Brent Seales on Digitally Unrolling Scrolls

The Book & The Spade has an interesting short interview with Brent Seales, who recently successfully digitally unrolled the Leviticus scroll from Ein Gedi. He is quite optimistic about his ability to read unopened Herculaneum papyri, and his project is still ongoing.

SBL and ASOR on Immigration Ban

Only tangentially related, perhaps, to OTTC, but it is worth pointing out that a number of scholarly organizations have publicly protested the recent temporary immigration ban of the Trump administration. The general argument is that it interferes with scholarly work by interrupting freedom of movement of scholars from some countries, as well as potentially leading to the exclusion of American scholars from some difficult-to-access countries. Just one more unintended consequence of a generally bad immigration policy...

Society of Biblical Literature

American Schools of Oriental Research

New Book by Seth Adcock

Peeters is now advertising Seth Adcock's new book "Oh God of Battles! Steal My Soldiers' Hearts!": A Study of the Hebrew and Greek Text Forms of Jeremiah 10:1-18. The book is a revised version of his doctoral dissertation under Kristen De Troyer at St. Andrews. Congratulations, Seth!

Summary: This volume represents a comparative analysis of the Greek and Hebrew text forms of Jer 10:1-18. One finds that the Hebrew text's ancient battle hymn has been transformed by the old Greek translator into an apotropaic incantation against evil spirits. Thus, the two text forms of chapter 10 hinge upon the Aramaic of verse 11 and whether one finds exorcistic magic in its obscure words or enigmatic condemnation of idolatry from the prophet Jeremiah. The Masoretic text proves to evidence a more ancient textual tone and structure.

LXX Summer School with Kristin De Troyer

Kristin De Troyer has announced her next LXX summer school in Salzburg. Highly recommended for anyone interested in learning textual criticism from one of the foremost experts in the field!

ON BIBLICAL

MANUSCRIPTS AND

THEIR USE IN BIBLICAL

STUDIES

Summer School in Salzburg,

Austria

Class schedule: Classes start on Monday July 3 at 9 am to Friday July 7, noon, with

sessions from 9-12 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and sessions

from 14 to 17 on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

Arrival on Sunday July 2, 2017 is recommended.

Prerequisites:

- USA/Canada: MA in Biblical Studies, Theological Studies or Religious Studies

or MDiv,

- UK/Australia/etc: an honours degree in Biblical, Theological or Religious

Studies,

- Any equivalent to the above mentioned options.

- Sufficient knowledge of Hebrew and Greek. !

Credits: 5 ECTS (= 2.5 US Sem credits)-6 ECTS (mit Arbeit oder Prüfung; with paper

and exam; = 3 US Sem credits)

Instruction language: English Fee: €100

Applications:

- Please send a letter of motivation, a transcript and a CV to Prof Kristin De

Troyer, FB Bibelwissenschaften & Kirchengeschichte, Theologische Fakultät,

Universitätsplatz 1, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria.

- Please indicate whether or not you would like us to book a room for you in Haus

St Benedikt (Toscaninihof 1, 5020 Salzburg; pp/pn: €60 for students; €75 for

Double room/ €90 for Single room).

- Application due date: April 15, 2016

- Accepted candidates will be informed before May 1, 2017

- A maximum of 10 students will be admitted. !

Accommodation:

- 10 rooms will be reserved for the participants at the Haus St Benedict (Sunday

evening to Friday noon, 5 nights). We strongly encourage participants to use this

facility as available accommodation during summertime in Salzburg is rare and

expensive.

- Participants are responsible for their accommodation and food (cash only). !

Where? Faculty of Theology, Universitätsplatz 1, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

Conference on Hoskier and Textual Scholarship

Garrick Allen has released a call for papers for an upcoming conference entitled Herman Hoskier and the Future of Textual Scholarship on the Bible (28-30 August 2017). The topics and lineup sound like they will make for a great conference! See more information below:

Call for Papers

Herman Hoskier and the Future of Textual Scholarship on the Bible

28-30 August 2017

Dublin City University

School of Theology, Philosophy, and Music

Herman Charles Hoskier (1864-1938) was a textual scholar of the New Testament whose work remains influential in the field today. As part of the Irish Research Council’s Decade of Centenaries, this conference explores the present state and future prospects of textual scholarship on the Bible in the digital age, using Hoskier’s work as a starting point for the discussion. Short papers are invited that address the following topics: the intellectual context of twentieth century textual scholarship, manuscript collections in Ireland, the future of the critical edition, the digital humanities and the Bible, Hoskier’s text critical work and current developments in the field, the versions in textual scholarship, the Editio Critica Maior, manuscripts as objects and material culture, trends and prospects in textual criticism, text critical method, the future of textual scholarship, early printed editions, studies on manuscripts, and related topics. 

Invited Speakers include:

·      David Parker (University of Birmingham) 

·      Stanley Porter (McMaster Divinity College)

·      Jennifer Knust (Boston University)

·      J. K. Elliott (University of Leeds) 

·      Martin Karrer (KiHo Wuppertal) 

·      Juan Hernández Jr. (Bethel University)

·      Claire Clivaz (Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics)

·      Thomas J. Kraus (Universität Zurich)

·      Tommy Wasserman (Ansgar Teologiske Høgskole)

·      Christina Kreinecker (Universität Salzburg)

·      Klaus Wachtel (INTF Münster) 

·      Catherine Smith (University of Birmingham)

·      Hugh Houghton (University of Birmingham)

·      Martin Wallraff (LMU München)

·      Jan Krans (VU Amsterdam) 

·      Annette Hüffmeier (INTF Münster) 

·      Jill Unkel (Chester Beatty Library)

·      Dirk Jongkind (University of Cambridge)

Abstracts of 250 words will be accepted until 15 April 2017 (send to Dr. Garrick Allen, garrick.allen@dcu.ie). For more information on this event see the project blog (www.hchoskier.blogspot.ie) and follow Hoskier on Twitter (@HCHoskier). Registration will open 15 February 2017 and close 30 June 2017. The early bird cost is €60 (until 1 May 2017, thereafter €90). This project is funded by the Irish Research Council.

Interview with Anneli Aejmelaeus

Helen Dixon has posted an interview with Anneli Aejmelaeus, recently retired professor and Septuagint specialist from the University of Helsinki. I had the pleasure of working with her for the past couple of years and greatly enjoyed my time in Helsinki.

Free E-Books from Brill

For Academic Week 2017, Brill has made several volumes freely downloadable. Thanks to Brill for this generous offer! :) Among those most of interest to readers of this blog, see:

Studies in the Making of the Early Hebrew Book 

Marvin J. Heller

Medieval Manuscript Production in the Latin West
Explorations with a Global Database

Eltjo Buringh

The Kabbalistic Scholar of the Antwerp Polyglot Bible

Robert J. Wilkinson

Early Christian Manuscripts
Examples of Applied Method and Approach

Edited by Thomas J. Kraus and Tobias Nicklas