BISHOP TOM WRIGHT is interviewed by the BBC on moving to St. Andrews.Via Mark Goodacre’s NT Blog . Read More »
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A weblog on ancient Judaism and its context
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Bntc 2010
I’M OFF to the British New Testament Conference , which is in Bangor, Wales, this year. I’m not presenting a paper this time, but I will be co-chairing the New Testament and Second Temple Judaism Seminar, as usual. The programs of all the seminars are available here .The conference takes place today, Friday, and Saturday. Read More »
New World Hebrew forgeries in the news
NEW WORLD HEBREW FORGERIES have been getting some unfortunate media attention lately. For some reason the Los Lunas “Mystery Stone” forgery in New Mexico is given gullible positive coverage by Digital Journal. Read More »
Antiquities restoration at the IAA
ANTIQUITIES RESTORATION at the IAA gets a brief look by Haaretz . Excerpt: Kamaisky is one of the Antiquities Authority’s six-member restoration team who reconstruct objects and implements of the material culture in the country since human habitation began. Read More »
Ancient cupid cameo from Jerusalem
AN ANCIENT CUPID CAMEO has been excavated in Jerusalem: Israel archeologists uncover 2,000-year-old cupid in City of David dig Israel Antiquities Authority says added inlaid semi-precious stone is of the ‘Eros in mourning,’ one of a group of visual motifs linked with mourning practices. Read More »
Oon the origins of the alphabet
ON THE ORIGINS OF THE ALPHABET: An interesting debate was started up in the March/April issue of BAR by Orly Goldwasser on whether the alphabet was invented in elite scribal circles or (her position) in a working-class environment. Anson Rainey and now Christopher Rollston have replied, taking the contrary view. Read More »
More on Arsinoë II
MORE ON ARSINOË II from Judith Weingarten at the Zenobia: Empress of the East blog: The Uppity Queen Arsinoë II (Part II) .Background here . Read More »
Phoenicia closing on on Gibraltar
THE GOOD SHIP PHOENICIA is closing in on Gibraltar : ARRIVING AT CALPE…Over a thousand years ago they arrived, looked at the Rock and called it Calpe. Now they’re back – at Ocean Village.After 27 consecutive days at sea, Phoenicia is expected to arrive on Sunday 29 August in the safe waters of Ocean Village marina for some well-earned R n R. Read More »
Reasons to study theology and religion
101 REASONS TO STUDY THEOLOGY AND RELIGION: The Call for Comments. Helen Ingram has an important blog post up at The Geek Muse. As you can see, I have added my two minas’ worth in the comments. Read More »
More ancient bling
MORE ANCIENT BLING: Syrian Archaeologists: Bronze Bracelets, Golden Earrings Unearthed in Sweida By R. Read More »
PSCO 2010-11 news
NEWS ON THE PHILADELPHIA SEMINAR ON CHRISTIAN ORIGINS 2010-11 from Annette Yoshiko Reed: 48th Philadelphia Seminar on Christian Origins, 2010-2011″Beyond Scare Quotes: Rethinking Words and Things in the Study of Ancient ‘Judaism’ and Read More »
Inscriptions of Qasr ibrim
THE INSCRIPTIONS OF QASR IBRIM are being published in a new book: Qasr Ibrim: The Greek and Coptic Inscriptions Published on Behalf of the Egypt Exploration Society by Adam Lajtar and Jacques van der Vliet This book contains the publication of the Read More »
A new fragment of Ezekiel’s Exagoge
PSEUDEPIGRAPHA WATCH: Bob Kraft e-mails: I just returned from the Papyrology Congress in Geneva, and you will be interested in the paper by Dirk Obbink (Oxford), “A New Fragment of Ezekiel’s Exagoge from Oxyrhynchus.” According to the abstract, this “newly identified papyrus … Read More »
BU’s ASOR archive opened to public
THE ASOR ARCHIVE at BU is being opened to the public: Near East Archaeological Archive Opened American Schools of Oriental Research headquartered at BUBy Rich Barlow (BU Today)Good news for the Indiana Jones set: since 1900, the American Schools of Oriental Research has played a pivotal role in archaeological discoveries. Read More »
Coptic Studies Conference
A COPTIC STUDIES CONFERENCE is being held in Alexandria on 21-23 September. Details at Howard Middleton-Jones’s Coptic News and Archive blog (which is new to me) and the conference website .Also via Abu ‘l-Rayhan Al-Biruni on FB. Read More »
The Literature of Pre-Islamic Iran
NEW(ISH) BOOK: Ronald E. Emmerich (1937-2001) and Maria Macuch (eds.), The Literature of Pre-Islamic Iran – Companion Volume I: v. 1: Companion Hardback | In Stock | £59.50 (I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd)Persian literature is the jewel in the crown of Persian culture. Read More »
Hannah Cotton lecturing on conception of Jesus
ISRAELI CLASSICS PROFESSOR HANNAH COTTON is giving a lecture at the University of Melbourne on “The Conception of Jesus and the Documents from the Judean Desert. Read More »
Aramaic Watch: Turkey
ARAMAIC WATCH: In Turkey, good news and bad news for the Arameans. From the Guardian : Turkey: an ancient faith rebuilds its roots in Tur Abdin, the ‘mountains of the worshippers’ Christian Syriacs who were expelled after a crackdown on the Kurds have returned from Europe to resettle their hilltop village[… Read More »
Pompeii’s destruction as divine retribution – again
POMPEII’S DESTRUCTION as divine retribution is explored by the Jerusalem Post . The article is mainly just a summary of Hershel Shanks’s BAR piece from July. As the article notes, the disaster took place 1931 years ago today. Read More »
More protesting at Barzilai Hospital
STILL AT IT: Haredim protest construction at Barzilai Hospital .Background here . Read More »
Herod’s tomb again
HEROD’S TOMB and his building projects are discussed in an article in Jewish Ideas Daily : Digging King Herod By Aryeh TepperKing Herod was a Jew of doubtful origin who ruled Israel in the years 40-4 B.C.E. During this same period, the Roman republic was being replaced by the Roman Empire with its vast expansionist aims. Read More »
Petra cave paintings
PETRA has been in the news lately for more than Travel pieces, which is a nice development. The latest: Discovery of ancient cave paintings in Petra stuns art scholars Exquisite artworks hidden under 2,000 years of soot and grime in a Jordanian cave Read More »
SBL Executive Director responds to Ron Hendel
JOHN F. KUTSKO, the Executive Director of the Society of Biblical Literature, has a thoughtful and constructive response to the concerns raised by Ron Hendel some time ago. Do go and read it.More here .Also, while I’m thinking about it, note the SBL’s David Noel Freedman Award for Excellence and Creativity in Hebrew Bible Scholarship and Paul J. Read More »
The empress, the gold coin, and everything
ARSINOË II, the queen on that newly excavated gold coin , is profiled by Judith Weingarten in a long post at her Zenobia: Empress of the East blog: The Uppity Queen Arsinoë II Who’s the Woman Behind this Giant Coin? The news that a rare Ptolemaic gold coin was found in Israel — weighing just under one ounce (27. Read More »
Carly Silver on Dura Europos and her Jewish heritage
CARLY SILVER meditates in New Voices on Dura Europos and her Jewish heritage. Excerpt: When I did research for Archaeology , a different image presented itself. Read More »
A new Hebrew grammar
A NEW HEBREW GRAMMAR: John A. Cook and Robert D. Holmstedt, Biblical Hebrew: An Illustrated Introduction . This is the first time I’ve heard the term “PHSD (’post Hebrew stress disorder’). Read More »
New twist in Jerusalem Museum of Tolerance controversy
A NEW TWIST in the controversy over the Jerusalem Museum of Tolerance and its siting at the Muslim Mamilla Cemetery: Muslims planned Mamilla project in ‘45 BY ABE SELIG ( Jerusalem Post )02/17/2010 03: 54Wiesenthal Center accuses Museum of Tolerance opponents of hypocrisy. Read More »
Armenian studies at the Hebrew University
A PROFILE OF ARMENIAN STUDIES at the Hebrew University: ARMENIAN STUDIES, A FASCINATING FIELD from Arthur Hagopian (PR-inside.com)Jerusalem, Aug 18 – The language of the Armenian people and their culture, literature and history have always provided a fascinating field of study among “odar” (foreigner) scholars. Read More »
Angelic amulet advert banned by ASA
TRUTH IN ADVERTISING now applies to magical amulets: Amulet advert banned over claim of ‘divine protection’ An advert for an amulet which promised ‘divine protection’ has been banned by advertising bosses because the firm behind it could not prove that angels will protect those who wear it. Read More »
IAA Director harrassed by haredi?
MORE CONFLICT reported between the IAA and the Ultra-Orthodox: Haredi suspected of harassing Antiquities Authority director Published: 08.18.10, 11: 07 / Israel News (Ynet News)A 23-year-old ultra-Orthodox man from Jerusalem has been arrested on suspicion of harassing Israel Antiquities Authority Director-General Shuka Dorfman.[… Read More »
Jerusalem Syndrome becoming less common
JERUSALEM SYNDROME is becoming less common according to Emunah Magazine: Speaking in a recent interview with the Lutheran Press Service, Israeli psychologist Gregory Katz from the Kfar Shaul Medical Center in Jerusalem says the syndrome is becoming less common as the years go by. Read More »
“Canaanite” bracelet modern?
OOPS! Rare Bronze Horned-Bracelet, Not Ancient The fact is the excavators found a modern 20th-century Bedouin bracelet and not a Canaanite bracelet By Robert Deutsch (Bible and Interpretation)ArchaeologistTel AvivAugust 2010 If this is correct, it’s a bit embarrassing. It will be interesting to see how other archaeologists react. Read More »
Prof. Tom Wright – public lecture
PROFESSOR TOM WRIGHT will be giving a public lecture at the University of St. Andrews in September: University of St AndrewsSchool of DivinityBible and the Contemporary World – Public LectureProf. N. T. (Tom) Wright – ‘Kingdom, Power and Truth: God and Caesar Then and Now’Tuesday 14th September 20106. Read More »
Why we need Akkadian (and the humanities!)
WHY WE NEED AKKADIAN is explained in a book review in The Forward : Why We Need Akkadian How One Semitic Language Sheds Light on Another By Jerome A. Chanes Published August 11, 2010, issue of August 20, 2010. Read More »
Dura Europos profiled in Archaeology Magazine
THE SITE OF DURA EUROPOS and its history are profiled in Archaeology Magazine: Dura-Europos: Crossroad of Cultures August 11, 2010by Carly Silver A Lost Civilization of the Ancient Middle East In 1920, British soldiers digging trenches near the Euphrates River came across ancient wall paintings. Read More »
Eisenbrauns – Back-to-School Sale: Aramaic & Syriac
FOR YOU, SPECIAL DEAL: Eisenbrauns – Back-to-School Sale: Aramaic & Syriac . Read More »
More on supposed John the Baptist burial in Bulgaria
CHRISTOPHER ROLLSTON looks at the case for a John the Baptist burial in Bulgaria and finds it wanting: “Ultimately, I would contend that for someone to suggest that these bones could be those of John the Baptist, a figure of 1st century CE Palestine, is tenuous in the extreme.”More here . Read More »
Coptic Psalms quote on wall of Egyptian Cave
PSALMS MATERIAL IN COPTIC inscribed on the wall of Cave T8 at Jabal al-Tarif near Nag Hammadi, Egypt (where the Nag Hammadi Coptic Gnostic library was found). Read More »
Tomb Planters?
TOMB PLANTERS? There are reports that hundreds of fake Muslim graves have been planted at the Mamilla cemetery (the one being excavated to make room for the Jerusalem Museum of Tolerance). Read More »
Report suppressed on Waqf Temple Mount excavation?
TEMPLE MOUNT WATCH: According to the Jewish Chronicle , a report by the Comptroller’s Office which investigates the Israeli Government’s (lack of) response to the Waqf’s illicit excavation on the Temple Mount is being suppressed: Islamic movement Read More »
Michael Wise interviewed about Minnesota DSS exhibit
MICHAEL WISE is interviewed about the Minnesota Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition: Dead Sea Scrolls help bridge 2,000-years of faith, history By Pat Norby Thursday, 12 August 2010 Catholic Spirit news editor Pat Norby recently talked with Michael Wise, professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Languages at Northwestern College in St. Read More »
“Amazing” gold coin excavated at Tel Kedesh
AN “AMAZING” GOLD COIN has been excavated at Tel Kedesh. Here’s the IAA press release : EXTREMELY RARE 2200-YEAR OLD GOLD COIN UNCOVERED EXCAVATIONS AT TELL KEDESH Head of IAA Coin Department: “This is the heaviest and most valuable ancient gold coin Read More »
The Origins of ABC
THE ORIGINS OF ABC – a wide-ranging history of the alphabet in a post at John Boardley’s I Love Typography blog. I’ve skimmed it over quickly and the parts about which I know something look pretty accurate.Nitpick: the latest surviving cuneiform text dates itself to 74-75 CE, not the fifth century CE. Read More »
Pompeii and the pyroclastic surge
THE PEOPLE AT POMPEII died from a pyroclastic surge, and the media has finally noticed: Scientists question accepted wisdom on what killed Pompeiians when Mt. Vesuvius erupted By Angelica Marin (MinnPost.com)POMPEII, Italy — A child lies on the ground with his tiny arms elevated in motion. Read More »
Unrest at another ancient Jericho synagogue
UNREST at another ancient Jericho synagogue: 30 arrested in march to Jericho-area synagogue Right-wing activists seeking to establish an outpost near an ancient synagogue in Na’aran, near Jericho, clash with security forces. Read More »
New retrograde Hebrew and Aramaic lexicon
A NEW RETROGRADE HEBREW AND ARAMAIC LEXICON is noted at Balashnut and it doesn’t get a terribly positive review: I received an e-mail this morning from Amazon, suggesting that I might be interested in the Retrograde Hebrew and Aramaic Dictionary by Ruth Sander and Kerstin Mayerhofer (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2010). Read More »
New book on Slavonic Pseudepigrapha
A NEW BOOK ON SLAVONIC PSEUDEPIGRAPHA: Andrei Orlov, Divine Manifestations in the Slavonic Pseudepigrapha , Orientalia Judaica Christiana 2 (Piscataway: Gorgias, 2009). Via April De Conick , who also notes that Orlov has posted the introduction here . Read More »
BOOK REVIEW (BMCR): Reidar Aasgaard, The Childhood of Jesus: Decoding the Apocryphal Infancy Gospel
BOOK REVIEW (BMCR): Reidar Aasgaard, The Childhood of Jesus: Decoding the Apocryphal Infancy Gospel of Thomas. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2009. Pp. xii, 285. ISBN 9781606081266. $33.00 (pb). Reviewed by Enrico Norelli, Université de Genève (Enrico.Norelli@unige. Read More »
Report on Temple Mount excavations “buried”?
TEMPLE MOUNT WATCH: Government ‘tried to bury’ report on Temple Mount excavations Knesset to discuss ’suppressed’ report on potentially explosive Temple Mount excavations. Read More »
More on the rephotographing of the DSS in Minnesota
MORE ON THE REPHOTOGRAPHING OF THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS in Minnesota: Megavision’s website describes the technology used: High- resolution photography and multi-spectral imaging high resolution images over 12 or more spectral bands from the near UV to the near IR. Read More »
Tony Scott to direct Hannibal the Conquerer?
TONY SCOTT (Ridley’s brother) as director of Vin Diesel’s Hannibal the Conquerer? Maybe. And it seems the project could be expanding into a trilogy. Vin Diesel himself let slip that he was talking to Scott about his “Hannibal” pic. Read More »
Raphael Golb case going to trial
THE RAPHAEL GOLB CASE is going to trial according to the New York Post : Accused Dead Sea Scrolls identity thief rejects plea deal, plans trial By LAURA ITALIANOLast Updated: 2: 11 PM, August 6, 2010Posted: 2: 05 PM, August 6, 2010Plea negotiations Read More »
X-ray technology and the Jerusalem cuneiform fragment
TECHNOLOGY WATCH: An article in YubaNet.com on the technology that determined that the Jerusalem cuneiform fragment originated in the vicinity of Jerusalem. Now, by adapting an off-the-shelf portable x-ray lab tool that analyzes the composition of chemicals, Prof. Read More »
More on the New Jersey DSS
THE DEAD SEA SCROLL FRAGMENTS IN NEW JERSEY get lots of coverage in the New Jersey Jewish Standard : From Qumran to Teaneck Fragments of history from the Dead Sea Scrolls Josh Lipowsky • Cover StoryPublished: 04 August 2010Throngs of Jews walk past St. Read More »
Tobias and Raphael in an 18th century Siddur
APOCRYPHA WATCH: The story of Tobias and Raphael, from the Book of Tobit, appears in the Siddur of an eighteenth-century Mohel : The siddur , currently in the Braginsky Collection (reviewed in the Jewish Press, February 26, 2010), is called “Sefer Sod Adonai im Sharvit ha Zahav (Book of the Lord’s Mystery with the Golden Scepter. Read More »
Inside the Israel Antiquities Authority
INSIDE THE ISRAEL ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY with Eti Bonn-Muller in Archaeology Magazine. Read More »
The finder of the Jerusalem cuneiform fragment
THE FINDER OF THE JERUSALEM CUNEIFORM FRAGMENT is introduced by her mother in the Jewish Tribune : The young woman who literally found the fragment with her own two hands is our daughter, Ephrat, who was born in Toronto in 1982, while we were on educational shlichut there. Read More »
Cyrus Cylinder fragments from China?
CYRUS CYLINDER FRAGMENTS FROM CHINA? Extracts of Cyrus Cylinder found in China British Museum curator has identified cuneiform text inscribed on horse bones By Martin Bailey | From issue 215, July-August 2010 ( The Art Newspaper )Published online 2 Aug 10 (News)LONDON. Read More »
Ancient Canaanite bracelet
LILIT MARCUS: I Would Totally Wear This Recently Discovered 3,000 Year Old Bracelet .More ancient bling posts here and follow the links. Read More »
No bones of John the Baptist
ROBERT CARGILL: no, no you didn’t find the remains of john the baptist. Indeed not. Read More »
