Iran lists Sabean Mandaic script as a cultural heritage

MANDEAN (MANDAEAN) WATCH: Sabian Mandean Script Listed as Cultural Heritage (Iran Financial Tribune). I don't often have praise for the Iranian Government, but in this they have done a good thing. I commend them.

For review: the Mandeans (Mandaeans) are a Middle Eastern Gnostic religious group coming from an Aramaic-speaking background and with an Aramaic liturgy. They believe that John the Baptist was their founder. Their movement can be traced back to late antiquity and perhaps even to the early centuries CE. The term Sabian (Sabean, Sabaean) is often applied to them, but I am not sure of its exact import.

For past PaleoJudaica posts on the Sabean Mandeans start here and links (also here) and follow the links. And there are many other posts on the Mandeans in general. You can find those in the archives. Oh, and James McGrath, call your office.

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Review of Niehoff, Philo of Alexandria

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: Maren R. Niehoff, Philo of Alexandria: An Intellectual Biography. New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2018. Pp. xi, 323. ISBN 9780300175233. $38.00. Reviewed by Gretchen Reydams-Schils, University of Notre Dame (reydams-schils.1@nd.edu).

Only every once in a while (and not that often in one scholarly generation) a book comes along that not only changes fundamentally the perspective on its chosen topic, but, through its novel methodology, will have major repercussions for other fields of scholarship as well. Maren Niehoff’s intellectual biography of Philo of Alexandria is such a work.

[...]

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On 3 Maccabees

READING ACTS: What is Third Maccabees? Another installment in Phil Long's current summer series on the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Past posts in the series have been noted here and links.

Phil published a series of posts on 3 Maccabees back in 2017. It appears that he is reprinting them now (or at least this one). There may be revisions as well, but I don't have access to the full text of the earlier posts. He has taken them down.

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The menorah in the Bible

ICONOGRAPHY AND EXEGESIS: Why the Menorah Is the Most Enduring of All Jewish Symbols. Unlike the case with nearly every other Tabernacle fixture, the function of the menorah does not cease when the Jewish people no longer possess a Temple (Sarah Rindner, Mosaic Magazine).

At the beginning of this week’s Torah reading of B’ha’alotkha (Numbers 8-12), the Bible gives instructions for the daily kindling of the menorah.

The menorah has long occupied a prominent place in the Jewish imagination. From the time of its placement in the inner courtyard of the Tabernacle in the desert and later of the Temple in Jerusalem, to its rekindling after the Maccabees’ defeat of the Seleucids, to its central position on the Arch of Titus in Rome, to its modern repurposing as the emblem of Jewish revival by the state of Israel, few Jewish symbols have been as familiar or as evocative.

And yet the Bible leaves unstated the significance of the menorah and its seven branches, its importance to the Temple, or its meaning and purpose with respect to the relationship between God and His chosen nation and perhaps beyond. On these matters, an examination of five key scriptural passages can shed light.

[...]

For many past PaleoJudaica posts on ancient menorahs and representations of menorahs, see here and links and here.

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More on the Oxyrhynchus Mark fragment

VARIANT READINGS: Some Observations on the “Provisional Dating” of P.Oxy. 83.5345. Brent Nongbri discusses the initial cataloguing of the Mark fragment (incorrectly) as dating to the first century and the confusing results in recent years. Dr. Nongbri is doing an excellent job of pulling back the curtain to show the inner workings of the discovery, cataloguing, and publication of the Oxyrhynchus papyri over the last century.

Background on that Mark fragment is here and links.

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Elisheva's Diary

NEW NOVEL: Elisheva's Diary. The ancient city of Dan in the northern Galilee has generations of stories to tell. In this fast-moving novel, they are brought to life in a story of family love, intrigue and loyalty, then and now (Rochel Sylvetsky, Arutz Sheva).

The ancient city of Dan is located in a beautiful and lush valley in Israel's northern Galilee region. Visiting the area today especially in early spring, is to stop to gaze in wonder at nature's paintbrush splashing light and color with gorgeous abandon.

Dr. Richard D. Small has brought that once vibrant city and its still verdant environs to life, writing a compelling book published by Touchpoint Press and available at Google Books, that juxtaposes life in Israel during the first century B.C.E. with the Israel of today. He does it by means of a fast moving plot in which a young Arab, Musa, digging at the archaeological excavations of ancient Dan discovers an urn containing the diary of Elisheva, who lived in Dan during the Second Temple period reign of Hasmonean Queen Shlomzion.

[...]

If only. Maybe someday.

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On the Words of Ahiqar

READING ACTS: The Words of Ahiqar. Another installment in Phil Long's current summer series on the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Past posts in the series have been noted here and links.

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The Melammu Newsletter

THE AWOL BLOG: Open Access Journal: Melammu Newsletter.

The main purpose of the Melammu Project is to investigate the continuity, transformation, and diffusion of Mesopotamian and Ancient Near Eastern culture from the third millennium BCE through the ancient world until Islamic times and after."

The work of the project is often of direct or indirect relevance to ancient Judaism. Its newsletter has recently gone online. The main link given in the AWOL post is dead at the moment. But this one works.

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Exhibition on the ancient priestly vestment dye

MATERIAL CULTURE: Linking ancient snails to an Israeli flag in space, a common thread. The elusive dye used to create the biblical blue, 'techelet,' in the Ancient Near East is spotlighted in a new Bible Lands Museum exhibit, 'Out of the Blue' (Marissa Newman, Times of Israel).

It was the color of the sea, the sky, the divine sapphire-hewn Throne of Glory, according to the Tannaite sage Rabbi Meir. It was a color used in the Jewish temples, the hue of its high priests’ robes, and the shade of the blue tassel that the Bible commands be affixed to one’s garments.

But starting in the seventh century CE, the source of the natural dye to produce the biblical tekhelet [blue] — as well as its royal purple counterpart, argaman — faded from history for hundreds of years.

Long sought by Jews to revive the ancient practice of wearing a fringe of techelet, the revered colors were also the subject of other Ancient Near East cultures’ fascination and ritual worship and the source of a hugely prosperous ancient dyeing industry, according to a new exhibit at Jerusalem’s Bible Lands Museum, “Out of the Blue,” which is set to open on June 1.

[...]

Past posts on the tekhelet dye, its ancient uses, and modern efforts to recreate it, are here and follow the links.

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The Beit She'arim Necropolis

ATLAS OBSCURA: Beit She'arim Necropolis. A sprawling ancient Jewish cemetery with over 30 rock-hewn burial caves.

The Roman destruction of Jerusalem’s Second Temple in 70 CE scattered the Jewish people out into the empire, from the Greek islands to as far as modern-day Spain and Portugal. Following this cataclysmic event, Jerusalem’s great assembly of the Sanhedrin, a sort of Supreme Court of the Jewish nation, migrated north to the Galilean city of Bet She’arim.

A nice photo essay, as we have come to expect from Atlas Obscura.

For past PaleoJudaica posts on Beit She'arim (Beith Shearim) see here and links.

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More looting arrests in West Bank

APPREHENDED: LOOTERS ARRESTED FOR ILLEGAL DIGGING AT WEST BANK ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE. Authorities stopped the criminals at an archaeological site south of the Peduel settlement in the West Bank (Jerusalem Post).

During a joint patrol with the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria’s archeology unit, authorities stopped the criminals at an archaeological site south of the Peduel settlement in the West Bank. The criminals were found on site with digging equipment and taken in for questioning by security authorities. Previous excavations at the site uncovered a large monastery and a church with ornate mosaics, among other finds, the unit said.

Sadly, many such stories continue to come up. See here and links, as well as here, here, here, and here.

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Pnina Shor to speak at Denver DSS exhibition

PUBLIC LECTURE: Dead Sea Scrolls Leader to Speak in Denver. Dead Sea Scrolls 70 Years Later with Pnina Shor, Israel Antiquities Authority (Boulder Jewish News).

Monday, June 4, 7:00 pm
BMH-BJ Congregation, Fisher Hall
560 S Monaco Pkwy, Denver, CO
Free Admission

The speaker:

Since its inception in 2010, Pnina Shor has been the head of the Dead Sea Scrolls unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). In this role, she oversees the curatorship, conservation and preservation, exhibition and digitization of the IAA’s more than 20,000 scrolls. ...

Background on the Denver Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition is here and follow the links.

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The Denver DSS exhibition

EXHIBITION REVIEW: Dead Sea Scrolls: From the lowest place on Earth to 'the mile high city' (Jessi Satin, i24 News).

Fast forward 72 years. Twenty of these scrolls, and more than 600 artifacts have traveled almost 7,000 miles to Denver, Colorado for a special six-month long exhibition at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

The exhibition, which holds the largest collection of artifacts from the Holy Land to arrive in the United States, aims to tell the story of the ancient Israelites who wrote the scrolls, as well as the larger story of the development of the Middle East, and of the religious traditions that shaped western civilization.

The headline alone makes this article worth a link. But it's also a nice and detailed review of the whole exhibition, which includes more than just Dead Sea Scrolls.

Background here and links

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Mor Gabriel title deeds returned to Syriac Christian community

MODERN SYRIAC WATCH: Syriac Christians hail return of churches and monasteries (Daily Sabah).

Spreading title deeds on a coffee table, leaders of the Syriac Christian community in southeastern Turkey enthusiastically spoke about how they settled a controversial issue regarding the return of their properties. In 2014, ownership of churches, monasteries and cemeteries belonging to the ancient community were transferred to the state after Mardin, the southeastern city where they are located, was designated as the "greater city municipality." The community fought for their return but faced bureaucratic red-tape and a lengthy legal process. Finally, they were formally handed title deeds yesterday, crediting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for helping them to settle the issue.

Properties were returned to the Foundation of Mor Gabriel Monastery that represents the small community concentrated mainly in Mardin. ....

I have been following the fortunes of the ancient and historic Mor Gabriel Monastery for some time, with emphasis in the last several years on disputed land seizures by the Turkish Government. I am not sure whether all the problems are resolved yet, but this latest report seems to count as good news.

Background here and links.

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On Eldad and Modad

READING ACTS: Eldad and Modad. Another installment in Phil Long's current summer series on the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Past posts in the series have been noted here and links.

As for the lost book of Eldad and Modad, it gets even more interesting. There is a good case that this work is quoted (as scripture!) in the New Testament in the Epistle of James 4:5. Richard Bauckham makes the case in MOPT1. I'm away from my desk at the moment, but I will post the full reference when I have the volume in hand.

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Digital Syriac Corpus

THE AWOL BLOG: Digital Syriac Corpus. This project has been in progress for a long time, but it has only recently started publishing its work online. It looks very promising. Cross-file under Syriac Watch.

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Some "Oxyrhynchus papyri" are not from Oxyrhynchus

VARIANT READINGS: The Oxyrhynchus Papyri of Dubious Provenance and Editorial Choice (Brent Nongbri). Excerpt:

But, to bring it back to my original point: If there are such unpublished pieces, the majority of which probably have certain Oxyrhynchite provenance, why are editors choosing to publish pieces of dubious provenance in The Oxyrhynchus Papyri series? I’m genuinely curious.

It's a good question. The questions about the no-longer-first-century Mark fragment just published in the series are helping to draw attention to it.

Dr. Nongbri has been posting a lot lately on the Oxyrhynchus papyri, so go have a look at his blog.

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Moss and Baden on the no-longer-first-century Mark fragment

CANDIDA MOSS AND JOEL BADEN: Was One of World’s Oldest Bible Passages Found in a Garbage Dump? On Thursday, the Oxford-based Oxyrhynchus Society announced the discovery of a second-century piece of the Gospel of Mark from a dig in an Egyptian garbage dump (The Daily Beast).

Yesterday, the Egyptian Exploration Society, the nonprofit organization that acts as curators of the Oxford-based Oxyrhynchus Society, announced a new discovery: a late second- or early third-century CE fragment of the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark, just published in The Oxyrhynchus Papryi Volume 83 (2018), edited by distinguished Oxford academics Daniela Colomo and Dirk Obbink. In what must be the archetypical example of the expression “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” this pile of ancient refuse has produced one of the oldest fragments of the oldest Gospel story (Mark is believed by scholars to be the earliest Gospel.) This makes it a substantial and significant discovery for those interested in the history of Christianity, the evidence of the dating of the books of the Bible, and the history of book-making. But it also comes with a substantial mystery surrounding its origins, its dating, and its potential connection to the ubiquitous Green family, the owners of Hobby Lobby and the founders of the Museum of the Bible.

This story is labyrinthine but worth trying to follow. As usual, Professors Moss and Baden lay out the evidence as clearly as possible.

Background on this early (but not first-century) Mark fragment is here and links.

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On Queen Helena of Adiabene

DR. MALKA SIMKOVICH: Queen Helena of Adiabene and Her Sons in Midrash and History (TheTorah.com).

Josephus in his Antiquities of the Jews, tells the story of Queen Helena of Adiabene and her sons Kings Izates II and Monobazus II, and how they converted to Judaism in the mid-first century C.E. Rabbinic literature preserves several anecdotes about this family. However, the rabbis knew little about them, and grappled with their insider/outsider status.

Regular PaleoJudaica readers are well acquainted with the intriguing figure of Queen Helena of Adiabene. This essay collects and evaluates the accounts and legends about her.

For past posts on Queen Helena and Adiabene, start here and follow the links.

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On the History of the Rechabites

READING ACTS: History of the Rechabites. Another installment in Phil Long's current summer series on the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Past posts in the series were noted here and links.

I have argued for a long time that the History of the Rechabites (which is embedded in the Story of Zosimus) is a Christian composition. For specific, see my 2003 conference papers: "Is the Story of Zosimus Really a Jewish Composition?" and "The Rechabites in Patristic and Parabiblical Literature." Phil mentions Chris Knights, who also wrote on this work. He and I corresponded on the subject here and here, also in 2003. Several years ago Dr. Knights published an article revising his position in agreement with mine.

Another project on this text was noted here.

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