Porter (ed.), James Barr Assessed (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

James Barr Assessed

Evaluating His Legacy over the Last Sixty Years

Series: Biblical Interpretation Series, Volume: 192

Volume Editor: Stanley E. Porter

James Barr is a widely recognized name in biblical studies, even if he is still best known for his The Semantics of Biblical Language. Barr’s Semantics, although first published in 1961, still generates animated discussion of its claims. However, over his lengthy career Barr published significant scholarship on a wide variety of topics within Old Testament studies and beyond. This volume provides an assessment of Barr’s contribution to biblical studies sixty years after the publication of his first and still memorable volume on biblical semantics. As a result, this volume includes essays on major topics such as the Hebrew language, lexical semantics, lexicography, the Septuagint, and biblical theology.

Prices from (excl. VAT): €123.00 / $148.00

Copyright Year: 2021

E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-46566-4
Publication Date: 16 Aug 2021

Hardback
Availability: Not Yet Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-46552-7
Publication Date: 19 Aug 2021

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A Syriac liturgy in Cairo and China?

THE GENIZA FRAGMENTS BLOG: Throwback Thursday: A surprise in Syriac script (Melonie Schmierer-Lee). The surprise is the discovery in the early 1980s of Nestorian Syriac liturgical fragments, some unparalleled. That is notable in itself, but what caught my eye is the following:

Very little is known of the dwindling “Nestorian” community in Cairo after the end of the twelfth century, and so these small fragments provide tangible evidence for its continuing existence into the thirteenth or even fourteenth century; perhaps the manuscript was sold as scrap when the community finally faded out of existence.

It is a remarkable coincidence that one of the fragments contains a text which overlaps with one that occurs in an even earlier Syriac liturgical fragment – found in Chinese Turkestan! These two identical liturgical fragments thus provide unexpected testimony to the far-flung geographical extension of the Church of the East in the Middle Ages.

I don't know which discovery in Turkestan is involved here. PaleoJudaica posts on Syriac discoveries in China are collected here (final paragraph).

A parallel Nestorian liturgical fragment from medieval Cairo and earlier Chinese Turkestan is intriguing. This is well outside my expertise, but was there regular communication between Egypt and China in the Middle Ages? Or was this liturgy disseminated independently to both countries in late antiquity?

Cross-file under Syriac Watch.

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Looted coins apprehended in Israel

NUMISMATICS APPREHENSION: Ancient gold coins looted from archaeological sites found in Bnei Brak home. Hundreds of artifacts from the Hasmonean, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic period were saved from an illegal antique dealer (Rossella Tercatin, Jerusalem Post).

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Olyan & Rosenblum (eds.), Animals and the Law in Antiquity (SBL Press)

NEW BOOK FROM SBL PRESS:

Animals and the Law in Antiquity

Saul M. Olyan, Jordan D. Rosenblum, editors

ISBN 9781951498825
Volume BJS 368
Status Available

Publication Date
August 2021

Paperback
$29.00

Hardback
$82.00

eBook
$29.00

Original studies at the intersection of animals and the law in antiquity

Animal law has become a topic of growing importance internationally, with animal welfare and animal rights often assuming center stage in contemporary debates about the legal status of animals. While nonspecialists routinely decontextualize ancient texts to support or deny rights to animals, experts in fields such as classics, biblical studies, Assyriology, Egyptology, rabbinics, and late antique Christianity have only just begun to engage the topic of animals and the law in their respective areas. This volume consists of studies by scholars from a range of Mediterranean and West Asian fields on animals and the law. Contributors include Rozenn Bailleul-LeSuer, Beth Berkowitz, Andrew McGowan, F. S. Naiden, Saul M. Olyan, Seth Richardson, Jordan D. Rosenblum, Andreas Schüle, Miira Tuominen, and Daniel Ullucci. The volume is essential reading for scholars and students of both the ancient world and contemporary law.

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MNTA 3 nearing completion

THE APOCRYPHYCITY BLOG: New Testament Apocrypha 3 Near Completion (Tony Burke). Good news!

For more on the More New Testament Apocrypha Project (MNTA), see here and here and links.

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Bauks & Olyan (eds.), Pain in Biblical Texts and Other Materials of the Ancient Mediterranean (Mohr Siebeck)

NEW BOOK FROM MOHR SIEBECK:

Pain in Biblical Texts and Other Materials of the Ancient Mediterranean. Edited by Michaela Bauks and Saul M. Olyan. 2021. VIII, 267 pages. Forschungen zum Alten Testament 2. Reihe 130. 79,00 € including VAT. sewn paper ISBN 978-3-16-160641-0.

Published in English.
This volume includes a wide range of studies on pain and its representation in texts and non-literary remains of the ancient Eastern Mediterranean, suggesting both the richness and complexity of the topic and the need for scholars to address it from a variety of perspectives. The essays engage the subject of pain and its representation in a multitude of ways, including consideration of the representation of physical pain, of psychological anguish, and the often complex relationship between the two. Several essays focus on the representation of pain in a particular genre of ancient literature such as Greek medical texts, narratives, prophetic texts, poetry, or legal texts. The volume also explores descriptions of concrete pain and the metaphorical use of pain imagery and idioms, as well as pain's relationship to shame, illness and torture. Finally, both communal and individual dimensions of pain are of interest to the contributors, as is the role pain might have had in ritual action and the part rites might play in the imposition of pain.

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Dell (ed.), The BIblical World, 2nd ed. (Routledge)

NEW (2ND EDITION) BOOK FROM ROUTLEDGE:

2nd Edition
The Biblical World

Edited By Katharine J. Dell
Copyright Year 2021

Hardback
£152.00

eBook
£31.99

ISBN 9781138932920
Published July 30, 2021 by Routledge
1098 Pages 115 B/W Illustrations

Book Description

The Biblical World is a comprehensive guide to the contents, historical settings, and social context of the Bible. This new edition is updated with several new chapters as well as a new section on biblical interpretation.　

Contributions from leading scholars in the field present wide-ranging views not just of biblical materials and their literary and linguistic context, but also of the social institutions, history and archaeology, and religious concepts. New chapters cover topics such as the priesthood and festivals, creation and covenant, ethics, and family life, while a new section on biblical interpretation discusses Jewish and Christian bible translation and key thematic emphases, and modern reader-response and cultural approaches.　

This revised edition of The Biblical World offers an up-to-date and thorough survey of the Bible and its world, and will continue to be an invaluable resource for students and scholars of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament and their history and interpretation, as well as anyone working on the societies, religions, and political and cultural institutions that created and influenced these texts.

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Rotasperti, Decoding the Language of Metaphor in the Book of Proverbs (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Metaphors in Proverbs

Decoding the Language of Metaphor in the Book of Proverbs

Series: Vetus Testamentum, Supplements, Volume: 188

Author: Sergio Rotasperti

Proverbs is a poetic book full of images and metaphors, many of which are often obscure and enigmatic. In this volume, Rotasperti offers a contribution to the understanding of figurative language in Proverbs by looking at the grammatical and social contexts in which many of the book’s metaphors appear. The brief introduction explains the process and methodological assumptions used for identifying metaphors. The study then continues with a lexical review of four semantic categories: the body, urban fabric, nature and animals. The result of this survey is a deep analysis of several key metaphors that looks at their composition, structure, and interpretation.

Prices from (excl. VAT): €109.00 / $131.00

Copyright Year: 2021

E-Book (PDF) Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-46605-0
Publication Date: 29 Jun 2021

Hardback
Availability: Not Yet Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-46410-0
Publication Date: 22 Jul 2021

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Review of Gitin's autobiography

NEW BOOK REVIEWED: Sy Gitin and the Albright (Deb Reich, Times of Israel Blogs).

Renowned biblical archaeologist Seymour (Sy) Gitin is a great storyteller. So naturally his new memoir, The Road Taken: An Archaeologist’s Journey to the Land of the Bible, is a fascinating read.

[...]

The book came out this month.

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Does the Vatican have Dead Sea Scrolls?

VARIANT READINGS: Dead Sea Scrolls at the Vatican. Brent Nongbri has been on a visit to the Vatican Museum. He has noticed something interesting.

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The HMML has received a $5M grant

NICE PROFILE OF THE LIBRARY: Hill Museum and Manuscript Library at St. John's University works to preserve history (BECCA MOST, St. Cloud Times).

Earlier this month the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library, housed at St. John's University, received a $5 million grant to continue their work digitizing, archiving and cataloguing endangered manuscripts outside Europe, like in South Asia, the Middle East and West Africa. The grant was the largest HMML had ever received in its 56 years of operation.

Congratulations and keep up the good work!

For many PaleoJudaica posts on the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library, start here and follow the links.

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

Review of Allison, Saving one another

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: Saving one another: Philodemus and Paul on moral formation in community.

Justin Allison, Saving one another: Philodemus and Paul on moral formation in community. Ancient philosophy and religion, volume 3. Leiden; Boston: Brill, 2020. Pp. xii, 238. ISBN 9789004434004 €127,00.

Review by
David Douglas, McGill University. david.douglas2@mail.mcgill.ca

For more on the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus, whose work has mainly been recovered from the carbonized Herculaneum scrolls, see here.

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Lederman-Daniely, Sarai: Is She the Goddess of Ancient Israel? (Wipf & Stock)

NEW BOOK FROM WIPF AND STOCK:

Sarai
Is She the Goddess of Ancient Israel?

by Dvora Lederman-Daniely
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
74 Pages, 5.50 x 8.50 x 0.15 in

Paperback
9781725298880
Published: June 2021
$12.00 / £9.00 / AU$17.00

Hardcover
9781725298897
Published: June 2021
$27.00 / £20.00 / AU$37.00

eBook
9781725298903
Published: June 2021
$12.00 / £9.00 / AU$17.00

DESCRIPTION

Who was the mother goddess of the ancient religion of Israel, the spouse of the god Yahweh? Archaeological and literary-biblical studies refer to her as "Asherah," yet, they cannot explain why this name is not mentioned in the book of Genesis, a book that portrays the formation of Israel's religion. In this groundbreaking book, Dvora Lederman-Daniely provides an answer to this enigmatic question. Based on meticulous research she argues the goddess's name does appear in the book of Genesis but it is concealed within the name of the first human matriarch of the people of Israel: Sarai. Deciphering and identifying the forgotten and censored name of the divine spouse of Yahweh opens the door to a revolutionary understanding of the relationship between Yahweh and the people of Israel, as perceived during the formation of the Hebrew people. Moreover, biblical images and metaphors are stripped back and their outrageous mythological content is laid bare. Through careful argument Lederman-Daniely excavates the very origins of Jewish customs and decrees exposing how they embody the ancient worship of a goddess who was Yahweh's spouse.

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Chilton on "The Herods"

INTERVIEW: New book plumbs the role of the Herods in forming early Jewish, Christian views. In his book “The Herods: Murder, Politics, and the Art of Succession,” Bruce Chilton, a professor of religion at Bard College, places the dynastic family that ruled Judea and Israel for the Romans front and center (Yonat Shimron, RNS).

I noted the book and an essay on it by Professor Chilton here.

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Long-form, literary, Levirate law

PROF. SARA MILSTEIN: The Levirate Law: A Marriage Contract Clause that became Legislation (TheTorah.com).

Upon a childless husband's death, Deuteronomy states "his wife shall not marry a strange man outside." This phrase originated as a contract clause, and the case was a practice exercise for scribes who were learning contract clauses.

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A Bar Kokhba coin is going into space

ASTRO-NUMISMATICS: Israeli astronaut to take 1,900-year-old Bar Kochba revolt coin to space. As part of next year’s Rakia mission to International Space Station, Eytan Stibbe says he’ll bring along ancient artifact as a ‘symbol of Jewish history’ (Michael Bachner, Times of Israel).

Israel’s second-ever astronaut, Eytan Stibbe, has chosen to take the 1,900-year-old coin with him on the Rakia mission to the International Space Station, scheduled for early next year. Stibbe said that he is taking the artifact with him as a symbol of his Jewish heritage.

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said in a statement on Thursday that Stibbe has recently visited the IAA’s Dead Sea Scrolls laboratory in Jerusalem, where he was shown various artifacts, including the coin, as well as 2,000-year-old fragments of the Book of Enoch.

That book tells the story of Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah, who ascended to the heavens and was accompanied by angels who showed him the sun, the moon and the stars.

Stibbe ultimately elected to take the coin along, rather than the ancient fragments.

This is very cool, but I totally would have chosen the Enoch fragments.

The coin was discovered in the Cave of Horror in Nahal Hever, where archaeologists recently recovered new fragments of an ancient Greek scroll of the Minor Prophets.

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Interview with Khaled al-Asaad's son

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: Return to Palmyra. An interview with heroic Khaled al-Asaad's son about his father's legacy, and the importance of the ruins and museum collection at Palmyra that al-Assad died protecting.

For more on Khaled al-Asaad and his heroic, fatal resistance to ISIS, see here and links.

More on the Getty's Palmyra exhibition is here and here.

For many posts on the ancient metropolis of Palmyra, its history and archaeology, the Aramaic dialect once spoken there (Palmyrene), and the city's tragic reversals of fortune, now trending for the better, start here and follow the links. Cross-file under Palmyra Watch.

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

Night-shift archaeology

NOCTURNAL EXCAVATOR: Excavations by night. Initially, archaeology was only a passion, something Navot Rom studied to fulfill his interests, but he didn’t plan it as a career (BASIA MONKA, Jerusalem Post).

“There is something magical and Gothic about it,” he says.

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Nero's wife went to heaven on a chariot?

THE ANTIGONE BLOG: TO HEAVEN ON A CHARIOT: THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF POPPAEA SABINA (Paul Schubert).

According to the Roman historian Tacitus, in AD 65 Poppaea Sabina was killed by her husband, Emperor Nero, who had lost his temper with her. She was heavily pregnant and a kick in the belly was enough to end her life. Is this true, or was Tacitus spreading evil slander about Nero? We may never know for sure, but evidence recently found on a frayed piece of papyrus indicates that there was another version of the story, where Poppaea Sabina made a loving farewell speech to Nero before darting off to heaven on a chariot driven by a goddess.

[...]

HT Rogue Classicism.

This fragmentary third-century papyrus from Oxyrhynchus may add some support for a revisionist view of Nero, which argues that the surviving records about him were written by his enemies and lack credibility. The current British Museum exhibition on Nero is sympathetic to ths view. If Paul Schubert's interpretation of the papyrus is correct (it mentions Nero by name, but not Poppaea), it gives us a glimpse outside the narrative.

This essay also deals more generally with the subject of apotheosis traditions in the Roman period. Jesus wasn't the only one to ascend to heaven and Elijah wasn't the only one to go theren in a chariot.

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Late-antique site salvaged near Tel Aviv

ARCHAEOLOGY: Building project unearths ancient history in Tel Aviv suburb. Construction of new residential neighborhood in Ramat Hasharon reveals human activity dating back 1,500 years, including a winepress and gold coin much prized by its owner (Stuart Winer, Times of Israel).

For more on Heraclius coins, see here. The IAA excavated a hoard of them in Jerusalem in 2008.

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