Writers in the Second Temple period portray Moses as the Torah’s author and master lawgiver, attributing commandments directly to him. The rabbis, by contrast, repeatedly depict Moses as forgetful, confused, and sometimes mistaken—downplaying his authority to emphasize the Torah’s divine authorship and elevate the rabbis’ own role as its interpreters.
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A 12-year-old schoolboy recently discovered a precious gemstone dating back at least 1,500 years in the Korazim National Park in the Upper Galilee, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority said Monday. Korazim was an ancient Jewish village that, according to the New Testament, was cursed by Jesus for rejecting his teachings.Maybe it fell out of a ring or an earring?The stone, a prestigious variety of agate known as “Nicolo,” which was probably set in a piece of jewelry from Roman or Byzantine times (1st – 6th centuries CE), was found by Alon Horowitz during a community excavation carried out by the Parks Authority in cooperation with Ariel University in the West Bank.
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For more on the archaeology of the site of Chorazin, start here and follow the links.
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Now open until 23 August. Noted as forthcoming here. Cross-file under Exhibition and Phoenician Watch.
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The University of Haifa’s exhibit, titled “From Trash to Treasure - Nahal Omer,” displays a collection of rare, well-preserved textiles and seeds discovered at the Nahal Omer archaeological site in the Arava in southern Israel, situated along the route of the ancient Spice Road.This story is right on the edge of PaleoJudaica's range of interest, but I note it because it underlines a point I like to keep making. The more arid regions in Israel, such as the Arava, have the potential to preserve very old scroll fragments. The Dead Sea region, of course has amply demonstrated that. This area, however, has been very thoroughly explored. But textile and organic remains recovered elsewhere, such as in the Timna Valley and even at Megiddo, provide more evidence. And ancient scroll fragments continue to turn up here and there. It is entirely possible that some substantial, very old, scroll remains are buried in one or more of these places. So keep looking!Nahal Omer is a small agricultural village dating back to the Early Islamic period (mid-7th to 9th century CE) which was first surveyed in 1932. The most recent excavations began in 2020, when archaeologists excavated nearby middens (ancient trash heaps) and discovered the site’s remarkable connection to the trade route.
I noted the discovery of these textile fragments in the Arava in 2023 here, with commentary.
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Cosmic TheologyThe works of Pseudo-Dionysius the Aeropagite come up occassionally on PaleoJudaica, recently here. It's a valuable corpus for late-antique mystical Christian theology and, as such, it was tremendously influential.
The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy of Pseudo-Denys: An IntroductionBy Dom Denys Rutledge
Copyright 1964
Paperback
£25.59
Hardback
£84.00
eBook
£25.59
ISBN 9781032670072
226 Pages
Published January 19, 2026 by RoutledgeDescription
First published in 1964, Cosmic Theology introduces a work, little known to English readers, which has influenced theological and mystical writing for at least fourteen hundred years. It is, in effect, a synthesis of Christian teaching, particularly on the nature of the Church, in which science and religion, the other world and the values of the present world may be seen in their source and original harmony. Written before the division between Greek and Latin Churches, and later between Catholic and Protestant, it affords a convenient point from which to view later speculation and controversy in its true perspectives. Apart from helping those interested in the ecumenical movement and in the current liturgical revival, this work will serve as a bridge to the understanding of Eastern, and particularly Hindu, religion.
In addition, it did much to tame Ezekiel's bizarre angelology and make it palatable to the Scholastic theologians. Jewish merkavah mysticism had no such taming influence.
Some other PaleoJudaica posts involving Pseudo-Dionysius and such matters are here, here, here, and links.
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The Oxford Handbook of JosephusEdited by Kenneth Atkinson
Oxford Handbooks
$208.00
Hardcover
Published: 21 April 2026
462 Pages
6 3/4 x 9 3/4 inches
ISBN: 9780197539071Also Available As:
E-book
Description
- Examines Josephus' life, times, writings, and the influential figures and empires within them in the first volume to comprehensively cover this area of scholarship
- Includes extensive examinations of religious movements and their practices during Josephus' era
- Features emerging research in the study of Josephus that is currently reshaping the field
A Jewish priest, a freedom fighter, a Roman citizen, a biblical scholar, and a traitor. Josephus (37-100 CE) has been called all these and more. A controversial figure in his time, Jews and Romans alike either admired or hated him. He is our major historian of the Greek and the Roman periods in the Middle East from the second century BCE to the late first century CE. In addition to documenting these eras, Josephus participated in many of the great events of his time. His eyewitness account of the 70 CE Roman destruction of the Jerusalem Temple is among the most dramatic narratives from antiquity. Among his extensive writings is the first autobiography in Western tradition and a detailed retelling of the Old Testament. No scholar or serious student of the Bible, classical literature, or ancient history can conduct their research without using Josephus' books. With its contributions from a diverse array of experts representing both established academics and the best of a promising generation of new scholars from four continents, the Oxford Handbook of Josephus will shape the direction of future research on Josephus, the Bible, Classics, Ancient History, and related fields.
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Liv Ingeborg Lied and Brent Nongbri. Working with Manuscripts: A Guide for Textual Scholars. Yale University Press, 2025.The previous AJR review is noted here with links.... Working with Manuscripts is a fundamentally practical companion, in both form and content. The volume addresses a range of issues, including the basic terminology of manuscript study, expectations for working in repositories, and the ethical and legal considerations surrounding the publication of ancient documents. For early-stage graduate students, in particular, and for those who teach and mentor them, the volume offers a clear point of entry into a set of skills that is becoming increasingly essential, especially in an age of expanding digitization and access.
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Earlier this month, Eliyahu tapped Esti Shreiber, the head of an NGO affiliated with the Chabad Hasidic movement promoting Jewish values among young people, as the new head of the IAA.Background here. Related posts here and links and here.The appointment needs to be approved by both the government and the IAA Council. According to the document presented to the court, the minister has demanded that the council put the issue on the agenda of its upcoming meeting on Monday.
The petitioners argued that the procedure followed by Eliyahu was inconsistent with the legal requirements and that Shreiber inflated her resume to meet the criteria.
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Notice of an open-access New Book: Canaanite Scribal Creativity and the Making of Cuneiform Culture in the Amarna Age. Alice Mandell. Routledge, 2026.
For more on Dr. Alice Mandell's work on the (Canaanite and other) Amarna Letters, see here and here.
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“In recent days, we were informed that a significant proportion of registered attendees were individuals intending to deliberately disrupt the event, preventing others from participating in good faith and undermining the purpose of the programme,” the [British Museum's] statement reads.I saw this on Facebook and was hoping it wasn't real. But it is. A brief British Museum announcement is noted here. The full statement is here. And the story is being widely reported; e.g., here and here.
For that episode about the use of the word "Palestine" in British Museum displays, see here and here.
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Liv Ingeborg Lied and Brent Nongbri. Working with Manuscripts : A Guide for Textual Scholars. Yale University Press, 2026.I noted the publication of the book here and a reviewlet of it here.... Working with Manuscripts is an extremely versatile and most welcome book. Independent scholars, students, and established researchers alike will find it a valuable resource. It can be used as a textbook in a course or as a stand-alone handbook for the intrepid researcher. ...
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It all seems to start in 1859, with Tischendorf and Sinaiticus, and then basically never ends. Why? Well, the land of Egypt did not suddenly decide to grow some new antiquities. Nor did Western European Christians suddenly snap their fingers and say, “Of course! Egypt! That’s where we will find all the manuscripts we ever dreamed of. I bet they even have papyri.” True, there had been a couple of intrepid predecessors, above all the incredible James Bruce in the 1770s, but the sheer scale of new exploration and research from the 1860s onward is several orders of magnitude greater. Again, why?For earlier posts in this series, see here and links. Cross-file under Lost Books.
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Rosen-Tzvi has written a masterpiece of a book that uncovers the many layers of Mishnah and Midrash, revealing that these are sophisticated, deep texts, carefully constructed intellectual systems.The book was published by University of California Press in 2026. See the review for a link.One can’t understand rabbinic Judaism by reading these texts superficially; one needs to grasp the rules, structures, and assumptions that underlie them. In How to Read the Mishnah and Midrash: An Introduction to Early Rabbinic Literature, Rosen-Tzvi shows how to do that.
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Notice of a New Book: Rutter, Keith. 2026. Coinages in the Achaemenid Empire. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Follow the link for a description and a link to the publisher's page. Cross-file under Numismatics.
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[Professor Serena Perone] agrees that ritualistic use is one possible interpretation.That sounds about right. One Greco-Egyptian incantation (PGM VII.1-148) consists just of a long list of unconnected lines from Homer. It calls itself "the Homer oracle."And there are other examples using just one or a few lines; notably PGM IV.2145-2240, which quotes three Homeric lines with instructions for using them as a spell inscribed on an iron lamella.“Several literary sources mention incantations utilizing Homeric verses for protective or healing purposes,” she says. But in those instances, the texts cited specific lines, not “extensive passages” like an excerpt from the Catalogue of Ships as found atop the Oxyrhynchus mummy.
That said, an extended passage from the Catalogue of Ships does not seem like a good candidate for a ritual incantation. But the passage was excerpted and buried with the deceased for some reason. I suspect that our imagination is what is limiting us here. If we do find the reason, it will seem obvious in hindsight.
Background here.
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Dr. Oswaldo Arteaga Matute, archaeologist, researcher and professor considered a key figure in the knowledge of the Phoenician past of the AxarquÃa area of Malaga province has died aged 84.Requiescat in pace.Vélez-Málaga town hall has announced a day of official mourning on Friday 15 May as a sign of recognition and tribute to the man who was named 'adopted son' of the eastern Costa del Sol town in May 2022. ...
His main contributions include excavations at the Mainake-Maenoba sites, in the area of Los Toscanos and Cerro del Mar, as well as the geoarchaeological reconstruction of the ancient mouth of the River Vélez. His work demonstrated that a large part of the current aricultural area around the River Vélez was once a large maritime inlet used by Phoenician navigators more than 2,500 years ago.
Arteaga's pioneering application of geoarchaeological techniques in the AxarquÃa was one of the most valued contributions by the scientific community. This research model would later be exported to numerous European archaeological projects.
Cross-file under Phoenician Watch and Punic Watch.
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In the past, some suggested that the discrepancies between the two parts apparent to the naked eye might have resulted from the scribe transcribing the scroll by copying from different manuscripts. A groundbreaking 2021 study employing artificial intelligence to examine minute differences in the way letters were written suggested that the scrolls were compiled by two scribes who sought to match their styles to each other.If so, the obvious next question is, Why did people make two scrolls of different halves of Isaiah at different times? The ToI article says:Taking the scholarship a step further, Dead Sea Scrolls expert Prof. Marcello Fidanzio of the Università della Svizzera Italiana says his research shows that the incongruities between the two sections stem from the fact that they were created as two separate scrolls and became one at a later point in time.
“I can now show that the two parts of the scrolls present a different manufacture,” Fidanzio told The Times of Israel in a phone interview ahead of the publication of “The Great Isaiah Scroll: A Voice From the Desert,” which he edited.
While modern scholars typically view the Book of Isaiah as having two distinct parts — from chapters 1-39 and chapter 40-66 — the division seen in the parchments does not mirror that split.Hmmm ... not exactly. There is a good case that Second Isaiah commences with chapters 34-35. And chapters 36-39 are obvious imports from the Deuteronomistic History. If in antiquity scribes wrote two different scrolls of Isaiah, one with chapters 1-33 and one with chapters 34-66, that may mean that they had a tradition that the book consisted of two (or more) different books by different authors. Maybe.
For that 2021 AI study mentioned in the quote, see here.
Background on the current Great Isaiah Scroll exhibition at the Israel Museum and (if you keep going) on the scroll itself, is here and links.
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A controversial bill seeking to extend Israeli civilian control over antiquities in the West Bank and Gaza would violate Israel’s international commitments and reinforce claims of “creeping annexation,” according to a position paper by the Knesset Education, Culture and Sports Committee legal adviser.Background here and links.The bill, which establishes a “Judea, Samaria, and Gaza Heritage Authority” under the Heritage Ministry, was discussed on Sunday to prepare it for its final readings in the Knesset plenum, where it could be voted into law. The committee is set to resume its discussion on Monday and vote on sending the bill to the plenum.
[...]
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I have been posting on texts and scriptures as they are lost and found, with an emphasis on gospels and sacred writings. Today, I want to complicate the story by asking how “lost” some texts ever get to be, when they might actually be hiding right in front of us, in plain sight.For notices of related posts by Prof. Jenkins, see here and links.[...]
A new edition of the Hymn of the Pearl has come out recently.
I linked to a British Library blog post on Barlaam and Josaphat (various spellings) here, but they have evaporated the post. Shame on them. The link to the Language Hat Blog preserves some of it.
Earlier posts in Prof. Jenkin's current series are noted here and links. Cross-file under Lost Books
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Wisdom in the Qur'anLaw and Morality from the Bible to Late Antiquity
Saqib Hussain
Oxford Studies in the Abrahamic Religions
£104.00
Hardback
Published: 24 February 2026
288 Pages
234x156mm
ISBN: 9780198911760
[An e-book version is also available.]Description
This work is the first detailed study of what the Qur'an means by 'wisdom.' It argues that the Qur'an, when it uses the term, is engaging with biblical wisdom discourse as it had been interpreted and understood in late antiquity. Biblical wisdom texts are a category of books in the Hebrew Bible and Apocrypha, such as Proverbs and Sirach, that emphasize the importance of acquiring wisdom through contemplating the natural world and one's own life experience. The presence of this wisdom genre in the Bible encouraged Hellenistic Jews and early Christians to embrace the Greek philosophical notion of natural law, the idea that what is morally right and wrong is known innately, and confirmed through divine revelation.
Over subsequent centuries, church fathers and rabbis continued to debate what the relationship between divine revelation and natural law / wisdom ought to be. While the church fathers argued that much of the legal content of the Hebrew Bible should no longer be followed now that Jesus had restored natural law to its rightful position as arbiter of right and wrong, the rabbis insisted that God is at liberty to impose through Scripture whatever laws he wishes onto humanity. This book asserts that when the Qur'an invokes wisdom, it engages in that debate, and ultimately presents a relationship between Scripture and natural law that is close to the Christian conception, insisting that law must be interpreted within an ethical framework that is innate to human morality.
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