Methuselah and Resurrection Genomics

NYU PRESS RELEASE: Scientists Successfully Sequenced the Genome of Previously Extinct Date Palms. This study marks the first time researchers have sequenced the genomes of plants from ancient germinated seeds. (SciTechDaily). This release gives a good overview of the study.

You can read the open-access underlying article at the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA website:

The genomes of ancient date palms germinated from 2,000 y old seeds

Muriel Gros-Balthazard, Jonathan M. Flowers, Khaled M. Hazzouri, Sylvie Ferrand, Frédérique Aberlenc, Sarah Sallon, and Michael D. Purugganan

PNAS May 11, 2021 118 (19) e2025337118; https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2025337118
Edited by Douglas E. Soltis, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, and approved March 17, 2021 (received for review December 11, 2020)

Significance

Resurrection genomics is an alternative to ancient DNA approaches in studying the genetics and evolution of past and possibly extinct populations. By reviving biological material such as germinating ancient seeds from archaeological and paleontological sites, or historical collections, one can study genomes of lost populations. We applied this approach by sequencing the genomes of seven Judean date palms (Phoenix dactylifera) that were germinated from ∼2,000 y old seeds recovered in the Southern Levant. Using this genomic data, we were able to document that introgressive hybridization of the wild Cretan palm Phoenix theophrasti into date palms had occurred in the Eastern Mediterranean by ∼2,200 y ago and examine the evolution of date palm populations in this pivotal region two millennia ago.

For more on Methuselah (the famous resurrected date palm from Masada), his siblings, and another recent study on them by some of the same researchers, see here and links.

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

A Holy Fire crowd this year

IN THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER (HOLY SEPULCHRE): Vaccinated faithful throng Jerusalem church for Holy Fire (AP/SF Gate). The Holy Fire ceremony happens on the night before Orthodox Easter. This year that was last Saturday. (Happy Easter to all who celebrated!)

For more on the ceremony, see here and links. As this article notes, last year the church was nearly empty due to pandemic restrictions.

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

Review of Cobb, Slavery, Gender, Truth, and Power in Luke-Acts ...

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: Book Note I Slavery, Gender, Truth, and Power in Luke-Acts and Other Ancient Narratives (Kelsi Morrison-Atkins).

Christy Cobb, Slavery, Gender, Truth, and Power in Luke-Acts and Other Ancient Narratives (Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave MacMillan, 2019)

The other narratives are Chariton's Greek novel Callirhoe and the apocryphal Acts of Andrew.

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

Biblical Studies Carnival 182

RUBÉN DE RUS: Biblical Studies Carnival 182-April 2021.

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

Geniza Greek glosses on the Talmud

GENIZA FRAGMENT OF THE MONTH (APRIL 2021): Five Greek Glosses to Bava Metzia 93b: T-S F2(1).164 (Julia Krivoruchko).

Medieval Greek-speaking scholars are mostly known as those who obliged R. Sherira and R. Hay, the Pumbedita Gaons, with translations of unfamiliar Greek loanwords. Yet beyond and behind this semi-anecdotal evidence there existed a culture of Talmud study, of which the glosses of T-S F2(1).164 are first-hand evidence.

Past posts noting Cairo Geniza Fragments of the Month in the Cambridge University Library's Taylor-Schechter Genizah Research Unit are here and links.

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

The Good Samaritan Parable

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: Understanding the Good Samaritan Parable. Who were the Samaritans? This brief essay summarizes a 2015 BAR article by Amy-Jill Levine. The article itself is behind the subscription wall.

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

Joffe on the Mellaart forgery accusations

THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST TODAY: My Meeting with Mellaart or, Dutch Cigars and the Case of the Missing Wall Paintings. Alex Joffe has a characteristically original take on the late James Mellaart and the accusations of academic fraud associated with him. Excerpt:

But as far as the long Beyköy inscription goes, Zangger and Woudhizen cautiously believed it to be real, but were crestfallen to find no evidence for the inscription’s existence outside of the wildly shifting accounts in Mellaart’s own files. It was, in the words of a former Mellaart student, a specialist in Luwian, “a gigantic fantasy.” At the same time, however, the text itself (known only from Mellaart’s drawings) appears to be so correct linguistically and historically that it might actually be real.

Here the questions are compounded geometrically. How could someone master an especially difficult and obscure extinct language to fake an especially long inscription using correct as well as idiosyncratic grammar, data such as place names, and even phrases that were not yet known to scholars? Did Mellaart take something ‘real’ and then inexplicably fake a backstory? How do we separate the inscription from the man? And if two of the world’s leading specialists think that it might be ‘real’ how are the rest of us to judge? There is no object to verify for market and only the tiniest cadre of specialists who can even evaluate the data. What is real anyway?

"What is real anyway?" may turn out to be the key question of the twenty-first century.

PaleoJudaica posts on the controversy over Mellaart's work are here and here. For more on the Oxford missing-papyri scandal, the Gospel of Jesus' Wife, and the (probably mostly fake) post-2002 Dead Sea Scroll-like fragments (all three alluded to in passing in the essay), follow the links.

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

Online Enoch Seminar on Apocalypticism (23-27 May, 2021)

ZOOM CONFERENCE:

11th Enoch Seminar Meeting – Apocalypticism: History, Method, and Reception

Online – 23-27 May, 2021

Chairs: Loren Stuckenbruck, Kelley Coblentz Bautch, Gabriele Boccaccini

Secretary: Joshua Scott

To mark the 200th anniversary of the first “full” English translation of the “book of Enoch” by Richard Laurence (1821), the 20th anniversary of the Enoch Seminar, the LMU Munich Congress on Apocalypticism in Antiquity has assembled 120 scholars and colleagues from around the world to address a much debated question that remains relevant for today. Since the famous 1979 Uppsala Congress on Apocalypticism in the Mediterranean World and the Near East (ed. David Hellholm; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1983) and the publication of the Semeia volume 14 entitled Apocalypse: The Morphology of a Genre (ed. John J. Collins; Missoula: Society of Biblical Literature, 1979), the scholarly world has undergone significant shifts in methods of approach, access to sources, and widening participation. These changes now offer the opportunity to assess whether terms such as “apocalyptic,” “apocalypticism,” and “apocalypse” can be meaningfully applied to multiple ideologies and writings preserved through sources from the ancient world. The lectures, presentations, and responses each fall into one or more of the following seven areas (with the number of talks, including responses, within each in parentheses):

(1) Apocalypses, Method, and Reception (21)
(2) Apocalypses in the Ancient Mediterranean Context (9)
(3) Hebrew Bible and Near Eastern Context (9)
(4) Second Temple Judaism and Christian Origins (25)
(5) Christianity in Late Antiquity (17)
(6) Judaism in Late Antiquity (9)
(7) Islam in Late Antiquity (9)

In addition, in several panel sessions, both junior and senior scholars shall reflect on the legacies left by past scholarship, discuss recent developments, and suggest paths that may be taken by future research.

Registration

The Enoch Seminar is proud to host this unprecedented event and welcomes the interested public to seven keynote lectures, while inviting registering academics to join the conversations opened up in the conference sessions.

Follow the link above for the (very) full conference program. The registration link is here. The event is free, but the organizers encourage a $20 donation.

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

Numhauser, Hispanojewish Archaeology (2 vols.) (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Hispanojewish Archaeology (2 vols.)

The Jews of Hispania in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages through Their Material Remains

Series: The Brill Reference Library of Judaism, Volume: 66

Author: Alexander Bar-Magen Numhauser

In Hispanojewish Archaeology, Alexander Bar-Magen Numhauser provides the first book-length archaeological exploration of the Jewish presence in late antique and early medieval Hispania. Using epigraphic, numismatic, architectural, and other archaeological remains, this volume describes the multiple cultural expressions of a vibrant Jewish community that emerged as part of the Mediterranean Diaspora, becoming part of the wider Hispanian society. Part of this review includes a detailed examination of the Ilici (Elche, Spain) basilical building, interpreted by previous scholars as both a church and a synagogue, using published and hitherto unpublished material of its decades-long excavation. From the archaeological remains of this Hispanojewish presence a new picture emerges, challenging the traditional premises of the archaeological research on the late antique western Mediterranean.

Prices from (excl. VAT): €367.00 / $441.00

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Not Yet Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-41992-6
Publication Date: 22 Apr 2021

Copyright Date: 01 Jan 2021
Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-41991-9
Publication Date: 22 Apr 2021
Copyright Date: 01 Jan 2021

For more on the Elche building, see here.

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Backfish, Hebrew Wordplay and Septuagint Translation Technique in the Fourth Book of the Psalter (T&T Clark)

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

Hebrew Wordplay and Septuagint Translation Technique in the Fourth Book of the Psalter

By: Elizabeth H. P. Backfish

Published: 03-25-2021
Format: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 200
ISBN: 9780567700353
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: Texts and Versions of the Hebrew Bible, The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price: $39.95
Online price: $35.96
Save $4.00 (10%)

Paperback
$35.96 Hardback
$108.00
EPUB/MOBI eBook (Watermarked)
$28.76 PDF eBook (Watermarked)
$28.76

About Hebrew Wordplay and Septuagint Translation Technique in the Fourth Book of the Psalter

This volume examines numerous Hebrew wordplays not identified and discussed in previous research, and the technique of the Septuagint translators, by offering another criterion of evaluation – essentially, their concern about the style of translating Hebrew into Greek. Elizabeth Backfish's study analyzes seventy-four wordplays employed by the Hebrew poets of Psalms 90-106, and how the Septuagint renders Hebrew wordplay in Greek.

Backfish estimates that the Septuagint translators were able to render 31% of the Hebrew semantic and phonetic wordplays (twenty-four total), most of which required some sort of transformation, or change, to the text in order to function in Greek. After providing a thorough summary of research methods on wordplay, definitions and research methodology, Backfish summarizes all examples of wordplay within the Fourth Psalter, and concludes with examples of the wordplay's replication, similar rendition or textual variation in the Septuagint. Emphasising the creativity and ingenuity of the Septuagint translators' work in passages that commentators often too quickly identify as the results of scribal error or a variant Vorlage from the Masoretic text, Backfish shows how the aptitude and flexibility displayed in the translation technique also contributes to conversations in modern translation studies.

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

Theatre seats for the God-fearers?

THE HOLY LAND PHOTOS' BLOG: God Fearers in the Synagogue and Early Church — Evidence from Miletus (Carl Rasmussen). For this inscription to refer to God-fearers, we have to assume the stonemason made a mistake. But such things did happen. I imagine it would have been embarrassing.

For another God-fearers inscription, see here.

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

McDonald, The Formation of the Biblical Canon (2 vols., T&T Clark)

NEW BOOKS FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

The Formation of the Biblical Canon: Volume 1
The Old Testament: Its Authority and Canonicity

By: Lee Martin McDonald

Published: 04-22-2021
Format:Hardback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 584
ISBN: 9780567668769
Imprint: T&T Clark
Dimensions: 6 5/8" x 9 5/8"
List price: $175.00
Online price: $157.50
Save $17.50 (10%)

About The Formation of the Biblical Canon: Volume 1

Lee Martin McDonald provides a magisterial overview of the development of the biblical canon --- the emergence of the list of individual texts that constitutes the Christian bible. In these two volumes -- in sum more than double the length of his previous works -- McDonald presents his most in-depth overview to date. McDonald shows students and researchers how the list of texts that constitute 'the bible' was once far more fluid than it is today and guides readers through the minefield of different texts, different versions, and the different lists of texts considered 'canonical' that abounded in antiquity. Questions of the origin and transmission of texts are introduced as well as consideration of innovations in the presentation of texts, collections of documents, archaeological finds and Church councils.

In this first volume McDonald reexamines issues of canon formation once considered settled, and sets the range of texts that make up the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) in their broader context. Each indidvidual text is discussed, as are the cultural, political and historical situations surrounding them.

The second volume considers the New Testament, and the range of so-called 'apocryphal' gospels that were written in early centuries, and used by many Christian groups before the canon was closed.

Also included are comprehensive appendices which show various canon lists for both Old and New Testaments and for the bible as a whole.

Volume 2 is also out:

The Formation of the Biblical Canon: Volume 2
The New Testament: Its Authority and Canonicity

By: Lee Martin McDonald

Published: 04-22-2021
Format: Hardback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 384
ISBN: 9780567668844
Imprint: T&T Clark
Dimensions: 6 5/8" x 9 5/8"
List price: $175.00
Online price: $157.50
Save $17.50 (10%)

About The Formation of the Biblical Canon: Volume 2

Lee Martin McDonald provides a magisterial overview of the development of the biblical canon --- the emergence of the list of individual texts that constitutes the Christian bible. In these two volumes -- in sum more than double the length of his previous works -- McDonald presents his most in-depth overview to date. McDonald shows students and researchers how the list of texts that constitute 'the bible' was once far more fluid than it is today and guides readers through the minefield of different texts, different versions, and the different lists of texts considered 'canonical' that abounded in antiquity. Questions of the origin and transmission of texts are introduced as well as consideration of innovations in the presentation of texts, collections of documents, archaeological finds and Church councils.

In the first volume McDonald reexamines issues of canon formation once considered settled, and sets the range of texts that make up the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) in their broader context. Each indidvidual text is discussed, as are the cultural, political and historical situations surrounding them.

This second volume considers the New Testament, and the range of so-called 'apocryphal' gospels that were written in early centuries, and used by many Christian groups before the canon was closed.

Also included are comprehensive appendices which show various canon lists for both Old and New Testaments and for the bible as a whole.

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

Cargill on the Tel Dan inscription

XKV8TR ON YOUTUBE: The Tel Dan Inscription - Extended Version with Jehu's Rebellion (Robert Cargill).

In this video Prof. Cargill examines the Tel Dan, or "House of David" Inscription and reveals what it says, what it doesn't say, gives its proper historical context, and explains why it's important to biblical archaeology. This extended version offers a discussion of Jehu's Revolt, and how his usurpation of the throne of Israel may have been part of a conspiracy with King Hazael of Aram-Damascus.

For more on the Tel Dan Inscription, see here and links.

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

Amos - a prophet or a literary construct?

PROF. JASON RADINE: The Book of Amos: A Retrospect on the Fall of Israel (TheTorah.com).

Written as a commentary on the social injustice in the kingdom of Israel at a high point of its wealth and power, the book of Amos explains to exiled Israelites why they were punished and warns Judahites not to fall into the same trap.

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

Lag B'Omer tragedy

SAD NEWS: Let me express my great sadness and sympathy for all the victims – and their families and loved ones – of the terrible tragedy yesterday during the Lag B'Omer celebrations at Mt. Meron. I mourn for those who lost their lives and I wish the injured a speedy and full recovery.

World leaders, Jewish orgs send Israel condolences amid Mt. Meron tragedy. Jewish leaders and community organizations addressed the tragedy on social media (Jerusalem Post).

Background on Lag B'Omer is here (cf. here) and links .

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

How Scholem came to Kabbalah

FOR LAG B'OMER: Commentary Magazine has reprinted a long and fascinating 1980 article by Gershom Scholem: How I Came to the Kabbalah. When he was about eighteen years old he couldn't find anyone who could teach him the Zohar. So he bought an edition of the Aramaic text and started reading it on his own. He became the twentieth century's most influential scholar of Jewish mysticism.

For PaleoJudaica posts on Scholem, see here and links.

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

Zoom Workshop on the DSS (3 May 2021)

FROM THE ORION CENTER E-MAIL LIST:

REMINDER--Annual Haifa Workshop on the Dead Sea Scrolls, May 3, 2021

REMINDER

Dear Colleague,

Please see the attached Hebrew and English announcements for the annual Haifa Workshop on the Dead Sea Scrolls, to be held (on Zoom) on Monday, May 3, 2021.

The Workshop presentations will be in Hebrew. Participation is free but preregistration is required; preregistration will be open through Sunday, May 2, 2021 at 16:00. Use the link in the poster to register.

Please note that all times given in the program are Israel Daylight Time.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

The Orion Center

The Zoom link for registration is here. I imagine this one is mostly of interest to specialist who speak Hebrew.

Note to conference organizers: I would be grateful if you would put your conference fliers and programs on a web page. That makes it much easier to link to them. Thanks!

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

Jongkind concludes Cambridge Greek Lexicon review

AT THE ETC BLOG, Dirk Jongkind has two posts concluding his review of the Cambridge Greek Lexicon:

The Cambridge Greek Lexicon 3 – Scope and Use

Here it gets interesting. The coverage of the Lexicon extends from Homer to the early second century’ and ‘most of the major authors who fall within that period are included.’ This is a lexicon aimed at students, covering most of the major literature of said period. What does that mean from a New Testament perspective? The Gospels and Acts are covered, but not the remainder of the New Testament.

Ouch.

Also, there is no Greek Old Testament, no Philo, no Josephus.

It is a Lexicon of a certain body of Greek literature (and indeed an important body which New Testament scholars do well to read), but it is not a Lexicon of the Greek language as a whole. There are no papyri, there is no epigraphic material.

To be fair, these limitations were well known and publicized before the lexicon came out.

Cambridge Greek Lexicon 4 – Do We Need It?

In the end, the Cambridge Greek Lexicon is a good lexicon for what it is. Do not judge it because it is not what you want it to be. And since we all ought to read lots of Greek, it is a great help. And, going full book lover again, I like the feel of the lexicon, the clarity of the lay-out. It is calling out to me to be used, it does not want to stay on the shelf. It is stirring up ζῆλος, perhaps more than φθόνος.

But should you tell your New Testament Greek students to get this? No, not really. The opportunity cost is considerable (money, shelf-space), and the immediate pay back relatively low.

Background here and links and here.

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

Lag B'Omer 2021

LAG B'OMER, the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, begins tonight at sundown. Best wishes to all observing it.

My 2020 Lag B'Omer post is here with links. For the biblical and rabbinic background of the holiday, see here.

Last year's celebrations were strictly limited in Israel due to the pandemic. There are still substantial restrictions this year. You can read about them in this article by David Israel: Israel Bans Lag B’Omer Bonfires Outside Strictly Designated Areas (Jewish Press).

Wherever you are, if you are celebrating, please celebrate safely! Rabbi Robin Frisch has some suggestions, many of which work anywhere: The holiday Lag b’Omer is all the rage in Israel — here’s how to celebrate it (JTA).

UPDATE (30 April): More here. And, alas, this was not to be a safe Lag B'Omer for many.

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

Zoom lectures: Rabbinics & DSS; Huqoq Synagogue

ONLINE PUBLIC ZOOM LECTURES are now a thing. I think that's one positive consequence of the pandemic. I hope they continue in whatever becomes the new normal. I intend to keep better track of them. Here are two I know of at the moment. Both were posted by Jack Sasson on the Agade list:

zLECTURES: The Emergence of Rabbinic Culture From DSS perspective (May 5)

From Marcello Fidanzio
=====================================

The Istituto di Cultura e Archeologia delle Terre Bibliche - Faculty of Theology of Lugano and the Centro di Judaica Goren Monti Ferrari re pleased to announce the lecture

Professor Vered Noam (Tel Aviv University):
The Emergence of Rabbinic Culture From the Perspective of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Date:‌ ‌5 May ‌2021‌
Time:‌ ‌5:30 ‌p.m. (CET)
Location:‌ ‌ZOOM

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87546329592?pwd=MEJXQ3JjRDdCaWJSbUpnRytLSjBJQT09
[Webinar ID: 875 4632 9592 Passcode: 123456]

zLECTURES: "... The Ancient Synagogue at Huqoq" (May 6)

From Sheila Ford
=======================

The Anglo Israel Archaeological Society invite you to register for the following lecture on Thursday 6th May 2021 Thursday 6th May at 5.00pm (BST) - Prof Jodi Magness will be speaking about ‘More than just Mosaics: The Ancient Synagogue at Huqoq’ and the lecture will be followed by a Q&A session. This talk commences at 5.00pm (BST) with Zoom access available from 4.45pm (BST). Please write to secretary@aias.org.uk before 3rd May to register your interest and the Zoom link will be sent to you approximately 48 hours prior to the lecture. See the attached poster for more information.

Since 2011 Prof Jodi Magness has been directing excavations in the ancient village of Huqoq in Israel’s Galilee. This extraordinary site has brought to light the remains of a monumental Late Roman, 5th century CE synagogue paved with stunning and unique mosaics. They include both biblical scenes and the first non-biblical story discovered decorating an ancient synagogue. In this illustrated talk, Professor Magness describes these exciting finds, including the latest discoveries made in the last season. For more information, visit www.huqoq.org.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jodi Magness is the Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence in Early Judaism in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is the author of numerous books and articles on the archaeology of ancient Palestine, including on Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls, ancient Jerusalem, Masada and the Roman army in the East, ancient pottery, and ancient synagogues.

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

Jesus and Peter do Rome

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: Rethinking Conventional Genre Categories: How the Acts of Christ and Peter in Rome Breaks the Mold (Julia Snyder).

The Acts of Christ and Peter in Rome is thus equally a story about Peter and a story about Christ, and defies classification as either “apocryphal acts” or a “gospel.” Like many other texts included in collections of Christian apocrypha, it illustrates the serious limitations of those conventional genre categories, and should prompt us to rethink their usefulness and consider other alternatives.

This is the sixth installment of a series on volume 2 of New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures (MNTA 2), ed. Tony Burke. The text under discussion is to be translated in volume 3. Links to the previous five posts are here.

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

Ivory legs from the Temple Mount

THE TEMPLE MOUNT SIFTING PROJECT BLOG: FIND AND FINDER OF THE MONTH: IVORY LEGS. The object is part of a hair pin from the Roman-Byzantine period.

For many PaleoJudaica posts on the Sifitng Project, start here and follow the links.

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

Jongkind starts reviewing the Cambridge Greek Lexicon

THE ETC BLOG: The Cambridge Greek Lexicon 2 - First Impressions (Dirk Jongkind).

So my first impressions are that I am not sure about the methodology behind the Cambridge Greek Lexicon or the more subtle points of how a lemma is subdivided. At the very least I know that the lexicon includes the New Testament corpus.

Next thing to do is to read the introductory material, and, as a cliff-hanger, it will show that first impressions can be mistaken.

Background here.

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

Gold ring from Temple Mount excavations

WATCH JERUSALEM: Revealed: A 2,000-Year-Old Gold Ring Incised with Menorah. A Jerusalem discovery 50 years in the making (Brent Nagtegaal).

Dr. Eilat Mazar’s recently released book Over the Crossroads of Time: Jerusalem’s Temple Mount Monumental Staircases documents the discovery of this special, 2,000-year-old piece of jewelry.

It was actually first uncovered 50 years ago in Prof. Benjamin Mazar’s Temple Mount excavations, but only now is it being reported.

[...]

Seen on Facebook. It's a lovely ring. The design does look like an abstract menorah. Or conceivably a palm tree? Compare here.

Lately it seems as though there's excavating to be done in the unpublished collections from twentieth-century archaeological digs.

Cross-file under New Book.

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

Solomon the shipping magnate?

MARINE ARCHAEOLOGY: Was King Solomon the ancient world’s first shipping magnate? Marine archaeologist unearths evidence suggesting biblical king’s riches were based on voyages he funded with Phoenician allies (Dalya Alberge, The Guardian).

Now British marine archaeologist Dr Sean Kingsley has amassed evidence showing that Solomon was not only a flesh-and-blood monarch but also the world’s first shipping magnate, who funded voyages carried out by his Phoenician allies in “history’s first special relationship”.

Over 10 years, Kingsley has carried out a maritime audit of “the Solomon question”. By extending the search beyond the Holy Land, across the Mediterranean to Spain and Sardinia, he found that archaeological evidence supports biblical descriptions of a partnership between Solomon, who “excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom”, and the Phoenician king Hiram, who “supplied Solomon with cedar timber and gold, as much as he desired”.

Regular readers may remember Dr. Kingsley's 2006 book God's Gold: The Quest for the Lost Temple Treasure of Jerusalem, on which I have blogged (see here and here and links). In it he argued that the treasures looted from the Jerusalem Temple, after various perigrinations throughout the Mediterranean, ended up buried at a monastery in the West Bank. As usual with such things, I remain skeptical until someone goes and digs up the treasure.

Dr. Kingsley has been working on a new project. It raises, and evidently aims to address, questions about the historicity of the Solomon narrative in 1 Kings. I look forward to hearing more.

For more posts on marine (maritime, underwater) archaeology, see here and links (cf. here and here).

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

Second online DSS conference at NYU

VIRTUAL AGAIN: THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS: A SECOND PUBLIC CONFERENCE. A VIRTUAL PUBLIC CONFERENCE: JUNE 6-9, 2021.

This conference is being generously sponsored by:

NYU Skirball Department of Hebrew & Judaic Studies | Israel Antiquities Authority | Friends of the Israel Antiquities Authority

The full program is promised soon.

The first NYU online Dead Sea Scrolls conference took place in May of 2020. I noted it here and here. Full recordings of the event are available at the first link above. Right now the pandemic still drives the trend toward online conferences. But I think the trend will continue.

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

The Cambridge Greek Lexicon (CUP)

NEW BOOK FROM CAMPBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS:

The Cambridge Greek Lexicon
2 Volume Hardback Set

TEXTBOOK

DATE PUBLISHED: April 2021
AVAILABILITY: In stock
FORMAT: Multiple copy pack
ISBN: 9780521826808

£ 64.99 Multiple copy pack

Description

The Cambridge Greek Lexicon is based upon principles differing from those of existing Greek lexica. Entries are organised according to meaning, with a view to showing the developing senses of words and the relationships between those senses. Other contextual and explanatory information, all expressed in contemporary English, is included, such as the typical circumstances in which a word may be used, thus giving fresh insights into aspects of Greek language and culture. The editors have systematically re-examined the source material (including that which has been discovered since the end of the nineteenth century) and have made use of the most recent textual and philological scholarship. The Lexicon, which has been twenty years in the making, is written by an editorial team based in the Faculty of Classics in Cambridge, consisting of Professor James Diggle (Editor-in-Chief), Dr Bruce Fraser, Dr Patrick James, Dr Oliver Simkin, Dr Anne Thompson, and Mr Simon Westripp.

• Landmark new Ancient Greek-English dictionary that will be essential for all students and teachers
• Based on comprehensive fresh reading of the Greek texts
• Takes account of newly discovered texts English definitions and translations in contemporary language, with contextual descriptions that will aid users at all levels
• Analysis of word forms and related words, copious cross-references, inclusion of disputed meanings

Dirk Jongkind has a copy. He is gloating.

I noted William Ross's interview with Editor-in-Chief Professor James Diggle here.

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

Carbon-dating the Dead Sea Scrolls

TECHNOLOGY WATCH: How old are the Dead Sea Scrolls? Carbon-dating project to offer answers. The project and some preliminary results were presented at a conference at the university last week: while in many instances, some scrolls might be more ancient than previously thought (Rossella Tercatin). Project leader Prof. Mladen Popović:

“Our paleographers will say that they can date Dead Sea Scrolls with a precision of 25 to 50 years’ date range, and [the research] is yet to substantiate their model,” he said. “Pending new data in the future, we dare say that we have a model that works consistently and is able to date manuscripts with an empirically based precision that was not possible before. This is a huge advance for the field.”

That is phrased carefully, but does it impy that carbon dating can (or soon may be able to) yield dates more precise than ±25-50 years from two thousand years ago? If so, that sounds like an important advance.

Back in the early 90s, after the first round of C-14 dating of the Scrolls, I mentioned to Frank Cross that the results seemed to confirm the paleographic dates. He answered that he thought that the paleography confirmed the carbon dating.

For PaleoJudaica posts on radiocarbon dating, start here and follow the links.

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

Damage to West Bank sites reported

WEST BANK WOES: 80% of archaeological sites in W. Bank damaged – report. "Four out of five sites have been harmed in one way or another," said an expert, adding that the main issues are vandalism, theft, unsupervised construction and agriculture (Tovah Lazaroff, Jerusalem Post).

“Four out of five sites have been harmed in one way or another,” archeologist Shay Bar of Haifa University said at a Jordan Valley Regional Council virtual conference in which he presented a synopsis of the report by IHPC, also known as Preserving the Eternal.

As usual, I am not on site and have no way of verifying the report. I pass it on to you for information.

Related PaleoJudaica posts are here, here, here, and links.

UPDATE: I see from Joseph Lauer's e-mail list that you can view the presentation of the evidence (in Hebrew) here. The conference program is posted here.

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

Did Peter give investment advice?

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: The Exhortation of Peter: Interpreting Peter with Late Ancient Monastic Communities (James Walters).

This is the fifth installment of a series on volume 2 of New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures (MNTA 2), ed. Tony Burke. I noted the first essay here, the second here, the third here, and the fourth here.

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

Rescheduled Wuppertal LXX conference now going online

WILLIAM ROSS: ONLINE: 8TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR SEPTUAGINT STUDIES. The conference was originally scheduled for August 2020. It was rescheduled to 2021 due to the pandemic. This time it is running, but online instead of at Wuppertal. Not the first or, I dare say, the last conference to go this route.

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

Sources for the Bar Kokhba Revolt

HISTORY: Who were the historians who documented the Jewish revolts? Writing almost a century after the Bar Kochba revolt, Cassius Dio’s account of the revolt indicates that the Jewish forces arrayed against Rome were formidable (Eli Kavon, Jerusalem Post).

Despite the title, the article is more concerned with the second Jewish Revolt (the Bar Kokhba Revolt) against Rome than the first (the Great Revolt). It has a good summary of the evidence found in the archaeologically recovered Bar Kokhba letters.

For many PaleoJudaica posts on the Bar Kokhba Revolt of 132-135 CE, see the posts collected here, plus here, here, and here.

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

Pederson, Babylon. The Great City (open access)

THE AWOL BLOG: Babylon. The Great City. Open-access book by Olaf Pederson. This looks great. Last summer I spent probably too much time poring over the English translation of the century-old German report on the excavation of Babylon. That was preparation for my honours course on the Book of Daniel. I wish I'd had access to this book then.

I noted another recent book dealing with the archaeology of the city of Babylon here.

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4th century mosaic excavated at Yavne

DECORATIVE ART: 4th Century Mosaic Uncovered in Yavne Excavations (David Israel, The Jewish Press).

A mosaic floor from about 1,600 years ago that was discovered in archaeological excavations in the city of Yavne, 15 miles south of Tel Aviv, will be put on public display at the city’s cultural center, in a joint initiative launched by Yavne municipality, the Israel Antiquities Authority, and the Israel Land Authority.

[...]

PaleoJudaica has posted on many, many ancient mosaics found in Israel. Some key posts are collected here (cf. here).

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Apostles and Apocrypha from Scorsese and Schrader?

CINEMA? Martin Scorsese, Paul Schrader working on series about origins of Christianity (panorama.am).

“Yeah. Well, Scorsese and I are planning something,” the First Reformed director said. “And it is… it would be a three-year series about the origins of Christianity,” he said.

Schrader teased that the series is based on the Apostles and on the Apocrypha.

The concept has potential. And risks. Cross-file unde New Testament Apocrypha Watch?

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Leneman, The Voice of Judith in 300 Years of Oratorio and Opera (T&T Clark)

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

The Voice of Judith in 300 Years of Oratorio and Opera

By: Helen Leneman

Published: 04-22-2021
Format: Hardback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 280
ISBN: 9780567687302
Imprint: T&T Clark
Illustrations: 6 bw illus
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price: $120.00
Online price: $108.00
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About The Voice of Judith in 300 Years of Oratorio and Opera

This volume focuses on the story of Judith as presented by composers, librettists and playwrights over four centuries. Helen Leneman analyzes numerous examples of music, librettos and the librettists' views of Judith – strongly influenced by societal attitudes of their time – and how these works in turn suggest unexpected ways of understanding biblical women and their stories. Music adds nuances, colors and emotions, becoming a subtext that suggests character and emotions.

Leneman presents in-depth analyses of the librettos and music of 16 operas and oratorios based on the book of Judith that span 300 years (1694-1984), in addition to two influential plays that inspired several librettos in the nineteenth century. Exploring works by such varied composers as Vivaldi, Mozart, Parry, Honegger, Serov, Chadwick and von Reznicek, Leneman reveals the ways in which each adaptation expands, distils or reinterprets Judith's character and story. In this first ever extensive study of musical settings of the Book of Judith, Leneman enables the biblical heroine to transcend her source.

PaleoJudaica posts on Judith in the arts, including opera, are collected here. For the historical and literary background of the Book of Judith, start here (cf. here) and follow the links. Cross-file under Old Testament Apocrypha Watch.

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The Oxford Handbook of the Minor Prophets

NEW BOOK FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS:

The Oxford Handbook of the Minor Prophets

Edited by Julia M. O'Brien

Oxford Handbooks

• Focuses solely on the Minor Prophets of the Hebrew Bible
• Offers voices from a wide range of scholars including established and emerging scholars and those speaking from within and beyond faith communities
• Different methodological approaches allows students and researchers to appreciate the riches of contemporary interpretation of the Minor Prophets

Description

The Oxford Handbook of the Minor Prophets provides a clear and engaging one-volume guide to the major interpretative questions currently engaging scholars of the twelve Minor Prophets by collecting 40 essays by both established and emerging scholars who explore a wide range of methodological perspectives. Divided into four sections, the first group of essays is devoted to historical studies which consider the manuscript evidence for these books and overview debates about how, when, and by whom they were composed. Essays dealing with literary explorations consider the genres and rhetorical style of the material, key themes, and intertextual connections with other sections of the Jewish and Christian canons. A large section on the history of interpretation traces the ways in which past and present confessional communities, scholars, and artists have understood the Minor Prophets. In the final section, essays on individual books of the twelve Minor Prophets explore the structure, themes, and contested issues of each book.

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Ramos, Ritual in Deuteronomy (Routledge)

NEW BOOK FROM ROUTLEDGE:

Ritual in Deuteronomy
The Performance of Doom

By Melissa D. Ramos

Copyright Year 2021

Hardback
£96.00

eBook
£29.59

ISBN 9781138570986
Published April 20, 2021 by Routledge
184 Pages

Book Description

Ritual in Deuteronomy explores the symbolic world of Deuteronomy’s ritual covenant and curses through a lens of religious studies and anthropology, drawing on previously unexamined Mesopotamian material.

This book focuses on the ritual material in Deuteronomy including commands regarding sacrifice, prayer objects, and especially the dramatic ritual enactment of the covenant including curses. The book’s most unique feature is an entirely new comparative study of Deut 27–30 with two ritual texts from Mesopotamia. No studies to date have undertaken a comparison of Deut 27–30 with ancient Near Eastern ritual texts outside of the treaty oath tradition. This fresh comparison illuminates how the ritual life of ancient Israel shaped the literary form of Deuteronomy and concludes that the performance of oaths was a social strategy, addressing contemporary anxieties and reinforcing systems of cultural power.

This book offers a fascinating comparative study which will be of interest to undergraduate and graduate students in biblical studies, classical Hebrew, theology, and ancient Near Eastern studies. The book’s more technical aspects will also appeal to scholars of the Pentateuch, Deuteronomy, Biblical Law, Ancient Near Eastern History, Mesopotamian Studies, and Classics.

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On YouTube: Groningen's Hebrew/Aramaic paleography symposium

THE AWOL BLOG: Digital Palaeography and Hebrew/Aramaic Scribal Culture - 2021 International Online Groningen Symposium. I noted this conference as upcoming here. YouTube now has 36 videos of the proceedings.

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Pruszinski, An Ecology of Scriptures (T&T Clark)

NEW BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY/T&T CLARK:

An Ecology of Scriptures
Experiences of Dwelling Behind Early Jewish and Christian Texts

By: Jolyon G. R. Pruszinski

Published: 04-22-2021
Format: Hardback
Edition: 1st
Extent: 224
ISBN: 9780567694942
Imprint: T&T Clark
Series: Jewish and Christian Texts
Volume: 33
Illustrations: 14 bw illus
Dimensions: 6 1/8" x 9 1/4"
List price: $115.00
Online price: $103.50
Save $11.50 (10%)

Hardback $103.50
EPUB/MOBI eBook (Watermarked) $82.80
PDF eBook (Watermarked) $82.80

About An Ecology of Scriptures

In this volume, Jolyon G. R. Pruszinski examines the experiences of domestic and quotidian space that contributed to the extant form of many foundational early Jewish and Christian scriptures. His analytical approaches are derived from diverse sources including modern psychological science, Gaston Bachelard's critical theories of domestic space, and Henri Lefebvre's observations regarding “spatial practice.”

The result of this attention to textual “ecology” or “home-logic” is an innovative exploration of classic texts yielding exciting new interpretive possibilities for the Gospel of John, the undisputed Pauline letters, the Parables of Enoch, the Book of Revelation, the History of the Rechabites, and Augustine's De Trinitate. Experiences of loss, homelessness, imprisonment, and marginal dwelling lie behind these texts and contributed to their authors' re-imagination and re-establishment of home. Pruszinski proves inescapably that while the most familiar of experiences are often overlooked, they are also among the most important of formative influences on the early Jewish and Christian literary imagination.

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Raggetti (ed.) Traces of Ink (Brill, Open Access)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Traces of Ink

Experiences of Philology and Replication

Series: Nuncius Series, Volume: 7

Volume Editor: Lucia Raggetti

Traces of Ink. Experiences of Philology and Replication is a collection of original papers exploring the textual and material aspects of inks and ink-making in a number of premodern cultures (Babylonia, the Graeco-Roman world, the Syriac milieu and the Arabo-Islamic tradition). The volume proposes a fresh and interdisciplinary approach to the study of technical traditions, in which new results can be achieved thanks to the close collaboration between philologists and scientists. Replication represents a crucial meeting point between these two parties: a properly edited text informs the experts in the laboratory who, in turn, may shed light on many aspects of the text by recreating the material reality behind it.

Contributors are: Miriam Blanco Cesteros, Michele Cammarosano, Claudia Colini, Vincenzo Damiani, Sara Fani, Matteo Martelli, Ira Rabin, Lucia Raggetti, and Katja Weirauch.

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

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-44480-5
Publication Date: 22 Feb 2021

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-42111-0
Publication Date: 25 Feb 2021

Again, the E-Book (PDF) is Open Access. HT the AWOL Blog. For some PaleoJudaica posts on the study of ancient ink, see here and links, here, and (on inkwells) here and links.

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On the Urfa Citadel

NEW BOOK FROM ARCHAEOPRESS:

From Edessa to Urfa: The Fortification of the Citadel

Author: Cristina Tonghini. Paperback; 205x290mm; 270 pages; 190 figures, 6 tables, 39 plates (colour throughout). 725 2021. Available both in printed and e-versions. Printed ISBN 9781789697568. Epublication ISBN 9781789697575.

From Edessa to Urfa: the Fortification of the Citadel is the outcome of an archaeological research project focused on a specific monumental area in the city of Urfa: its citadel. Urfa is better known to the general reader by its ancient name, Edessa. Three seasons of fieldwork were carried out (2014-2016), concentrating on the study of the evidence preserved above ground and employing the methods of stratigraphic analysis to identify the building sequence of the citadel and to characterise the various building phases. Transformation of the relative sequence into absolute chronology depended primarily on inscriptions in situ, but also on typological elements (masonry type, decorative elements, specific architectural forms). Data from the written sources also contributed relevant information regarding the development of the fortification works and the establishment of an absolute sequence.

In late antiquity the Aramaiac dialect (Syriac) spoken in Edessa (modern Urfa) spread across the Middle East and became the language of the Eastern Church for many centuries. Some PaleoJudaica posts on other discoveries at Edessa are here, here, here, here, and here.

Ephrem the Syrian (cf. here, here, and here) spent the last ten years of his life in Edessa. His vast corpus of Syriac hymns, poems, and biblical commentaries contributed to the importance of the language in the Eastern Church. Cross-file under Syriac Watch.

The citadel excavated by this team existed from as early as the third century CE.

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

Alphabetic inscriptions from the third millennium BCE?

ROLLSTON EPIGRAPHY: Tell Umm el-Marra (Syria) and Early Alphabetic in the Third Millennium: Four Inscribed Clay Cylinders as a Potential Game Changer. This essay by Christopher Rollston is technical. But its point is that these inscribed cylinders may indicate that the Canaanite alphabet was invented 500 years earlier than anyone thought.

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

British Museum uncancels Nero

EXHIBITION: British Museum to restore Nero’s reputation after it was destroyed by Rome’s cancel culture (Robert Dex, Yahoo!Sport).

The ultimate victim of Ancient Rome’s “cancel culture” will be rehabilitated in a blockbuster show at the British Museum next month.

Nero: The Man Behind the Myth will examine how Rome’s fifth emperor had his reputation destroyed after his death with all mention of him deleted from official records and statues bearing his likeness torn down.

[...]

The British Museum Blog has a nicely illustrated post on Nero as introduction to the exhibition: Who was Nero?

Nero is one of Rome’s most infamous rulers, notorious for his cruelty, debauchery and eccentricity. But was he really the tyrant that history has painted him to be? Nero exhibition curator Francesca Bologna goes in search of the real Nero.

For PaleoJudaica posts on Nero as the Beast in the Book of Revelation, with ancient Jewish background and Antichrist-related history of interpretation, start here and follow the links. Other posts on Nero are here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

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

Review of Friedeman (ed.) A Scripture Index to Rabbinic Literature

READING ACTS: Book Review: Caleb T. Friedeman, ed. A Scripture Index to Rabbinic Literature (Phil Long). I noted the publication of the book here.

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

Seleznev et al. (eds.), The Gospel of Matthew in its Historical and Theological Context (Mohr Siebeck)

NEW BOOK FROM MOHR SIEBECK: The Gospel of Matthew in its Historical and Theological Context. Papers from the International Conference in Moscow, September 24 to 28, 2018. Edited by Mikhail Seleznev, William R. G. Loader, and Karl-Wilhelm Niebuhr. 2021. IX, 470 pages. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 459. 154,00 € including VAT. cloth ISBN 978-3-16-160104-0.

Published in English.
This volume includes eighteen essays on the Gospel of Matthew from historical and theological perspectives. They center around three topics: Matthew in Reception and Research; Matthew in Context; and Themes and Motifs in Matthew. The volume includes studies of both the Gospel in its context and its reception history in ancient Christianity and in churches today. All contributors are leading authorities in biblical studies on different continents, in a variety of countries, and of different confessions. The book therefore showcases the present state of inter-confessional and international biblical studies on Matthew.

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Another Avalos obituary

DES MOINES REGISTER: ISU professor Hector Avalos, renowned in Latino/a/x, atheist/agnostic communities, dies at 62 (PHILLIP SITTER).

Background here and links.

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Algorithm says 2 scribes wrote the Great Isaiah Scroll

TECHNOLOGY WATCH: Cracking the code of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Artificial Intelligence tools enable researchers to ‘shake hands’ with ancient scribes (University of Groningen Press Release).

The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered some seventy years ago, are famous for containing the oldest manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and many hitherto unknown ancient Jewish texts. But the individual people behind the scrolls have eluded scientists, because the scribes are anonymous. Now, by combining the sciences and the humanities, University of Groningen researchers have cracked the code, which enables them to discover the scribes behind the scrolls. They presented their results in the journal PLOS ONE on 21 April.

[...]

Congratulations to the Groningen team for this important project. The press release gives a clear, relatively nontechnical summary of the underlying Plos One article. The article:

Artificial intelligence based writer identification generates new evidence for the unknown scribes of the Dead Sea Scrolls exemplified by the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa)

Mladen Popović , Maruf A. Dhali , Lambert Schomaker
Published: April 21, 2021https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249769

Abstract

The Dead Sea Scrolls are tangible evidence of the Bible’s ancient scribal culture. This study takes an innovative approach to palaeography—the study of ancient handwriting—as a new entry point to access this scribal culture. One of the problems of palaeography is to determine writer identity or difference when the writing style is near uniform. This is exemplified by the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa). To this end, we use pattern recognition and artificial intelligence techniques to innovate the palaeography of the scrolls and to pioneer the microlevel of individual scribes to open access to the Bible’s ancient scribal culture. We report new evidence for a breaking point in the series of columns in this scroll. Without prior assumption of writer identity, based on point clouds of the reduced-dimensionality feature-space, we found that columns from the first and second halves of the manuscript ended up in two distinct zones of such scatter plots, notably for a range of digital palaeography tools, each addressing very different featural aspects of the script samples. In a secondary, independent, analysis, now assuming writer difference and using yet another independent feature method and several different types of statistical testing, a switching point was found in the column series. A clear phase transition is apparent in columns 27–29. We also demonstrated a difference in distance variances such that the variance is higher in the second part of the manuscript. Given the statistically significant differences between the two halves, a tertiary, post-hoc analysis was performed using visual inspection of character heatmaps and of the most discriminative Fraglet sets in the script. Demonstrating that two main scribes, each showing different writing patterns, were responsible for the Great Isaiah Scroll, this study sheds new light on the Bible’s ancient scribal culture by providing new, tangible evidence that ancient biblical texts were not copied by a single scribe only but that multiple scribes, while carefully mirroring another scribe’s writing style, could closely collaborate on one particular manuscript.

The story has received a lot of media attention.

It looks to me as though the algorithms have crossed a threshold. They now can perceive finer distinctions than the human brain can. They have to dumb down their results for us to understand. Hopefully we can trust them.

For past posts on algorithms applied to cuneiform studies, archaeology, paleography, and epigraphy, see here and follow the links. Cross-file unde Algorithm Watch and The Singularity is Near.

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Afghanistan wants its "oldest" Hebrew siddur back

THE MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE IN THE NEWS: Afghanistan wants to repatriate stolen medieval Hebrew prayer book. The prayer book is currently in Washington DC’s Museum of the Bible (Gil Zohar, Jerusalem Post).

“It is our responsibility to get back our ancient treasures,” said Abdul Manan Shiwaysharq – the country’s Deputy Minister for Information and Publications in the Information and Culture Ministry – in the first-ever on-the-record interview between an Afghani official and an Israeli journalist.

Shiwaysharq argues photos of the ancient siddur in Kabul’s National Museum dating from 1998 contradict the ownership documents provided by the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. The MotB says it bought the siddur in 2013 from antiquities dealers in the UK who provided provenance documents showing the manuscript had been in Britain since the 1950s. The MotB paid $2.5 million for the prayer book. Though Shiwaysharq appraises the unique volume at $30m. for insurance purposes, it truly is priceless.

I have no opinion on the merits of the claim that the siddur was stolen. The principals and perhaps the courts will have to sort that out. I have a few thoughts on other matters.

First, the story behind this manuscript and its dating is complicated. On the one hand, early reports (see here and here) said that carbon dating, paleography, and the vocalization system all indicated that the manuscript was from the first part of the ninth century. On the other, there was soon dissent from specialists, who thought the manuscript looked much more recent. That was my reaction too when I saw the photo in the Jerusalem Post article above. One possibility mentioned was that a collection of older fragments was bound into the book "in modern times." Unfortunately, the links in the latter post have rotted.

Second, even if some or all the manuscript is from the ninth century, it is not "the world’s oldest Hebrew manuscript after the Dead Sea Scrolls" (or Judean Desert Scrolls). The carbonized Leviticus scroll from Ein Gedi was carbon dated to c. 300 CE. The London and Ashkar-Gilson fragments of Exodus are from c. 700 CE. Cambridge University Library, T-S NS 3.21, containing a fragment of Genesis, dates to c. 800 CE. For more on all three, see here and links. This is not necessarily a complete list, but it makes the point.

Third, I repeat my opinion that ancient artifacts are the heritage of humanity. They should be kept where they are safest. Sometimes that is not in their country of origin. I have commented on the issue here and mentioned it elsewhere. The people involved in the current controversy acknowledge the problem and have a constructive suggestion on how to address it.

Also, as I have noted before, the MOTB Gilgamesh fragment is in Akkadian, not Sumerian.

For more on the Museum of the Bible and the Green Collection, and the various problems that have arisen from their collecting, start here and follow the links.

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Schliesser et al. (eds.), Alexandria. Hub of the Hellenistic World (Mohr Siebeck)

NEW BOOK FROM MOHR SIEBECK: Alexandria. Hub of the Hellenistic World. Edited by Benjamin Schliesser, Jan Rüggemeier, Thomas J. Kraus, and Jörg Frey, with the assistance of Daniel Herrmann. 2021. L, 621 pages. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 460. 154,00 € including VAT. cloth ISBN 978-3-16-159892-0.

Published in English.
Alexandria was one of the main hubs of the Hellenistic world and a cultural and religious »kaleidoscope.« Merchants and migrants, scientists and scholars, philosophers, and religious innovators from all over the world and from all social backgrounds came to this ancient metropolis and exchanged their goods, views, and dreams. Accordingly, Alexandria became a place where Hellenistic, Egyptian, Jewish, and early Christian identities all emerged, coexisted, influenced, and rivaled each other. In order to meet the diversity of Alexandria's urban life and to do justice to the variety of literary and non-literary documents that bear witness to this, the volume examines the processes of identity formation from a range of different academic perspectives. Thus, the present volume gathers together twenty-six contributions from the realm of archaeology, ancient history, classical philology, religious studies, philosophy, the Old Testament, narratology, Jewish studies, papyrology, and the New Testament.

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Thomas and His Wonderworking Skin!

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: Another Tale of Thomas: The Acts of Thomas and His Wonderworking Skin (Jonathan D. Holste). Being flayed alive didn't slow Thomas down. Not a bit!

This is the fourth installment of a series on volume 2 of New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures (MNTA 2), ed. Tony Burke. I noted the first essay here, the second here, and the third here.

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The Torah and tattoos

DR. DAVID BERNAT: Tattoos - What Exactly Is Prohibited? (TheTorah.com).

It is widely assumed that the Torah prohibits all tattoos. And yet, a look at the verse in context yields alternative understandings.

It scarcely helps when a biblical prohibition contain an hapax legomenon (a word that only appears once).

Related PaleoJudaica posts are here, here, and here. And follow the links from them for some posts on modern tattoos in ancient languages. These often turn out badly. It is wise not to get one unless you know the ancient language.

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

Dusenbury, The Innocence of Pontius Pilate (Hurst)

NEW BOOK FROM HURST PUBLISHERS:

The Innocence of Pontius Pilate
How the Roman Trial of Jesus Shaped History

David Lloyd Dusenbury

How have Christianity and Empire been shaped by perceptions of Pilate’s role in the Crucifixion?

Hardback
£25.00
April 2021
9781787382176
456pp

The gospels and ancient historians agree: Jesus was sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate, the Roman imperial prefect in Jerusalem. To this day, Christians of all churches confess that Jesus died ‘under Pontius Pilate’. But what exactly does that mean?

Within decades of Jesus’ death, Christians began suggesting that it was the Judaean authorities who had crucified Jesus—a notion later echoed in the Qur’an. In the third century, one philosopher raised the notion that, although Pilate had condemned Jesus, he’d done so justly; this idea survives in one of the main strands of modern New Testament criticism. So what is the truth of the matter? And what is the history of that truth?

David Lloyd Dusenbury reveals Pilate’s ‘innocence’ as not only a neglected theological question, but a recurring theme in the history of European political thought. He argues that Jesus’ interrogation by Pilate, and Augustine of Hippo’s North African sermon on that trial, led to the concept of secularity and the logic of tolerance emerging in early modern Europe. Without the Roman trial of Jesus, and the arguments over Pilate’s innocence, the history of empire—from the first century to the twenty-first—would have been radically different.

The book looks at pagan and Christian debate over Pilate in late antiquity, with lots of indirect information on the attitude of both toward Jews.

There is a detailed review by David Keys in the Independent: Revealed: the ancient propaganda war that led to the triumph of Christianity.

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Phoenician artifacts in the British Museum

PHOENICIAN WATCH: 21 Interesting Phoenician Artifacts You’ll Find On Display At The British Museum In London (Souad Lazkani, The961). The collection includes a marble coffin, carved ivory decorations, glass and ceramic jugs, metal statues and bowls, carved seals, inscribed objects, and lots of ancient bling.

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T&T Clark Handbook for Septuagint Research (ed. Ross & Glenny)

WILLIAM ROSS: IT’S FINALLY HERE! THE HANDBOOK FOR SEPTUAGINT RESEARCH. I noted the T&T Clark Handbook for Septuagint Research (ed. William A. Ross and W. Edward Glenny) as forthcoming and then available for pre-order. It is now published and shipping.

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Grappling with Joshua's conquest

DR. GILI KUGLER: Joshua’s Conquest: A Cultural and Pedagogical Dilemma in Modern Israel (TheTorah.com).

Ben-Gurion saw the IDF as a modern instantiation of Joshua’s military might. The Israeli writer and politician S. Yizhar, in contrast, asserted that we should discard Joshua because of the violence and wholesale slaughter recounted in the book. Contemporary Israeli teachers grapple with the question of how to teach students such a core story of Jewish history that is fraught with moral problems.

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Avalos obituary

IOWA STATE DAILY: Hector Avalos: A lifelong teacher (Katherine Kealey).

Background here.

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

Eliphaz and the Polyanna Psalm

THE ANXIOUS BENCH: Books Against Books (Philip Jenkins).

For PaleoJudaica posts on Psalm 91, some interacting with earlier posts by Professor Jenkins, see here and links and here. And for some interaction with that post on Ezekiel, see here. Yes, I know the link has rotted.

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Garber, Teaching the Historical Jesus (Routledge)

NEW IN PAPERBACK FROM ROUTLEDGE:

Teaching the Historical Jesus
Issues and Exegesis

Edited By Zev Garber

Copyright Year 2015
Paperback
£29.59

Hardback
£104.00

eBook
£29.59

ISBN 9780367738891
Published December 18, 2020 by Routledge
284 Pages

Book Description

Teaching the Historical Jesus in his Jewish context to students of varied religious backgrounds presents instructors with not only challenges, but also opportunities to sustain interfaith dialogue and foster mutual understanding and respect. This new collection explores these challenges and opportunities, gathering together experiential lessons drawn from teaching Jesus in a wide variety of settings—from the public, secular two- or four-year college, to the Jesuit university, to the Rabbinic school or seminary, to the orthodox, religious Israeli university. A diverse group of Jewish and Christian scholars reflect on their own classroom experiences and explicates crucial issues for teaching Jesus in a way that encourages students at every level to enter into an encounter with the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament without paternalism, parochialism, or prejudice. This volume is a valuable resource for instructors and graduate students interested in an interfaith approach in the classroom, and provides practical case studies for scholars working on Jewish-Christian relations.

The book was published in 2015, but I missed it then. The recent paperback release provides a good excuse to note it.

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The Antikythera Mechanism and astronomy

THE ANTIKYTHERA MECHANISM has been in the news lately:

World’s first computer was the fusion of finest Greek and Middle Eastern scientific knowledge. Greek physicist Aris Dacanalis who is part of the team that has finally put together the puzzle of how the world’s first computer, the Antikythera Mechanism, worked, spoke to Neos Kosmos about what it would have taken to build such a machine in ancient times. (Alex Economou, Neos Kosmos)

“The device could have been made by one person or a team of up to ten specialists. A Hellenistic kingdom like Egypt under the Ptolemies would have had the vast resources to pay for a highly specialised team that would have included an astronomer, a mathematician and highly skilled craftsmen who would have been engineers in their own right,” said Mr Dacanalis. “There was a tradition of engineering in Alexandria under the Ptolemies who were patrons of the arts and who also funded research.”

[...]

“No single culture had the means to make this device. This is the merging of two cultures – the marriage of Babylonian observations of the stars and the mathematical methods that they developed combined with Greek geometry and cosmological models.

New Model of Ancient Astronomical Device Reveals a ‘Creation of Genius’ (George Dvorsky, Gizmodo)

By building a digital model of the Antikythera Mechanism, scientists may have finally exposed a key function of the ancient device, revealing a design that required some seriously advanced thinking.

[...]

“Solving this complex 3D puzzle reveals a creation of genius—combining cycles from Babylonian astronomy, mathematics from Plato’s Academy and ancient Greek astronomical theories,” wrote the authors, which included mechanical engineer Adam Wojcik, also from UCL.

Indeed, the ancient Babylonians chronicled the motions of the planets, while the ancient Greek philosopher Parmenides developed a mathematical model to explain these movements.

In addition Bryn Mayr Classical Review has just published a relevant review: Hellenistic astronomy: the science in its contexts

Alan Bowen, Francesca Rochberg, Hellenistic astronomy: the science in its contexts. Brill's companions in classical studies. Leiden; Boston: Brill, 2020. Pp. xxxii, 751. ISBN 9789004400566 €197,00.

Review by
Ulla Koch, Copenhagen University. aribu@protonmail.com

Babylonian, Greek, and Alexandrian astronomy, perhaps with Ptolemaic engineering, are at work in the Antikythera Mechanism. The book has many relevant articles, as well as a couple on ancient Jewish astronomy and astrology.

PaleoJudaica posts on the Antikythera Mechanism are collected here with comments. Ancient Enochic astronomy also drew on Hellenistic and Babylonian traditions.

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Coins, ancient and modern

NUMISMATICS: Ancient Coins Tell the Story of the Jewish People. From the Roman conquest of Judea to the rebirth of Israel (Harold Witkov, Aish.com). Ancient coins were a vehicle for political propaganda. But that can work both ways.

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

Was the Rebellious Son a glutton or an idolator?

THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST TODAY: Excessive and Deviant Consumption in the Hebrew Bible (Rebekah Welton).

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The Life of Mary Magdalene

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: “Bringing the West Back East, or How to Make Sure the Magdalene Belongs to Byzantium: The Life of Mary Magdalene” (Christine Luckritz Marquis).

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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King (ed.), The Syriac World (Routledge)

NEW IN PAPERBACK FROM ROUTLEDGE:

The Syriac World

Edited By Daniel King

Copyright Year 2019

Paperback
£31.99

Hardback
£152.00

eBook
£31.99

Open access content is available for this title.
ISBN 9780367732363
Published December 18, 2020 by Routledge
896 Pages

Book 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

Chapter 26 is on "Syriac Medicine." I noted a review of the book when it came out in hardback in 2019.

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Loader, Sexuality and Gender (Mohr Siebeck)

NEW BOOK FROM MOHR SIEBECK: William R. G. Loader. Sexuality and Gender. Collected Essays. 2021. IX, 463 pages. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 458. 154,00 € including VAT. cloth ISBN 978-3-16-160199-6.

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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Virtual Baalbek

PHOENICIAN WATCH: Virtual Tour Restores Baalbek’s Stunning Roman Temples to Their Former Glory. The free online experience allows users to toggle between views of the ancient Lebanese city today and as it appeared in 215 A.D. (Livia Gershon, Smithsonian Magazine).

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.

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

They found WHAT in Egypt?

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: Egyptian “Lost Golden City” Uncovered Near Luxor. Archaeology reveals aspects of daily life 3,000 years ago, at height of Egypt’s power.

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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