This is the third installment of a series on volume 2 of New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures (MNTA 2). I noted the first essay here and the second here.
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The Syriac WorldChapter 26 is on "Syriac Medicine." I noted a review of the book when it came out in hardback in 2019.Edited By Daniel King
Copyright Year 2019
Paperback
£31.99Hardback
£152.00eBook
£31.99Open access content is available for this title.
ISBN 9780367732363
Published December 18, 2020 by Routledge
896 PagesBook Description
This volume surveys the 'Syriac world', the culture that grew up among the Syriac-speaking communities from the second century CE and which continues to exist and flourish today, both in its original homeland of Syria and Mesopotamia, and in the worldwide diaspora of Syriac-speaking communities. The five sections examine the religion; the material, visual, and literary cultures; the history and social structures of this diverse community; and Syriac interactions with their neighbours ancient and modern. There are also detailed appendices detailing the patriarchs of the different Syriac denominations, and another appendix listing useful online resources for students.
The Syriac World offers the first complete survey of Syriac culture and fills a significant gap in modern scholarship. This volume will be an invaluable resource to undergraduate and postgraduate students of Syriac and Middle Eastern culture from antiquity to the modern era.
Chapter 26 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 3.0 license. https://tandfbis.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/rt-files/docs/Open+Access+Chapters/9781138899018_oachapter26.pdf
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Published in English. This collection brings together a wide range of essays on themes related to sexuality and gender, written by William R. G. Loader, who has published widely on attitudes towards sexuality in early Jewish and Christian literature. The essays explore connections and make comparisons among the ancient texts, seeking to understand them in the light of their religious and cultural contexts, providing summaries, and pursuing key themes, from subtle changes in the Septuagint, to the Pseudepigrapha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo, and the New Testament.
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The free app—available for computer, mobile devices and virtual reality headsets—offers interactive, 360-degree views of 38 locations in the city, reports Robert McKelvey for Al Jazeera. Users can listen to expert audio commentary in Arabic, English, French or German and call up additional images and text for more information about specific spots. They can also toggle between seeing the buildings as they appear today and as they looked almost 2,000 years ago.A couple of recent PaleoJudaica posts on the site of Baalbek are here and here.
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Recently I noted that, surprisingly, Egypt is still producing important archaeological discoveries even in heavily explored areas like the Pyramid grounds. I wondered, "Who knows what important archaeological treasures remain to be found in Egypt and elsewhere?"
And now archaeologists have just noticed a misplaced city near the Valley of the Kings.
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Published in English.The essays are in English and German.
The present volume gives insights into the shape, life and claims of Jerusalem in Roman-Byzantine Times (2nd to 7th century). Regarding the history of religions and its impact on urbanistic issues, the city of Jerusalem is of special and paradigmatic interest. The coexistence and sometimes rivalry of Jewish, Hellenistic, Roman, Christian and later Islamic cults had an impact on urban planning. The city's importance as a centre of international pilgrimage and educational tourism affected demographic and institutional characteristics. Moreover, the rivalry between the various religious traditions at the holy places effected a plurivalent sacralisation of the urban area. To show transitions and transformations, coexistence and conflicts, seventeen articles by internationally distinguished researchers from different fields, such as archaeology, Christian theology, history, Jewish and Islamic studies, are brought together to constitute this collection of essays.
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Ross Shepard Kraemer, The Mediterranean diaspora in late antiquity: what Christianity cost the Jews. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2020. Pp. 520. ISBN 9780190222277 $99.00.The review is in German. For more on the book, see here.Review by
Görge Hasselhoff, Technical University Dortmund. goerge.hasselhoff@udo.edu
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For PaleoJudaica posts on Hannibal and his remarkably military campaign against Rome, see here, here, here, and links. For posts on the Battle of Cannae, see here and links.
Now and then I link to this post, which explains why PaleoJudaica pays attention to the Phoenicians, the Phoenician language, the Carthaginians, and Punic and Neo-Punic.
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Important primary sources for the Greek conflicts with the Achaemenid Empire in the Persian Period.
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New Perspectives in Biblical and Rabbinic HebrewThat's right, there is a free PDF edition. For you, special deal!Aaron D. Hornkohl and Geoffrey Khan (eds)
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-80064-164-8 £24.95
Hardback ISBN: 978-1-80064-165-5 £34.95
PDF ISBN: 978-1-80064-166-2 £0.00Description
Most of the papers in this volume originated as presentations at the conference Biblical Hebrew and Rabbinic Hebrew: New Perspectives in Philology and Linguistics, which was held at the University of Cambridge, 8–10th July, 2019. The aim of the conference was to build bridges between various strands of research in the field of Hebrew language studies that rarely meet, namely philologists working on Biblical Hebrew, philologists working on Rabbinic Hebrew and theoretical linguists.
This volume is the published outcome of this initiative. It contains peer-reviewed papers in the fields of Biblical and Rabbinic Hebrew that advance the field by the philological investigation of primary sources and the application of cutting-edge linguistic theory. These include contributions by established scholars and by students and early career researchers.
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Facebook posts claim the word “amen” is derived from the ancient Egyptian god Amun Ra. This is false; experts say the common ending to prayers has Hebrew origins -- not Egyptian.Yes. Silly Facebook.
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Edward Dabrowa, Camps, campaigns, colonies. Roman military presence in Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and the Near East: selected studies. Philippika. Altertumswissenschaftliche Abhandlungen, contributions to the study of ancient world cultures, 138. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2020. Pp. 216. ISBN 9783447113816 €54,00.Notable for PaleoJudaica:Review by
Andrea De Giorgi, Florida State University. adegiorgi@fsu.edu
The following two essays shift the focus to Judea and the long season of wars that culminated in the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. At issue are the mobilization of the legions, their intersection with local communities, and, lastly, a topography of siege operations.There is also an essay on the military camp at Dura-Europos and one on Roman conflicts with the Parthians/Arcasids.
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See also the interview with the excavators of Abel Beth Maacah, noted here.
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The story has received a lot of attention. The Daily Mail has coverage with some background on the earliest alphabetic Canaanite inscriptions, discovered in a turquoise mine in the Sinai: Has the 'missing link' in the history of the ALPHABET been discovered? Archaeologists find evidence of an early example in Israel from 1450 BC that could explain how the alphabet arrived in the Levant from Egypt (Jonathan Chadwick).
Both articles note the underlying open-access article in the journal Antiquity:
Early alphabetic writing in the ancient Near East: the ‘missing link’ from Tel LachishI noted the discovery of the other early inscribed ostracon at Lachish here in 2015. For posts on the earliest Hebrew and Hebrew-ish inscriptions, see the links collected here. Other relevant posts are here, here, here, and here.Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 April 2021
Felix Höflmayer, Haggai Misgav, Lyndelle Webster and Katharina Streit
Abstract
The origin of alphabetic script lies in second-millennium BC Bronze Age Levantine societies. A chronological gap, however, divides the earliest evidence from the Sinai and Egypt—dated to the nineteenth century BC—and from the thirteenth-century BC corpus in Palestine. Here, the authors report a newly discovered Late Bronze Age alphabetic inscription from Tel Lachish, Israel. Dating to the fifteenth century BC, this inscription is currently the oldest securely dated alphabetic inscription from the Southern Levant, and may therefore be regarded as the ‘missing link’. The proliferation of early alphabetic writing in the Southern Levant should be considered a product of Levantine-Egyptian interaction during the mid second millennium BC, rather than of later Egyptian domination.
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Why is partially infected skin impure but fully infected skin pure? Mary Douglas’ insight into the polluting power of anomalies helps us make sense of this counterintuitive rule.
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Such a complicated textual tradition is not altogether rare among apocryphal literature. In this sense, the Life of Judas is not idiosyncratic for its variant, fluid, and multilingual transmission history but representative of the types of issues encountered with many apocrypha, including some of those translated in the MNTA volumes. This case presents one intriguing example of a work that likely moved from Western Europe into Near Eastern contexts (rather than the reverse, as scholars often expect), but the afterlives of many apocrypha follow similarly complex cross-cultural paths.This is the second installment of a series on volume 2 of New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures (MNTA 2). I noted the first essay here.
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Via Jack Sasson-Professor Avalos and I overlapped as NELC doctoral students at Harvard University in the late 1980s. Then in the mid-1990s we both taught in Iowa at different institutions.Hector Avalos, Professor of Religious Studies at Iowa State University, succumbed yesterday afternoon to a persistent illness.
Among other contributions, Hector did important work on health care and disability in the biblical and ancient worlds. His Wikipedia page is here. Just last weekend I linked to one of his essays here.
Requiescat in pace.
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The Torah allows the removal of vessels from a house before the priest quarantines it for tzaraʿat, understanding impurity here not as the result of physical reality but of a human declaration. This idea is developed further by the rabbis, who apply it to other areas of Jewish law.The purity status of the ceramic vessels is in a superpositioned state until the priest observes them.
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Semiramis (Shammuramat) was a real Neo-Assyrian queen who reigned in the late eighth century BCE. But in the Greek Fantasy Babylon tradition she became the founder of the city of Babylon.
For PaleoJudaica posts on Semiramis, see here and links.
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Bronwen Neil, Kosta Simic, Memories of utopia: the revision of histories and landscapes in Late Antiquity. Routledge monographs in classical studies. London; New York: Routledge, 2019. Pp. 284. ISBN 9781138328679 $155.00.Notable for PaleoJudaica:Review by
Hope Williard, University of Lincoln. hwilliard@lincoln.ac.uk
Strickler’s chapter how the Christian and Jewish writers sought to explain the events and changes of the seventh century through apocalyptic discourse that frequently invoked visions of dystopia while remaining hopeful for a brighter future. An ideal but unrealized future characterizes utopian thinking, so this struck me as a productive and intriguing way to approaching late antique apocalypticism.11. Ryan W. Strickler, Paradise regained? Utopias of deliverance in seventh-century apocalyptic discourse, 171-188
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One detail: the Atrahasis Epic is in Akkadian, not Sumerian.
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This is an introduction to a series of upcoming AJR posts on New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures, volume 2 (MNTA 2). I have reviewed volume 1 here and links. A third volume is in progress.
Our More Old Testament Pseudepigrapha Project also gets a mention.
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Shushma Malik, The Nero-Antichrist: founding and fashioning a paradigm. Classics after antiquity. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2020. Pp. xv, 228. ISBN 9781108491495 $99.99.I am not sure what to make of this claim in light of the evidence of the Book of Revelation:Review by
Harriet Fertik, University of New Hampshire. harriet.fertik@unh.edu
[Malik] contends that the association of Nero with the Antichrist did not originate in the first century, as many biblical scholars have concluded (8-9): instead, it emerged among late antique Christians and enjoyed renewed popularity among writers in the late-nineteenth century.Probably it has to do with the use of the term "Antichrist," which appears in 1-2 John, but not in the Book of Revelation.
For PaleoJudaica posts on the Book of Revelation and the Nero rediturus and Nero redivivus myths, start here and follow the links. Some posts on or involving the Antichrist tradition are here, here, here, here, here, and here.
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Background on the Sappho papyri and on the complicated Oxford missing-papyri scandal is here and links.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
For many past PaleoJudaica posts on the silver amulets excavated at Ketef Hinnom, start here and follow the links. The amulets contain the earliest surviving copies of a biblical text, the priestly blessing in Numbers 6:24-26.
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Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Comparative Hellenistic and Roman Manuscript Studies (CHRoMS): Script Interactions and Hebrew/Aramaic Writing CultureFollow the link for a link to the article.Longacre, Drew
Writing is an expression of culture and is subject to intercultural influences. In this comparative study, I argue that Egyptian and Judean Hebrew/Aramaic scripts from 400 BCE–400 CE were heavily influenced by Greek and later Latin writing cultures, which explains many previously inexplicable phenomena. Jewish writers in the third century BCE adopted the Greek split-nibbed reed pen, which dramatically changed the appearance of Hebrew/Aramaic scripts. At the same time, the normal size for Hebrew/ Aramaic scripts shrank considerably, the pen strokes became mostly monotone and unshaded, and the scripts became more rectilinear, angular, bilinear, and square.
Each of these features appears to be due to direct imitation of contemporary Greek formal writing. Beginning in the first century BCE, Hebrew/Aramaic writers began to decorate their formal scripts with separate ornamental strokes like those of contemporary Greek and Latin calligraphic scripts. And from the second or third century CE, Hebrew/Aramaic calligraphic scripts seem to be increasingly characterized by horizontal shading, parallel to the contemporary rise of Greek and Latin shaded scripts. Furthermore, in the late Roman period, the traditional Hieratic-derived Aramaic numeral system was replaced by an alphabetic numeral system under the influence of the Greek Milesian alphabetic numerals.
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The ark of Shiloh is captured by the Philistines, but they soon send it back to Israel after they are struck by plague. The ark continues to wreak havoc along the way until it finds its final resting place in Jerusalem.There's lots of redaction criticism here, if you enjoy such things.
For many, many PaleoJudaica posts on the the Ark of the Covenant in the Bible and tradition and in light of archaeology, see here, here, here, and follow the links.
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Nava Panitz-Cohen and Naama Yahalom-Mack of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Robert Mullins of Azusa Pacific University direct excavations at Abel Beth Maacah in northern Israel. Despite some hurdles, their team conduced a small excavation in 2020 and hope for a 2021 season as well.For recent discoveries at the Abel Beth Maacah excavation, see here and links.They answered five questions about the pandemic’s effect on their excavation.
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Cross-file under Zohar Watch.
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For many posts on Palmyra, its history, the ancient Aramaic dialect spoken there (Palmyrene), and the city's tragic reversals of fortune, now trending for the better, start here and follow the links.
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More than forty such handbooks survive, some of them in a fragmentary state. We propose to re-edit and re-translate these handbooks, as well as to carry out their first large-scale study as material objects and media of cultural transmission.The Greek Magical Papyri, as well as Egyptian-language works.
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For PaleoJudaica posts on Parthia and the ancient Parthians and Arcasids (Arkasids), see here and links.
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Leviticus 19:18 Does Not Mean “Love Everyone”: Why I Disagree with Richard E. FriedmanI have linked to the article by Richard E. Friedman here.The conflicts over immigration and social inequality mean that Leviticus 19:18 (“you shall love your neighbor as yourself [ואהבת לרעך כמוך]) is being revived once again as a biblical prooftext. One of the main defenders for the universalist interpretation of Leviticus 19:18 is Richard E. Friedman. In so doing, Friedman was attemping to refute the nationalist view of Harry M. Orlinsky (1908-1992), My article here will argue that, despite a pro-immigrant and welcoming appearance, Lev 19:18 actually is part of a colonialist and patriarchal attitude toward foreigners found in Leviticus and in other biblical traditions. Friedman overlooks the exegetical and ethical problems he creates and/or propagates in explaining his disagreement with Orlinsky.
By Hector Avalos
Professor of Religious Studies
Iowa State University
April 2021
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Several excavation teams are optimistically making plans for a dig season in 2021—with the understanding that these also might have to be canceled. Others, however, have already decided to suspend their field activities for this year.
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The cave-by-cave scanning, which was not possible before, has helped archaeologists identify previously unknown cave openings, he said.Background here and many links.“There is no 100 percent but we think our scanning is about 90 percent of the caves. I expect us to get to 95 percent of the caves, though there will be some we will miss,” he said. “Thefts still occur but our control of the area is much stronger now. We will have a catalogue of all the caves in the Judean Desert and today I can look at a cave and know if there are antiquities there or not, which I couldn’t know before. Before I would look at a cliff and see a black hole.”
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Background here and many links.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
We aim to bring together scholars who do not normally have the opportunity to present and engage with scholarship, including:HT Michael Helfield. Follow the link for instructions on submitting a paper or panel proposal etc. This conference speaks to some of the points recently raised here.
- Completed a PhD and are now professionals in other fields
- Left PhD programs
- Contingent faculty
- Academics from marginalized groups
- Teachers, professors, and staff from all educational institutions
- Cultural resource management professionals
- Independent scholars
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Nominations are invited for the 2021 Biblical Archaeology Society Publication Awards, for books published in 2019 and 2020.Follow the link for the award categories and instructions for nominating a book.The biennial BAS Publication Awards for books about archaeology and the Bible have been presented since 1985. These prestigious awards have been made possible by grants from Samuel D. Turner and Elizabeth Goss.
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The Oxford Handbook of IsaiahEdited by Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer
Oxford Handbooks
Description
- Offers insight from a religiously and geographically diverse roster of scholars into the broad spectrum of global engagement with Isaiah
- Provides easily accessible and high quality scholarship to academics and laypeople alike
- Offers up-to-date scholarship from recognized experts on the book of Isaiah
The book of Isaiah is without doubt one of the most important books in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, as evidenced by its pride of place in both Jewish and Christian traditions as well as in art and music. Most people, scholars and laity alike, are familiar with the words of Isaiah accompanied by the magnificent tones of Handel's 'Messiah'.
Isaiah is also one of the most complex books due to its variety and plurality, and it has accordingly been the focus of scholarly debate for the last 2000 years. Divided into eight sections, The Oxford Handbook of Isaiah constitutes a collection of essays on one of the longest books in the Bible. They cover different aspects regarding the formation, interpretations, and reception of the book of Isaiah, and also offer up-to-date information in an attractive and easily accessible format. The result does not represent a unified standpoint; rather the individual contributions mirror the wide and varied spectrum of scholarly engagement with the book. The authors of the essays likewise represent a broad range of scholarly traditions from diverse continents and religious affiliations, accompanied by comprehensive recommendations for further reading.
£97.00
Hardback
Published: 13 November 2020
712 Pages
248x171mm
ISBN: 9780190669249
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The Manasseh Hill Country Survey Volume 6The Eastern Samaria Shoulder, from Nahal Tirzah (Wadi Far'ah) to Ma’ale Ephraim Junction
Series: Culture and History of the Ancient Near East, Volume: 21/6
Authors: Shay Bar and Adam Zertal
The book presents the results of a complete detailed survey of the eastern region of Samaria, mainly the Eastern Samaria Shoulder, from Nahal Tirzah (Wadi Far'ah) to Ma’ale Ephraim Junction within the territory of Israel/Palestine. It is Volume 6 of the Manasseh Hill Country Survey publications. This project, in progress since 1978, and covering 2500 sq. km, is a thorough, metre-by-metre mapping of the archaeological-historical area between the River Jordan and the Sharon Plain, and between Nahal 'Iron and the north-eastern point of the Dead Sea. This territory is one of the most important in the country from the Biblical and archaeological view; and the survey is a valuable tool for scholars of the Bible, archaeology, Near Eastern history and other aspects of the Holy Land.
Prices from (excl. VAT): €105.00 / $126.00
E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Not Yet Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-46323-3
Publication Date: 25 Mar 2021Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-46322-6
Publication Date: 25 Mar 2021
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Online conferences and lectures offer greater accessibility to the disabled, to those who can't afford the travel, and to those who live far from the venue. They allow interested people to attend public lectures from all over the world. They save everyone a lot of money, which could be important in the coming years of post-pandemic recovery and, likely, austerity. True, we lose out on receptions, and to some degree on networking, but there are substantial gains in the new model.
The pandemic has forced many changes upon us, including fully online conferences and lectures. However we proceed in the future, we should retain the gains of the new model.
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Some PaleoJudaica posts on the history, archaeology, and epigraphy of ancient Babylon and Babylonia are here, here, here, and links.
Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Philip S. Horky (Ed.). Cosmos in the Ancient World. Cambridge University Press, 2019.The whole book sounds good, but the final chapter is of particular interest.
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For more on Clint Burnett and his recent book on the New Testament and inscriptions, see here. For more on the topic, see here. For the Greek Temple Warning Inscription, see the links collected here. For more on the Number of the Beast in the Book of Revelation, with additional epigraphic evidence, see here and links. For more on the Theodotus inscription, see here. And for more on the Gallio inscription, see here.
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The Hoard of Jazira, as the museum has named the cache, was obtained in 2019 from a private collector in Europe (the museum declined to identify the person). It consists of 2,861 coins dating from the reign of King Shapur II (A.D. 309-379) to the Caliph Al Ma’mun (A.D. 813-833). There are 434 Sasanian drachmas, 156 dirhams and Arab half-dirhams, 323 Umayyad dirhams and 1,948 silver coins of the Abbasid dynasty.The article includes lots of information about coin conservation. For more on the Sasanian (Sassanian) Empire and why it is of interest to PaleoJudaica, start here and follow the links.
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Review: My Nine Lives—Sixty Years in Israeli and Biblical ArchaeologyI noted the publication of the book here.
By William G. Dever
(Atlanta: SBL Press, 2020), pp. 233, 57 figures
Reviewed by Thomas E. Levy
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Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Deconstructing the Talmud
The Absolute BookBy Federico Dal Bo
Copyright Year 2020
Paperbackv £29.59Hardback
£96.00eBook
£29.59ISBN 9780367785444
Published March 31, 2021 by Routledge
254 PagesBook Description
This monograph uses deconstruction—a philosophical movement originated by Jacques Derrida—to read the most authoritative book in Judaism: the Talmud. Examining deconstruction in comparison with Kant’s and Hegel’s philosophies, the volume argues that the movement opens an innovative debate on Jewish Law.
First, the monograph interprets deconstruction within the major streams of continental philosophy; then, it criticizes many aspects of Foucault’s and Agamben’s philosophy, rejecting their notion of law. On these premises, the research delivers a close examination of many fundamental aspects of the Talmud. Consequently, it provides a short history of Rabbinic literature, a history of the dissemination of the Talmud from Babylon to Northern France, and an analysis of Talmudic vocabulary from a deconstructive perspective. Each key concept of the Talmud is analysed according to the deconstructive dialectics between orality and writing. Closing with a comparison between the Talmud and Derrida’s most enigmatic text, Glas, the study argues that deconstruction dismantles the traditional notion of the Talmud to outline a new approach to Jewish Law.
Reading the Talmud through deconstruction, this new angle makes the volume an essential resource for students and scholars interested in Jewish studies, continental philosophy, and the Middle East.
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Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.
Did Jesus’ Last Supper Take Place Above the Tomb of David? Understanding the Cenacle on Mount Zion (Marek Dospěl)
How Was Jesus’ Tomb Sealed? Examining the tomb of Jesus in light of Second Temple-period Jerusalem tombs (Megan Sauter). For more on the Cenacle, see here.
On What Day Did Jesus Rise? The May/June 2016 Biblical Archaeology Review Biblical Views column (Ben Witherington III)
Where Is Golgotha, Where Jesus Was Crucified? Does the Church of the Redeemer hold the answer?
I have noted some related BHD essays here.
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CAIRO (Reuters) -A grand parade conveyed 22 ancient Egyptian royal mummies in special capsules across the capital Cairo on Saturday to a new museum home where they can be displayed in greater splendour.Rameses II (Ramesses II), a cinema favorite for Pharaoh of the Exodus, was among them.[...]
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Some other recent relevant posts are here, here, here, and here.
UPDATE (5 April): More here.
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Cyprus Within the Biblical World
Are Borders Barriers?Editor(s): James H. Charlesworth, Jolyon G. R. Pruszinski
Published: 03-25-2021
Format: Hardback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 256
ISBN: 9780567694904
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: Jewish and Christian Textsv Volume: 32
Illustrations: 51 bw illus
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price:$115.00
Online price: $103.50
About Cyprus Within the Biblical World
This volume moves discussion of ancient Israelite culture beyond concepts of isolation and borders, factoring in already well-known insights from classical studies and ancient history that take greater account of the impressive connections between all the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Specifically, the contributors focus on Cyprus and the Bible and offer archaeological and biblical insights to consider how and in what ways, Cyprus and Cypriot culture was related to biblical life and perceptions.
Though the Mediterranean separated Palestine from Cyprus, it also joined them; archaeological finds expose significant trade relations and cultural commonalities, not only in the Hellenistic and late-Roman eras, but for many centuries prior. These relations developed and became even more intimate in the later biblical period, as evidenced by early Jewish and Christian writings. By exploring various methods of cultural contact, the contributors suggest that further examination of cultural links between Cyprus and Palestine in the biblical period can repay dividends in understanding the development of ancient Israelite religion, early Judaism, and early Christianity.
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Syrian Influences in the Roman Empire to AD 300The book was published in 2018, but I missed it then. The recent paperback release provides a good excuse to note it.By John D. Grainger
Copyright Year 2018
Paperback
£29.59Hardback
£96.00eBook
£29.59ISBN 9780367594497
Published August 14, 2020 by Routledge
284 PagesBook Description
The study of Syria as a Roman province has been neglected by comparison with equivalent geographical regions such as Italy, Egypt, Greece and even Gaul. It was, however, one of the economic powerhouses of the empire from its annexation until after the empire’s dissolution. As such it clearly deserves some particular consideration, but at the same time it was a major contributor to the military strength of the empire, notably in the form of the recruitment of auxiliary regiments, several dozens of which were formed from Syrians. Many pagan gods, such as Jupiter Dolichenus and Jupiter Heliopolitanus Dea Syra, and also Judaism, originated in Syria and reached the far bounds of the empire. This book is a consideration, based on original sources, of the means by which Syrians, whose country was only annexed to the empire in 64 BC, saw their influence penetrate into all levels of society from private soldiers and ordinary citizens to priests and to imperial families.
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To see just how mainstream these alternative texts were in the medieval churches, consider one image that pervades the religious art of the era, namely the Harrowing of Hell. Drawn from the popular Gospel of Nicodemus, the Harrowing was not far behind the Crucifixion as a theme in medieval Christian imagery, and its impact extended to art, drama and literature. An image fundamental to mainstream Christian belief for over a thousand years derived entirely from an ancient alternative gospel.The passages in 1 Peter 3:18-21, 4:6 (cf. 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6) partly inspire the Harrowing of Hell myth (a.k.a. the Descensus ad Infernos). They in turn arguably have connections with the myth of the fall and infernal banishment of the Watchers in 1 Enoch
We see from Jude 14-16 that first-century Jesus followers were reading 1 Enoch. Some even considered it prophecy. For more on that, see here and here.
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"Oh, let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth…" Song of Songs 1:2. Allegorical interpretation in midrash and the Zohar understand the male lover being beckoned as God, but whom is God kissing and why? And does kabbalistic interpretation leave any room for human love?
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Beyond PriesthoodFollow the link for licensing info and access.
Religious Entrepreneurs and Innovators in the Roman EmpireContributor(s)
Gordon, Richard L. (editor)
Petridou, Georgia (editor)
Rüpke, Jörg (editor)(History of Religion: Essays and Preliminary Studies) brings together the mutually constitutive aspects of the study of religion(s)—contextualized data, theory, and disciplinary positioning—and engages them from a critical historical perspective. The series publishes monographs and thematically focused edited volumes on specific topics and cases as well as comparative work across historical periods from the ancient world to the modern era.
Publisher
De Gruyter
Publisher website
https://www.degruyter.com/
Publication date and place
2017
HT the AWOL Blog. (This is a good list.)
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Lewis Ayres, H. Clifton Ward, The rise of the early Christian intellectual. Arbeiten zur Kirchengeschichte, 139. Berlin; Boston: De Gruyter, 2020. Pp. xii, 272. ISBN 9783110607550 $99.99.Review by
Andrew Pottenger. ajpott@hotmail.com... The value of the present volume in light of these other studies is that each chapter offers a concentrated analysis of early Christian intellectual activity in the ‘long second century’, showing how the ancient authors explored here engaged pagan and Jewish paradigms from the perspective of sharing in these traditions to some extent. ...
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Invitation for submission to Perspectives on Linguistics and Ancient LanguagesRe-posted with the permission of the author. Cross-file under Syriac Watch, Aramaic Watch, and PhilologyDear all,
It is my pleasure to announce you that the Gorgias Series Perspectives on Linguistics and Ancient Languages is ready to accept new submission. This series once started as the POSL series (Perspectives on Syriac Lexicograpy), but because of its interdisciplinary focus and the efforts to bring Syriac lexicography and linguistics into dialogue with other scholarly traditions focusing on Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek linguistics, the title of the series was changed to do justice to this broader field of interst. Currently it includes monographs about Neologisms in Modern Literary Syriac, handwritten documents with multilingual and multigraphic structures in Arabic, Hebrew, Latin and Greek, Classical Syriac phonology, Christian Palestinian Aramaic and genitive structures in Aramaic, just to mention a few topics, in addition to highly interesting colloquia volumes including papers presented at the International Syriac Language Project (ISLP), a research group that convenes at international conferences such as SBL and IOSOT. For a full list of the volumes see https://www.gorgiaspress.com/perspectives-on-linguistics-and-ancient-languages
If you are interested in submitting a manuscript to this series, please contact me, the series editor.
The other members of the editorial board are: Terry Falla, Margherita Farina, Daniel King, Godwin Mushayabasa and Richard Taylor.
Kind regards,
Wido van Peursen
Prof. dr. W.T. (Wido) van Peursen
Faculty of Theology, VU University Amsterdam
De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam
Tel. +31 (0)20 59 83427; email: w.t.van.peursen@vu.nl
Twitter: @PeursenWTvan; Skype: peursenwtvan
Eep Talstra Centre for Bible and Computer
https://www.facebook.com/etcbc
https://twitter.com/shebanq_
https://www.linkedin.com/company/etcbc
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Prophets, Prophecy, and Oracles in the Roman EmpireThe book was published in 2018, but I missed it then. The paperback release is a good excuse to note it now.
Jewish, Christian, and Greco-Roman CulturesBy Leslie Kelly
Copyright Year 2018
Paperback
£13.59Hardback
£35.99eBook
£13.59ISBN 9780367607289
Published August 14, 2020 by Routledge
100 PagesBook Description
This book surveys the uses and function of prophecy, prophets, and oracles among Jews, Christians, and pagans in the first three centuries of the Roman Empire and explores how prophecy and prophetic texts functioned as a common language that enabled religious discourse to develop between these groups. It shows that each of these cultures believed that it was in prophetic texts and prophetic utterances that they could find the surest proof of their religious beliefs and a strong confirmation of their group identity.
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I have collected some related PaleoJudaica posts here (cf. here).
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Surprisingly, this post has no reference to the two new books arguing for the authenticity of the Shapira Scroll and the attendant media and blog coverage (see here and here and links). This was one of the two biggiest biblical studies stories in March.
Ben, perhaps an addendum is in order?
The other biggest story in March, the discovery of new Dead Sea Scroll fragments in the Cave of Horror, is mentioned briefly in one link.
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During the First Jewish Revolt (Great Revolt), Vespasian and Titus conquered and destroyed Jerusalem. Vesuvius erupted in the reign of Titus. Also, not mentioned in the article, The Flavians were patrons of the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus. If not for their patronage, we probably wouldn't have his works. Our knowledge of first-century Judaism would be much poorer.
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Imaging technology indicates that the "graffiti" (inscribed crosses) was executed by professional masons, presumably hired by medieval pilgrims.
For many PaleoJudaica posts on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Holy Sepulcher), start here and just follow those links.
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In his article “The Holy Sepulchre in History, Archaeology, and Tradition,” published in the Spring 2021 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, Justin L. Kelley examines recent archaeological investigations at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. He also walks readers through the relevant texts to reconstruct the site’s rich history. From execution spot to magnificent church, it has gone through quite the transformation! For Bible History Daily readers, we have highlighted five major phases of its history.For many PaleoJudaica posts on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Holy Sepulcher), see here and links.
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The “God of Israel” in History and TraditionSeries: Vetus Testamentum, Supplements, Volume: 187
Author: Michael J. Stahl
In The “God of Israel” in History and Tradition, Michael Stahl provides a foundational study of the formulaic title “god of Israel” ( ’elohe yisra’el) in the Hebrew Bible. Employing critical theory on social power and identity, and through close literary and historical analysis, Dr. Stahl shows how the epithet “god of Israel” evolved to serve different social and political agendas throughout the course of ancient Israel and Judah’s histories. Reaching beyond the field of Biblical Studies, Dr. Stahl’s treatment of the historical and ideological significances of the title “god of Israel” in the Hebrew Bible offers a fruitful case study into the larger issue of the ways in which religion may shape—and be shaped by—social and political structures.
Prices from (excl. VAT): €121.00 / $146.00
E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44772-1
Publication Date: 22 Mar 2021Hardback
Availability: Not Yet Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44771-4
Publication Date: 19 May 2021
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John the Baptist as a Rewritten Figure in Luke-ActsBy Christina Michelsen Chauchot
Copyright Year 2021
Hardback
£120.00eBook
£33.29ISBN 9780367481438
Published March 15, 2021 by Routledge
196 PagesBook Description
John the Baptist as a Rewritten Figure in Luke-Acts compares the Gospel of Luke’s account of John’s ministry with those of Matthew, Mark, and John to make the case for the hypertextual relationship between the synoptic gospels.
The book is divided into three parts. Part I situates the Gospel of Luke within the broader context of biblical rewritings and makes the general case that a rewriting strategy can be detected in Luke, while Parts II and III combined offer a more detailed and specific argument for Luke’s refiguring of the public ministry of John the Baptist through the use of omitted, new, adapted, and reserved material. While the "two source hypothesis" typically presupposes the independence of Luke and Matthew in their rewritings of Mark and Q, Chauchot argues that Luke was heavily reliant on Matthew as suggested by the "L/M hypothesis". Approaching the Baptist figure in the synoptic gospels from a literary-critical perspective, Chauchot examines "test cases" of detailed comparative analysis between them to argue that the Gospel of Luke makes thematic changes upon John the Baptist and is best characterized as a highly creative reshaping of Matthew and Mark.
Making a contribution to current research in the field of New Testament exegesis, the book is key reading for students, scholars, and clergy interested in New Testament hermeneutics and Gospel writing.
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They have also re-posted another essay by Professor Klawans which I somehow missed: Jesus’ Last Supper Still Wasn’t a Passover Seder Meal. An update to Jonathan Klawans’s Bible Review article “Was Jesus’ Last Supper a Seder?”
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To summarize, then, we have:I have no view on this matter myself. I do agree that scholars need to have access to the papyri.Given all this, is it really accurate to say that there is no “evidence to suggest that either P.GC inv. 105 or P.Sapph.Obbink is not authentic”? It might be better to say that most (perhaps all?) competent scholars regard these fragments as authentic even in the face of many suspicious circumstances surrounding these papyri.
- Papyrus fragments with sensational and much-desired content
- Faked provenance stories for these fragments
- Seemingly false claims about scientific testing of these fragments
- No access to the main fragment for examination
- Early doubts about the quality of the poetry copied on these fragments
- Surprisingly cavalier treatment of supposedly highly valuable unique ancient papyri
Let me reiterate. I can’t pass judgement on the authenticity of these papyri. If these fragments are fakes, they are some of the best I’ve ever seen. But then again, I haven’t actually seen them. And other than Prof. Obbink, who has?
Background on the Sappho papyri and on the complicated Oxford missing-papyri scandal is here and links. Ariel Sabar published the definitive account of the scandal in May of 2020. Brent Nongbri has contined to follow developments.
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Published in German.The articles are in German and English.
The notion of the preexistence of Christ has often been considered as a problematic mythological idea and marginalized in Biblical scholarship. The contributions of the present volume aim at a new perception of the variety of linguistic forms, semantic horizons, and textual intentions of the relevant texts. The phenomenon is deliberately considered in a wide horizon beyond the New Testament canon. The range of texts includes early Jewish texts on Wisdom and the Messiah; Paul, Hebrews, and Jude, the Gospel of John and Revelation; but also Greek mythological texts, Christian Gnostic traditions, and the Logos theology of the early church. Systematic-theological considerations on temporality and cosmology conclude the volume.
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I have posted on the excavation of the Ptolemaic-era Egyptian fortress-port Berenike (Berenike Trogodytika) here and here. See those posts for background and some points of interest.
Now the Mail has noticed the story and produced a thorough and characteristically well-illustrated article on the site.
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Joshua circumcises the Israelites only upon their entry to the land.Interesting redaction-critical argument.
Regarding the final point in the essay, I think that Deuteronomy's concern with circumcision of the heart only make sense if the author assumes that male Israelites were circumcised in the body. The metaphor also appears in P (Lev 26:41) but it is rare in both D and P.
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If Carl re-posts any more of these this week, I will add the links below in this post.
The Tomb of the High Priest Annas? Part 1 of 2 — The Exterior
Related PaleoJudaica post here.
The Tomb of the High Priest Annas? Part 2 of 2 — The Interior
Bone Box of Caiaphas the High Priest
Related PaleoJudaica post here.
Crucified Man from Jerusalem
Related PaleoJudaica post here.
A Monumental Herodian (Hasmonean?) Hall in Jerusalem — Behind the Scenes of the Western Wall.
The Best Rolling Stone Tomb in Israel — Khirbet Midras
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The ancient Phasael Tower in the Tower of David complex in Jerusalem has a big crack in it, which poses a danger to the whole tower. It is under repair. The coin was found there in a misplace box of artifacts excavated during the last conservation in the 1980s. Oops.
Some PaleoJudaica posts on the Tyrian shekel are here, here, and here. It was especially associated (in its full and half value denominations) with payments to the Temple, including the Temple tax.
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But I also became intrigued by another layer of the tale. As it turned out, the mysterious Shapira had made a number of fleeting appearances in The Times over the years, starting even before the Deuteronomy affair.For PaleoJudaica posts on the Shapira Scroll and the recent revival of interest in the scroll and the whole Shapira affair, start here and follow the links.
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Published in English.
Angelic beings have occupied an important place in many traditions within Judaism and Christianity from Second Temple times up until the present. In this volume, essays by scholars from the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America draw attention to a wide variety of ways in which traditions about angels were addressed and developed over time, including examples from the Hebrew Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls and related literature, early Christian writings, »magical« texts, and the rich heritage of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The contributions as a whole demonstrate the interwovenness of Jewish and Christian tradition and, in turn, reveal how much the consideration of angelology reflects broader hermeneutical, textual, and tradition-historical approaches to the study of religion.
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The Gospel of Tatian
Exploring the Nature and Text of the DiatessaronEditor(s): Matthew R. Crawford, Nicholas J. Zola
Published: 03-25-2021
Format: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 300
ISBN: 9780567700346
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: The Reception of Jesus in the First Three Centuries
Illustrations: 2 plates
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price:$39.95
Online price: $35.96About The Gospel of Tatian
This volume combines some of the leading voices on the composition and collection of early Christian gospels in order to analyze Tatian's Diatessaron. The rapid rise and sudden suppression of the Diatessaron has raised numerous questions about the nature and intent of this second-century composition. It has been claimed as both a vindication of the fourfold gospel's early canonical status and as an argument for the canon's on-going fluidity; it has been touted as both a premiere witness to the earliest recoverable gospel text and as an early corrupting influence on that text. Collectively, these essays provide the greatest advance in Diatessaronic scholarship in a quarter of a century.
The contributors explore numerous questions: did Tatian intend to supplement or supplant the fourfold gospel? How many were his sources and how free was he with their text? How do we identify a Diatessaronic witness? Is it legitimate to use Tatian's Diatessaron as a source in New Testament textual criticism? Is a reconstruction of the Diatessaron still possible? These queries in turn contribute to the question of what the Diatessaron signifies with respect to the broader context of gospel writing, and what this can tell us about how the writing, rewriting and reception of gospel material functioned in the first and second centuries and beyond.
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The Protevangelium of JamesThe Protevangelium of James has been getting some attention in recent years. See here, here, here, here, and here. Cross-file under New Testament Apocrypha Watch.
Greek Text, English Translation, Critical Introduction: Volume 1By: George T. Zervos
Published: 04-22-2021
Format: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 240
ISBN: 9780567700384
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: Jewish and Christian Texts
Illustrations: 4 bw Illus
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price:$39.95
Online price: $35.96About The Protevangelium of James
George T. Zervos presents the first in a two-volume critical investigation of one of the earliest and most important of the New Testament Apocrypha, the Protevangelium of James, also known as the Infancy Gospel of James. Zervos challenges the prevailing view that the ProtJas is a 2nd century unitary document; finding it instead to be the product of an ongoing redactional process in which a 1st century CE “heretical” text was progressively conformed to the “orthodox” Christian doctrine of the time.
Zervos tells the story of how an early apocryphal gospel provided the developing church with doctrinal material, which was incorporated into both the theology and the ecclesiastical liturgical cycle of the medieval Church, thus becoming a significant part of the standard catechism for generations of Christians. In this first volume Zervos provides a critical introduction to the text and discusses ProtJas' publication history, scholarly investigation, compositional problems and evidence of redaction, as well as a in-depth analysis of the narrative. For the first time the readings of the vast majority of the known Greek manuscripts appear together, with a transcription of the original text of the complete copy of the ProtJas found in Papyrus Bodmer V.
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The Bible, Homer, and the Search for Meaning in Ancient Myths Why We Would Be Better Off With Homer’s GodsBy John Heath
Copyright Year 2019
Paperback
£36.99ISBN 9780367729929
Published December 18, 2020 by Routledge
430 PagesBook Description
The Bible, Homer, and the Search for Meaning in Ancient Myths explores and compares the most influential sets of divine myths in Western culture: the Homeric pantheon and Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament. Heath argues that not only does the God of the Old Testament bear a striking resemblance to the Olympians, but also that the Homeric system rejected by the Judeo-Christian tradition offers a better model for the human condition. The universe depicted by Homer and populated by his gods is one that creates a unique and powerful responsibility – almost directly counter to that evoked by the Bible—for humans to discover ethical norms, accept death as a necessary human limit, develop compassion to mitigate a tragic existence, appreciate frankly both the glory and dangers of sex, and embrace and respond courageously to an indifferent universe that was clearly not designed for human dominion.
Heath builds on recent work in biblical and classical studies to examine the contemporary value of mythical deities. Judeo-Christian theologians over the millennia have tried to explain away Yahweh’s Olympian nature while dismissing the Homeric deities for the same reason Greek philosophers abandoned them: they don’t live up to preconceptions of what a deity should be. In particular, the Homeric gods are disappointingly plural, anthropomorphic, and amoral (at best). But Heath argues that Homer’s polytheistic apparatus challenges us to live meaningfully without any help from the divine. In other words, to live well in Homer’s tragic world – an insight gleaned by Achilles, the hero of the Iliad – one must live as if there were no gods at all.
The Bible, Homer, and the Search for Meaning in Ancient Myths should change the conversation academics in classics, biblical studies, theology and philosophy have – especially between disciplines – about the gods of early Greek epic, while reframing on a more popular level the discussion of the role of ancient myth in shaping a thoughtful life.
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Published in English.Cross-file under Coptic Watch.
Liturgical papyri are prime witnesses to the history of liturgy and the religious and theological currents in late antique Egypt. These items from the third to ninth century preserve hundreds of Greek and Coptic hymns, prayers, and acclamations, most otherwise unknown but some still recited by the Coptic Church. Ágnes T. Mihálykó offers the first extensive introduction to the liturgical papyri, facilitating the reader's access to them with a detailed inventory of edited manuscripts and an extensive discussion of their date and provenance. She also examines liturgical papyri as the first preserved liturgical manuscripts, describing their material features, the ways they were used, the early history of the liturgical books, and their languages. She reveals how liturgical texts were written down and transmitted and locates these important manuscripts in the book culture of late antique Egypt.
You can learn more about Dr. Mihálykó's work in a podcast interview with the Coptic Magical Papyri Project.
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