Athens and Jerusalem: Why The Question Can’t Matter To Us

April’s asked us to offer our opinion of the relationship of the Academy to the Church based in the famous sentence of Tertullian.  My answer isn’t as long as any of the others which have so far been proffered because in my estimation the question doesn’t and can’t matter to us.  Tertullian is long dead and rightly so.  His utterly false dichotomy - which served in his time and for too many of his followers into the present time- to drive a wedge between intellect and inspiration, between reason and revelation, has caused more problems than it has solved and frustrated the search for truth both theological and secular in inestimable ways.

Had Tertullian’s hatred of the flesh (his own in particular) not gotten the upper hand, he would have realized that Church and Academy, Athens and Jerusalem, are one and the same.  Hence, the question can’t, and shouldn’t matter to us.  When it does, we simply demonstrate that we understand neither Church nor Academy and we adopt, albeit unwittingly, the same false dichotomy which drove Tertullian insane and into the arms of the spiritualists.

Joppa, Jaffa, Yafo: No Matter How You Spell It, It’s A Beautiful Site

And Aaron Burke has announced that the Jaffa Cultural Heritage Project is now up and running. As we say down here in the South, ‘I’m fixin’ to add a link’ to the Archaeology Page of Biblical Studies Resources to it as well.

The Jaffa Cultural Heritage Project (JCHP) is an interdisciplinary cultural heritage project that addresses the history and archaeology of Jaffa. The project was initiated in January 2007 by its co-directors, Martin Peilstöcker (Israel Antiquities Authority) and Aaron A. Burke (University of California, Los Angeles). It is a collaborative effort between a number of participating institutions including its senior partners, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) and the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA, and other partners including Johannes Gutenberg-Universität in Mainz, Germany, and The Old Jaffa Development Company.

The activities of the JCHP consist of four major initiatives: research, publication, conservation, and outreach. Archaeological research at Jaffa includes the integration of marine and terrestrial archaeological excavations, environmental analyses, and GIS mapping. Historical research of the site in all periods is equally instrumental to properly understanding the cultural and environmental evolution of Jaffa through the ages. Like historical research, the study of Jaffa’s changing environment provides a better understanding of the factors that governed the site’s selection as both a settlement and major port along the coast of the southern Levant.

Take a look at the rest of the page.

A Recovered Post: Biblical Studies Carnival XII

December 1, 2006 by Jim

Welcome to the December Biblical Studies Carnival!  We’ve got plenty of things to see and hope that you discover here something to your liking.  Be sure to visit the Midway where you can read postings about Biblical Studies.  Stop by the Funhouse to see some interesting and amazing ancillary stuff.  And don’t miss the Sideshow!  It’s loaded with tidbits you won’t find at any other Carnival (though there are no bearded ladies or two headed dogs we do have a number of stilt walkers and minstrels).  Alongside the major attractions, we’ve also collected some biblioblog-tuaries.  Finally, we note the sad passing of a giant in the field of Archaeology.

In the words of Neil Diamond, “pack up the babies and grab the old ladies and everyone go…”, make sure the camera is loaded with memory (or film if you are one of those old fashioned people), and come along!  Our first stop, the

Midway - Biblical Studies Postings

On the Hebrew Bible side of the Carnival Midway,  Stephen Cook undertook a fine series on the topic of the “Image of God” in the Hebrew Bible- Stephen’s observations are both cogent and intelligent and you can catch up with all of the details by visiting part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5 and part 6.

John Hobbins offered a brilliant analysis of the second Psalm late in the month of November; one well worth reading.  To whet your appetite, here are just the opening lines: The hegemony of Yahweh and his anointed over all of Israel and over neighboring petty kingdoms was seldom a reality but always the ideal to which the people of Yahweh and their king aspired. The alternative, well-understood at the time, was constant warfare.   John also posted a nice introduction to the Book of Psalms and the Book of Job.  If you aren’t familiar with John’s blog, Ancient Hebrew Poetry, it’s a treat (though I wish he would post more often!).

Be sure not to miss, for any reason, the excellent entry over on “Le Pharisien Libéré” titled Homosexualité et Ancien Testament.  He summarizes the evidence from the Hebrew Bible and other ancient near eastern literature and offers some intriguing commentary.

Chris Heard asked a scintillating question titled When did Yahweh and El merge?   Tyler Williams, grand don of all things, well, “interesting”, offered us a fascinating post on kosher concubines - and I didn’t even know they could be kosher!    Chris Brady - also known as Targuman -  early in the month continued discussion about the propriety of biblical studies and theology in secular contexts that was bandied about amongst the bibliobloggers in October.  A new blog (at least to me) authored by one Simon (though I couldn’t find his name on his blog anywhere) titled “Dating The Bible” is certainly worth taking a look at.  He thinks that the entrenched position regarding the possibility of charting the Hebrew language over time (and using that to date texts) has been shaken to the core. Scholarship in this area is a little like the long-necked dinosaur that might receive a mortal blow yet take a while to have that information relayed to its brain. Once the many problems settle in, the school of thought that proposes linguistic dating will ultimately keel over and die; they’ve already been hit, but such things take a little while.   I know not a few scholars who will disagree with that assesment.  Vigorously.

Kevin Edgecomb wrote a nice piece on the so called “Priestly material” titled Geneaologies and Monarchy that will raise eyebrows and interest.

Crossing the street to the other side of the Midway, the New Testament side, Stephen Carlson kicked off the month with a discussion of “proleptic narration” in Acts 1.  He describes the “flash forward” narrative technique of the author of the book and does a fine job of it.   He also does us all the grand favor of collecting a whole series of postings on Luke-Acts right here.  He’s got a range of intelligent things to say and if you are one of those folk who enjoy the Lukan material, you owe it to yourself to take a look.

Richard Anderson too had something to say about Luke when he posted Reading Plummer at the end of the month.  What is it about lawyers and Luke-Acts?  I wonder if anyone has done a study of the topic…   Do take a look at Richard’s post; and make note of his blog in its entirety- he’s always got some interesting observations and he posts quite regularly.

We also, on this side of the street,  find a booth set up by Mark Goodacre of NT Gateway fame, and on display a series of very enlightening posts in which he sliced and hacked into the question - “Were the Galatians already circumcised?” Which question he answers in Part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6 and part 7 of his great series. November must have been ”the month of the series” because alongside those already mentioned, Michael Pahl did one on 1 Thessalonians which carried over; his introduction to the book is here and a useful bibliography here.   Peter Kirk has posted the first part of an essay he wrote way back in 1988 titled Paul, Sex and Marriage with the remainder of the essay promised in the near future.

With Christmas coming up and lots of folks putting up decorations and attending Christmas Pageants, I posted a little trifle titled The Problem with Christmas Pageants.  The untoward mixing of the Matthean and Lukan birth narratives has long been an issue and this brief articulation attempts to describe a solution.

In a couple of postings combining both Hebrew Bible and New Testament interests, J.P. van de Giessen says something about tatoos in the Old Testament and the New (and I bet Tyler Williams thought he was the only one interested in such things!)

But serial postings aren’t the only sort on the Midway. Chris Tilling had a fine bit of exegesis on 2 Cor 5:21 which answers some important questions. And James Crossley - famed author and owner of Earliest Christian History described his new book, Why Christianity Happened - overlapping from the end of October.  It’s a very fine book if I may say so and one I heartily and enthusiastically recommend.

Speaking of books, Chris Tilling offered a set of posts on Richard Bauckham’s new Jesus and the Eyewitnesses.  Chris received an advanced copy from the good Professor and has been previewing it for us all, as well as provoking a good deal of discussion.

I see by the watch on my wrist that it’s time to leave the Midway and go to the

Funhouse - Archaeology and Textual Criticism

In the Funhouse (or at least they are fun to me) we find archaeological and text critical offerings on display. First and foremost, Jan Pieter van de Giessen provided some excellent links to ancient manuscripts.

Tyler Williams offered  something of an archaeo-scatological bit titled “Going Potty in Ancient Times“.  It’s everything you need to know about toilet habits in the ANE along with some archaeological evidence to boot.   He unfurled a whole two ply roll of delightful information on the subject.   Why you want to know such things, though, is between you and your psychologist. The multiple sheets can be found here.

Tyler wasn’t alone among inhabitants of the biblioblogging kingdom to be interested it matters toilet.  James Tabor too had something to say about the topic in his posting concerning Qumran and its inhabitants bathroom habits as did our own Claude Mariottini (who always gracefully and intelligently co-mingles academics with practical interests).

Aren Maeir too posted matter of interest to archaeology buffs when he announced the availability of the Gath Dig 2007 season information and registration sheet.   If you’ve never participated in a dig, you really owe it to yourself to do so.  You cannot appreciate the results of archaeology fully until you put spade to dirt yourself.

I’ve already lingered too long and still have to make it to the Sideshow before the Carnival closes, so I hate to, but I have to leave the Funhouse right now and go to the

Sideshow- Conferences and Meetings

With the two major Biblical Studies conferences taking place in November, the month was ripe with delightful postings discussing the goings-on of the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting and the Evangelical Theological Society Annual Meeting.  Mark Goodacre offered some very sage advice on surviving the SBL meeting and Mike Bird told us some things to do at the SBL (though you would have to be Australian to do them all) and at ETS (where even if you were Australian you wouldn’t want to do several of them).

Speaking of the SBL, Kevin Wilson pointed us to an interesting essay titled “What’s Wrong With the SBL?” over on his Blue Cord Blog.  Believe me, the essay he mentions got a number of bibliobloggers “going”.   Talk about fun!!  Loren Rosson made pertinent remarks here and Danny Zacharias made some observations of his own as well as collected links to other postings on the subject.

One of the first to arrive at the SBL meeting was the Idle Muser James Spinti, who suggested that it might be hazardous to take directions from co-workers.  As the kids would say, “true dat!”  James also has a fine set of photos showing the process of setting up a book display and the finished product.  That’s a lot of work!  It certainly will make you appreciate him a little more- and the other exhibitors - who do so much to make all us biblioblogging bibliophiles screech with delight when we walk into such exhibition halls.  The good bookman was one of the most prolific bloggers at the meeting and he remarks further about it here, here, here, and finally, with book booth break down photos and a sad tale of yogurt destruction here.

PJ Williams blogged a bit his impressions of the SBL too as did Stephen Cook, who has become one of my favorite bloggers because he’s so, well, persistent and consistently interesting!.   He described his experiences at the meeting  here, here, here,  here,  here and finally, here.   Danny Zacharias, Chris Heard (here and here), and Kevin Wilson (here too) offered some observations of their own along the way.

You have to feel a bit sorry for Danny, though, because he attended his first SBL this year and it was overwhelming for the poor lad.  He went into book shock.  And when his mastercard bill arrives in the mail it will be another shock!  He also makes mention of the grand folk he was able to meet along with some wickedness he tried to get into and the papers that he enjoyed.   Danny concluded his “confessions” with a summary of his own paper’s reception.  It’s really nice to see someone “catch the SBL bug” so next year in San Diego it will be nice to get that badge he made me (though I can’t wear it because it’s so heretical)!

Chris Brady and Tim Bulkeley all also offered observations on the largest gathering of Biblical scholars in the world and even posted announcement of a podcast of bibliobloggers blabbing discussing various and sundry things  (sorry, I don’t mean to offend.  I was going for alliteration and then thought better of it).  And by the by, what on earth did Chris Brady mean when he said that I seemed “taller” on the blog?

Other bibliobloggers waited till they returned home before saying much about the meeting.  Among them James Crossley  and Michael Pahl (the tallest of the bibliobloggers) here.  A new biblioblogger, Matt Baldwin, offered a pre-conference thought here and a post conference one here.  And even the goodly Brandon Wason posted his post-conference thoughts.  Naturally Mark Goodacre (having finished slicing and dicing through the knotty Galatian problem) also blogged his impressions of Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 along of course with days 4 and 5 and he concludes his reflections with something of a general overview that you won’t want to miss.  The witty David Ritsema of New Testament Studies also described his experiences as a first time attendee.

Joe Weaks is among one of the few who posted photos of the Conference (apart from Crossley’s fascinating hotel room picture). You can see Joe’s photos here. Joe’s a good guy. Funny too. His blog is all about biblical studies and the mac (whatever that is).

If you can’t attend, it’s great to get an inside look at the goings on at the meeting and reading them may even provoke folk to go to the next one, hopefully.  It really is a grand time, because of the people most of all.   The papers, well, they are pretty good sometimes and pretty awful at others.  Still, as is true of anything, there’s always good and bad mixed.  But beware, as Scot McKnight points out, there are hidden costs to attending!!!

On the other end of things Mike Bird blogged from the ETS.   He also said a bit about his adventures at the SBL and he even shares his birthday doings.  And I confess, I thought he was 25.   Also, Mike mentions the adoption of the “Chicago Statement on Inerrancy” as official dogma of the society.  The Chicago Statement says, in part, “Being wholly and verbally God-given … [the Bible] is without error or fault in all its teaching, no less in what it states about God’s acts in creation, about the events of world history, and about its own literary origins under God, than in its witness to God’s saving grace in individual lives.”   Every member of the Society signs a statement of agreement with that sentiment before membership is granted, and said statement has to be signed every year.  I must add that this dogma says more about Scripture than Scripture says about itself and thus must be thoroughly rejected as an aberration.

Alas, the sun is setting and the Carnival is closing.  It’s time to say farewell to the month of November and the many fine postings around biblioblogdom.  Before we leave the gate and get back in our cars for the ride home, we have to tip our hats and bow our heads in a moment of silence for the departed biblioblogs.

Biblioblog-tuaries- Sad Passings from the Biblioblogosphere

The following blogs have either altogether ceased operation or are breathing so shallowly that no sign of viable life remains. We note their departure from the biblioblogosphere with sorrow.  Farewell, dearly departed…

Gospel of Matthew
Joe Cathey — (even the URL is gone though Joe himself is still alive having been sighted at the SBL meeting.)
Biblisches Forum
Bible Software Review Weblog
Christian Origins
Biblaridion
Postmodern Bible
Anduril
Nomadic Christianity
Scholar in Training
Daily Hebrew

Postscript

Obituary- The Sad Death of Yizhar Hirschfeld

It is with incredible sadness that I mention the death in November of one of the world’s finest archaeologists- Yizhar Hirschfeld. May his memory be for a blessing…  I met the good Professor while on the dig at Ein Gedi and found him both intelligent and personable.  He was only 57.

Post Postscript

Huldrych Zwingli, during the course of his life, published four significant books in the month of November (one in 1523, two in 1524, and one in 1525).  What?  Why do you look so confused?  Did you really think I could post something without mentioning Zwingli?  You know me better than that…

Post Post Postscript

Be sure to take note this month of blog entries you think others would enjoy and pass them along to Tyler Williams- host of the next Carnival!

Recovered Post: The SBL- A Guest Posting By Philip Davies

December 6, 2006 by Jim

Philip Davies is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Biblical Studies at the University of Sheffield. I invited the good Professor to share his thoughts on the recent SBL Annual Meeting and he has been kind enough to agree. What follows are his reflections. I’d like to thank Philip for taking the time to say what he does.

Every year, about September, when the Meeting Program comes online, I look up my participation and check what I have to write (or finish off, or rewrite). This year I had a shock, finding myself saddled with four papers. Yes, I must have agreed at some point (or at least not said ‘no’ firmly enough), but doesn’t SBL impose a limit? Senile members like me need to be protected against this kind of self-abuse. Where were the Society’s Watchers?

The result was, at any rate, that my strongest impression of the meeting was the view from a platform. But all the session were well-attended. Two of them were in celebration of senior scholars (Nadav Na’aman and Graeme Auld), who were also presented with Festschrfiten at an evening ceremony. I also attended two other presentations, to John Hayes and David Jobling. So my second strongest impression is of tributes to major figures (and on this occasion much-loved and admired colleagues). Yet the SBL stand for me as a reminder of the corporate, collaborative nature of biblical scholarship. I was impressed this year, as in previous years, by the unscheduled conversations with persons I had not previously met, often graduate students. Not only is there so much talent about in the younger generations, but also a lack of dogma, a real curiosity and openness. I often wonder what questions and methods will be dominating biblical studies when some of these line up for their volumes of appreciative tribute.

For our discipline, as much as most (and more than many) academic disciplines is governed by fashion. Fashion is something I have never fully understood (ask my wife), but it has tremendous power. Note what happened when giving to charity became fashionable, a move led by the beneficiaries of the weirdest fashion of all, celebrity. Fashion is the manifestation of neophilia and the SBL is the Milan or Paris of the biblical fashion trade, complete with its catwalks and supermodels. Novelty is good and healthy, except when it is manufactured as an economic necessity. More and more graduate students are having to produce dissertations on less and less viable topics. A lot of this stuff is really silly. But a surprising amount is good. I don’t really complain about this; what rather surprises me is how often I have travelled a few thousand miles to hear something I was taught as an undergrad.

The book display both uplifts and depresses me. It’s an obvious accidental meeting place (other than the reception circuit each evening), and many joyous encounters are to be had there. The layout also makes it possible to avoid less joyous ones. The number and range of books is overwhelming. Surely we don’t need all these? Just those written by me and my friends. [The book exhibitors], interestingly, mix their academic and confessional lists and titles. This, of course, reflects the ethos of the Society, and publishers can’t be blamed for making money; that’s their business. I have never asked whether the annual Astronomers Meeting has a book display featuring titles on astrology (surely not papers or sessions on it?). Well, we are obviously different..for the time being.

Yes, the SBL is like a discotheque without the music; a frantic round of networking, updating, image polishing, and even learning. I remember at my first meetings pencilling in every individual paper I wanted to hear, and dashing round from one session to another, usually failing to find the room and ending up in an unscheduled conversation terminated by the next paper in the schedule. A lot of people obviously still do that, but to me it is striving after wind. I’ve converted to nouvelle cuisine; better for your health. Until the evening round of dinner and receptions, when one kind of indulgence takes over from another.

I get very little scholarly knowledge out of the SBL, and I don’t expect to. But without being there I would never have understood the sociology of knowledge as well as I do (still not all that well). That’s what it is all about, though.

Philip’s Book Is On The Cusp of Birth

One of his many, that is- and here’s the Amazon page which suggests that it is to be available in April (2 months from hence). On the Origins of Judaism is described on the publisher’s website thusly:

This book covers several basic issues in the formation of early Judaism. It explores the identity of those who produced and canonized the Hebrew Bible and subsequently shaped its interpretation, re-examines the significance and impact of Second Isaiah, and the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, traces the root of Jewish apocalyptic literature, and the possible origins of the exodus story. Two final chapters consider the mechanics of table fellowship in diaspora Judaism and consider the ethical systems of the Hebrew Bible and of the Athenian tragedians in the light of their respective social and political structures. Some of these essays have previously appeared but all have been revised.

And whilst Amazon lists delivery in April, Equinox says February 2009. So here’s to hoping Amazon is right!

They Just Don’t Care, Do They?

I mean companies.  Businesses.  About customer service or properly delivering your order.  I ordered some ink for my printer from Staples and the UPS chap dropped them off, after evidently running over them a couple of times.  Here’s what they looked like when I opened the package:

 

What’s up?  I’m sure Staples will say it’s the fault of UPS.  And UPS will doubtless blame Staples.  And in the meanwhile I’ve received damaged goods at full price.  How very annoying and so I say, publicly, shame on all you greedy companies who couldn’t care less about the products you deliver so long as you have your pence in your pockets.

Interview With Dr. Adam Zertal, Archaeologist

Joesph Lauer writes

Arutz Sheva/Israel National Radio presented today, February 27, 2008, a very interesting and wide-ranging English-language interview with Dr. Adam Zertal, Professor Emeritus at Haifa University, who also teaches at other institutions. Dr. Zertal is the archaeologist who excavated “Joshua’s Altar” at Har Eval/Mount Ebal and is involved in the continuing archaeological survey of Samaria and the Jordan Valley.

The 32-minute interview may now be accessed at the “Radio Highlights - News & Interviews” section at the bottom right of the Arutz Sheva site- http://www.israelnationalnewscom/ - by clicking on the words “Archeologist Adam Zertal - Joshua’s Altar”. It may also be accessed at the following URL by copying and pasting it to your web-browser’s address line and clicking: mms://msmedia.a7.org/arutz7/shows//English-show/highlights/AdamZertal.mp3

Oh Ye Aussies…

An Aussie football (soccer)(and expat German!) player had the poor taste (read- insanity) to attend a club party dressed as Hitler, reports Reuters.

An Australian professional soccer player who attended a club celebration dressed as Adolf Hitler will be disciplined after Jewish groups complained, officials said Tuesday. German-born Andre Gumprecht, 33, attended a post-Grand Final ceremony Monday for his Central Coast Mariners team dressed in a khaki military uniform and mustache to resemble the former German dictator. “Hitler was such a monster and for a lot of people, it’s a very sensitive thing to be confronted with,” Ernie Friedlander, a spokesman for the Jewish community group B’nai B’rith, told Australian newspapers.

Ya think? Anyway- something must happen to people who go to Australia to live. There’s got to be something in the water (or more likely, the beer). I can only advise one and all to- all over the world, avoid Foster’s! It’s apparently spiked with a brain degenerating agent.

Buckley is Dead

The Associated Press has just reported that Author William F. Buckley Jr. dies at 82, assistant says.

He was, without question, an extraordinarily intelligent man. It’s a shame that he used his intellectual prowess to buttress a failed ideological outlook which clung to and lived in and for a past that no longer exists. Nevertheless, in his passing we all are lessened. May he rest in peace.

Damage to Antiquities on the Temple Mount

The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs has a fairly in depth essay regarding past and present activities on the Temple Mount which have caused destruction to important artifacts. Read it here. This bit towards the end seems most interesting

It is only too evident that the on-going Waqf excavations on the Temple Mount, which are generally carried out without archaeological supervision of any kind, have severely damaged antiquities from many periods. Since 2004, archaeologist Dr. Gabi Barkai and Zachi Zweig have been sifting through the rubble the Waqf removed from the Temple Mount to the Kidron Valley eight years ago.

The project is being carried out in the Tzurim Valley, not far from the Mt. Scopus campus of the Hebrew University. The archaeologists in charge, aided by hundreds of volunteers, occasionally document new discoveries and publish pictures.18 An article appearing in Ariel contained information about finds described as “very small” because, during the excavation on the Temple Mount, the Waqf separated out the larger pieces from the rubble and reused the ancient building blocks, since the Waqf feared the police would prevent them from bringing new building materials to the site.

Among the small findings recovered were a few pre-historic flint implements, approximately ten thousand years old; many pot shards; about a thousand ancient coins; many varicolored items of jewelry made of various materials, including pendants, rings, bracelets, earrings and beads; decorations for clothing; amulets; ivory and bone dice and game pieces; ivory and mother-of-pearl furniture insets; icons and statuettes; stone and metal weights; weapons and ammunition such as arrow heads and musket balls; broken pieces of stone and glass utensils; stone and glass squares from floor and wall mosaics; decorated wall hangings and fragments of decorations from buildings; seals and seal impressions; and many other items.

The most ancient findings were glass fragments ten thousand years old. Only a few pottery shards and fragments of alabaster vessels were found belonging to the Canaanite and Jebusite periods (the early and late Bronze Age), but many items were found belonging to the late period of the Kings of Judea (8th and 7th centuries BCE), including stone weights for weighing silver. The most striking find was a seal impression with letters in the ancient Hebrew script of the last days of the First Temple.

One can only imagine what findings could have been rescued and researched if the pit dug by the Waqf on the Temple Mount down into Solomon’s Stables had been excavated under archaeological supervision.

Imagination isn’t exactly the proper scientific disposition when it comes to artifacts- though of course it does play a part in interpreting the data.  But imagining what ‘might’ be there if only… isn’t a helpful approach.  Nonetheless, it’s a fine essay with lots of important insights.