tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112Fri, 09 Oct 2026 10:10:35 +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)Blogger24490125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-2453260761163328829Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:59:58 +00002026-10-09T10:59:58.050+01:00GREEK FUNERARY EPIGRAPHY: Ancient Greek Inscriptions Reveal Secrets of Elite Byzantine Burials in Israel (Abdul Moeed, Greek Reporter).Ancient Greek inscriptions on grave markers are revealing how Byzantine burials reflected power and family ties at Shivta, a former Christian settlement in Israel’s Negev Desert. Two rediscovered photographs from a 1930s excavation show where tombs were located http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/old-photos-of-late-antique-church.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-4046513977442739393Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:47:33 +00002026-10-09T10:47:34.026+01:00THE BIBLE AND INTERPRETATION:Philo of Alexandria’s Theology and Soteriology: Tensions, Ambiguities, and the Experience of God’s Goodness and Mercy Philo of Alexandria combines Jewish scripture and Greek philosophy in a theology marked by tensions between divine transcendence and intimate human encounter. An apparently unknowable and impassible God also loves, shows mercy, and shares divine http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/philos-apathetic-theology.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-5472902928454077597Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:35:47 +00002026-10-09T10:35:47.243+01:00BIBLIOGRAPHIA IRANICA: Fake Prostration in Late Antique Literature and the Ambiguities of Domination. Notice of a New Article: Nabel, Jake. 2026. "Fake Prostration in Late Antique Literature and the Ambiguities of Domination." Studies in Late Antiquity 10 (3). 265-293. Follow the link for the abstract and a link to the full text of the article. Yes, ancient Judaism is involved. Visit http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/nabel-fake-prostration-in-late-antique.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-4766599878244367261Thu, 08 Oct 2026 09:21:11 +00002026-10-08T10:21:42.560+01:00IRON AGE HEBREW EPIGRAPHY: 2,800-year-old curse reveals surprising detail about Kingdom of Judah (Assaf Golan, Israel HaYom).Limestone tablet from the Hebron area bears a curse in ancient Hebrew and the earliest known extrabiblical reference to the title "Lord of Hosts". Find indicates the divine name and title were in use in the Kingdom of Judah during the First Temple period. The Stone is now http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/a-first-temple-era-curse-inscription.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-7603244551631815982Thu, 08 Oct 2026 09:11:03 +00002026-10-08T10:11:04.085+01:00THE AWOL BLOG: Reading: Performance and Materiality in Hebrew and Aramaic Traditions. Notice of a New Book (open access): Hector Patmore et al., Reading: Performance and Materiality in Hebrew and Aramaic Traditions. Open Book Publishers. Cambridge, UK, 2025. Co-edited by the late Hector Patmore. Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/patmore-et-al-reading-performance-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-1310757679462391524Thu, 08 Oct 2026 08:57:18 +00002026-10-08T09:57:18.432+01:00BIBLE HISTORY DAILY: Fragment of World’s Oldest Peace Treaty Found. Bringing people—and tablet pieces—together (Lauren K. McCormick).The Egyptian–Hittite peace treaty was recorded in more than one place. Apparently originally cast in silver, versions of the treaty survive today from both parties on tablets in Hatti and in two temple inscriptions in Thebes (modern-day Luxor).The best kind of peacehttp://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/egyptianhittite-peace-treaty-fragments.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-8810758809332219363Wed, 07 Oct 2026 10:53:17 +00002026-10-07T11:53:17.252+01:00ANCIENT FUNERARY ARCHITECTURE: On the Pilgrims’ Path to the Temple: Monumental Tombs (Prof. Boaz Zissu, Dr. Omri Yitzhak Abadi, TheTorah.com).Jerusalem’s wealthiest families in the early Roman period built monumental tombs along the roads approaching the city, placing their wealth and status on display. Yet pilgrims heading to the Temple had to avoid entering or coming into contact with these http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/monumental-tombs-on-way-to-temple.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-2456694813298309623Wed, 07 Oct 2026 10:41:32 +00002026-10-07T11:41:32.772+01:00THE BIBLE AND INTERPRETATION:Who Conquered Samaria? Reconstructing the Northern Kingdom’s Final Years The final years of the northern kingdom of Israel have long been debated, especially the date of Samaria’s fall and the identity of its conqueror. Related questions concern Shalmaneser V’s siege of Samaria, Hoshea’s imprisonment, the extent of the city’s destruction, Sargon II’s claims regardinghttp://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/who-conquered-samaria.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-5458687717392506465Wed, 07 Oct 2026 10:25:52 +00002026-10-07T11:25:52.448+01:00THE AWOL BLOG: Ancient Persian: A Linguistic History. Notice of a new open-access book: Kevin T. van Bladel, Ancient Persian: A Linguistic History (CUP, 2026). Follow the link for description and access link. Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/van-bladel-ancient-persian-linguistic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-7585783273499113339Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:18:52 +00002026-10-06T12:18:52.419+01:00ANCIENT ARTIFACT: Boy finds ancient Roman treasure on show-and-tell hunt in southern Israel. Dor Wolynitz, 8, was hiking with families of reservists in the Ramon Crater when he spotted an unusual stone, later identified as a fragment of a 1,700-year-old statuette (Ynet News).The find is a small figurine fragment, measuring about 6 centimeters by 6 centimeters, depicting part of a human figure http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/fragmentary-figurine-found.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-7440381677099513694Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:00:48 +00002026-10-06T12:00:48.932+01:00THE ANXIOUS BENCH: How An Explosive Book Rewrote The Study Of The Gospels (Philip Jenkins).I was researching the history of the discovery and reception of “alternative” scriptures in the nineteenth century, and I kept coming across this thing called Supernatural Religion, which initially meant little to me. It soon became apparent that orthodox clergy were describing it as something like a http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/anon-cassels-supernatural-religion-1874.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-1072231707501701908Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:42:58 +00002026-10-06T11:42:58.693+01:00THE AWOL BLOG: Das Weisheitsbuch Ben Sira / Jesus Sirach. Notice of a New Book (open access): Das Weisheitsbuch Ben Sira / Jesus Sirach Synopse der hebräischen, griechischen, lateinischen und syrischen Texttraditionen mit deutscher Übersetzung Wolfgang Kraus (Hg.), Heinz-Josef Fabry (Hg.), Burkard Zapff (Hg.) Vetus Testamentum et Orbis Antiquus. Supplementa - Band 001 Vandenhoeck & http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/kraus-et-al-eds-das-weisheitsbuch-ben.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-3193803635657432406Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:36:06 +00002026-10-05T10:36:06.820+01:00BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: An enchanted world: the shared religious landscape of late antiquity.Michael L. Satlow, An enchanted world: the shared religious landscape of late antiquity. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2026. Pp. xiii, 343. ISBN 9780691256597. Review by Ryan Denson, University of Silesia. ryan.denson@us.edu.pl ... Appealing to the perspective of lived religion, Satlow http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/review-of-satlow-enchanted-world.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-6129587715092209146Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:24:07 +00002026-10-05T10:24:07.341+01:00SAD NEWS: Milestones: Yuval Goren (1956–2026). Archaeologist and scientist who debunked modern forgeries (Christopher A. Rollston, Bible History Daily).Yuval Goren, a professor of archaeology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, was a pioneer in the fields of archaeometry and microarchaeological research. Born in Petah Tikvah in 1956, Goren’s life was storybook, and his interests in both http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/yuval-goren-19562026.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-5192492877740945818Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:07:47 +00002026-10-05T10:07:47.387+01:00SHEMINI ATZERET began on the evening of Friday, 2 October at sundown. In Israel, this was also the holiday of Simchat Torah (Simhat Torah). Outside of Israel, the latter holiday began on 3 October at sundown. Belated best wishes to all those celebrating! Last year's Shemini Atzeret post is here. Biblical etc. links are here. Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/shemini-atzeret-and-simchat-torah-2026.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-4992625228137134905Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:41:00 +00002026-10-04T10:41:00.200+01:00NEW BOOK FROM MOHR SIEBECK:Essen Ethische Perspektiven zum Speisen in Antike und Gegenwart. Kontexte und Normen neutestamentlicher Ethik XV Edited by Dorothea Erbele-Küster, Esther Kobel, and Ulrich Volp, in collaboration with Andrew Bowden [Food. Ethical Perspectives on Food in Antiquity and the Present.] 2026. 259 pages. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament (WUNT I) 549http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/essen-ethische-perspektiven-zum-speisen.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-2169323148283241014Sat, 03 Oct 2026 10:02:00 +00002026-10-03T11:02:00.115+01:00NEW BOOK FROM YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS:Hidden Scrolls, Buried Bibles How We Discover the Sacred Past by Eva Mroczek 224 Pages, 5.50 × 8.50 in Hardcover 9780300250213 Published: Tuesday, 25 Aug 2026 $35.00 eBook 9780300292350 Published: Tuesday, 25 Aug 2026 $35.00 Out of Stock eBook 9780300292343 Published: Tuesday, 25 Aug 2026 $35.00 Out of Stock Description From the discovery of the http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/mroczek-hidden-scrolls-buried-bible-yale.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-2375294950453477691Fri, 02 Oct 2026 10:53:44 +00002026-10-02T11:53:44.548+01:00ARCHAEOBOTANICAL AMBITIONS: Ancient Negev Wine Was a Global Hit. Can Israeli Winemakers - and Scientists - Bring It Back? Once shipped from the desert to markets across the Mediterranean and beyond, the Negev's wines faded into history. Now, ancient grape seeds and surviving vines are helping researchers and vintner revive a lost tradition (Guy Bar-Oz, Joshua Schmidt and Gideon Avni).Today, the http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/bringing-back-ancient-negevs-wine.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-4188565735109956367Fri, 02 Oct 2026 10:44:44 +00002026-10-02T11:44:44.748+01:00THE KIWI HELLENIST BLOG: Sibyls and Sibylline oracles. 1. The Sibyls. HT Rogue Classicism.The Sistine Chapel ceiling at the Vatican has paintings of seven ancient Hebrew prophets, but also of five Sibyls — non-Christian prophetic figures. How and why did pagan prophets came to have such a place of honour in the centre of western Christianity? The full answer is surprisingly long. We have to http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/on-sibyls.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-6370956658142652735Fri, 02 Oct 2026 10:24:15 +00002026-10-02T11:24:16.016+01:00BRYN MAYR CLASSICAL REVIEW: Dynamics of monotheism in late antiquity.Guy G. Stroumsa, Dynamics of monotheism in late antiquity. Oxford studies in the Abrahamic religions. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2025. Pp. 208. ISBN 9780198973386. Review by Matthew Kraus, University of Cincinnati. krausma@ucmail.uc.edu ... Guy Stroumsa has authored a work that will richly inform future study of http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/review-of-stroumsa-dynamics-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-1157386862340399749Thu, 01 Oct 2026 09:13:00 +00002026-10-01T10:13:00.114+01:00PROF. SHAWNA DOLANSKY: Five Ancient Near Eastern Myths Behind the Bible’s Three Creation Accounts. (TheTorah.com).The two creation stories in Genesis (1 and 2–3), and the hidden creation account in Psalms and the Prophets, can be read without their ancient Near Eastern context. But to understand what the biblical authors are responding to, revising, and arguing against, we need to read them http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/primordial-mythology-in-ane-and-in-bible.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-628165659229898701Thu, 01 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +00002026-10-01T10:00:00.117+01:00ANCIENT ORIGINS: Jude Quoted It as Prophecy but Most Bibles Left It Out (arismanus, Ancient Origins).In 367, Alexandria’s bishop Athanasius sent churches in Egypt a list of books for public reading. The Book of Enoch was not on it. Yet Jude, a letter preserved in the New Testament, calls words attributed to Enoch a prophecy. The wording closely follows 1 Enoch 1:9. [...]Always good to keep in http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/10/jude-quotes-1-enoch-as-prophecy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-171996541455723321Wed, 30 Sep 2026 09:24:36 +00002026-09-30T10:24:36.501+01:00TEMPLE MOUNT WATCH: Monumental Second Temple Period ‘House of Mikvehs’ Discovered on Jerusalem’s Ophel. The fruits of our multi-year excavations go public (CHRISTOPHER EAMES, Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology).“Monumental Second Temple-Period Purification Complex Uncovered at the Foot of the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem”—so reads the headline of a press release issued by http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/09/more-on-those-ritual-baths-at-ophel.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-4828000399137277940Wed, 30 Sep 2026 09:11:31 +00002026-09-30T10:11:31.627+01:00THE FEAST DAY OF ST. JEROME IS TODAY, 30 SEPTEMBER. Jerome was one of the few Church Fathers to learn and use Hebrew. The Latin Vulgate is his complete translation of the Hebrew Bible. I last noted his feast day in 2021. For more on him, follow the links there. Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/09/saint-jeromes-feast-day-2026.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5184112.post-9079545150414400089Wed, 30 Sep 2026 09:02:28 +00002026-09-30T10:02:28.851+01:00BIBLIOGRAPHIA IRANICA: Elephantine in Its Persian Imperial and Administrative Context. Notice of a New Book: Moore, James D. 2026. Aspects of Judean Life. Elephantine in Its Persian Imperial and Administrative Context. Pennsylvania: Eisenbrauns. Available in hardback, paperback and (free!) ebook. Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2026/09/moore-elephantine-in-its-persian.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jim Davila)