Mittwoch, 21. Juli 2010

Sources for the use of ancient images in Biblical Studies (Old Testament)

As a biblical scholar working in Old Testament studies and interested in archaeology (and iconography in particular), I am searching for a nice gateway or web portal which collects the main resources one would need to do proper research (and teaching) on ancient visual art, images on seals, coins, etc. in relation to the Hebrew Bible. As I did not yet find such a collection of websites referring me to the appropriate digital and non-digital sources, I compose this blog entry (containing a small collection, but aiming for a high standard!) with a double focus.
1. For those who are looking for a similar tool in Biblical Studies, I would like to provide a small collection with helpful references.
2. Those who could point me to such a high-standard academic gateway (first of all in relation to the First Testament; I know there is slightly more material on the New Testament) is most welcome to respond to this blog.
For 1: enjoy! May this prove to be helpful. For 2: thank you very much for your cooperation!
Izaak J. de Hulster

Where to find images?
  • Digs and their websites
  • Excavation reports
  • Museums (and their depots) and their websites
  • Antique dealers, their catalogues, and websites
  • Private collections
  • Books: catalogues, handbooks, thematic studies



Collections of images (general)

  • Pritchard, J.B. The Ancient Near East in Pictures Relating to the Old Testament (ANEP), 2nd ed., 1969
  • Keel, O. The Symbolism of the Biblical World: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Book of the Psalms, 2nd English edition, 1997


Coins
  • Meshorer, Y. & S. Qedar, Samarian Coinage, 1999
  • Meshorer, Y. A Treasury of Jewish coins, 2001
  • Elayi, E.G. & J: Elayi, Le monnayage de la cité phénicienne de Sidon à l‘époque Perse, 2004
  • Gitler, H. & O. Tal. The Coinage of Philistia of the 5th and 4th Centuries BC: A Study of the Earliest Coins of Palestine, 2006
  • Elayi, E.G. & J: Elayi, The Coinage of the Phoenician City of Tyre in the Persian Period (5th – 4th century), 2009
  • Hendin, D. Guide to Biblical Coins, 5th ed. 2010 (expected)
  • Menorah Coin Project (many Palestinian coins from many different sources, but database search features are lacking)


Seals (ANE and Israel/Palestine)
  • Collon, D. First impressions: Cylinder Seals in the Ancient Near East, 2nd ed. 2005 (introduction)
  • Frankfort, H. Cylinder Seals: a documentary essay on the art and religion of the ancient Near East, 1939
  • Porada, E. Corpus of ancient near Eastern seals, 1948 (2 vol.)
  • Leith, J.M.W. Wadi Daliyeh seal impressions, 1997
  • Avigad, N./Sass, B. Corpus of West Semitic Stamp Seals, 1997
  • Keel, O. & J. Eggler, Corpus der Siegel-Amulette aus Jordanien, 2006
  • Keel, O. Corpus der Stempelsiegel-Amulette aus Palastina/Israel: Von den Anfangen bis zur Perserzeit, 1995-... (by 2010: 4 volumes)
  • British Museum, Catalogue of Western Asiatic Seals in the British Museum, 6 volumes, 1962-2008


Digs
  • ... [dig sites often have very few photographs of pictorial material]
  • See also Cobb Institute of Archaeology at Mississippi State University at museums below


Topics and overviews
  • Keel, O. & C: Uehlinger, GGG [Gods, Goddesses and Images of God], English ed. 1998 – history of Israelite religion from images
  • Schroer, S., Ikonographie Palästinas/Israels und der Alte Orient: Eine Religionsgeschichte in Bildern, 2005-... (2 out of 4 vol. published) - chronological overview of pictorial material with links to OT
  • e.g., B.A. Strawn, What is Stronger than a Lion?, 2005 – lion
  • ...


Museums
  • Louvre (allows searches on Museum Inventory Number!)


Photographs (landscape, etc.)
  • Mazar, B. Views of the Biblical World, 1958-1961
  • Bible Walks (photos of archaeological sites with small maps of their location)
  • Bible Places by Todd Bolen; brief overview of sites with photographs and links
  • Matson Collection . Matson was a photographer related to the American Colony; he and his wife made many photographs in Palestine in the first half of the twentieth century. Work of the American Colony became also part of the Speelman Collection (1926-1931). These collections also contain photographs/slides that have been coloured with oil paint. Another important photographer from this period is the Arab Khalil Ra'ad.


Maps


Other helpful online collections of ancient Near Eastern images


Method (of iconographic exegesis: employing ancient images in biblical exegesis)
  • de Hulster, I.J. Iconographic Exegesis and Third Isaiah, 2009, FAT-II 36
  • de Hulster, I.J. & R. Schmitt (eds), Iconography and Biblical Studies, 2009, AOAT 361
  • New Testament: Weissenrieder, A. & F. Wendt & P. von Gemünden (eds.), Picturing the New Testament, 2005, WUNT 193 (esp. 1st article, by Weissenrieder and Wendt)

Dienstag, 20. Juli 2010

The Jewish War against Rome (66-70/74): Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 21-22 October 2010 in Groningen

'The Jewish War against Rome (66-70/74): Interdisciplinary Perspectives' is the title of the Second Qumran Institute Symposium, held between 21-22 October 2010 at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Groningen, the Netherlands.

For more information on the conference, short abstracts and to register, please visit the symposium page of the Qumran Institute.

Programme
Thursday, 21 October 2010
8.30 Coffee and tea
9.15-9.30 Opening
9.30-10.15 1. Steve Mason: History as Narrative or Argument? Using Josephus for the History of Roman Judaea
10.15-11.00 2. Jan Willem van Henten: Rebellion under Herod the Great and Archelaus: Analogies, Tropes and Josephus’ Reliability
11.00-11.30 Break
11.30-12.15 3. Julia Wilker: Josephus, the Herodians and the Jewish War
12.15-13.00 4. Daniel Schwartz: Josephus on Albinus: The Eve of Catastrophe in Changing Retrospect
Lunch
14.30-15.15 5. Robert Deutsch: The Coinage of the First Jewish Revolt, 66–73 c.e.
15.15-16.00 6. Donald Ariel: Identifying the Mints, Minters and Meanings of the First Jewish Revolt Coins
16.00-16.30 Break
16.30-17.15 7. Jodi Magness: A Reconsideration of Josephus’ Testimony about Masada
17.15-18.00 8. Pieter van der Horst: Philosophia epeisaktos: Some Notes on Josephus, A.J. 18.9
18.00 Reception
19.30 Dinner

Friday, 22 October 2010
8.30 Coffee and tea
9.15-10.00 9. Andrea Berlin: Identity Politics in Early Roman Galilee
10.00-10.45 10. Jonathan Price: The Jewish Population of Jerusalem from the First Century b.c.e. to the Early Second Century c.e.
10.45-11.15 Break
11.15-12.00 11. Werner Eck: Die römischen Repräsentanten in Judaea: Provokateure oder Vertreter der römischen Macht?
12.00-12.45 12. Brian Schultz: Not Greeks but Romans: Changing Expectations for the Eschatological War in the War Texts from Qumran
Lunch
14.30-15.15 13. George H. van Kooten: The Earliest Literary Witnesses to the Jewish War: Mark, 2 Thessalonians and the Revelation of John
15.15-16.00 14. James McLaren: Going to War against Rome: The Motivation of the Jewish Rebels
16.00-16.30 Break
16.30-17.15 15. Uriel Rappaport: Who Were the Sicarii: Terrorists? Urban Terrorists? A Suicidal Sect (Group)? Religiously Motivated? Dynastic? Messianic? Territorial?
17.15 Reception
19.00 Dinner