Vaulted ceiling painting | Bathhouse at Qusayr Amra, Jordan | Image Source
On AJR
First of a four-part special on the Museum of the Bible (Washington, DC): “The Museum of Whose Bible? On the Perils of Turning Theology into History”
Hicks Keeton: “I’m confident I’m in good company with a host of biblical scholars who have had to explain to students that the definite article is misleading. “The Bible” is not a stable category. Christian tradition contains a variety of Bibles, and the Bible used by Jews is different from those used by Christians. The texts that are shared appear in different combinations and different orders, often with different Vorlagen. Jewish and Christian communities, moreover, disagree between and within themselves as to how to interpret these texts. The notion of a single Bible telegraphs unity when there is, in fact, much diversity.”
Book Note: Éric Rebillard, ed. Greek and Latin Narratives about the Ancient Martyrs (Oxford, 2017)
Chalmers: “In summary, conceived as a reference work within the parameters of previous European habits of collation, this volume privileges the importance of the earliest martyrs in light of their status vis-à-vis the Roman empire. Reflecting the selectivity of the larger field, Ancient Martyrs proves innovative nonetheless. Furthermore, as an intervention within its scholarly context, like any well-designed tool, it does its own job very well. Ancient Martyrs is both an exceptional research tool for anyone requiring philological or manuscript details, and an opportunity for Anglophone scholars to make well-informed connections with contemporary French and German discussions of late antique martyrdom.”
Articles and News
Maria Lidova writes over at Empires of Faith on gold glass fragments and sarcophagus display.
Researchers decipher a previously unknown calendar amongst the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Extensive set of race and ethnicity in antiquity syllabuses curated by Rebecca Futo Kennedy.
Reminder of a great piece by Fred Donner on how periodization works to slice up history, and thus shape our narratives.
A fantastic 3D virtual tour of the Red Monastery in late antique Egypt.
Audio available for Anthony Grafton’s terrific lecture at the Huntington on Christian Origins in Early Modern Europe.
Annette Yoshiko Reed writes on ancient demonology, contemporary race, and how power shapes narratives in unexpected ways.
Fabulous video game letting the player experience the fraught existence of a scapegoat (Lev 16).
Great article in @ancientjew on the history of the Philadelphia Seminar on Christian Origins (#PSCO).https://t.co/PjSgjfMoSk
— Katz Center (@katzcenterupenn) 25 January 2018
The first meeting of 2018 is taking place TONIGHT at 7:00 pm and features fellow Julia Watts Belser (@Georgetown) as presenter. See you soon! pic.twitter.com/BGbmy5xKie
David and Goliath. 11th cent. Vat. gr. 752, fol. 104r. https://t.co/edp0PzS1ze pic.twitter.com/Ij6ONoJ31t
— Brad Hostetler (@bradhostetler) 25 January 2018
In 5 DAYS!!!
— ((Andrew J-🌽🌽🌽)) (@drewjakeprof) 24 January 2018
Do you have your copy of JESUS, MARY, AND JOSEPH?
Do you have your Qs ready for @CFrilingos?
Join us MONDAY: #familygospels pic.twitter.com/W5Bknan3qh