tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112Fri, 08 May 2026 10:25:20 +0000Ancient IsraelAncient Judaism; Early ChristianityDavila 666ScriptureTenured professor Hebrew Bibleias<p><big><b>Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.</b></big> <p> E-mail: paleojudaica-at-talktalk-dot-net ("-at-" = "@", "-dot-" = ".")</p></p>http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)Blogger24144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-527316175698241019Fri, 08 May 2026 10:21:00 +00002026-05-08T11:21:11.880+01:00THAT DARNED TREASURE AGAIN: The Mysterious Copper Scroll and the End of Days. One stood among the Dead Sea Scrolls: made of metal, and seemingly never meant to be read. Who made it, when and why, and how was Bar-Kokhba involved? Shimon Gibson presents a new theory (Ruth Schuster)."The Copper Scroll has always been an enigma, already from when it was first discovered and published. None of the http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/new-proposals-about-copper-scroll.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-785724477989945752Fri, 08 May 2026 10:06:00 +00002026-05-08T11:06:30.754+01:00ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: The Limits of Jewish Identity (John J. Collins).The Limits of Jewish Identity: Comments on The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, Vol.2, Emerging Judaism, 332 BCE–600 CE, ed. Carol BakhosAs one might imagine, given the author, this is an excellent review of textual data and methodological issues for the question of what constituted Jewish literature, and http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/collins-on-limits-of-jewish-identity.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-6461474030675620545Fri, 08 May 2026 09:24:00 +00002026-05-08T10:24:46.800+01:00BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: When Cypriot Jews Revolted Against Rome. Archaeology shines light on little-known revolt (Marek Dospěl).To explore the historical evidence for the Diaspora Revolt—including the New Testament and Roman historians—read Thomas Davis’s article “The Diaspora Revolt: Cyprus’s Forgotten Jewish Uprising,” published in the Spring 2026 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.The article http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/cyprus-and-diaspora-revolt-of-115-117-ce.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-2589790878296967550Thu, 07 May 2026 09:23:00 +00002026-05-07T10:23:34.120+01:00NEW BOOK FROM SBL PRESS:Aramaic Literature from Egypt and the Levant Tawny L. Holm ISBN 9781628377521 Volume WAW 30 Status Available Publication Date May 2026 Paperback $90.00 Hardback $110.00 eBook $90.00 In this volume, Tawny L. Holm provides bilingual editions of the majority of Aramaic literary compositions written between the fifth century BCE and first century CE. Each text is http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/holm-aramaic-literature-from-egypt-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-9181885006025879208Thu, 07 May 2026 09:05:00 +00002026-05-07T10:05:36.496+01:00BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: Identities in antiquity.Joseph Skinner, Vicky Manolopoulou, Christina Tsouparopoulou, Identities in antiquity. Rewriting antiquity. London: Routledge, 2025. Pp. 590. ISBN 9781138545168. Review by Jeremy McInerney, University of Pennsylvania. jmcinern@sas.upenn.edu ... Overall, this volume is a valuable contribution to the discourse around identity. Its strength http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/review-of-identities-in-antiquity.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-767055663591756682Wed, 06 May 2026 09:45:00 +00002026-05-06T10:45:00.116+01:00NORTHWEST SEMITIC EPIGRAPHY: New Inscription From Lachish Proves Early Use of Joseph’s Title. As Joseph was ‘šalit’ in Bronze Age Egypt, Baal was ‘šalit’ at Bronze Age Lachish (CHRISTOPHER EAMES, Armstrong Institute of Biblical Research).Nevertheless, šalit has at least been generally recognized as a later Persian Period loan word, applied either during the editing or composition of these texts http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/new-lachish-ostracon-confirms-josephs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-1760106792509377449Wed, 06 May 2026 09:33:00 +00002026-05-06T10:33:00.112+01:00THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST TODAY: Ancient Nessana: A Pilgrimage Site at the Edge of the Desert (Yana Tchekhanovets).Located in the southwestern Negev, along the principal route linking Jerusalem and other significant holy sites with Mount Sinai, ancient Nessana is not associated with any biblical events or major relics. However, during the Byzantine period (ca. 5th-7th centuries CE), it emerged as a http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-nessana-excavation.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-1185372856448988200Wed, 06 May 2026 09:24:00 +00002026-05-06T10:24:00.120+01:00BIBLIOGRAPHIA IRANICA: The Pearlsong. Notice of a New Book: Bremer-McCollum, Adam. 2025. The Pearlsong (Texts & Translations of Transcendence and Transformation). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Better known as The Hymn of the Pearl, this song is embedded in the Syriac text of the apocryphal Acts of Thomas. It arguably had a pre-history. There is a Greek version in the Greek http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/bremer-mccollum-pearlsong-harvard.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-8172573492968931602Tue, 05 May 2026 09:23:00 +00002026-05-05T10:23:27.260+01:00PROACTIVE ARCHAEOLOGY: The Fight to Preserve Israel’s History. The Israel Antiquities Authority’s anti-theft unit is waging its own war (HEATHER LEXA, Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology).For nine years, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) and Israel’s Ministry of Heritage have been working together to preserve the history of the Jewish people and their ties to the land of Israel. By http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/on-iaas-anti-theft-unit.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-884602064784238195Tue, 05 May 2026 09:10:00 +00002026-05-05T10:10:20.755+01:00CINEMA: Mel Gibson’s ‘The Resurrection of the Christ’ Sequel, Out in 2027, Wraps Filming. (Stephanie Martin, ChurchLeaders).“The Resurrection of the Christ,” the long-awaited follow-up to Mel Gibson’s 2004 blockbuster “The Passion of the Christ,” has completed seven months of shooting in Italy. In videos shared on social media, the cast and crew celebrate the completion of principal photography http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/filming-completed-for-resurrection-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-3628657154014391291Tue, 05 May 2026 08:51:00 +00002026-05-05T09:51:31.952+01:00FOR LAG B'OMER: Lag b’Omer: celebrating Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Long before the advent of modern-day celebrations of Yom Ha’atzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim one date pierced the gloom of the Omer period –Lag b’Omer. (YOSSI AARON, The Australian Jewish News).But leaving aside mystical actions and teachings attributed to Rashbi in the Zohar, what do we know of him from sources such as the Talmud? We http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/rabbi-shimon-bar-yochai-in-talmud.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-5091763727957531728Mon, 04 May 2026 10:16:00 +00002026-05-05T11:27:30.783+01:00 LAG B'OMER, the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, begins tonight at sundown. Best wishes to all observing it. My 2025 Lag B'Omer post is here. A subsequent related post is here. For the biblical and rabbinic background of the holiday, see here and here. UPDATE (5 May): More here. Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/lag-bomer-2026.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-3834219618114072423Mon, 04 May 2026 10:00:00 +00002026-05-04T11:00:35.817+01:00HEBREW EPIGRAPHY AND ANCIENT MATERIAL CULTURE: IAA reveals new study focused on ancient Jerusalem bullae in honor of Israel Excellence Week. According to the IAA, the study aims to examine Jerusalem's administrative systems from the First Temple period through the end of the Second Temple period (Miriam Sela-Eitam, Jerusalem Post).Dr. Joe Uziel and Dr. Yiftah Shalev have been researching the http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/new-isf-study-on-hebrew-bullae-announced.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-8671710502581416442Mon, 04 May 2026 09:46:00 +00002026-05-04T10:46:30.973+01:00CONSERVATION: Project to make Tel Hebron’s Second Temple mikveh accessible to visitors nearly complete, INPA says. Burda added that visitors to the site will be able to learn about the bath’s significance, its place within daily life, and “momentarily experience the religious and social reality of that era” (Miriam Sela-Eitam, Jerusalem Post).The project to make the Second Temple mikveh (Jewish http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/hebrons-second-temple-era-mikveh-almost.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-5198870401646655627Mon, 04 May 2026 09:29:00 +00002026-05-04T10:29:55.943+01:00HISTORY: 2,000 years ago, ancient Roman forces annihilated Jerusalem. Was its destruction inevitable? The first of the Jewish-Roman wars was interrupted by one of the defining events of the 1st century, and gave birth to one of ancient Rome’s most powerful dynastie (James Osborne, HistoryExtra). HT Rogue Classicism. A high flyover review of the first Jewish revolt against Rome (the Great http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/was-roman-destruction-of-jerusalem.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-6920434659339218966Sun, 03 May 2026 09:19:00 +00002026-05-03T10:19:00.114+01:00NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:John the Baptist and Composite Intertextuality in the Fourth Gospel The Evangelist's Archetypal Witness Series: Biblical Interpretation Series, Volume: 237 Author: Amber M. Dillon Recent scholarship has focused on John’s relationship to Judaism, his intertextual method, and his portrayal of John the Baptist, yet few connect these topics. We know the Evangelist is a http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/dillon-john-baptist-and-composite.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-7081276451743537928Sat, 02 May 2026 09:31:00 +00002026-05-02T10:31:00.115+01:00NEW BOOK FROM CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS:The Portrayal of Pagan Worship in the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Judaism Author: Jesse Mirotznik, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Published: April 2026 Availability: Available Format: Hardback ISBN: 9781009691970 £95.00 GBP Hardback £95.00 USD Adobe eBook Reader Description How did Jews in the ancient world depict the practices of their pagan http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/mirotznik-portrayal-of-pagan-worship-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-212144742453645790Fri, 01 May 2026 10:36:00 +00002026-05-01T11:36:33.266+01:00FOR ROMAN HISTORY NERDS: The Debate That Reveals How the Roman Empire Operated on Its Frontiers: Was Pontius Pilate a Procurator or a Prefect? (Guillermo Carvajal, LBV).An academic study analyzes ancient sources and the famous "Pilate Stone" to resolve a centuries-old debate: Was he governor, procurator, or prefect?Spoiler: the article argues that he was all of the above. Seems plausible. The http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/what-was-pontius-pilates-actual-title.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-7094033894615761441Fri, 01 May 2026 10:20:00 +00002026-05-01T11:20:10.928+01:00 BIBLIOGRAPHIA IRANICA: Land Tenure and Fiscal Practices in the Aramaic Corpus of Idumea. Notice of a New Article: Shahryari, Mitchka L.M.J. 2026. Land Tenure and Fiscal Practices in the Aramaic Corpus of Idumea: Bow-Fields and Horse Estates. BASOR 395: 179-194. Alas, behind a subscription wall. But you can read the abstract for free. Cross-file under Aramaic Watch. Visit http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-idumean-fiscal-system-in-aramaic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-1643950075406836349Fri, 01 May 2026 09:43:00 +00002026-05-01T10:43:46.270+01:00WILLIAM A. ROSS: FOOK ANNOUNCEMENT: BAYLOR HANDBOOK ON GREEK RUTH.This morning I’m excited to announce a new book coming to press very soon: Ruth: A Handbook on the Greek Text. This new volume is part of the ongoing Baylor Handbook on the Septuagint series (BHLXX). [...] Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/forthcoming-ross-baylor-handbook-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-4032116600164191535Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:55:00 +00002026-04-30T10:55:56.544+01:00ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: A Retrospective from Joel Kaminsky.Let me begin by thanking the editors of Ancient Jew Review for the opportunity to reflect on my scholarship and career. One way to illuminate my development as a teacher and scholar is to explain how my background and life experiences shaped me as a student, a professor, and a person. [...] Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/04/joel-kaminsky-autobiographical.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-5701775418459367449Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:33:00 +00002026-04-30T10:33:36.898+01:00THE ANXIOUS BENCH: The Lost Epics Of Thebes (Philip Jenkins).Taken together, the Twelve-item cycle covered the history of the Greek world from the days of the primal gods and their struggles right up to the end of the “Homeric” era. The Titanomachia describes the war between the Titans and the Olympian deities. We then proceed to three works focused on the city and dynasty of Thebes, events thathttp://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/04/lost-theban-epics.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-3603871265065520535Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:18:00 +00002026-04-30T10:18:38.317+01:00BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: Death imagined: ancient perceptions of death and dying.Karolina Sekita, Katherine Southwood, Death imagined: ancient perceptions of death and dying. Liverpool studies in ancient history. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2025. Pp. 336. ISBN 9781802077582. Review by Karen Bassi, University of California at Santa Cruz. bassi@ucsc.edu Non-existence is unknowable.http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/04/review-of-sekita-southwood-eds-death.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-2500521425273637527Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:59:00 +00002026-04-29T10:59:00.113+01:00PROF. JOANN SCURLOCK: The Ten Lavers in the Temple: Ezekiel-like, Celestial Chariots. (TheTorah.com).Ten lavers, mounted on wheels, and decorated with images of lions, bulls, and cherubs, stood on either side of the bronze sea in the Jerusalem Temple’s courtyard. Are these the “chariots of the sun” (2 Kings 23:11) that Josiah’s reform purges from the Temple?This is a very interesting idea, http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/04/were-temple-lavers-celestial-chariots.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-6773311527507346161Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:46:00 +00002026-04-29T10:46:00.115+01:00SIDNEY AND GERTRUDE ZACK GALLERY, VANCOUVER:Lilian Broca: Lilith Part of the Festival of Jewish Culture Sponsored by Averbach Family Foundation and Ben Shneiderman May 20 – June 29 ARTIST RECEPTION: Wednesday May 20, 6pm – 8pm ARTIST TALK: Tuesday, May 26, 7pm View Photo Book Throughout her career, Lilian Broca has explored subjects ranging from intimate relationships and personal objects http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/04/lilith-art-exhibition.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)