-verse grammatical commentary on the Aramaic chapters in the books of Daniel and Ezra. Both the outline grammar and the grammatical commentary presuppose basic knowledge of the grammar and vocabulary of Biblical Hebrew. Constant references are made in the commentary to relevant sections of the outline grammar. The commentary is written in a user-friendly, not overtly technical language. Some grammatical exercises with keys and paradigms conclude the Reader. Also suitable for self-study.

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A visit to Khirbet Qumran

TRAVEL: A visit to the site of the Dead Sea Scrolls. What is it like to see the site where the Qumran Scrolls were found in 1946? (MEITAL SHARABI, Jerusalem Post).

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How are Kanye West and King Nebuchadnezzar alike?

THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST TODAY: Nebuchadnezzar Explained: Warrior King, Rebuilder of Cities, and Musical Muse (Louise Pryke).

Kanye West’s first operatic work, Nebuchadnezzar, has just premiered at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Set in the 6th century BCE, the opera is based on the biblical story of Nebuchadnezzar II, a powerful ruler and the longest-reigning king of Babylon.

[...]

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A magic gold bead from the Temple Mount?

THE TEMPLE MOUNT SIFTING PROJECT BLOG: FIND AND FINDER OF THE MONTH: A RARE GOLD BEAD FROM THE FIRST TEMPLE PERIOD. Found by a nine-year-old sifter working in archaeologist Gaby Barkay's back yard. Scroll all the way to the end of the post for good photos.

The object may have been part of an apotropaic warding artifact or a priestly ornament or both.

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Review of Fishbane, The Art of Mystical Narrative

H-NET (H-JUDAIC) REVIEW:

Eitan P. Fishbane. The Art of Mystical Narrative: A Poetics of the Zohar. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018. xiii + 520 pp. $125.00, cloth, ISBN 978-0-19-994863-5.

Reviewed by Mark Verman (Wright State University)

Published on H-Judaic (November, 2020)

Commissioned by Barbara Krawcowicz (Jagiellonian University)

This is a long and fascinating review of what sounds like a fascinating book. The review itself amounts to an introduction to the Zohar and its back story.

UPDATE: Cross-file under Zohar Watch. For many posts on the Zohar, start here and follow the links.

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Bellmann, ... An Analysis of the Five Versions of the Book of Esther (German)

NEW BOOK FROM DE GRUYTER:

Simon Bellmann
Politische Theologie im frühen Judentum
Political Theology in Early Judaism: An Analysis of the Five Versions of the Book of Esther
Eine Analyse der fünf Versionen des Estherbuches

Series: Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft, 525
De Gruyter | 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110674514

OVERVIEW

Each of the five versions of the story of Esther appeared as a separate attempt at early Jewish identity formation in the period between the 4th century BCE and the end of the 1st century CE. This study makes a major contribution to scholarship, especially with regard to the Old Latin version of the Book of Esther, published in an appendix for the first time in German translation.

FORMATS

Hardcover
ISBN: 978-3-11-067446-0
Published: 09 Nov 2020

PDF ISBN: 978-3-11-067451-4
Published: 09 Nov 2020

EPUB
ISBN: 978-3-11-067455-2
Published: 09 Nov 2020

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Thanksgiving 2020

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to my American readers and to anyone else who is celebrating!

This is a working day in the U.K., so normally I would be in my office. But today I am working at home for the 2020 pandemic edition.

Be thankful, have a great day, and stay safe!

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Teleportation archaeology?

TECHNOLOGY WATCH: How are archaeologists using hi-tech during the coronavirus era? Archaeologists from Haifa and San Diego had to get creative to work on their collaborative excavation without actually travelling due to quarantines (Hannah Brown, Jerusalem Post).

So they were able to work around the disadvantages of the virus restrictions using photogrammetry, where photography and technology create 3D models in a lab. The Israeli divers would record all they did with GoPro cameras and would scan the artifacts they collected at the end of each day and then send these scans to San Diego. The researchers there would then create the objects in the lab, using 3D printers.

“When they take artifacts back to the university, they scan them, send us the objects, and we can just print the object. What’s cool is that I get the object here printed in 3D, so I can hold it in my hands,” said Levy. “Even a 3D image in virtual reality is not the same as holding it in your hand.”

Beam me up, Scotty!

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Where did the Levitical choir sing?

TEMPLE MOUNT WATCH: Music in the Temple. The Location of the Music Chamber in the Court of the Women (Leen Ritmeyer). This post is the follow-up to one noted here.

Cross-file under Ancient Architecture.

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Scroll reconstruction again

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: The Puzzling Limits of Models. An analysis suggests an established technique used on the Dead Sea Scrolls is not as reliable as previously thought (Jonathan Laden). Models are useful, but should be used with caution. Map is not territory.

Background here.

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Finitsis (ed.), Dress and Clothing in the Hebrew Bible

RECENT BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

Dress and Clothing in the Hebrew Bible
“For All Her Household Are Clothed in Crimson”

Editor(s): Antonios Finitsis

Published: 08-08-2019
Format: Hardback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 208
ISBN: 9780567686404
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies
Volume: 679
Illustrations: 8 bw illus
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price: $114.00
Online price: $79.80
Save $34.20 (30%)

About Dress and Clothing in the Hebrew Bible

Built upon the flourishing study of costume, this book analyses sartorial evidence provided both by texts of the ancient Near East and the Hebrew Bible. The essays within lend clarity to the link between material and ideological, examining the tradition of dress, the different types of literature that reference the tradition of garments, and the people for whom such literature was written.

The contributors explore sources that illuminate the social, psychological, aesthetic, ideological and symbolic meanings of clothing. The topics covered range from the relationship between clothing, kingship and power, to the symbolic significance of the high priestly regalia and the concept of garments as deception and defiance, while also considering the tendency to omit or ignore descriptions of YHWH's clothing. Following a historical sequence, the essays cross-reference with each other to create a milestone in biblical sartorial study.

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

Independent Isaac assimilated to Abraham?

DR. RABBI DAVID FRANKEL: Isaac before He Was Abraham’s Son (TheTorah.com).

Abraham and Isaac each dig a well in Beersheba and make a treaty with King Abimelech. Which story came first?

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

Review of Biblia Sacra vulgata: Lateinisch-deutsch (5 vols.)

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: Hieronymus. Biblia Sacra vulgata: Lateinisch-deutsch.

Andreas Beriger, Widu-Wolfgang Ehlers, Hieronymus. Biblia Sacra vulgata: Lateinisch-deutsch Band 1, Genesis - Exodus - Leviticus - Numeri - Deuteronomium. Sammlung Tusculum. Berlin; Boston: De Gruyter, 2018. Pp. 889. ISBN 9783110440447

Plus four more volumes covering the rest of the Latin Vulgate.

Review by
Matthew Kraus, University of Cincinnati. krausma@ucmail.uc.edu

Not surprisingly, the review is long and thorough. Here's a brief excerpt:

The Vulgata Verein has produced a fine German translation that enables readers to encounter a 4th/5th CE century translator. Despite its limitations, the work demonstrates the need for this kind of close reading of the Latin Bible and will hopefully spawn more monographs and commentaries. This new German translation along with its various annotations advances the study of the Vulgate and Jerome as products and producers of Late Antique society.

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

Gold-water, poop-bread, cake-concentrate, and more!

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: The 10 Strangest Foods in the Bible (David Moster). Ranging from Sublime to Amazing to "What?" to "Yuck!" to Horrifying.

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Perrin & Stuckenbruck (eds.), Four Kingdom Motifs ...

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Four Kingdom Motifs before and beyond the Book of Daniel

Series: Themes in Biblical Narrative, Volume: 28

Volume Editors: Andrew Perrin and Loren T. Stuckenbruck

The four kingdoms motif enabled writers of various cultures, times, and places, to periodize history as the staged succession of empires barrelling towards an utopian age. The motif provided order to lived experiences under empire (the present), in view of ancestral traditions and cultural heritage (the past), and inspired outlooks assuring hope, deliverance, and restoration (the future). Four Kingdom Motifs before and beyond the Book of Daniel includes thirteen essays that explore the reach and redeployment of the motif in classical and ancient Near Eastern writings, Jewish and Christian scriptures, texts among the Dead Sea Scrolls, Apocrypha and pseudepigrapha, depictions in European architecture and cartography, as well as patristic, rabbinic, Islamic, and African writings from antiquity through the Mediaeval eras.

Prices from (excl. VAT): €163.00 / $196.00

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44328-0
Publication Date: 23 Nov 2020

Hardback
Availability: Not Yet Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44279-5
Publication Date: 26 Nov 2020

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

More on Hegra and the Nabateans

NABATEAN (NABATAEAN) WATCH: HEGRA, AN ANCIENT CITY IN SAUDI ARABIA UNTOUCHED FOR MILLENNIA, MAKES ITS PUBLIC DEBUT. The archaeological site, now open to tourists, offers clues about the mysterious empire that built it and its more famous sister city of Petra in Jordan (LAUREN KEITH, Smithsonian Magazine).

Once a thriving international trade hub, the archeological site of Hegra (also known as Madain Saleh) has been left practically undisturbed for almost 2,000 years. But now for the first time, Saudi Arabia has opened the site to tourists. Astute visitors will notice that the rock-cut constructions at Hegra look similar to its more famous sister site of Petra, a few hundred miles to the north in Jordan. Hegra was the second city of the Nabataean kingdom, but Hegra does much more than simply play second fiddle to Petra: it could hold the key to unlocking the secrets of an almost-forgotten ancient civilization.

A long, informative, and well illustrated article on one of the most important archaeological sites in Saudi Arabia. It is a major source of information on the ancient Nabateans, still relatively untapped. The Nabateans spoke Arabic, but wrote in Aramaic for commercial, government, and diplomatic purposes.

PaleoJudaica posts on Hegra (Madain Saleh), "Saudi Arabia's answer to Petra," are collected here. For many posts on Petra and the Nabateans and their language, see here and links (cf. here).

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

Maiden, Cognitive Science and Ancient Israelite Religion

NEW BOOK FROM CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS:

Cognitive Science and Ancient Israelite Religion
New Perspectives on Texts, Artifacts, and Culture

Part of Society for Old Testament Study Monographs

AUTHOR: Brett E. Maiden, Emory University, Atlanta
DATE PUBLISHED: October 2020
AVAILABILITY: Available
FORMAT: Hardback
ISBN: 9781108487788

$ 99.99 (C) Hardback

Description

In this book, Brett Maiden employs the tools, research, and theories from the cognitive science of religion to explore religious thought and behavior in ancient Israel. His study focuses on a key set of distinctions between intuitive and reflective types of cognitive processing, implicit and explicit concepts, and cognitively optimal and costly religious traditions. Through a series of case studies, Maiden examines a range of topics including popular and official religion, Deuteronomic theology, hybrid monsters in ancient iconography, divine cult statues in ancient Mesopotamia and the biblical idol polemics, and the Day of Atonement ritual in Leviticus 16. The range of media, including ancient texts, art, and archaeological data from ancient Israel, as well theoretical perspectives demonstrates how a dialogue between biblical scholars and cognitive researchers can be fostered.

• Offers an accessible introduction to the current state of the cognitive study of religion, especially for biblical scholars and historians of religion
• Provides theoretical discussion and concrete examples, in the form of case studies, of interdisciplinary scholarship in action
• Examines different interrelated topics in the study Israelite religion, including theoretical, artistic, and textual

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

The house that Jesus grew up in?

'TIS THE SEASON, ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE EDITION: Is this the childhood home of Jesus Christ? British archaeologist excavates domestic dwelling under ruins of the Sisters of Nazareth Convent (Jonathan Chadwic, Daily Mail).

It could be. I noted the story here back in 2015. I was skeptical then and remain so today. It is clear that when a church was built over the site in the fourth century, there was a tradition that this was Jesus' house. But a lot of legends can start up in two or three hundred years.

Professor Dark has done much good archaeological work on ancient Nazareth, as I have noted here and links. I doubt that we will ever know if he is right on this specific point. But who knows? Conclusive proof might show up someday.

Whatever the merits of the claim, this article has many good photos of the site.

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Van Hecke, The Song of Songs in its Context

NEW BOOK FROM PEETERS:

The Song of Songs in its Context. Words for Love, Love for Words

SERIES:
Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium, 310

EDITOR:
Van Hecke P.

YEAR: 2020
ISBN: 9789042942394
E-ISBN: 9789042942400
PAGES: XXXIV-643 p.
PRICE: 95 euro

SUMMARY:
Ever since its composition, the Song of Songs has fascinated generation upon generation of readers. The words for love expressed in the book have captivated the imagination and have inspired many, in each time and age, to interpret its meaning. Also the Song’s love for words – its intricate poetry and its rich and often daring imagery – has caught the attention of its readership. After two centuries of diminished interest in the book, the last two decades have witnessed a remarkable return of scholarly attention for the Song of Songs. In this volume, twenty-nine papers read at the 67th Colloquium Biblicum Lovaniense (Leuven, July 25-27, 2018), not only bring together the current state of the art, but also sketch new perspectives and future avenues for the study of this shortest but most fascinating book in the Hebrew Bible. Attention is paid, by established and emerging scholars alike, to the Song’s origin and development, to its poetic features and metaphors, and to its rich and complex reception history.

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

Lecture on Israelite Aramaic in Egypt

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: BASONOVA—Wandering Arameans in Egypt. New light on the Samarian and Judean diaspora.

Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 8 pm EST via Zoom
Wandering Arameans in Egypt: New Light on the Samarian and Judean Diaspora
Tawny Holm, Penn State University

The more I look into Papyrus Amherst 63, the more fascinating it becomes. It is a collection of Aramaic and Canaanite(?) texts written in Egyptian Demotic Script. They have Israelite, Samaritan, and Babylonian-Aramaic connections. Arguably the document has some connection with the fifth-century Aramaic-speaking Judeans at Elephantine, Egypt as well.

Professor Holm has been working on a translation of this remarkable text. I believe it is near publication.

For lots of PaleoJudaica posts on Papyrus Amherst 63 is here and links.

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

Review of The Hellenistic court (ed. Erskine et al.)

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: The Hellenistic court: monarchic power and elite society from Alexander to Cleopatra.

Andrew Erskine, Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, Shane Wallace, The Hellenistic court: monarchic power and elite society from Alexander to Cleopatra. Swansea: Classical Press of Wales, 2017. Pp. 473. ISBN 9781910589625 £60.00.

Review by
Monica D'Agostini, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano. dagostini.monica@gmail.com

Only one of the essays deals with Jews in the Hellenistic court ("Deserving the Court’s Trust: Jews in Ptolemaic Egypt," by Livia Capponi). But the book looks full of information on the Seleucid and Ptolemaic monarchies during the Second Temple period.

For more on the Seleucid era and its importance for biblical and ancient Jewish studies, see here and links (cf. here). Likewise for the Ptolemaic era here and here and links.

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

Dura-Europos exhibition catalogue

THE AWOL BLOG: Dura-Europos: Crossroad of Antiquity. With links to the cataloge and e-book for this 2011 exhibition at the Boston College McMullen Museum of Art. The catalogue price is a little steep ("from $1,935.96"), but the e-book is free.

For PaleoJudaica posts on the McMullen Museum exhibition, see here and links. The NYU/ISAW exhibition on Dura-Europos was also in 2011. And the World between Empires exibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2019 also involved Dura-Europos. Follow that last link for many other posts on this important Syrian site known particularly for its late-antique synagogue murals.

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T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism (2 vols.)

RECENT BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism Volumes I and II

Editor(s): Loren T. Stuckenbruck, Daniel M. Gurtner

Published: 12-26-2019
Format: Hardback
Edition: 1st
ISBN: 9780567661449
Imprint: T&T Clark
Illustrations: 16 color maps and 192 bw illus
List price: $440.00

About T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism Volumes I and II

The T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism provides a comprehensive reference resource of over 600 scholarly articles aimed at those studying Judaism in the Second Temple Period, and the numerous texts and artefacts related to it.

The work is split into four parts across two volumes.

Part One locates the discipline in relation to other relevant fields (for example the Hebrew Bible, Rabbinics, Christian Origins) and provides an orientation to the discipline's distinctive nomenclatures and debates. The history of research in the area is also presented in full.

Part Two presents an overview of respective contexts of the discipline set within the broad framework of historical chronology. Social/cultural, literary, linguistic, geographical, political, and religious contexts are all explained, from the time period of the conquests of Alexander the Great (332 B.C.E.) through to the reign of Hadrian (135 C.E.).

Part Three focuses specifically on the literature of the Second Temple period, summarizing the content of key texts, and examining their similarities and differences with other texts of the period. This section includes surveys of scholarship on date, provenance, location, language(s), and interpretative issues. The reception history of texts is considered.

Part Four addresses topics, specifically those relevant to Second Temple literature such as places, practices, historical figures and artefacts. v The volumes include 14 specially created color maps and over 60 charts and illustrations.

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Ancient silver counterfeiting?

METAL MONEY MISCHIEF: Dirty old money: Researchers reveal Iron Age silver forgery. "It is likely that they used money that was already in the area from previous periods, to which they added the copper from the Timna area" (Hannah Brown, Jerusalem Post).

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Harland & Last, Group Survival in the Ancient Mediterranean

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

Group Survival in the Ancient Mediterranean
Rethinking Material Conditions in the Landscape of Jews and Christians

By: Philip A. Harland, Richard Last

Published: 04-16-2020
Format: Hardback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 240
ISBN: 9780567657480
Imprint: T&T Clark
Illustrations: 17 bw illus
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price: $115.00
Online price: $80.50
Save $34.50 (30%)

About Group Survival in the Ancient Mediterranean

Philip A. Harland and Richard Last consider the economics of early Christian group life within its social, cultural and economic contexts, by drawing on extensive epigraphic and archaeological evidence. In exploring the informal associations, immigrant groups, and guilds that dotted the world of the early Christians, Harland and Last provide fresh perspective on the question of how Christian assemblies and Judean/Jewish gatherings gained necessary resources to pursue their social, religious, and additional aims. By considering both neglected archaeological discoveries and literary evidence, the authors analyse financial and material aspects of group life, both sources of income and various areas of expenditure. Harland and Last then turn to the use of material resources for mutual support of members in various groups, including the importance of burial and the practice of interest-free loans. Christian and Judean evidence is explored throughout this book, culminating in a discussion of texts detailing the internal financial life of Christian assemblies as seen in first and second century sources, including Paul, the Didache, Justin Martyr, and Tertullian. In shedding new light on early Christian financial organisation, this volume aids further understanding of how some Christian groups survived and developed in the Greco-Roman world.

More on Philip Harland's work is here and links.

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Baker et al. (eds.), Exploring the Composition of the Pentateuch

NEW BOOK FROM EISENBRAUNS:

Exploring the Composition of the Pentateuch

Edited by L. S. Baker Jr., Kenneth Bergland, Felipe A. Masotti, and A. Rahel Wells

$89.95 | Hardcover Edition
ISBN: 978-1-57506-985-2

314 pages
6" × 9"
3 b&w illustrations
2020

Bulletin for Biblical Research Supplement

Description

For many years, the historical-critical quest for a reconstruction of the origin(s) and development of the Pentateuch or Hexateuch has been dominated by the documentary hypothesis, the heuristic power of which has produced a consensus so strong that an interpreter who did not operate within its framework was hardly regarded as a scholar. However, the relentless march of research on this topic has continued to yield new and refined analyses, data, methodological tools, and criticism. In this spirit, the contributions to this volume investigate new ideas about the composition of the Pentateuch arising from careful analysis of the biblical text against its ancient Near Eastern background.

Covering a wide spectrum of topics and diverging perspectives, the chapters in this book are grouped into two parts. The first is primarily concerned with the history of scholarship and alternative approaches to the development of the Pentateuch. The second focuses on the exegesis of particular texts relevant to the composition of the Torah. The aim of the project is to foster investigation and collegial dialogue in a spirit of humility and frankness, without imposing uniformity.

In addition to the editors, the contributors include Tiago Arrais, Richard E. Averbeck, John S. Bergsma, Joshua A. Berman, Daniel I. Block, Richard Davidson, Roy E. Gane, Duane A. Garrett, Richard S. Hess, Benjamin Kilchör, Michael LeFebvre, Jiří Moskala, and Christian Vogel.

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Barbu & Deutsch, Toledot Yeshu in Context

NEW BOOK FROM MOHR SIEBECK: Toledot Yeshu in Context. The Jewish »Life of Jesus« in Ancient, Medieval, and Modern History. Edited by Daniel Barbu and Yaacov Deutsch. 2020. VIII, 358 pages. Texts and Studies in Ancient Judaism 182. 144,00 € including VAT. cloth ISBN 978-3-16-159300-0.

Published in English.
The Jewish »Life of Jesus« or Toledot Yeshu provides one of the most extraordinary accounts of the beginnings of Christianity. The narrative describes Jesus as child born of adultery, a charlatan, and a false prophet who performed would-be miracles through the use of magic. Throughout the centuries, the story aroused the ire of anti-Jewish polemicists, delighted anti-clerical authors, and was viewed by Jewish scholars as a subject of embarrassment. Toledot Yeshu presents us with a formidable counter-history of the origins of Christianity. In the eighteenth century, Voltaire went so far as to proclaim that Toledot Yeshu, however extravagant, was perhaps more truthful than the Christian gospels. The object of this volume is to consider this narrative as an object of history, to question its transmission, reception and function within the various historical settings in which it circulated, and seek to understand its meaning for both Jews and non-Jews from antiquity to the modern era.

For more on Toledot Yeshu, see here, here, and here.

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Lentz, Crainte de Dieu

NEW BOOK FROM SBL PRESS:

Crainte de Dieu, Sagesse et Loi: Aspects théologiques à partir de Si 10,19-11,6
Katharina Lentz

$35.00 – $49.00

Series: Septuagint and Cognate Studies
Volume: 72

Publisher: SBL Press
Publication Date: 2020
ISBN: 9781628372564

Description

Few specific studies have been devoted to Ben Sira 10:19–11:6. Lentz examines the text in Hebrew, Greek, Syriac, and Latin, trying to identify the major differences between these versions and their respective fundamental orientations. In this pericope she reveals three important themes: the fear of God, wisdom, and the law. Taking as a point of departure the theme of the fear of God in Deuteronomy, Psalms, and Proverbs, Job, and Qoheleth, in addition to Ben Sira, Lentz examines the relationship of this theme with wisdom and the law. The close relationship between the fear of God, wisdom, and the law should lead scholars to ask if these do not represent three aspects of the same reality.

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Review of Paturel, Baalbek-Heliopolis, the Bekaa, and Berytus from 100 BCE to 400 CE

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: Baalbek-Heliopolis, the Bekaa, and Berytus from 100 BCE to 400 CE: a landscape transformed.

Simone Eid Paturel, Baalbek-Heliopolis, the Bekaa, and Berytus from 100 BCE to 400 CE: a landscape transformed. Mnemosyne supplements. History and archaeology of classical antiquity, volume 426. Leiden: Brill, 2019. Pp. xiv, 343. ISBN 9789004400580 €160,00.

Review by
Winfried Held, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Archäologisches Seminar. heldw@uni-marburg.de

The book offers a valuable overview of the history and archaeology of Berytus (modern Beirut) and the northern Bekaa, which in the Roman imperial period formed the Colonia Iulia Augusta Felix Berytus. ...

Herod the Great makes an appearance.

Cross-file under (Late) Phoenician Watch.

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Watson & Parkhouse, Telling the Christian Story Differently

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

Telling the Christian Story Differently
Counter-Narratives from Nag Hammadi and Beyond

Editor(s): Francis Watson, Sarah Parkhouse

Published: 07-23-2020
Format: Hardback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 208
ISBN: 9780567679529
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: The Reception of Jesus in the First Three Centuries
Volume: 4
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price: $115.00
Online price: $80.50
Save $34.50 (30%)

About Telling the Christian Story Differently

This volume examines the 'counter-narratives' of the core Christian story, proposed by texts from Nag Hammadi and elsewhere. A noteworthy body of highly respected scholars examine material that is sometimes difficult and often overlooked, contributing to the ongoing effort to integrate Nag Hammadi and related literature into the mainstream of New Testament and early Christian studies. By retracing the major elements of the Christian story in sequence, they are able to discuss how and why each aspect was disputed on inner-Christian grounds, and to reflect on the different accounts of Christian identity underlying these disputes.

Together the essays in this book address a central issue: towards the end of the second century, Irenaeus could claim that the overwhelming majority of Christians throughout the world were agreed on a version of the core Christian story which is still recognisable today. Yet, as Irenaeus concedes and as the Nag Hammadi texts have confirmed, there were many who wished to tell the core Christian story differently. Those who criticized and rejected the standard story did so not because they were adherents of another religion, 'Gnosticism', but because they were Christians who believed that the standard account was wrong at point after point. Ranging from the Gospels of Judas and Mary to Galatians and Ptolemy's Letter to Flora, this volume provides a fascinating analysis of how the Christian story as we know it today developed against counter-readings from other early Christian traditions.

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De Moor, Micah

NEW BOOK FROM PEETERS:

Micah

SERIES:
Historical Commentary on the Old Testament AUTHOR:
De Moor J.C.

YEAR: 2020
ISBN: 9789042943636
E-ISBN: 9789042943643
PAGES: XII-454 p.
PRICE: 76 euro

SUMMARY:
The book of Micah provides insight into the struggle of a prophet with his vocation in an extremely difficult time. The aggressive policies of Neo-Assyrian kings which involved large-scale destruction, deportation and resettlement upturned existing social structures everywhere. Kings of Judah like Ahaz and Hezekiah had to compromise with the enemy to retain their position. Micah denounced their overindulgence. Initially, the results of his efforts were disappointing and one may certainly say that Micah was a tragic figure who towards the end of his life felt he had been a failed prophet.

It is no coincidence that in the Hebrew Bible Micah 3:12 occupies the middle of the whole book of the Twelve “Minor” Prophets. In this verse Micah courageously announced the destruction of the temple on Zion because of Jerusalem’s sins - more than a hundred years before it actually happened. His contemporaries had ridiculed him because they did not believe God would ever allow the destruction of his holy abode. Whistleblowers are never popular and it is possible that Micah has had to pay with his life for his scathing criticism of the authorities. However, history proved him right and Micah’s impressive sermons inspired later generations to complement them with consoling messages of forgiveness and hope. Prophecy, also prophecy outside Israel, was always open to future expansion. In this way the book of Micah became a cherished source of messianic expectations among both Jews and Christians.

Modern research into the book of Micah denies him the authorship of more than half of the chapters attributed to him. On the basis of new textual and archaeological data from the entire Ancient Near East this commentary argues that much more can be regarded as actual fire-and-brimstone preaching of the historical prophet Micah. This conclusion was achieved among other things by collating more than a hundred Hebrew manuscripts of the book of Micah. The commentary devotes also much attention to geology, climate, flora, fauna, agriculture and art. Fifty illustrations elucidate these realia.

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

Hays, The Origins of Isaiah 24–27

RECENT BOOK FROM CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS:

The Origins of Isaiah 24–27
Josiah's Festival Scroll for the Fall of Assyria

AUTHOR: Christopher B. Hays, Fuller Theological Seminary, California
DATE PUBLISHED: August 2019
AVAILABILITY: In stock
FORMAT: Hardback
ISBN: 9781108471848

$ 99.99 (C)
Hardback

Description

Isaiah 24-27 has been an enduring mystery and a hotly contested text for biblical scholars. Early scholarship linked its references to the dead rising to the New Testament. These theories have remained influential even as common opinion moderated over the course of the twentieth century. In this volume, Christopher B. Hays situates Isaiah 24-27 within its historical and cultural contexts. He methodically demonstrates that it is not apocalyptic; that its imagery of divine feasting and conquering death have ancient cognates; and that its Hebrew language does not reflect a late composition date. He also shows how the passage celebrates the receding of Assyrian power from Judah, and especially from the citadel at Ramat Rahel near Jerusalem, in the late seventh century. This was the time of King Josiah and his scribes, who saw a political opportunity and issued a peace overture to the former northern kingdom. Using comparative, archaeological, linguistic, and literary tools, Hays' volume changes the study of Isaiah, arguing for a different historical setting than that of traditional scholarship.

• Demonstrates that Isaiah 24-27 it is not apocalyptic, that its imagery of divine feasting and conquering death have ancient cognates, and that its Hebrew language does not reflect a late composition date
• Uses comparative, archaeological, linguistic, and literary tools to argue for an alternative historical setting for the biblical passage
• Explores the context of King Josiah and his scribes, who saw a political opportunity and issued a peace overture to the former northern kingdom

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

Samson, Jesus, Gilgamesh, and ... Superman?

THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST TODAY: Biblical Interpretation in the Age of Superheroes (Nicholaus Pumphrey). With reference to Professor Pumphrey's recent book: Superman and the Bible: How the Idea of Superheroes Affects the Reading of Scripture (McFarland, 2019).

For more on Professor Pumphrey's work see here. And follow the links from there for more on superhero Jesus.

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

Why did Esau become a baddie?

DR. BARRY DOV WALFISH: The Denigration of Esau (TheTorah.com).

Why does Esau in Jewish tradition come to be known as עשו הרשע “Esau the Wicked”? The answer has to do with the history of Judea’s relationship with Esau’s eponymous descendants, the Edomites, and the connection Jews made between them, Rome, and Christianity. The negative view of Esau is expressed nowhere more forcefully than in Rashi’s commentary.

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Muraoka, Why Read the Bible in the Original Languages?

NEW BOOK FROM PEETERS:

Why Read the Bible in the Original Languages?

AUTHOR:
Muraoka T.

YEAR: 2020
ISBN: 9789042942004
E-ISBN: 9789042942011
PAGES: 111 p.
PRICE: 19 euro

SUMMARY:
A comparison of multiple translations of the Bible in any language shows that they differ at hundreds of places, pointing to the continuing disagreement among Bible scholars and translators in their analysis and understanding of those places. To learn Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, the original languages of the Bible, is admittedly not everybody’s cup of tea. Knowledge of them does not necessarily provide a solution to these difficulties. However, there are not a few things in the biblical text which can be missed out if it is read only in translation. A range of linguistic issues touching on the three original languages are discussed in the light of actual examples. Matters of culture and rhetoric are also taken up. A special chapter is devoted to the Septuagint as a bridge between the two Testaments. The book is written in a non-technical style, hence easily readable by non-specialists, but specialists may also find things of interest. No Hebrew or Greek alphabet is used.

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Happy World Toilet Day!

COMMODE COMMEMORATION: Lifting the lid on Israel’s best ancient toilets. From a toilet found inside an ancient temple to Roman public latrines and Ottoman-era outhouses, Israel is awash with fascinating old loos. Join us on World Toilet Day, for a look (Naama Barak, Israel21c).

For the desecration toilet at Lachish, see here. The article missed the ancient toilet near Qumran.

For other PaleoJudaica posts on ancient latrines, see here and here. And I wrote about a Roman-era latrine at Hadrian's wall here.

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

Covert religious innovation in 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch?

THE BIBLE AND INTERPRETATION:

Religious Innovation and Sacred Scriptures in 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch

How did ancient Judaism resolve the conflict between the notion of divinely authored scriptures that are fixed in writing, on the one hand, and the inevitable need to adapt to new circumstances of the community, on the other? A good case study of religious revision in ancient Israel is afforded by the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 CE. Both 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch were written as the Jewish response to a national and religious crisis. Using pseudonyms of Israel’s past heroes from the destruction of the First Temple, both authors promulgated an eschatological vision as the solution, yet called for a return to the Mosaic Torah. In both apocalypses, religious innovation is carried out covertly rather than explicitly. The “new” is presented as a discovery of and return to the “old.”. There are, however, also differences: whereas in 2 Baruch innovation is through eschatological exegesis of the Deuteronomic tradition, in 4 Ezra it has to be through an expansion of divinely revealed scriptures.

See also: When Judaism Lost the Temple: Crisis and Response in 4 Ezra and 2 Baruch. Studia Antiqua Australiensia 10 (Turnhout: Brepols, 2020).

By Lydia Gore-Jones
St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College
Sydney College of Divinity, Australia
November 2020

Cross-file under New Book.

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Ancient geography galore!

THE AWOL BLOG: Roundup of Resources on Ancient Geography. Something for everyone!

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Muraoka, A Syntax of Qumran Hebrew

NEW BOOK FROM PEETERS:

A Syntax of Qumran Hebrew

AUTHOR:
Muraoka T.

YEAR: 2020
ISBN: 9789042940253
E-ISBN: 9789042940260
PAGES: LX-387 p.
PRICE: 95 euro

SUMMARY:
This is the first, comprehensive description of the syntax of Qumran Hebrew, a language in which the Hebrew documents discovered in the eleven Qumran caves and at some sites in the Judaean desert are written. Features described include, for instance, the values and functions of the status constructus, tense, aspect and mood of the verb, the word order, the grammatical agreement or lack of it in gender and number, the concord or concatenation, the government of the verb. Comparison is constantly made with Biblical Hebrew and Mishnaic - Rabbinic Hebrew. This is important to see the position of Qumran Hebrew in the history of Hebrew. Copiously cited original texts are provided with an English translation by the author. That knowledge of the syntax of this Hebrew is important and has implications for textual criticism of these texts and other compartments such as orthography, phonology, morphology, lexicography, and stylistics is shown with concrete examples.

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Cool artifacts in the Bible Lands Museum

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: 10 Great Biblical Artifacts at the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem. Artifacts and the Bible (David Moster). An impressive collection!

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Henning, Matthew’s Non-Messianic Mapping of Messianic Texts

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Matthew’s Non-Messianic Mapping of Messianic Texts

Evidences of a Broadly Eschatological Hermeneutic

Series: Biblical Interpretation Series, Volume: 188

Author: Bruce Henning

Scholars often explain Matthew’s practice of applying non-messianic texts to the messiah by postulating a Christological hermeneutic. In Matthew’s Non-Messianic Mapping of Messianic texts, Bruce Henning raises the question of how Matthew applies messianic texts to non-messianic figures. This neglected category challenges the popular view by stretching Matthew’s paradigm to a broadly eschatological one in which disciples share in the mission of Jesus so as to fulfill Scriptural hopes. Using Cognitive Linguistics, this volume explores four case studies to demonstrate Matthew’s non-messianic mapping scheme: the eschatological shepherd, the vineyard care-giver, temple construction imagery, and the Isaian herald. These reveal how Matthew’s theology of discipleship as participating in Jesus’ own vocation extends even to his hermeneutical paradigm of fulfillment.

Prices from (excl. VAT): €99.00 / $119.00

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44418-8
Publication Date: 16 Nov 2020

Hardback
Availability: Not Yet Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44416-4
Publication Date: 19 Nov 2020

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Jenson, Graded Holiness

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

Graded Holiness

A Key to the Priestly Conception of the World

By: Philip Peter Jenson

Published: 10-29-2020
Format: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 290
ISBN: 9780567697547
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price: $39.95
Online price: $27.96
Save $11.98 (30%)

About Graded Holiness

This wide-ranging investigation of the priestly cultic texts from Exodus 25 onwards explores the coherence and theology of the priestly writing, utilizing insights from anthropology and recent biblical scholarship. Through a carefully worked out set of laws and institutions, the priestly authors sought to order Israel's life before God in a sustainable and satisfying way. This is a valuable contribution to the growing number of studies concerned to understand and recover this neglected part of the Bible.

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McAllister (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Apocalyptic Literature

NEW BOOK FROM CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS:

The Cambridge Companion to Apocalyptic Literature

Part of Cambridge Companions to Religion

EDITOR: Colin McAllister, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
DATE PUBLISHED: April 2020
AVAILABILITY: In stock
FORMAT: Paperbakc
ISBN: 9781108436892

$ 29.99 (P)
Paperback

Description

Jewish and Christian apocalypses have captivated theologians, writers, artists, and the general public for centuries, and have had a profound influence on world history from their initial production by persecuted Jews during the second century BCE, to the birth of Christianity - through the demise of the Western Roman Empire and the medieval period, and continuing into modernity. Far from being an outlier concern, or an academic one that may be relegated to the dustbin of history, apocalyptic thinking is ubiquitous and continues to inform nearly all aspects of modern-day life. It addresses universal human concerns: the search for identity and belonging, speculation about the future, and (for some) a blueprint that provides meaning and structure to a seemingly chaotic world. The Cambridge Companion to Apocalyptic Literature brings together a field of leading experts to provide a comprehensive overview of the subject.

• Brings together an international collective of leading experts who have written on various aspects of apocalyptic literature
• Covers apocalyptic literature from the second century BCE to the present, and includes discussions of the apocalypses themselves, reception history, politics, contemporary Islam, and how apocalypticism functions in contemporary society
• Incorporates issues much larger than just apocalytic literature, including the concept of time, music, visual art, geopolitics and popular culture

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How many magi?

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: The Three Magi. Were they bringing sacred gifts or simply medicine? 'Tis the Season already?!

For many PaleoJudaica posts on Matthew's magi and related matters, see here and links.

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Schumann, Gelübde im antiken Judentum und frühesten Christentum

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Gelübde im antiken Judentum und frühesten Christentum

Series: Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, Volume: 111
Author: Daniel Schumann

In Gelübde im antiken Judentum und frühesten Christentum Daniel Schumann aims to trace the earliest discourses on vows, as they are recorded in ancient Jewish and early Christian sources from the time of the Second Temple. He also shows how Judaism and Christianity have participated in ancient forms of vow-making since late antiquity and how they also have developed these discourses further. By presenting these discourses on the basis of a broad range of sources, he reveals how in Jewish as well as in Christian perception, voices of esteem but also of reservation have been raised throughout the centuries. After all, vows are a cult-practical exercise in which well-being and disaster are in closer proximity than in most other acts of devotion.

Prices from (excl. VAT): €132.00 / $159.00

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44183-5
Publication Date: 04 Nov 2020

Hardback
Availability: Not Yet Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44184-2
Publication Date: 12 Nov 2020

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Taylor & Hay, Philo of Alexandria: On the Contemplative Life

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Philo of Alexandria: On the Contemplative Life

Introduction, Translation and Commentary

Series: Philo of Alexandria Commentary Series, Volume: 7

Authors: Joan E. Taylor and David M. Hay

On the Contemplative Life is known for its depiction of a philosophical group of Jewish men and women known as the ‘Therapeutae’. Yet the reasons for their depiction have been little understood. In the first commentary on the treatise in English for over 100 years, the social, cultural and political background of the times in which Philo lived are shown to be crucial in understanding Philo’s purposes. As Alexandrian Jews were vilified and attacked, Philo went to Rome to present the case for his community, faced with intense opposition. Side-stepping direct confrontation, Philo here cleverly presents the Therapeutae as the pinnacle of excellence, most especially in their communal meal, while ridiculing his accusers in a stinging parody of a festive banquet.

Prices from (excl. VAT): €155.00 / $187.00

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-43923-8
Publication Date: 09 Nov 2020

Hardback
Availability: Not Yet Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-43814-9
Publication Date: 19 Nov 2020

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Burt, Encounters in the Dark

NEW BOOK FROM SBL PRESS:

Encounters in the Dark: Identity Formation in the Jacob Story
Noel Forlini Burt

$23.10 – $37.10

Series: Semeia Studies
Volume: 96

Publisher: SBL Press
Publication Date: 2020
ISBN: 9781628372847

Description

Encounters in the Dark: Identity Formation in the Jacob Story traces the many moments of darkness in the life of Jacob from the darkness of his mother’s womb to the triumphant scene of wrestling God by the Jabbok River. Through an exploration of key moments in Jacob’s story, Noel Forlini Burt follows his journey from home, to exile, and back home again. Jacob’s story symbolizes the larger story of the Israel’s own wrestling with God in the darkness of exile and return.

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Russell, Poets, Heroes, and their Dragons

BIBLIOGRAPHIA IRANICA: Poets, Heroes, and their Dragons: Armenian And Iranian Studies. Notice of a New Book: Russell, James R. 2020. Poets, Heroes, and their Dragons: Armenian And Iranian Studies (Ancient Iran Series 13, 1-2). 2 vols. Irvine, CA: Jordan Center for Persian Studies, University of California, Irvine.

A number of the articles involve or are of interest for ancient Judaism.

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

Sigd in the pandemic

FESTIVAL CONSTRAINTS: COVID-19 restrictions threaten role of Ethiopian Jewish holiday in Israel. Sigd is being observed in a scaled-down fashion this year (TARA KAVALER/THE MEDIA LINE, Jerusalem Post).

Sigd, the holiday that Ethiopian Jews brought to Israel that marks a renewal of the covenant with God and has become a force that unites these immigrants with other Israelis, is being observed in a scaled-down fashion this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The holiday, which started at sundown on Sunday and ends Monday evening, became an official part of the Israeli calendar in 2008 and is observed 50 days after Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

[...]

For more on Sigd, see here.

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More on the Saqqara necropolis

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: Egypt Unveils 100 Sarcophagi. Massive find of painted coffins, many with mummies inside, establishes Saqqara as primary burial ground of 26th Dynasty (Jonathan Laden).

I noted the recent discovery of numerous mummies at Saqqara here. This BHD essay outlines the importance of the 26th Egyptian dynasty for biblical studies.

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Price & Berthelot (eds.), The Future of Rome

NEW BOOK FROM CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS:

The Future of Rome
Roman, Greek, Jewish and Christian Visions

EDITORS:
Jonathan J. Price, Tel-Aviv University
Katell Berthelot, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris

DATE PUBLISHED: October 2020
AVAILABILITY: Available
FORMAT: Hardback
ISBN: 9781108494816

$ 99.99 (C)
Hardback

Description

How was the future of Rome, both near and distant in time, imagined by different populations living under the Roman Empire? It emerges from this collection of essays by a distinguished international team of scholars that Romans, Greeks, Jews and Christians had strikingly different answers to that question, revealing profound differences in their conceptions of history and historical time, the purpose of history, the meaning of written words and oral traditions. It is also argued that practically no one living under Rome's rule, including the Romans themselves, did not think about the question in one form or another.

• A cutting-edge volume on a topic never before systematically explored
• Reveals profound differences between the views of the different peoples living under the Roman Empire on the same fundamental question
• Explores concepts of historical time and other modes of time

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Daly, Sacrifice in Pagan and Christian Antiquity

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

Sacrifice in Pagan and Christian Antiquity
By: Robert J. Daly

Published: 08-22-2019
Format: Hardback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 168
ISBN: 9780567687050
Imprint: T&T Clark
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price: $115.00
Online price: $80.50
Save $34.50 (30%)

About Sacrifice in Pagan and Christian Antiquity

Robert J. Daly S.J. examines the concept of sacrifice in the ancient Mediterranean world, and discusses how the rise of bloodless Christian sacrifice, and the use of sacrificial language in reference to highly spiritualized Christian lives, would have seemed unsettling and radically challenging to the pagan mind.

Acknowledging the difficulties posed by an overwhelmingly Christian scholarly narrative around the topic of sacrifice, Daly specifically sets out to tell the non-Christian side of this story. He first outlines the pagan trajectory, and then the Jewish-Christian trajectory, before concluding with a representative series of comparisons and contrasts. Covering the concept of sacrifice in relation to prayer, ethics and morality, the rhetoric and economics of sacrificial ceremonies, and heroes and saints, Daly finishes with an estimation of how this study might inform further study of sacrifice.

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Is commentary necessary?

THE BIBLE AND INTERPRETATION:

Commentary – Why We Need It and the Price We Pay for Having It

If Moses interceded for any of the commandments, did he act as a secretary taking dictation or did he introduce a human dimension into the divinely revealed content? The traditional answer is that he served as a secretary, copying every word exactly as God spoke it. This suggests that revelation was an auditory phenomenon and thus implies an anthropomorphic interpretation of “God spoke.”

By Kenneth Seeskin
Department of Philosophy and Department of Religious Studies
Northwestern University
November 2020

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