Ancient Near East

Deissmann was a scholar well known for his work with the Greek of the New Testament. In this little volume he considers the Hellenization of Semitic monotheism. Primarily concerned with the changes after Alexander’s conquest, the book is a brief exploration of Greek religion in the aftermath of conquest. Semitic monotheism was, according to Deissmann, a new concept for the Greek world. Hellenistic outlooks had long been influenced by classical viewpoints. Into this cultural milieu the Judaic concept of monotheism made immediate inroads. This influence is explored primarily in linguistic form, including considerations of the Septuagint. Both Hellenists and Semitic scholars will find material of interest here. Observations made by Deissmann influenced later thought in this field. Stretching across disciplines, this study will interest cultural historians as well. Share the sense of discovery with this useful booklet.

The aim of this booklet is to given an account of the nature of the religion of the Old Testament, especially those aspects that differentiate it from other ancient religions. Fitting with the emerging historical-critical Zeitgeist, Marti follows the usual division of Israelite religion into nomadic, peasant, prophetic, and legal religions. Various accoutrements and components of the religious life of antiquity are considered throughout this somewhat contrived course of Israel’s religious development. Written when Assyriology was just beginning to come into its own, Marti still finds the Graf-Wellhausen hypothesis a compelling explanation for the form of the biblical material.

This brief contribution to the discussion of Semitic metrics was written by a renowned scholar of biblical languages. Concentrating on the partial acrostic poem in Nahum 1.2-2.3, Bickell addresses the metrics of the piece. Laying out the text in Hebrew and in transliteration, Bickell gives his own translation along with his metrical observations. For anyone interested in the poetic structures of Semitic languages, particularly biblical Hebrew, this booklet will provide considerable insight.

In this essential contribution to the study of Aramaisms in the Bible, noted linguist E. Kautzsch provides a thorough introduction to the subject. Since Aramaisms are not overly abundant in the Bible, Kautzsch has the space to dedicate a significant analysis. For linguists interested in how Aramaic influenced biblical Hebrew, as understood at the turn of the twentieth century, this little book will be of great value.

The full title of this work indicates the scope of its contents: A Catalogue of the Arabic, Persian and Hindustany Manuscripts of the Libraries of the King of Oudh, Compiled by Order of the Government of India. This first volume was the only part of the project completed by editor Aloys Sprenger, and it contains the Persian and Hindustani poetry. This catalogue includes biographies of Persian and Urdu poets, a chapter of works of Persian poets, and a brief chapter on the work of Hindustani poets, which concludes the works.

In the early years of archaeological excitement in the environment of the biblical world, Merrill traveled through what is today Jordan on an extended journey and wrote this engaging account of his travels and explorations. Copiously illustrated with line drawings and etchings of the monuments and notable sights he encountered, his descriptions still retain their compelling voice. An historical account of travels around an area that would soon blossom into an archaeological haven, this journal is worth exploration for its contribution to a new discipline.

Since its inception at the beginning of the twentieth century, form criticism has diminished in popularity and use in recent years. Bryan H. Cribb’s studies demonstrates that, if appropriately modified, form criticism still has much to add to Old Testament studies. Using a synchronic and inductive approach to the text, Cribb engages in a form critical study of nine “death stories” in the Old Testament. In so doing, he not only provides substantial support for the existence of this genre, but he also shows how remarkably fruitful such a study can be in revealing the messages of these accounts.

This volume incorporates all the articles and reviews published in Volume 8 (2008) of the Journal of Hebrew Scriptures.

This volume consists of 14 papers delivered by Assyriologists and biblical specialists at the 2007 Society of Biblical Literature congress in sessions devoted to the scholarly legacy of the late Tikva Frymer-Kensky, Professor of the Hebrew Bible at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago.

A discussion of the Gortyn law code, one of the earliest known in the Greek world. This is an edition, translation and commentary on the Gortyn law code with introduction.

An article tracing the development of the Ionic column from Egyptian lotus motifs through Assyrian rosettes and Cypriot pottery motifs.

Site report of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens (ASCSA) detailing the major finds and excavation of the Attic deme of Ikaria in Athens.

Survey of finds and literary sources documenting the cities of imperial Roman Phrygia's borderlands.

In the tradition of Schliemann's search for Troy, Clarke uses literary and topographic data to suggest site locations for the ancient cities of Gargara, Lampascus, and Pionia in the Troad.

The site report for the University of Pennsylvania's excavation of Nippur in Iraq. The detailed excavation report includes photographs, diagrams, and topographical map.

In this article, the famous Assyriologist William Ward discusses the gods of the Hittites as the appear in in art as well as foreign deities who commonly appear alongside them.

Rufus B. Richardson, the director of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens at the time of this paper, publishes the discovery of the fountain of Pirene in Corinth.

This site report presents a Mycenean palace found at Nippur (a city in the heart of ancient Babylon) with a floor-plan and style similar to the palace at Tiryns.

This piece includes the text, translation, and commentary for a long inscription found on the temple of Artemis and shorter honorific inscriptions on cylindrical stelai found in the ancient city, all dating from the 4th century BC.

In this ambitious article Eisen creates a chronology of eye beads (glass beads decorated with eye-like spots) from sites in Europe, the Near East, and North Africa.

Arthur Frothingham, one of the founding fathers of Art History, here discusses the origins of Hermes, and suggests that the prototype of Hermes was an Eastern deity of Babylonian extraction.

Frothingham presents an ambitious overview of the development of orientation, or the directionality of sacrifice, prayer, and ritual, played a key role in ancient ceremonies, in the practice of ancient religions.

William Newbold deciphers inscriptions found under the soot and lava of Vesuvius in which Aramaic speakers used Greek and Latin letters to render their native tongue, occasionally in a mixture of Aramaic and Latin.

Richardson and Hertz present opposing viewpoints for the origin of iron working in the transition from Bronze Age to Iron, one arguing a European origin and the other a Near Eastern/ Egyptian.

The first of Carl Blegen's reports on the excavation of Troy for the American Journal of Archeology detailing a small residential area.