Review of Minets, The slow fall of Babel

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: The slow fall of Babel: languages and identities in Late Antique Christianity.

Yuliya Minets, The slow fall of Babel: languages and identities in Late Antique Christianity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021. Pp. 400. ISBN 9781108980821

Review by
Philip Forness, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. philip.forness@kuleuven.be

... With this broader background, Yulia Minets’s timely monograph The Slow Fall of Babel investigates the ways in which Late Antique Christian sources reflect on and conceptualize language. The book takes as its source material Christian texts written roughly between 200 and 600 ce in Greek, Latin, Syriac, and occasionally Coptic, focusing on Christian interpretations of “language-related phenomena described in the biblical narrative” (p. 7) as well as “metalinguistic comments in early Christian narratives” (p. 8). ...

The book also gives considerable attention to Jewish sources and Jewish scriptural exegesis.

I noted an essay by the author on the then-forthcoming book here.

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Materiality and Liminality in Aramaic incantation bowls

THE COPTIC MAGICAL PAPYRI BLOG: Materiality and Liminality in Incantation Bowls. A guest post by Anne Sieberichs.

In this post, I will illustrate the entanglements of the use of the incantation bowls and their text through the concept of liminality that is present in both the text and its use. More specifically, I will look at the placement of the bowls within thresholds, and how they served as a second wall providing protection inside against the non-protected outside, using bowl CAMIB 49A as an example.

The Aramaic incantation bowl CAMIB 49A (BM 135563) is housed in the British Museum, acquired in 1971. It appears not to have been scientifically excavated: the provenance is "said to be from." Caveat lector accordingly.

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More on "Rediscovering Enoch"

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: Rediscovering Enoch from the Fifteenth to Nineteenth Century (Annette Yoshiko Reed).

If there is an origin myth for modern scholarship on Second Temple Judaism, one of its protagonists is no doubt the Scottish adventurer James Bruce (1730–1794), widely celebrated as the man who “rediscovered” 1 Enoch. The manuscripts that he brought from Ethiopia to Europe were key catalysts for academic interest in the Judaism of this so-called “intertestamental” period ...

I noted the publication of Rediscovering Enoch here, with comment.

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The Ptolemaic Kingdom

THE WORLD IS FULL OF HISTORY: The Ptolemaic Kingdom (World Atlas).

The Ptolemaic Kingdom was an ancient Greek state based in Egypt. Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 332 BC, liberating the people from Persian rule. After his death, his companion and general, Ptolemy I Soter, founded the Ptolemaic Kingdom in 305 BC and ruled over Egypt. He took advantage of Egypt's geographical position and expanded Egypt's role in trade networks, which led to the domination of the Ptolemaic Kingdom over the Mediterranean. The Ptolemaic rulers reigned for nearly three centuries before the end of the empire marked by the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC, and the beginning of Roman rule in Egypt.

[...]

A nice overview of the Ptolemaic dynasty and its history.

For many PaleoJudaica posts on the Ptolemaic empire, including its coins and its importance for biblical and ancient Jewish studies, start here (cf. here and here) and follow the links.

For Ptolemaic coins and mention of the rulers in the Bible, see the posts collected here.

For Cleopatra VII (the Cleopatra), who reportedly spoke Hebrew and Aramaic, see here and links.

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More on Antakya (Antioch)

HISTORY: Ruins of Turkish city of Antakya tell story of a rich past. Jewish community’s leaders died in 7.8-quake this month; city ‘can be rebuilt, but it will not be like the old one,’ resident says (SARAH EL DEEB, Times of Israel).

Antakya, known as Antioch in ancient times, has been repeatedly destroyed by earthquakes and rebuilt over history. But residents fear it will be a long time before it recovers from this one, and that its unique historical identity may never be fully restored. The destruction is so great, and they say the government cares little for this area.

Antioch, built in 300 B.C. by a general of Alexander the Great in the Orontes River valley, was one of the biggest cities of the Greco-Roman world, rivaling Alexandria and Constantinople. Saints Peter and Paul are said to have founded one of the oldest Christian communities here, and it’s here that the word “Christian” first came into use. It later drew Muslim and Christian Crusader invaders.

Antaka has tragically been in the news due to that dreadful earthquake. I followed a story pertaining to the city here and here.

The Book of Acts reports that ancient Antioch had a Jewish community signficant enough to make it attractive as a missions ground for first-generation Jesus followers. But some of them also began preaching to gentiles, evidently with some success. Acts says that Jesus followers were first called Christians at Antioch (11:19-30).

Incidentally, this city was Antioch on the Orontes. There were other ancient cities with the same name. Acts mentions one of them, Antioch of Pisidia (or Phrygia) (Acts 13:13-52), near Yalvaç in Isparta Province in present-day Turkey.

I wish the citizens of Aktakya all success in rebuilding their city.

UPDATE (24 February): This post by Carl Rasmussen at the Holy Land Photos' Blog is also relevant: Earthquakes in Turkey and the formation of the Jordan Valley.

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Rediscovering Enoch? (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

Rediscovering Enoch? The Antediluvian Past from the Fifteenth to Nineteenth Centuries

Series: Studia in Veteris Testamenti Pseudepigrapha, Volume: 27

Volume Editors: Ariel Hessayon , Annette Yoshiko Reed , and Gabriele Boccaccini

The books of Enoch are famed for having been “lost” in the Middle Ages but “rediscovered” by modern scholars. But was this really the case? This volume is the first to explore the reception of Enochic texts and traditions between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries. Bringing specialists in antiquity into conversation with specialists in early modernity, it reveals a much richer story with a more global scope. Contributors show how Enoch and the era before the Flood were newly reimagined, not just by scholars, but also by European artists and adventurers, Kabbalists, Sufis, Mormons, and Ethiopian and Slavonic Christians.

Prices from (excl. shipping): €147.00

Copyright Year: 2023
E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-53751-4
Publication date: 13 Feb 2023

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-52979-3
Publication date: 16 Feb 2023

Nothing on John Dee? I'm surprised. In the sixteenth century, Dee and his "scryer," Edward Kelley, showed some interest in the quotation of 1 Enoch in Jude 14-15. They also produced their own Enochian apocrypha.

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Candle handle found on an amble

ARTIFACT: Israeli family discovers ancient Byzantine relic on Shabbat walk. According to a release from the Israel Antiquities Authority, the family noticed a small clay face in the ground, which appeared to be looking up at them (Jerusalem Post).

Researchers at the IAA examined the item and determined that it is the decorative handle of a candle holder from the 6th or 7th century CE.

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The Phoenix and ancient Judaism

MYTHOLOGY: The surprising Jewish origins of the phoenix. Israeli expert delves into the history of the mythical bird, from the Hebrew Bible to classical Jewish sages and even Harry Potter (Shmuel Munitz, YNet News).

The legend of the phoenix appears in different cultures - from Greek mythology and ancient Egypt to modern fantasy stories. The legendary bird is made of fire and lives for centuries before it bursts into flames and is reborn from the ashes.

However, the mythical winged creature also makes several appearances in Jewish scripture and subsequent commentaries on the Hebrew Bible.

“In all mythologies, there is a concept of hope after loss and death. The possibility for Tikkun (amendment/fixing) exists in the phoenix itself – and it is very strong,” says Ayala Dekel, an author and a spiritual expert who serves as the head of the secular yeshiva The Jewish Movement for Social Change.

[...]

Despite the headline, the article itself (correctly) does not assert that the phoenix originated in Judaism. But the creature does make appearances in rabbinic literature and subsequent Jewish traditions.

For more on the phoenix in the Talmud, see here — alas with bad link, but still with substantive comment.

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Esther scrolls returned to Turkey

BACK HOME: Turkey earthquake: Israel returns antique Jewish scrolls taken from Antakya. Israeli rescue mission says it was given the texts for safekeeping, but the issue has angered many (Middle East Eye).

However, the reaction on Turkish social media quickly became hostile, with discontent rumbling over the weekend despite the scrolls being returned on Friday. The removal of the texts tap into longstanding fears that historical items have previously been looted from the country in times of crisis, for instance during the Ottoman period.

The Turkish Chief Rabbinate Foundation quickly attempted to quell fears by addressing the issue on Twitter and assuring that the scrolls are in its possession.

"The relevant Esther scroll was received from Israel and is kept in our Chief Rabbinate. [The scroll] will return to its home in Antakya after the renovation of our synagogue," it tweeted on Friday.

Background here.

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Author summary of Kiperwasser, Going West

ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: "Going West" in Talmudic Literature | Publication Preview (Reuven Kiperwasser).

Kiperwasser, Reuven. Going West: Migrating Personae and Construction of the Self in Rabbinic Culture. Vol. 369. SBL Press, 2021.

... My book examines narratives of Late Antiquity in which rabbinic figures travel either westward from Babylonia to Palestine or eastward from Palestine to Babylonia. They encounter local rabbis, local laypeople, and the practices and customs of these new settings. My study is the first in-depth research of the social, cultural, and religious aspects of the encounters between Babylonians and their Palestinian brethren from narratives dating between the third- to sixth-centuries. ...

I noted the publication of the book here.

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Shelby White's antiquities collection under investigation

MORE PROBLEM ARTIFACTS: American patron of Israeli archaeology becomes focus of New York’s antiquities trafficking unit. Shelby White has already relinquished two dozen items worth at least $20 million due to investigations (Asaf Elia-Shalev, JTA via Times of Israel).

JTA — The crusading New York prosecutor who has been exposing illicit trafficking in the antiquities market through a succession of high-profile raids has zeroed in on his next big target: the private collection of Shelby White, the widow of a Wall Street legend and philanthropist known for donating to Jewish museums in New York and to the Israeli government agency charged with policing the antiquities trade.

As a result of the ongoing investigation into looted artifacts by Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Matthew Bogdanos, White has already relinquished at least two dozen items worth at least $20 million, according to reporting by New York magazine.

[...]

For more on Shelby White, see here and here and links. For more on Matthew Bogdanos, see here and here and links. And for the investigation of Michael Steinhardt's collection, see here and here.

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Lasine, Divine Envy, Jealousy, and Vengefulness in Ancient Israel and Greece (Routledge)

NEW BOOK FROM ROUTLEDGE:

Divine Envy, Jealousy, and Vengefulness in Ancient Israel and Greece

By Stuart Lasine

Copyright Year 2023
Hardback
£120.00

eBook
£33.29

ISBN 9781032261799
Published November 11, 2022 by Routledge
214 Pages 1 B/W Illustrations

Book Description

This book is the first in-depth comparative analysis of envy, jealousy, and vengefulness experienced by divine personalities in the Hebrew Bible and ancient Greek texts and the functions served by attributing negative emotions and traits to one’s gods.

Readers are informed about the vigorous debates concerning the nature of emotion, a field with rapidly growing interest, including the specific emotions of envy, jealousy, and vengefulness. The book charts the complex, multi-faceted presentation of divine beings in the Hebrew Bible and ancient Greek literature, including their negative emotions. While the detailed readings of key biblical and Greek texts can stand on their own, Lasine’s comparative analyses allow readers to appreciate the uniqueness of each tradition. Finally, examining the functions served by envisioning one’s God or gods as jealous, envious, and vengeful offers readers a fresh perspective on biblical theology and the ways in which Greek poets and dramatists imagined the nature of their deities.

Divine Envy, Jealousy, and Vengefulness in Ancient Israel and Greece is intended for biblical, classical, and literary scholars, as well as the general reader interested in the Hebrew Bible and/or ancient Greek literature.

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On the Diadochoi, the successors of Alexander the Great

THE WORLD IS FULL OF HISTORY: Who Are the Diadochi of Alexander the Great? (The Collector).

This is a good, brief article on the Diadochoi, the generals who succeeded Alexander after his death. Nice coin photos too.

Some of them are mentioned (glancingly or using secret code names) in the Bible in the Book of Daniel.

Ptolemy I is "the king of the south" (a title reused later in the chapter for other Ptolemids) and Seleucus I is "one of his princes" in Daniel 11:5. Verse 4 also says more generally that Alexander's kingdom will be "broken up and divided toward the four winds of heaven" to others besided his posterity. This apparently refers to Ptolemy I, Seleucis I, Cassander, and Lysymachus. Cf. Daniel 8:8, 22 and, more generally 1 Maccabees 1:8-9.

I am unaware of any biblical references to Antigonus I.

For more on the Ptolemaic dynasty, including biblical references and the coins of the rulers, see here and links. For more on Seleucus I Nicator, see here and links. For more on the Seleucid dynasty and their coins, see here and links.

What appears to be a lost history of the Diadochoi has recently been partially recovered in a carbonized scroll from Herculaneum.

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Review of Jim, Saviour gods and soteria in ancient Greece

BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: Saviour gods and soteria in ancient Greece.

Theodora Suk Fong Jim, Saviour gods and soteria in ancient Greece. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022. Pp. xii, 319. ISBN 9780192894113

Review by
Tony Keddie, The University of Texas at Austin. tony.keddie@austin.utexas.edu

[...]

This book is in many ways a groundbreaking investigation of a significant religious concept. It should be widely read by scholars of religion in the ancient Mediterranean. Unfortunately, its reduction of “Christian monotheism” to an orientation toward otherworldly soteria is a well-intentioned strawman that nonetheless reproduces a longstanding metanarrative of Christian exceptionalism. Researchers building on this study would do well to recast Jim’s division between this-worldly “protection” and other-worldly “salvation” along the lines of the fluidity Jim has so effectively illustrated elsewhere.

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Oldest Hebrew Bible up for auction

BY SOTHEBY'S: World's oldest Hebrew Bible could fetch up to $50 million at auction. If the 1,000-year-old holy book sells for near its estimated value, the Codex Sassoon would become the most valuable printed text or historical document ever sold at auction (Reuters via Jerusalem Post).

The world's oldest and most complete Hebrew Bible will go on display in London next week before an auction in May where it could sell for up to $50 million, Sotheby's said on Wednesday.

If the 1,000-year-old holy book sells for near its estimated value, the Codex Sassoon would become the most valuable printed text or historical document ever sold at auction, Sotheby's said.

[...]

Good. Then I hope the new owner donates it to a museum in Israel.

Nadia Khomami has additional details in the Guardian: Oldest complete Hebrew Bible expected to break auction records. Ninth-century Codex Sassoon, critical link between Dead Sea scrolls and today’s Bible, will have estimate of $30m-$50m.

Cross-file under It Belongs In A Museum.

UPDATE (3 March): For more on the Sassoon family and their antiquarian collections, see here.

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Coins and the date Judaism emerged

NUMISMATICS: Coins Provide Key Evidence in Historic Origins of Judaism (David Hendin, American Numismatic Society via CoinWeek).

The bulk of this article summarizes Professor Yonatan Adler's case for the late origin of Torah-observant Judaism. See also here and here. But keep reading and it does get to the coin evidence in some detail.

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Old Esther scrolls recovered in Turkey

NOW SAFE: Ancient Book of Esther scrolls survive Turkey earthquake, brought to Israel. Local elder salvages centuries-old documents from rubble of collapsed Antakya synagogue and hands them to Israeli rescuers; 'this is one of the most moving moments of my life,' says rescue mission chief (Korin Elbaz Alush, YNet News).

As Israeli rescue teams were rummaging through the rubble in the Turkish city of Antakya after last week's devastating earthquake in hopes of finding survivors trapped underneath, a local elderly Jewish man approached them holding something unique in his hands — two centuries-old Book of Esther scrolls that were kept in the local synagogue before the shock.

[...]

Unlike many of the manuscript "discoveries" that have been coming out of Turkey, this looks real. From the photos, they do look like Esther scrolls and they do look old, perhaps centuries old.

They aren't exactly ancient, but right now we'll take any good news coming from Turkey.

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Rocca, In the Shadow of the Caesars (Brill)

NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:

In the Shadow of the Caesars: Jewish Life in Roman Italy

Series: The Brill Reference Library of Judaism, Volume: 74

Author: Samuele Rocca

The main contribution of this book is that it tries to determine how the Jews answered the challenges of Roman society. Thus, the book presents a refreshing approach to the nature of the Roman attitude toward Judaism and the Jews. In addition, it provides the first detailed examination of the demography and geography of the Jewish communities in Roman Italy. The book also offers a new look at the legal standing of the Jewish communitarian organization. Last but not least, this study also addresses the various facets of the culture of the Jews living in Roman Italy.

Prices from (excl. shipping): €145.00

Copyright Year: 2023
E-Book (PDF)
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-52562-7 Publication date: 19 Sep 2022

Hardback
Availability: Published
ISBN: 978-90-04-51704-2
Publication date: 08 Sep 2022

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"Legends of Destruction" film dubbed in English

CINEMA: Award-winning animated feature about Second Temple destruction now in English. Gidi Dar says ‘Legend of Destruction’ film is ‘warning sign to Israelis’ at a time of renewed national discord (Jessica Steinberg, Times of Israel).

Director Gidi Dar’s award-winning film “Legend of Destruction” about the Jewish revolt against Rome in 70 CE has been dubbed into English, with voices by Oscar Isaac, Evangeline Lilly, Elliot Gould, Billy Zane and others.

The 2021 film, made entirely of still drawings, was written by Dar and actor Shuli Rand, and drawn by Michael Faust and David Polonsky of the Oscar-nominated, Golden Globe-winning 2008 animated film, “Waltz with Bashir.”

[...]

I noted the release of the film here.

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Did curse tablets influence the Book of Revelation?

IMPRECATORY APOCALYPSE? New Testament's Book of Revelation Was Influenced by Curse Tablets, Scholar Deduces. The style of John’s Revelation, the apocalyptic final book of the New Testament, smacks of formally cursing one’s enemies in true Middle Eastern tradition, proposes scholar at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz).

John’s Revelation includes wording and phrases that smack of curse tablets such as: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.” (Revelation 18:21)

This is the stuff of curse-ritual material, Hölscher feels (albeit talking about the fallen Babylon, not the neighbor), and the text goes on: “The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again” – (Revelation 18:22) and it goes on and on and on.

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