tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112Sat, 30 May 2026 09:58:00 +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)Blogger24188125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-4977892483293408866Sat, 30 May 2026 09:58:00 +00002026-05-30T10:58:00.122+01:00NEW BOOK FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS:The Oxford Handbook of Josephus Edited by Kenneth Atkinson Oxford Handbooks $208.00 Hardcover Published: 21 April 2026 462 Pages 6 3/4 x 9 3/4 inches ISBN: 9780197539071 Also Available As: E-book Examines Josephus' life, times, writings, and the influential figures and empires within them in the first volume to comprehensively cover this area of http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/atkinson-ed-oxford-handbook-of-josephus.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-8694890406344115108Fri, 29 May 2026 09:51:16 +00002026-05-29T10:51:16.104+01:00ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: Working with Manuscripts: A Guide for Textual Scholars (Julia Hintlian).Liv Ingeborg Lied and Brent Nongbri. Working with Manuscripts: A Guide for Textual Scholars. Yale University Press, 2025. ... 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 http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/another-ajr-review-of-lied-and-nongbri.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-5349668683759780489Fri, 29 May 2026 09:30:08 +00002026-05-29T10:30:08.529+01:00ARCHAEOLOGY AND POLITICS UPDATE: Archaeologists petition High Court to block appointment of new antiquities authority chief. Petition deepens rift between academics and Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu, who have been at loggerheads over a controversial West Bank and Gaza antiquities bill (Rossella Tercatin, Times of Israel).Earlier this month, Eliyahu tapped Esti Shreiber, the head of an NGO http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/israeli-high-court-petitioned-to-block.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-8967515286351857107Fri, 29 May 2026 09:19:45 +00002026-05-29T10:19:45.409+01:00THE AWOL BLOG: Canaanite Scribal Creativity and the Making of Cuneiform Culture in the Amarna Age. 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. Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/mandell-canaanite-scribal-creativity.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-5251225880468871601Thu, 28 May 2026 09:49:09 +00002026-05-28T10:49:09.798+01:00THIS IS BAD: British Museum postpones Jewish Culture Month lecture on Ancient Israel and Judah due to security concerns (Rossella Tercatin, Times of Israel).“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 http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/bm-lecture-on-ancient-israel-postponed.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-7515264702866541176Thu, 28 May 2026 09:32:15 +00002026-05-28T10:32:15.507+01:00ANCIENT JEW REVIEW: Working with Manuscripts: A Guide for Textual Scholars (Carrie Schroeder).Liv Ingeborg Lied and Brent Nongbri. Working with Manuscripts : A Guide for Textual Scholars. Yale University Press, 2026. ... 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 http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/review-of-lied-and-nongbri-working-with.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-1796114697170839690Thu, 28 May 2026 09:09:28 +00002026-05-28T10:09:28.999+01:00THE ANXIOUS BENCH: How Empires Made It Possible To Find Lost Scriptures (Philip Jenkins).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 http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/something-good-about-european-empires.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-3620389170607230188Wed, 27 May 2026 09:27:00 +00002026-05-27T10:27:00.114+01:00TIMES OF ISRAEL BLOGS: Book review – How to Read the Mishnah and Midrash (Ben Rothke).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. One can’t understand rabbinic Judaism by reading these texts superficially; one needs to grasp the rules, http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/review-of-rosen-zvi-how-to-read-mishnah.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-1342453900557682054Wed, 27 May 2026 09:13:00 +00002026-05-27T10:13:00.119+01:00BIBLIOGRAPHIA IRANICA: Coinages in the Achaemenid Empire. 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. Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/rutter-coinages-in-achaemenid-empire.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-6312631608344323769Tue, 26 May 2026 09:32:02 +00002026-05-26T10:32:03.146+01:00OXYRHYNCHUS WATCH: The mummy, the Iliad, and a mysterious death ritual. Archaeologists in Egypt unearthed a sealed packet of the epic poem resting atop a Roman-era mummy, suggesting they may have been used as a magical ward for the afterlife (Taylor Mitchell Brown, National Geographic).[Professor Serena Perone] agrees that ritualistic use is one possible interpretation. “Several literary sourceshttp://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/more-on-egyptian-mummys-iliad-excerpt.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-5075360708991290416Tue, 26 May 2026 09:11:20 +00002026-05-26T10:11:20.402+01:00SAD NEWS: Dr. Oswaldo Arteaga, a world reference for Phoenician archaeology in the Axarquía, dies. The archaeologist's relationship with the eastern Costa del Sol began in the 1970s when he became director of the Phoenician-Punic Project within the German Archaeological Institute (Eugenio Cabezas, Sur in English).Dr. Oswaldo Arteaga Matute, archaeologist, researcher and professor considered a keyhttp://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/dr-oswaldo-arteaga-1942-2026.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-2452953738537057505Mon, 25 May 2026 10:59:20 +00002026-05-25T12:23:08.146+01:00SCROLL MATERIAL CULTURE: The oldest complete biblical scroll ever found was originally split in 2, scholar finds. Study comes as ‘Great Isaiah,’ a 24-foot-long text parchment found with the Dead Sea Scrolls, set to be displayed by the Israel Museum in full for the first time since 1968 (Rossella Tercatin, Times of Israel).In the past, some suggested that the discrepancies between the two parts http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/was-great-isaiah-scroll-originally-two.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-5516042774240958451Mon, 25 May 2026 10:37:58 +00002026-05-25T11:37:58.021+01:00ARCHAEOLOGY AND POLITICS: West Bank, Gaza antiquities bill breaks Israel’s international obligations – legal official. As Knesset committee gears up to bring legislation for final votes in plenum, panel’s legal adviser warns it reinforces ‘creeping annexation’ claims; army also opposes it (Rossella Tercatin, Times of Israel).A controversial bill seeking to extend Israeli civilian control over http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/does-west-bank-and-gaza-antiquities.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-3361641248207482269Mon, 25 May 2026 10:24:33 +00002026-05-25T11:24:34.021+01:00THE ANXIOUS BENCH: How Lost Scriptures Hide In Plain Sight (Philip Jenkins).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 http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/lost-books-or-just-misplaced.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-5724917075297066431Sun, 24 May 2026 09:18:00 +00002026-05-24T10:18:00.115+01:00NEW BOOK FROM OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS:Wisdom in the Qur'an Law 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.' Ithttp://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/hussain-wisdom-in-quran-oup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-5570217273760064796Sat, 23 May 2026 10:08:00 +00002026-05-23T11:08:00.109+01:00NEW BOOK FROM BRILL:Cursed Creation in the Book of Job and the Book of the Watchers Series: Vetus Testamentum, Supplements, Volume: 205 Author: Andrei A. Orlov This study constitutes the first comprehensive analysis of the connections between the Book of Job and Jewish apocalypticism. It examines the motifs of creation’s corruption through curses and its restoration through the revelation http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/orlov-cursed-creation-in-book-of-job.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-4998576504291541781Fri, 22 May 2026 10:53:29 +00002026-05-22T11:53:29.591+01:00TEMPLE MOUNT WATCH: Archaeologists spotlight first Solomon’s Temple-era artifacts ever found on Temple Mount. Carried out in rare cooperation with Muslim authorities, series of digs in recent years at flashpoint site yielded unprecedented proof of biblical-time activity, scholars say (Ilan Ben Zion, Times of Israel).Israeli archaeologists on Thursday presented new details of what they said were http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/archaeologists-have-excavated-first.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-5660540901554847764Fri, 22 May 2026 10:36:47 +00002026-05-22T11:36:47.591+01:00FOR SHAVUOT: Do We Know the Original Text of the Torah? (Emanuel Tov, TheTorah.com).Well, we can theoretically arrive at a 3rd century B.C.E. archetype by using the conservative Masoretic Text (MT) as the default and comparing it with non-harmonistic variants in the Septuagint (LXX), Samaritan Pentateuch (SP), and Qumran fragments. But textual criticism offers little help in understanding what http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/how-far-does-textual-criticism-of-torah.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-585603992560858609Fri, 22 May 2026 10:15:46 +00002026-05-22T11:15:46.574+01:00ARCHAEOLOGY AND POLITICS: Knesset panel ends without advancing West Bank and Gaza antiquities bill, will resume discussions next week (Rossella Tercatin, Times of Israel).The Knesset Education, Culture and Sports Committee ends without a vote to send the controversial “West Bank and Gaza” antiquities bill, which many say amounts to de facto annexation, to the plenum for its final approval. [..http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/west-bank-and-gaza-archaeology-bills-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-6982946659415267018Thu, 21 May 2026 10:17:00 +00002026-05-21T11:17:00.112+01:00THE FESTIVAL OF SHAVUOT (Weeks, Pentecost) begins tonight at sundown. Best wishes to all those celebrating. Last year's Shavuot post is here, linking back to previous years' posts. For biblical references, see here. Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/shavuot-2026.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-265134172756544334Wed, 20 May 2026 09:50:00 +00002026-05-20T10:50:00.129+01:00ARCHAEOLOGY: How ancient seeds are rewriting the history of biblical-era trade with Arabia. New radiocarbon dating of Ein Hatzeva fortress on ancient trade route in the Arava suggests it was built 2,800 years ago by the Kingdom of Israel, shoring up Bible’s account (Rossella Tercatin, Times of Israel).New research from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) uses C14 dating of preserved organic http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/redating-iron-age-fortress-at-ein.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-3759794882891190009Wed, 20 May 2026 09:23:00 +00002026-05-20T10:23:00.123+01:00THE ROGUE CLASSICISM BLOG, run by David Meadows, is undergoing refurbishment. Regular reader know that I consult this blog and refer to it frequently. It's still under construction, but go and have a look. I like the new formatting. More compact and easier to follow. Sad to see the Latin headings go, but probably better for overall clarity. Well done, David! Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/rogue-classicism-reloaded.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-2305251207506598792Tue, 19 May 2026 09:37:22 +00002026-05-19T10:37:22.664+01:00CINEMA AND PUNIC WATCH: Denzel Washington Beat Vin Diesel to the Role He's Wanted for 24 Years (Philip Etemesi, MovieWeb).Once upon a time, there lived a Carthaginian general and statesman. Born in 247 BC, he would wage war against the Roman Empire for decades, notably during the Second Punic War. Hannibal Barca was his name. Today, his tactics still wow historians, especially his choice to http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/more-on-washingtons-hannibal-movie.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-5147303497703448543Tue, 19 May 2026 09:20:55 +00002026-05-19T10:20:58.166+01:00NEW TESTAMENT APOCRYPHA FICTION: Scriptures: Lost, Found, And Forged (Philip Jenkins).... But by the same token, it is tempting for anyone wishing to make their own point to exploit this rediscovery idea, either by interpreting new finds in devious or subversive ways, or else by inventing fake ancient texts. These themes, of false interpretation and forgery, account for a large part of the http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/fictional-lost-gospels-etc-in-popular.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-2361212755027838793Mon, 18 May 2026 10:19:41 +00002026-05-18T11:19:41.817+01:00RELIGION PROF: Paul, Mark, And Revelation Within Judaism (Enoch Seminar) (James McGrath).The Enoch Seminar puts on wonderful conferences and this one on “The New Testament Within Judaism” was no exception. I took extensive notes on the days that I attended, and will share some of them here and in a follow-up post, even though the conference sessions are now on YouTube (and I will of course share http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/05/notes-on-latest-enoch-seminar.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)