tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112Thu, 27 Aug 2026 03:51:50 +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)Blogger24385125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-2260247322888379332Wed, 26 Aug 2026 10:21:30 +00002026-08-26T11:21:30.633+01:00NEW BOOK FROM PEETERS PUBLISHERS:Old Aramaic Inscriptions and their Contexts An Epigraphic, Archaeological, and Historical Synthesis Series: Ancient Near Eastern Studies Supplement Series, 63 Author: Dusek J. Price: 390 euro Year: 2026 ISBN: 9789042949027 Pages: XXXII-738 p. (2 vol.) Summary: The work presents a new and comprehensive edition of the core of the Old Aramaichttp://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/dusek-old-aramaic-inscriptions-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-2751350354788347232Wed, 26 Aug 2026 10:04:48 +00002026-08-26T11:04:49.139+01:00THE BIBLE AND INTERPRETATION:Luke Used Sources for His Story of Paul, but Not the Ones You Think Luke’s account of Paul in Acts is best understood as drawing on multiple eyewitness sources within the Pauline circle rather than on Paul’s letters or Luke’s constant companionship with Paul. Barnabas, Silas, and possibly Timothy supplied information about different stages of Paul’s ministry, while http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/what-were-lukes-sources-for-his-account.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-5930294868831725702Tue, 25 Aug 2026 10:12:29 +00002026-08-25T11:12:29.283+01:00ANCIENT RITUAL BLING? Hellenistic Gold Rings Found in Jerusalem Point to Ancient Greek ‘Coming-of-Age’ Ritual (Abdul Moeed, Greek Reporter).Archaeologists digging beneath a Jerusalem courtyard have uncovered a set of tiny Hellenistic gold rings that date back more than 2,000 years. Researchers believe the rings were deliberately buried beneath the floors of an ancient building as part of a ‘http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/gold-rings-for-young-girls.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-3430276619502072766Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:43:38 +00002026-08-25T10:43:39.162+01:00BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: The Gezer Calendar. An Israelite almanac or a writing exercise? (Marek Dospěl).The so-called Gezer Calendar is a small limestone slab inscribed with a list of agricultural activities covering one full year. Thought to date from the tenth century BCE, it is one of the earliest known Canaanite inscriptions from Judah. Some would claim it is the earliest known inscription in Oldhttp://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/on-gezer-calendar.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-3039921688649072872Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:27:00 +00002026-08-25T10:27:00.854+01:00BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW:Coins of the Ptolemaic empire, part 2: Ptolemy V through Cleopatra VII Catharine C. Lorber, Coins of the Ptolemaic empire, part 2: Ptolemy V through Cleopatra VII. Numismatic studies, 46. New York: American Numismatic Society, 2025. 3 vols. Pp. 946. ISBN 9780897224024. Review by Robyn L. Le Blanc, UNC Greensboro. rlleblan@uncg.edu ... In summary, Catharine http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/review-of-lorber-coins-of-ptolemaic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-6521621786542981204Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:54:20 +00002026-08-24T10:59:01.497+01:00EXHIBITION: A 1,600-year-old Village, a Dazzling Mosaic and a New Story of Ancient Judaism. An exhibition near the Sea of Galilee offers a glimpse of Huqoq, the ancient village uncovered in 2011 that has archaeology enthusiasts enthralled. What does its spectacular mosaic reveal about Galilean Judaism – and when will the public finally get to see it? (Moshe Gilad, Haaretz). An overview of http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/more-on-huqoq-at-yigal-allon-center.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-2295843055819615568Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:40:12 +00002026-08-24T10:40:13.205+01:00WORD&WAY: Review: Apocalypticism as a Worldview in Ancient Judaism (Robert D. Cornwall).Because people, religious and nonreligious, use apocalyptic imagery and language to describe contemporary realities, it is helpful to understand the origins of this language and the ideas associated with it. While the focus is on ancient Judaism, understanding this material can help us better understand the http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/review-of-collins-apocalypticism-as.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-5183646348403303062Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:25:03 +00002026-08-24T10:25:03.385+01:00EXHIBITION UPDATE: The Oldest Biblical Fragments On Earth Leave Washington In Two Weeks — Then Return To The Dark. In a closing exhibition, the oldest surviving copies of Scripture offer a rare window into Second Temple Judaism and the roots of two faiths (Leona Salinas, Daily Wire).The oldest surviving copies of biblical texts are on view for a final few weeks at the Museum of the Bible in http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-motb-dss-exhibit-final-rotation.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-8749814296097907467Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:36:39 +00002026-08-20T10:36:40.130+01:00NEW BOOK FROM SBL PRESS:Ancient Tyre between Myth and History Hélène Sader ISBN 9781628378290 Volume ABS 36 Status Available Publication Date August 2026 Hardback $70.00 Paperback $50.00 eBook $50.00 Hélène Sader gathers and synthesizes the archaeological and textual evidence from excavations conducted during the past fifty years at Tyre and its far-flung settlements. By incorporating http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/sader-ancient-tyre-between-myth-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-4173883925578328583Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:15:26 +00002026-08-20T10:15:26.887+01:00PROF. BERNARD M. LEVINSON: It’s Tradition! How Deuteronomy’s Reform Permits Non-Sacrificial Slaughter (TheTorah.com).To consume meat, Exodus (20:24) requires that the animal be sacrificed at a local altar, i.e., in any place where YHWH proclaims His name. When Deuteronomy centralized the cult to “the place,” it had to permit secular slaughter for those who lived far away, and it did so by http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/deuteronomy-and-secular-slaughter-as.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-4765050384263035975Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:44:28 +00002026-08-19T10:44:28.630+01:00NEW BOOK FROM URIM PUBLICATIONS:TALMUD CHRONICLES: Bringing Talmudic Events to Life by Zalman Eisenstock Price: $34.95 $31.00 Hardcover, 112 pages, includes b/w images and illustrations throughout Urim Publications, 2026 ISBN: 978-965-524-389-5 From Rabban Gamliel’s fight with Rabbi Yehoshua in 100 CE through significant events over the next century, experience the story of the Talmud http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/eisenstock-talmud-chronicles-urim.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-7771670708199073600Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:23:50 +00002026-08-19T10:23:51.121+01:00NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:Intertextuality as Reinterpreting Texts Papers Read at the 19th Joint Meeting of the Society for Old Testament Study and the Oudtestamentisch Werkgezelschap in Nederland en België, ’s-Hertogenbosch, 2024 Series: Oudtestamentische Studiën, Old Testament Studies, Volume: 86 Volume Editors: Archibald L.H.M. van Wieringen, Katharine J. Dell, and Arie Versluis http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/intertextuality-as-reinterpreting-texts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-3906267635092200562Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:02:55 +00002026-08-18T11:02:55.779+01:00WORKSHOP REPORT: Unveiling history: University of Michigan home to America’s largest collection of ancient papyrus (Matt Jaworowski, WoodTV.com).Earlier this month, researchers from across the world made the trek to Ann Arbor to check out the collection and to learn more about proper preservation techniques. Some of the highlights include a 2,200-year-old portion of “The Iliad,” some of the “losthttp://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-michigan-papyrus-collection.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-3403353526251696483Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:44:49 +00002026-08-18T10:44:49.244+01:00BIBLIOGRAPHIA IRANICA: The Temple of Ištar-of-Akkad in Babylon from the Neo-Assyrian until the Persian Period. Notice of a New Book: Boivin, Odette. 2026. The Temple of Ištar-of-Akkad in Babylon from the Neo-Assyrian until the Persian Period. The Archival Texts (Abhandlungen der Deutschen Orient-Gesellschaft 33). Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. Follow the link for description and a link to the http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-temple-of-istar-of-akkad-in-babylon.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-6116010818582933267Mon, 17 Aug 2026 10:10:20 +00002026-08-17T11:10:20.183+01:00TALMUD WATCH: Rome says Nero died. The Talmud gives him a very different ending. Jewish legends recast Rome’s emperors in extraordinary ways, from Nero converting and becoming Rabbi Meir’s ancestor to Titus tormented by a gnat, Hadrian outwitted by rabbis and Antoninus drawn toward Judaism after Rome destroyed Jerusalem (Liran Friedmann, YNetNews).On June 9, 68 CE, Emperor Nero died outside Rome http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/talmudic-legends-about-roman-emperors.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-8121634390107069493Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:52:52 +00002026-08-17T10:52:52.781+01:00ETHNIC RELATIONS AND MIGRATION IN THE ANCIENT WORLD: Egyptian and Babylonian wisdom: Lactantius on the authority of Hermes Trismegistos and the Sibyls (early fourth century CE) (Philip A. Harland). The Sybilline Oracles and the Sibyl(s) have come up now and then on PaleoJudaica. Some posts are here and links, and here, here, here, and here. And recently (and occasionally earlier) on the http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/on-hermes-trismegistos-and-sibyls.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-3199346340857391739Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:35:20 +00002026-08-17T10:35:20.486+01:00VARIANT READINGS: Realistic Renderings of Papyrus Rolls in Stone (Brent Nongbri).I checked Theodor Birt’s classic book on the depiction of papyrus rolls in art, and he of course also took note of the fine carving of these papyrus rolls: “The large sarcophagus in the Athens Museum (inv. 1497) is like a marble illustration of Pliny’s account of the manufacture of papyrus: On its lid, a reclining http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/papyrus-rolls-in-stone.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-5797537578364123539Sun, 16 Aug 2026 09:37:00 +00002026-08-16T10:37:00.110+01:00NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:The Book of Joshua Composition, Reception, and Interpretation Series: Formation and Interpretation of Old Testament Literature, Volume: 203/11 Vetus Testamentum, Supplements, Volume: 203/11 Volume Editors: Lissa M. Wray Beal, Craig A. Evans, and D. Allen Hutchison The Book of Joshua presents many interpretive challenges. These include its depiction of warfare http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-book-of-joshua-brill.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-8735742010506977625Sat, 15 Aug 2026 09:44:00 +00002026-08-15T10:44:00.109+01:00NEW BOOK FROM EERDMANS:Apocalypticism as a Worldview in Ancient Judaism by John J. Collins Imprint: Eerdmans 192 Pages, 6.00 × 9.00 in PAPERBACK 9780802885005 Publication Date: June 25, 2026 $27.99 £20.99 EBOOK 9781467469432 Publication Date: June 25, 2026 $27.99 £20.99 DESCRIPTION How did apocalyptic concerns shape ancient Jewish life and literature? In this compelling study, renowned http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/collins-apocalypticism-as-worldview-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-3023605046627860031Fri, 14 Aug 2026 10:36:10 +00002026-08-14T11:36:10.985+01:00THE ANXIOUS BENCH: The Rosicrucians: A 400-Year-Old Hoax That Worked (Philip Jenkins).To return to the theme of this blog series, the Rosicrucian texts were composed as an authoritative text with scriptural authority. We may not like the word “forged” because that words implies people were meant to take them as literal and factual, and there was never much doubt that readers were assumed to be http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/the-rosicrucian-inflection.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-7104761316501850962Fri, 14 Aug 2026 10:19:57 +00002026-08-14T11:19:57.065+01:00PHILOLOGY: Speaking of Eisenbrauns, at the JewishLink, Mitchell First has a two-part profile of selected words covered in Non-Semitic Loanwords in the Hebrew Bible: A Lexicon of Language Contact, by Benjamin Noonan (Eisenbrauns, 2019). Non-Semitic Loanwords in TanachIn Noonan’s view, there are over 200 non-Semitic loanwords in Tanach and he discusses each one. You will be very surprised at http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/non-semitic-loanwords-in-hebrew-bible.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-4496161333451193789Fri, 14 Aug 2026 10:03:24 +00002026-08-14T11:03:24.249+01:00CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL INVOLVED: Penn State University Press appoints new editors for Eisenbrauns series.UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State University Press has announced the appointment of two new series editors for its "History, Archaeology, and Culture of the Levant" series, published under its Eisenbrauns imprint. Deirdre Fulton and Kristine Garroway will serve as the series editors, replacinghttp://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/new-editors-for-eisenbrauns-hacl-series.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-8634423951119108666Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:15:17 +00002026-08-13T12:15:17.751+01:00APOTROPAIC ARAMAIC: Marla Maples: Trump carries the Zohar over his heart “for protection and healing.” (Tamar Stein, Israel365News).Marla Maples, Donald Trump’s second wife, revealed in a new interview that the president carries an Aramaic copy of the Zohar’s Book of Pinchas inside his clothing, pressed against his heart. Speaking with Channel 12’s Jonathan Rieger, Maples said the mystical text http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/trump-wears-aramaic-zohar-treatise-for.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-9007619565865479358Thu, 13 Aug 2026 10:41:52 +00002026-08-13T11:41:53.023+01:00PROF. ILONA N. RASHKOW: Gemstones of the Gods: The Symbolism of the High Priest’s Breastpiece (TheTorah.com).Ezekiel pictures Eden as a garden filled with precious stones—the same stones that adorn the high priest’s breastpiece. Across the ancient Near East, gods inhabit a world of jewel-bearing trees, gemstone mountains, and temples of lapis and gold. By wearing these stones when he enters http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/gemstones-are-divine.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-4150492049113313431Thu, 13 Aug 2026 10:30:21 +00002026-08-13T11:30:21.011+01:00APRREHENDED AND INDICTED: IAA files indictment against two Fureidis residents caught carrying illegally excavated artifacts. Distelfeld and the other officials found a total of 13 ancient bronze coins, three ancient bronze items, two ancient lead items, and another 14 unidentified metal objects in the suspects' possession (Yoav Etiel, Jerusalem Post).The two were in the midst of an illegal http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/08/antiquities-looting-charges-in-hadera.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)