I recently gave an interview to “New Books in Jewish Studies.” The interview (about 30 minutes) can be heard here.
Wealth: Religious Perspectives
I am excited to be co-teaching a new course this semester with my colleague, Professor Susan Harvey. The course description of “Wealth: Religious Perspectives,” is below:
This course will survey religious approaches to the acquisition and use of wealth: How do religious thinkers understand the notion of ownership and private property? Is the fact of ownership of significant possessions seen as a moral good or an impediment to the spiritual life? Are there better or worse ways to acquire wealth? To spend it? The course will focus primarily on Judaism and Christianity, although examples from Islam and perhaps eastern religions will be brought in as appropriate. Topics to be covered will include religious understandings of poverty, charity, finance, and the link between religion and capitalism.
For a (slightly redacted) syllabus, click here.
The Ein Gedi Scroll: What We Could Potentially, Maybe Learn
A bit over a month ago the Israel Antiquities Authority announced a stunning achievement: a burnt scroll found in excavations of the ancient synagogue of Ein Gedi in 1970 has been partially deciphered using micro-CT technology. It turns out to contain at least the beginning of the book of Leviticus and, after the Dead Sea Scrolls, is the oldest extant text of the Hebrew Bible. The strong implication of the press release, along with many subsequent news reports, is that this was a Torah scroll stored in the ark and used for public, liturgical recitation.
It might indeed be. The few facts that have been released to the public about the scroll, though, also give one pause. (It is worth noting that 45 years after the excavations there is no final archaeological report of this synagogue.) When the sensationalism is brushed aside, what do we really learn?
First, it is clear, this was a terrific technological feat. Not a lot of burnt scrolls are found in excavations, but they do appear and it is very exciting to see that there is yet hope for deciphering them. Second, we have yet further confirmation that a version of the Torah that was more or less identical to the Masoretic Text – the text of the Hebrew Bible that Jews have regarded as authoritative since the early Middle Ages – was present around the fifth century CE. Nothing particularly new or shocking there, but still kind of cool.
What is far less clear is whether this scroll served a liturgical purpose. It was found in the area of the Torah niche, which also housed the ark (no traces of which were found, which is expected since it was probably made of wood). That, however, does not mean that it was deposited in the ark. Remember that it was found along with coins, perfume bottles, lamps, and a menorah. It is unclear if all of these things were in or around the ark (why?) or whether they were somehow swept into the niche before or after the fire the destroyed the building.
More striking, though, is the size of the scroll, at only 7 cm. This is extraordinarily small for a scroll meant for public recitation. Among the Dead Sea Scrolls, for example, are several scrolls that are much bigger that seem written for this purpose. A scroll of this size might more typically be used as an amulet or as a personal scroll used for reading or study. Another intriguing possibility is that it was used as a “foundation deposit,” along with the coins and perhaps the other items in the niche. In that scenario, the community would have installed these items in the niche in order to enhance the holiness of the area, much as relics are used in Catholic churches. Whether or not this is true, though, given the facts released so far it is far from clear that this was the community’s Torah scroll.
Great Jewish Books: Second Time Around
Last year I taught an undergraduate class called “Great Jewish Books” and posted the syllabus here. The course, I thought, went very well. Nevertheless, since I am an inveterate tinkerer, I have tinkered with the syllabus for the upcoming semester. In terms of readings, I switched the excerpts for both classic rabbinic texts and medieval mystical texts and added more in Jewish thought (at the expense of I. B. Singer and Glueckel of Hameln). I am still uncomfortable with the lack of works authored by women, though. I have also changed the writing assignments slightly, making them more focused to better achieve the goals of the class.
A copy of the syllabus in Word format can be found here. I welcome suggestions. You should also feel free to use it with whatever modifications work for you.
Take That!
I direct an online proj
ect called Inscriptions of Israel/Palestine (IIP). The purpose of this project is to make accessible and searchable the many published inscriptions from this region that date from the sixth century BCE to the seventh century CE, in all languages and religions. We have just entered an exciting and intensive phase of the project, which over the next couple of years will expand and further develop the site.
I find these inscriptions endlessly fascinating and I will begin here, in a somewhat irregular fashion, to share some of these inscriptions (you are welcome, of course, to browse the database on your own and to share with me your own favorites!).
Today’s featured inscription is a lead sling bullet that comes from Dor, a coastal city located in northern Israel. It was originally published in 1982, but then reinterpreted by Dov Gera, “Tryphon’s Sling Bullet from Dor,” Israel Exploration Journal 35 (1985): 153-163 (the record in IIP can be seen here). It is inscribed in (mainly) Greek on two sides. One side reads:
For the victory of Tryphon.
The other side reads:
Dor. Year 5. Of the city of the Dorians. Have a taste of sumac.
The bullet was made by forces loyal to Tryphon, a Seleucid ruler who was locked in a civil war with his rival, Antiochus VII. Antiochus VII forces killed Tryphon, probably around the time the bullet was made, in 138/137 BCE. The city of Dor was apparently loyal to Tryphon right to the end.
The bullet has a return address. This is not uncommon in antiquity; often projectiles in particular had inscriptions on them. Know – the bullet seems to say – who just wounded you.
The kicker, though, is the phrase, “Have a taste of sumac.” The phrase is enigmatic, but since sumac can refer to a sweet, dried fruit, the bullet seems to gloat: “So how do you like that sweet pain? Would like more from where that came from?”
Hardly the utilitarian and antiseptic way in which we practice warfare today.
The photo comes from the Tel Dor project site. It is a sling bullet, but I’m unsure if it is the one I’ve discussed here.