The rise of the Sasanian Empire

THE WORLD IS FULL OF HISTORY: Rise of the Sasanian Empire: The Persians (205-310 CE). The accounts of the fall of the Parthians and the rise of the Sasanians are shrouded by time. Yet the Sasanians rose from obscurity to establish one of the most powerful empires of the Ancient Near East (Robert C. L. Holmes, The Collector).

There are many connections between ancient Judaism and the late-antique Sassanian (Sasanian) Empire in Iran. For many PaleoJudaica posts, see here and links.

And for lots of posts on the Parthian Empire, which preceded the Sassanians, see here and links.

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

Archeochemistry

TECHNOLOGY WATCH: By studying ancient residues, scholar finds clues of humanity’s past. Archaeochemist Andrew Koh, the new museum scientist at the Peabody Museum, analyzes carbon residues on artifacts to learn how ancient peoples lived and died (Mike Cummings, Yale News).

Koh recently spoke to Yale News about his new role, his discoveries — including the remnants of an opiate concoction found in the Yale Babylonian Collection — and what makes Yale the perfect setting for interdisciplinary scholarship. The interview has been edited and condensed.

For more on Dr. Koh's work on the Bronze-Age wine cellar at Tel Kabri, Israel, see here.

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Review of Waters, ... the life of Cyrus the Great

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: King of the world: the life of Cyrus the Great.

Matt Waters, King of the world: the life of Cyrus the Great. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2022. Pp. xvi, 255. ISBN 9780190927172

Review by
Paul Brazinski, Tidewater Bible College. paulbrazinski4@gmail.com

... Overall, Waters accomplishes what he sets out to do in this book. He provides a welcome new general book on Cyrus. He also attests to the importance of Cyrus as an influential figure in his age as well as today. The book is a quick read and is a page turner. ...

I noted the publication of the book here.

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The siege of Yodfat

HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY: Yodfat, the Jewish Town Attacked by 60,000 Roman Soldiers. Commanded by Josephus, the rebellious Jews of Yodfat withstood the Roman siege for 47 days. And when they knew it was hopeless, they chose how to die. Two millennia later they were finally brought to rest (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz).

One town there was Yodfat. A hallmark of Judaism is that some homes had their own mikvehs, or ritual baths, says Prof. Mordechai Aviam of Kinneret Academic College, who has been involved in the study at the site for decades. Last week he brought a group of graduate students to Yodfat, which probably is named after a Seleucid princess, he explained. I was invited to join the tour.

This a fascinating and nearly comprehensive account of what we know from Josephus and archaeology about the fall of Yodfat (Jotapata) during the Great Revolt.

It does gloss over Josephus' self-described creative handling of the suicide pact he had as part of a group of forty defenders of the city. He managed to be one of the two who didn't carry out the pact. For more on that, see my posts on the Josephus Problem (the algorithm he supposedly used to come out among the last in the suicide rota).

For PaleoJudaica posts on the siege of Yodfat, see here and links.

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

The million-dollar Vesuvius Challenge

CONTEST: Vesuvius Challenge – Decipher These 2,000-Year-Old Scrolls And Win $1 Million. Can you help identify and read the texts on these ancient scrolls from Herculaneum? (DR. RUSSELL MOUL, IFLScience).

Fancy yourself a code breaker or a technological wiz? If so, you could win $700,000 if you can solve a 2,000-year-old mystery. The former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and a group of scientists are giving away prizes worth a total of $1,000,000, at the time of writing, to anyone who can successfully decipher scrolls recovered from a library in Herculaneum, which was buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE.

[...]

For many PaleoJudaica posts on the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE and its destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and on the efforts to reconstruct and decipher the carbonized library at Herculaneum, start here and just follow those links.

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

Roman-era mosaic (re-)uncovered in Shoham

DECORATIVE ART: Archaeologists uncover Roman-era church mosaic along Israel Nat'l Trail. The mosaic was first discovered in the 80s but has been uncovered over the last month by the Israel Antiquities Authority and Shoham residents (Jerusalem Post).

The mosaic, which had been part of a church floor, was part of a church that most likely dated back to the Roman era. The design shows colorful sections with flower designs in them that are likely inspired by anemones that flower in the area.

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Lessons from the fake Darius ostracon

ANALYSIS: Too-good-to-be-true Darius ostracon mix-up teaches a public lesson etched in pottery. While archaeologists worry about forgeries, the IAA vows to implement more rigorous testing after a highly touted potsherd thought to be from 498 BCE was found to be inauthentic (Melanie Lidman, Times of Israel).

The IAA quickly identified that the potsherd itself was an authentic potsherd, which led to the assumption that the inscription on it was also authentic. However, there are thousands of potsherds similar to the unauthenticated ostracon lying around Lachish.

Avni said the experts fell into a mistake common not just in archaeology, but in all types of science: they already believed the item was real, and they performed tests that confirmed that bias.

For more on confirmation bias, see here.

Background on the story, with my commentary, is here and links.

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VanderKam, R.H. Charles: A Biography (OUP)

NEW BOOK FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS:

R. H. Charles

A Biography

James C. VanderKam

The Bible and the Humanities

• Provides the first book-length biography of R.H. Charles, a pioneer in the study of Jewish apocalyptic literature
• Exploits fully the archival evidence for Charles's career
• Establishes the first comprehensive analysis of Charles's publications and their reception in his time and today

£120.00
Hardback
Published: 02 February 2023
608 Pages
234x156mm
ISBN: 9780192869289
Also Available As: Ebook

R.H. Charles: A Biography first situates Charles's work in the history of biblical scholarship. The remainder of the book is divided into three parts that draw on material stored in several archives and other sources. The first provides an account of his early life and education in Ireland. Part two is devoted to his Oxford years (1890-1913). Within a chronological framework, the chapters regarding the Oxford period focus on his pioneering work with Jewish apocalypses as evident in his many textual editions, translations, and commentaries. For all of his major publications an attempt is made to assess how his work was received at the time and how it continues to affect the field of early Judaism. The third part furnishes a biographical overview of his work as a canon of Westminster (1913-31). At the Abbey, he carried out pastoral duties but also published books that made contributions to publicly debated issues such as divorce, while at the same time continuing his scholarly endeavours. The volume includes bibliographies of Charles's many publications and of works cited.

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Bakker, The Secret of Time (Brill, Open Access)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

The Secret of Time: Reconfiguring Wisdom in the Dead Sea Scrolls

Series: Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah, Volume: 143

Open Access

Author: Arjen F. Bakker

Copyright Year: 2023
E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-53779-8
Publication date: 13 Feb 2023

Hardback
Availability: Not Yet Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-52974-8
Publication date: 22 Mar 2023

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Review of Rogers, For the Freedom of Zion

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: For the Freedom of Zion: The Great Revolt of Jews Against Romans, 66–74 CE.

By Guy MacLean Rogers (New Haven: Yale Univ. Press, 2021), xxii + 721 pp., 23 b/w photos and drawings, 5 maps; $37.50 (hardcover), $28.49 (eBook)
Reviewed by Dennis Mizzi

... In his approach to Josephus, Rogers departs from previous scholarship in a fundamental way. Instead of limiting his focus to the causes of the revolt—a major scholarly preoccupation—he takes a deep dive into every aspect of Josephus’s narrative. Although Rogers reads Josephus critically, he is more receptive to his viewpoint than most scholars today. ...

I noted the publication of the book here.

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Frevel & Nihan, Purity and the Forming of Religious Traditions ... (Brill, open-access)

THE AWOL BLOG: Purity and the Forming of Religious Traditions in the Ancient Mediterranean World and Ancient Judaism.

I noted the publication of this Brill volume when it came out a decade ago. But now you can get the e-book version for free. For you, special deal!

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

Tov on the evolution of the biblical DSS

THE ETC BLOG: The Evolution of the Biblical Dead Sea Scrolls (Anthony Ferguson).

Emanuel Tov is the most well-known textual critic of the Hebrew Bible and for good reason. Under his leadership, thirty-three volumes of the authoritative series Discoveries in the Judaean Desert (DJD) were published in less than twenty years. Before his tenure, only seven volumes were published in nearly forty years. Despite this impressive feat, Tov is probably most well-known for his work Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible.

The book is now in its fourth edition, and it is the go-to work for those interested in textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible. One aspect of the fourth edition, among many, worth discussing is his categorization of the biblical Dead Sea Scrolls. A comparison of these categories across his four editions shows a certain evolution in how he views the text of the Hebrew Bible in the Second Temple period.

[...]

A detailed breakdown for all you textual criticism nerds.

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The "Tomb of Absalom"

THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST TODAY: The “Tomb of Absalom”: The Earliest Judeo-Christian Place of Pilgrimage in Jerusalem (Joe Zias).

Jews and Christians alike would have been aware of the fact that the monument, apparently lacking inscriptions, was known by the local population as the Tomb of Absalom, as suggested by Josephus and the Copper Scroll. By converting it into a Christian martyrium and a dwelling, monks would simply have to rename it the Tomb of Zacharias, add three inscriptions, holy water and baptismal fonts, modify its architecture, and break down parts of the northern, western, eastern and southern walls for light and air.

I still would like to know what the structure was originally for. I see that it has been proposed that it is the tomb of the Herodian ruler Agrippa I.

I followed the discovery of the inscriptions in 2003. Most of the links have rotted, but some substantive posts are here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

The structure was damaged by fire in 2016.

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

Ezekiel's Babylonian-inspired temple?

DR. TOVA GANZEL: Ezekiel’s Temple Plan Draws on Babylonian Temples (TheTorah.com).

During the Babylonian exile (6th c. B.C.E.), Ezekiel prophesies the building of a future temple in Israel that is unlike the Tabernacle or First Temple, but that incorporates elements familiar from Babylonian temples, including the Ezida temple of Borsippa.

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Antiquities-smuggling arrests in West Bank

APPREHENDED: Security forces thwart illegal antiquity trade in West Bank. "The suspect knew the provisions of the law but chose to ignore them and act against the law in order to make money," said Amir Ganor (Jerusalem Post).

Military officials intercepted an antiquities-smuggling ring in the West Bank, IDF officials said in a statement released early Wednesday.

Following a large-scale investigation conducted in secrecy, the Israeli Civil Administration arrested three antiquities smugglers who had hundreds of thousands of shekels worth of rare archaeological finds in their possession.

[...]

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

More on those Turkish Esther scrolls

ANALYSIS: How the removal of Jewish scripture from Turkey marred Israel’s rescue operation. ZAKA volunteers brought back and showcased 2 Scrolls of Esther said to be decades old, sparking frenzied allegations of ‘archaeological theft’ in the Turkish media (CANAAN LIDOR, Times of Israel).

The scrolls are now "decades old" instead of centuries.

Background here and here.

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

Temple menorah coin on display in Jerusalem

NUMISMATICS: Coin with oldest depiction of Temple menorah displayed for first time. New renovation of the Davidson Center in Jerusalem utilizes interactive tech and augmented reality to highlight history and archaeology of Temple-era Jerusalem (Melanie Lidman, Times of Israel).

The coin dates to around 40 BCE, during the Roman times and the reign of the last Hasmonean king. “This is the oldest known artistic depiction of the menorah, created 107 years before the destruction of the Second Temple,” says Dr. Yuval Baruch, head of archaeology and administration at the Israel Antiquities Authority, who was one of the excavators of the site and led the archaeological curation of the Davidson Center. The coin was donated to Israel sometime during the 1940s, during the British Mandate period, and it’s unclear where or when it was found.

That is, it's unprovenanced. Just saying.

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

Codex Sassoon going on display in Tel Aviv

FOR SALE: Oldest near-complete Hebrew Bible to be displayed at Tel Aviv museum. Thousand-year-old Codex Sassoon manuscript is expected to fetch up to $50 million at Sotheby’s (ETGAR LEFKOVITS).

(March 12, 2023 / JNS) The oldest near-complete edition of the Hebrew Bible, a manuscript from a millennium ago, will be on display on March 23-29 at the ANU—Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, the museum announced on Sunday.

The Codex Sassoon—which was shown to the public only once before, four decades ago—will then be displayed in Dallas, Los Angeles and New York before being auctioned at Sotheby’s in New York on May 16. It is expected to fetch an estimated $30 million-$50 million, making it potentially the most expensive book or historical document ever to be sold at auction.

[...]

Background here and here.

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

Halivni, Zevahim, Menahot, Hullin (Magnes)

NEW BOOK FROM MAGNES PRESS (IN HEBREW):

Sources and Traditions
A Source Critical Commentary on the Talmud Tractates Zevahim, Menahot, Hullin

By: David Weiss Halivni

Synopsis
This volume - Zevahim, Menahot, Hullin - is the ninth in the series Sources and Traditions: Commentaries on the Talmud. Like its predecessors, it distinguishes between sources (the original sayings in the Talmud) and traditions (sayings that have been changed in the course of transmission).

More details

Publisher: Magnes Press
Year: 2023
Catalog number : 45-131161
ISBN: 978-965-7790-52-6
Pages: 316
Language: Hebrew
Weight: 750 gr.
Cover: Hardcover

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TC 27 (2022)

THE ETC BLOG: TC Journal vol. 27 (2022) Is Out (Tommy Wasserman). With articles on the textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Old Latin and Septuagint.

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