#dead-sea-scrolls — Public Fediverse posts

🇬🇧The Bible Forgers: How Religion, Money, and Power Collide in the Museum of the Bible Scandal

When Faith Meets Forgery: The Shocking Story Behind the Museum of the Bible

What happens when one of the most sacred texts in history becomes a tool for manipulation, profit, and power? The ARTE documentary “The Bible Forgers” pulls back the curtain on a scandal that shakes the foundations of trust in religious artifacts—and reveals how easily belief can be weaponized.

• For me, this story hit close to home. As a teenager, I asked my religion teacher why God is depicted as a wise old white man with a white beard, while the devil is black or red. His answer? “Because that’s just how it is.” When I pointed out that this was racist, he threw me out of class. That moment taught me a harsh lesson: Questioning dogma is often met with punishment, not answers.

The Museum of the Bible scandal is just a modern, high-stakes version of the same dynamic. Let’s dive into how the Green family, Hobby Lobby, and a web of forgeries exposed the dark side of religious narrative control.

—

The Museum of the Bible: A Monument Built on Lies

Who Are the Greens?

The Green family, owners of the Hobby Lobby craft store empire, are devout conservative Christians with deep pockets and a mission: to promote their interpretation of the Bible as historically infallible. In 2017, they opened the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., a $500 million project designed to showcase the Bible’s historical accuracy and cultural impact.

To fill the museum with “authentic” artifacts, the Greens spent millions acquiring ancient biblical texts, including fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls. There was just one problem: Many of them were forgeries.

The Forgeries: A Multi-Million-Dollar Deception

Independent experts, including scholars from the French School of Biblical Research and Archaeology in Jerusalem, discovered that thousands of the museum’s artifacts were fake. Here’s how it happened:

• Fake Dead Sea Scrolls: Forgers created “ancient” fragments using old leather or papyrus, mimicking the script and aging the materials chemically to deceive buyers. Some were sold for up to $10 million [source].
• Illegal Acquisitions: Many genuine artifacts were smuggled out of Israel with fake export permits, violating international law. The Greens later faced legal consequences, including fines and the forced return of looted items.
• Motives: While the Greens claimed their goal was to “share the Bible’s story”, critics argue they used the museum to push a conservative Christian agenda—one that aligns with their political and social values.

Jean-Michel de Tarragon, an expert in biblical archaeology, noted that while the real Dead Sea Scrolls are invaluable for understanding the Bible in Jesus’ time, the forgeries undermine trust in biblical scholarship and harm the field of archaeology [source].

—

Why This Matters: Religion as a Tool of Control

Historical Precedents

The Museum of the Bible scandal isn’t an isolated incident. Throughout history, religious texts have been altered, censored, or fabricated to serve power structures:

• Canonization and Editing: The Bible as we know it was compiled over centuries, with texts like the Vulgate (Jerome’s 4th-century Latin translation) omitting or changing “inconvenient” truths. As one scholar puts it, “Many truths from early Christianity or divine prophets were not included or were falsified” [source].
• Pseudepigraphy: Letters in the New Testament attributed to apostles like Paul were often written by unknown authors to lend them authority. The Pericope Adulterae (the story of the adulteress in John 8) is a well-known later addition not found in the earliest manuscripts [source].

The Psychology of Control

Religions—and other dogmatic systems—often rely on three key tools to maintain control:

1. Fear: The threat of divine punishment (hell, damnation) keeps followers in line. As I learned in my religion class, questioning these narratives is often met with hostility.
2. Symbolism: Depicting God as a white man and the devil as dark or red isn’t just artistic license—it’s a reflection of cultural hierarchies that have justified racism, colonialism, and oppression for centuries.
3. Authority: By presenting their interpretation as “the only truth,” religious leaders (or political figures) suppress dissent. The Greens’ museum is a prime example: They used forgeries to “prove” their version of history.

—

Personal Reflection: From the Classroom to the Museum

My experience with the religion teacher wasn’t just about a racist depiction of God—it was about the refusal to engage with critical questions. That dynamic is the same one at play in the Museum of the Bible scandal. Whether it’s a 14-year-old student or a multi-million-dollar museum, the response to inconvenient truths is often the same: Silence, expulsion, or deception.

This isn’t just about religion. It’s about how power operates—whether in classrooms, museums, or governments. The lesson? Always question the narrative. Because when you stop asking questions, you become part of the system you’re trying to understand.

—

Conclusion: What the Bible Forgers Teach Us

The Museum of the Bible scandal is more than just a story about fake artifacts and wealthy collectors. It’s a case study in how narratives are constructed, controlled, and sold—often at the expense of truth. Here’s what we can take away:

• Religion is not immune to manipulation. Whether it’s ancient scribes altering texts or modern tycoons buying forgeries, the Bible’s history is as much about power as it is about faith.
• Symbolism matters. The way God and the devil are depicted isn’t neutral—it reinforces who holds power and who doesn’t.
• Critical thinking is a survival skill. From my religion class to the halls of the Museum of the Bible, the message is clear: Those who control the narrative control the people.

So, what’s the takeaway? If a museum dedicated to the Bible can be built on lies, what does that say about the stories we’ve been told—and the ones we tell ourselves?

—

Watch and Learn More

If this topic resonates with you, here are some resources to dive deeper:

• ARTE Documentary: “The Bible Forgers” (Search for it on ARTE’s website or streaming platforms).
• Books:
  • Misquoting Jesus by Bart D. Ehrman (on textual forgeries in the Bible).
  • The Bible: A Biography by Karen Armstrong (on the Bible’s historical and cultural impact).
• Articles:
  • Millions for Bible Forgeries (Pro Medienmagazin).
  • The Falsified Bible (Theologe.de).

—

Your Turn: What Do You Think?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you see religion as a source of comfort or a tool of control? Have you ever questioned a narrative and faced backlash? Share your experiences in the comments below!

📜 NEW: The Hidden Scripture...

For 2,000 years, Abrahamic religions claimed divine, unchanging truth. The evidence shows something different:

• Multiple Bible versions existed simultaneously
• Canon first defined in 367 AD by Athanasius
• 50+ gospels suppressed
• Vatican revised theology in 1965

https://thomaster.substack.com/p/the-real-history-they-tried-to-destroy

#Bible #Christianity #History #Religion #SuppressedGospel #NagHammadi #DeadSeaScrolls #BiblicalCanon #Athanasius #Vatican #Heretical #Gnosticism #Scripture #ReligiousHistory

📜 NEW: The Hidden Scripture...

For 2,000 years, Abrahamic religions claimed divine, unchanging truth. The evidence shows something different:

• Multiple Bible versions existed simultaneously
• Canon first defined in 367 AD by Athanasius
• 50+ gospels suppressed
• Vatican revised theology in 1965

https://thomaster.substack.com/p/the-real-history-they-tried-to-destroy

#Bible #Christianity #History #Religion #SuppressedGospel #NagHammadi #DeadSeaScrolls #BiblicalCanon #Athanasius #Vatican #Heretical #Gnosticism #Scripture #ReligiousHistory

📜 NEW: The Hidden Scripture...

For 2,000 years, Abrahamic religions claimed divine, unchanging truth. The evidence shows something different:

• Multiple Bible versions existed simultaneously
• Canon first defined in 367 AD by Athanasius
• 50+ gospels suppressed
• Vatican revised theology in 1965

https://thomaster.substack.com/p/the-real-history-they-tried-to-destroy

#Bible #Christianity #History #Religion #SuppressedGospel #NagHammadi #DeadSeaScrolls #BiblicalCanon #Athanasius #Vatican #Heretical #Gnosticism #Scripture #ReligiousHistory

📜 NEW: The Hidden Scripture...

For 2,000 years, Abrahamic religions claimed divine, unchanging truth. The evidence shows something different:

• Multiple Bible versions existed simultaneously
• Canon first defined in 367 AD by Athanasius
• 50+ gospels suppressed
• Vatican revised theology in 1965

https://thomaster.substack.com/p/the-real-history-they-tried-to-destroy

#Bible #Christianity #History #Religion #SuppressedGospel #NagHammadi #DeadSeaScrolls #BiblicalCanon #Athanasius #Vatican #Heretical #Gnosticism #Scripture #ReligiousHistory

https://www.europesays.com/iran/207308/ Power of 7: Could an ancient political feud explain Qumran sect’s faulty 364-day calendar? #archaeology #ArchaeologyInIsrael #DeadSeaScrolls #Israel #Qumran

Where the Dead Sea Scrolls come from: AI and chemical analysis trace origins

A new international research project is set to tackle one of the biggest mysteries surrounding the Dead Sea Scrolls: where the ancient manuscripts were written and copied. Backed by a €2.5 million grant from the European Research Council, the five-year study will combine artificial intelligence with chemical testing to trace...

More info: https://archaeologymag.com/2026/06/dead-sea-scrolls-origins-studied-with-ai-and-chemical-analysis/

Follow @archaeology

#archaeology #deadseascrolls

Where the Dead Sea Scrolls come from: AI and chemical analysis trace origins

A new international research project is set to tackle one of the biggest mysteries surrounding the Dead Sea Scrolls: where the ancient manuscripts were written and copied. Backed by a €2.5 million grant from the European Research Council, the five-year study will combine artificial intelligence with chemical testing to trace...

More info: https://archaeologymag.com/2026/06/dead-sea-scrolls-origins-studied-with-ai-and-chemical-analysis/

Follow @archaeology

#archaeology #deadseascrolls

Where the Dead Sea Scrolls come from: AI and chemical analysis trace origins

A new international research project is set to tackle one of the biggest mysteries surrounding the Dead Sea Scrolls: where the ancient manuscripts were written and copied. Backed by a €2.5 million grant from the European Research Council, the five-year study will combine artificial intelligence with chemical testing to trace...

More info: https://archaeologymag.com/2026/06/dead-sea-scrolls-origins-studied-with-ai-and-chemical-analysis/

Follow @archaeology

#archaeology #deadseascrolls

Where the Dead Sea Scrolls come from: AI and chemical analysis trace origins

A new international research project is set to tackle one of the biggest mysteries surrounding the Dead Sea Scrolls: where the ancient manuscripts were written and copied. Backed by a €2.5 million grant from the European Research Council, the five-year study will combine artificial intelligence with chemical testing to trace...

More info: https://archaeologymag.com/2026/06/dead-sea-scrolls-origins-studied-with-ai-and-chemical-analysis/

Follow @archaeology

#archaeology #deadseascrolls

EU Funding Huge Project on the Origins of the Dead Sea Scrolls

The Dead Sea Scrolls are the earliest known versions of biblical texts as well as several apocryphal and…
#Europe #EU #DeadSeascrolls #EuropeanUnion #Israelarchaeology
https://www.europesays.com/europe/83372/

𝐘𝐀𝐇 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐓𝐕 100 | 𝐘𝐀𝐇 𝐢𝐬 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐑| 𝐁𝐘 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐘𝐀𝐇| 𝐘𝐀𝐇 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐀…

https://youtube.com/live/fCw4NLksQTs?si=PSuuzJr9YW4ng3LJ

𝐘𝐀𝐇 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐓𝐕 100 BIBLE OLD TESTAMENT 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌 | 𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐖

https://youtube.com/live/quQ86niTqhA?si=sEkBjVBB7tzPK5do

https://www.europesays.com/iran/53345/ ‘Comfort My People’: The Isaiah Scroll Was Removed From View Due to the War, When Israel Needs It More Than Ever #Bible #DeadSeaScrolls #HebrewLanguage #Israel #IsraelArchaeology #jerusalem

📰 Today's top stories, personally curated for you by Zorz Studios: http://zorz.it/newspaper

- #IceSkating #cameraman makes historic first at #WinterOlympics;
- #Zoho marks 30 years with 1 million #customers and growing #SMB demand;
- A #TuscanWedding in reverent neutrals;
- #StreetStyle look of the week: colorful and warm #outfits;
- The #DeadSeaScrolls: discover the secrets of the #Bible’s oldest and strangest texts, and more

#ZoracleDaily #newspaper

📰 Today's top stories, personally curated for you by Zorz Studios: http://zorz.it/newspaper

- #IceSkating #cameraman makes historic first at #WinterOlympics;
- #Zoho marks 30 years with 1 million #customers and growing #SMB demand;
- A #TuscanWedding in reverent neutrals;
- #StreetStyle look of the week: colorful and warm #outfits;
- The #DeadSeaScrolls: discover the secrets of the #Bible’s oldest and strangest texts, and more

#ZoracleDaily #newspaper

Scroll fragments once labeled “blank” revealed hidden Hebrew and Aramaic letters using new tech, shaking up Dead Sea Scroll history and helping fight forgeries. #DeadSeaScrolls #AncientTexts #HiddenHistory #RealOrFake #Storytelling #DidYouKnow #HistoryFacts #DocumentaryShort #WeirdHistory
Read more: https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/dead-sea-scroll-fragments-0013733

Scroll fragments once labeled “blank” revealed hidden Hebrew and Aramaic letters using new tech, shaking up Dead Sea Scroll history and helping fight forgeries. #DeadSeaScrolls #AncientTexts #HiddenHistory #RealOrFake #Storytelling #DidYouKnow #HistoryFacts #DocumentaryShort #WeirdHistory
Read more: https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/dead-sea-scroll-fragments-0013733

Scroll fragments once labeled “blank” revealed hidden Hebrew and Aramaic letters using new tech, shaking up Dead Sea Scroll history and helping fight forgeries. #DeadSeaScrolls #AncientTexts #HiddenHistory #RealOrFake #Storytelling #DidYouKnow #HistoryFacts #DocumentaryShort #WeirdHistory
Read more: https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/dead-sea-scroll-fragments-0013733

🌟📜 Dead Sea Scrolls decoded! Scholar cracks “Cryptic B”—an ancient substitution cipher hiding a priestly calendar in Hebrew, used for secret knowledge 2,000 years ago. Mysteries unveiled! Read more: https://thedebrief.org/this-enigmatic-ancient-script-hidden-within-the-dead-sea-scrolls-was-thought-to-be-indecipherable-until-now/

@goodnews

#DeadSeaScrolls #AncientCipher #ArchaeologyWin #HistoryMystery

🌟📜 Dead Sea Scrolls decoded! Scholar cracks “Cryptic B”—an ancient substitution cipher hiding a priestly calendar in Hebrew, used for secret knowledge 2,000 years ago. Mysteries unveiled! Read more: https://thedebrief.org/this-enigmatic-ancient-script-hidden-within-the-dead-sea-scrolls-was-thought-to-be-indecipherable-until-now/

@goodnews

#DeadSeaScrolls #AncientCipher #ArchaeologyWin #HistoryMystery

🌟📜 Dead Sea Scrolls decoded! Scholar cracks “Cryptic B”—an ancient substitution cipher hiding a priestly calendar in Hebrew, used for secret knowledge 2,000 years ago. Mysteries unveiled! Read more: https://thedebrief.org/this-enigmatic-ancient-script-hidden-within-the-dead-sea-scrolls-was-thought-to-be-indecipherable-until-now/

@goodnews

#DeadSeaScrolls #AncientCipher #ArchaeologyWin #HistoryMystery

🌟📜 Dead Sea Scrolls decoded! Scholar cracks “Cryptic B”—an ancient substitution cipher hiding a priestly calendar in Hebrew, used for secret knowledge 2,000 years ago. Mysteries unveiled! Read more: https://thedebrief.org/this-enigmatic-ancient-script-hidden-within-the-dead-sea-scrolls-was-thought-to-be-indecipherable-until-now/

@goodnews

#DeadSeaScrolls #AncientCipher #ArchaeologyWin #HistoryMystery

📜⛰️🔥 In the caves by the salt sea lay the words of old. Fragments of scripture borne by hands long dust. The Essenes or some other doomed folk set them down and fled before Rome. What was found was little. What was lost was greater still. Ash and papyrus mingled in the dark. #DeadSeaScrolls https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/dead-sea-scrolls/decayed-papyrus-hints-that-more-dead-sea-scrolls-remain/

Wilczek’s Multiverse | Why it is time for the world to think about the 3 faces of time

In the eighth instalment of his exclusive monthly series for the South China Morning Post, American…
#NewsBeep #News #Physics #American #atomicclocks #AU #Australia #Carbon-14 #DeadSeaScrolls #Einstein #F.ScottFitzgerald #FrankWilczek #GPS #Heisenberg'suncertaintyrelation #IsaacNewton #K-40 #Nobellaureate #ÖtzitheIceman #QuantumMechanics #Science #SouthChinaMorningPost
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/132177/

Anyone offering opinions on whether AI reconstruction of text from a bunch of statistical weights is a violation of copyright, should first write an essay explaining their thinking in the context of the Dead Sea Scrolls Concordance affair

This has all been argued before in different contexts with different facts, but it has all been argued before:

“Will Marty Abegg Ever Find a Job?” | The BAS Library

Each word in the fragments had its own three-by-five card, noting where it appeared and what the adjacent words were. But the concordance was available only to the eight scholars on the publication team, not to outsiders.

In 1988 copies of this concordance were privately printed from the three-by-five cards for the use of the then-dispersed publication team, and a copy eventually found its way to Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio.

With the aid of this concordance, a graduate student named Marty Abegg was able to reconstruct the transcripts. And he eventually allowed his reconstructions to be published by the Biblical Archaeology Society.

https://library.biblicalarchaeology.org/article/will-marty-abegg-ever-find-a-job/

#ai #copyright #deadSeaScrolls #llm

Anyone offering opinions on whether AI reconstruction of text from a bunch of statistical weights is a violation of copyright, should first write an essay explaining their thinking in the context of the Dead Sea Scrolls Concordance affair

This has all been argued before in different contexts with different facts, but it has all been argued before:

“Will Marty Abegg Ever Find a Job?” | The BAS Library

Each word in the fragments had its own three-by-five card, noting where it appeared and what the adjacent words were. But the concordance was available only to the eight scholars on the publication team, not to outsiders.

In 1988 copies of this concordance were privately printed from the three-by-five cards for the use of the then-dispersed publication team, and a copy eventually found its way to Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio.

With the aid of this concordance, a graduate student named Marty Abegg was able to reconstruct the transcripts. And he eventually allowed his reconstructions to be published by the Biblical Archaeology Society.

https://library.biblicalarchaeology.org/article/will-marty-abegg-ever-find-a-job/

#ai #copyright #deadSeaScrolls #llm

AI reveals Dead Sea Scrolls may be older than previously thought

A recent study using artificial intelligence is reshaping our understanding of the Dead Sea Scrolls, suggesting many of the scrolls are older than previously believed...

More information: https://archaeologymag.com/2025/06/ai-reveals-dead-sea-scrolls-may-be-older-than-previously-thought/

Follow @archaeology

#archaeology #archeology #archaeologynews #ArchaeologyLovers #aramaic #AI #deadseascrolls

AI reveals Dead Sea Scrolls may be older than previously thought

A recent study using artificial intelligence is reshaping our understanding of the Dead Sea Scrolls, suggesting many of the scrolls are older than previously believed...

More information: https://archaeologymag.com/2025/06/ai-reveals-dead-sea-scrolls-may-be-older-than-previously-thought/

Follow @archaeology

#archaeology #archeology #archaeologynews #ArchaeologyLovers #aramaic #AI #deadseascrolls

AI reveals Dead Sea Scrolls may be older than previously thought

A recent study using artificial intelligence is reshaping our understanding of the Dead Sea Scrolls, suggesting many of the scrolls are older than previously believed...

More information: https://archaeologymag.com/2025/06/ai-reveals-dead-sea-scrolls-may-be-older-than-previously-thought/

Follow @archaeology

#archaeology #archeology #archaeologynews #ArchaeologyLovers #aramaic #AI #deadseascrolls

AI reveals Dead Sea Scrolls may be older than previously thought

A recent study using artificial intelligence is reshaping our understanding of the Dead Sea Scrolls, suggesting many of the scrolls are older than previously believed...

More information: https://archaeologymag.com/2025/06/ai-reveals-dead-sea-scrolls-may-be-older-than-previously-thought/

Follow @archaeology

#archaeology #archeology #archaeologynews #ArchaeologyLovers #aramaic #AI #deadseascrolls

AI is changing how we understand the Dead Sea Scrolls! New age estimates are emerging thanks to advanced tech. #AI #Archaeology #DeadSeaScrolls
Read more: https://ndpost.org/uncategorized/ai-analysis-reshapes-age-estimates-of-dead-sea-scrolls/

AI is changing how we understand the Dead Sea Scrolls! New age estimates are emerging thanks to advanced tech. #AI #Archaeology #DeadSeaScrolls
Read more: https://ndpost.org/uncategorized/ai-analysis-reshapes-age-estimates-of-dead-sea-scrolls/

AI is changing how we understand the Dead Sea Scrolls! New age estimates are emerging thanks to advanced tech. #AI #Archaeology #DeadSeaScrolls
Read more: https://ndpost.org/uncategorized/ai-analysis-reshapes-age-estimates-of-dead-sea-scrolls/

#DeadSeaScrolls possibly even older than #scholars thought

https://www.popsci.com/technology/dead-sea-scrolls-age/

#DeadSeaScrolls possibly even older than #scholars thought

https://www.popsci.com/technology/dead-sea-scrolls-age/

#DeadSeaScrolls possibly even older than #scholars thought

https://www.popsci.com/technology/dead-sea-scrolls-age/

#DeadSeaScrolls possibly even older than #scholars thought

https://www.popsci.com/technology/dead-sea-scrolls-age/

Nice to see, The Other Bible, by Willis Barnstone online at the Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/otherbible0000unse/mode/2up

#Gnostic #gnosis #NagHammadiLibrary #DeadSeaScrolls #Mandaean #Manichaean #Apocrypha #Gospels #ExtraCanonical #Scriptures #OdesOfSolomon

Nice to see, The Other Bible, by Willis Barnstone online at the Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/otherbible0000unse/mode/2up

#Gnostic #gnosis #NagHammadiLibrary #DeadSeaScrolls #Mandaean #Manichaean #Apocrypha #Gospels #ExtraCanonical #Scriptures #OdesOfSolomon

Nice to see, The Other Bible, by Willis Barnstone online at the Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/otherbible0000unse/mode/2up

#Gnostic #gnosis #NagHammadiLibrary #DeadSeaScrolls #Mandaean #Manichaean #Apocrypha #Gospels #ExtraCanonical #Scriptures #OdesOfSolomon

SBL International: some talks I attended

(Live tweeting conferences is out; post hoc blogging about them is the new thing.)

Last week saw the 2024 Society of Biblical Literature International Meeting held at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, advertised with pictures like this:

despite being held about an hour’s walk from where that picture was taken, at a place that looks like this:

It’s nicer on the inside.

As an International Meeting, this was considerably smaller than the SBL’s Annual Meetings in the US, with only(!) some 550 attendees. Unlike the gargantuan Annual Meeting I attended in 2018, I actually found this quite manageable and even enjoyable. And like the Annual Meeting, there were lots and lots of talks and other events. Here’s an overview of some of the ones I attended, in chronological order.

After some admirably concise and entertaining opening words by Steed Davidson (SBL Executive Director) and Bert-Jan Lietaert Peerbolte (VU Amsterdam), the conference kicked off on Sunday afternoon with a reception. Great snacks, 4/5, would be received again.

Monday talks:

• John Will Rice analyzed passages in the books of Kings on “the sin of Jeroboam” and argued that at an earlier stage, this was Jeroboam (I)’s establishment of a “Battei Bamoth” sanctuary at an unnamed location, with non-Levitical priests, and a different festival calendar. This was later conflated with a separate tradition on Josiah destroying an altar at Bethel to make Jeroboam responsible for building that altar and putting a golden calf idol there. Rice suggests this was done to avoid the awkwardness of having Josiah destroying an altar that was now believed to have been built by the patriarch Jacob.
• Jorik Groen gave a great talk (as his co-supervisor and one-time coauthor, I’m completely unbiased) exploring and explaining the different uses of Biblical Hebrew בּוֹא and English to come. Slides here.
• Drawing on previous work by Yochanan Breuer and new research, Yosef Ofer presented some cases where the cantillation of the Masoretic Text reflects a mix of competing traditions. The main case study was on Isaiah 45:1, where cantillators disagreed about whether God is calling the Persian king Cyrus his Messiah or not:

• A session on the Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database talked about the semantics of עֶבֶד ‘slave’ or ‘servant’ (Cornelius Haposan Sinaga), חוֹתָם ‘seal’ (Marjo Korpel), and the hapax legomenon חַשְׁמַנִּים, possibly ‘amethysts’ (a posthumous suggestion by Meindert Dijkstra presented by Paul Sanders).
• Ivri Bunis and myself presented something we’ve been meaning to work on for a while now, connecting his observations on medial deixis pronouns with prefixed hallā- with some stuff I’ve done on similar-sounding presentatives in Hebrew and other Semitic languages. Slides here.
• In the same session, Dong-Hyuk Kim presented a recent analysis that says English “adverbs of time and place” like here, there, then, now and so forth should actually be seen as intransitive prepositions and applied it to Biblical Hebrew (which is harder, as adverbs are less clearly marked than in English). It sounds weird, but I was fully convinced.

Tuesday talks:

• Nili Samet asked: whose voice do we hear in the pessimistic, life-negating “Better Than” proverbs in Qohelet 7:1–9? Not Qohelet’s: it contradicts his philosophy elsewhere in the book. Not a later editor’s, either, as the passage is well integrated into the book and Qohelet comments on it. Nor that of classical wisdom, as it contradicts the world view of Proverbs, for example. Drawing on parallels in Tractate Avot and Ben Sira, Samet makes a plausible case that Qohelet is critically quoting another wisdom school from the Hellenistic period, that would end up influencing pre-Rabbinic and early Rabbinic wisdom literature.
• Kyle Young reconsidered Alexander Sperber’s choice of a manuscript on which to base his edition of Targum Onqelos and concludes that while it’s not perfect, it’s acceptable until something better comes along.
• In my second talk this conference, I went before the Pentateuch section to ask them why, if you believe the E source is a thing, Genesis 14 can’t be its missing beginning. For the (mostly European) scholars present, the answer is “we don’t believe in E so who cares lol” (to be fair, I’m not sure I do either). But they were very nice about it, had helpful methodological pointers, and seemed to be convinced by some possible connections I suggested between Genesis 14 and other texts. Slides here.
• The last session I attended on Tuesday focused on Qumran Cave 11, with non-Biblical texts that were published by a Dutch team. Eibert Tigchelaar (KU Leuven 🥳) gave us some historical background on two (given time constraints, mainly one) of the leading scholars, one of whom was problematic (as in publishing 1940 pamphlets on “The Jewish Question” problematic). David Shepherd showed that the Job “Targum” from Cave 11 does not yet employ a Targumic translation technique, like earlier translations into Aramaic. And Rebekka Luther also talked about the Job Targum (pace Shepherd), arguing that its translator purposefully edited it to change (improve?) the picture of Job it presents.

Wednesday talks:

• Charbel El-Khaissi presented his ongoing PhD research on the generalization of the definite article in Syriac, showing that this was a gradual development in some environments. I like the data-heavy approach.
• Margaretha Folmer (Leiden University 🥳) presented three marginal linguistic features in Targumei Onqelos (Pentateuch) and Jonathan (Prophets). Besides being very interesting in their own right, that they appear in the same way in both targumim supports the view that these are written in practically the same form of Aramaic, which bears on the history of their translation and transmission.
• Emanuel Tov, in his eighties now, is the doyen of Dead Sea Scrolls research, so it was cool to attend his talk on correctional practices at Qumran. Lots of ḋȯṫṡ and strikethroughs.
• Against the dominant (in Europe) view that the Priestly source ends in Leviticus or even Exodus, Bruna Velcic made a strong case that the spies narrative in Numbers 13 and 14 really is Priestly too (and not just post-Priestly), based both on form and contents. No conclusion on where P does end.
• I got to chair a session featuring four speakers from Scriptura (Elizabeth Robar, Ian Atkinson, Drew Longacre, and Joseph Habib), talking about poetry, mainly Psalm 68, a major source of headaches for everyone involved.

Thursday was a half day. I attended both of the sessions on the study of pre-modern Judaism in the Low Countries, including:

• Jonathan Stökl (Leiden University 🥳)’s enigmatically, even ominously titled talk “Elefantine…” considered different models for the religious identity of the Judean(?) community on the southern border of Achaemenid Egypt. Should we call them Jews, Yahwists, or something else altogether?
• Willem Smelik presented on the practice of adding cantillation marks to targum manuscripts and possible implications for liturgical and study practice.
• Joachim Yeshaya (until recently[?], KU Leuven 🥳) told us about Abraham Ibn Ezra, one of the great commentators and poets of Sepharad, and the connection between his poetry and his commentary on the Song of Songs.

Finally, a shoutout to Matthew Saunders, who attended the conference without presenting, but who also maintains a very in-depth blog on Semitic languages.

All in all, it was great to have so many people come hang out and present their work at a half-an-hour train ride from my house. They should do that more often. I look forward to seeing a lot of the ideas presented last week in print soon and, hopefully, the people presenting them too.

#Aramaic #Bible #conference #DeadSeaScrolls #Exodus #Genesis #Hebrew #Isaiah #Kings #linguistics #news #Numbers #Pentateuch #Psalms #Qohelet #SongOfSongs #Targum

🔴 The Earliest Photo of the Man Who Discovered the First Dead Sea Scrolls?

“This 1953 photo shoot covers both the excavations at Qumran and the early work of sorting the fragments. I was surprised to see a photo of the “two shepherds” who are said to have been the first to find scrolls standing outside the entrance to Cave 1Q.”

https://brentnongbri.com/2024/07/19/the-earliest-photo-of-the-man-who-discovered-the-first-dead-sea-scrolls/

#History #Histodon #Histodons #Qumran #DeadSeaScrolls #MiddleEast #Levant #Asia @histodon @histodons

🔴 The Earliest Photo of the Man Who Discovered the First Dead Sea Scrolls?

“This 1953 photo shoot covers both the excavations at Qumran and the early work of sorting the fragments. I was surprised to see a photo of the “two shepherds” who are said to have been the first to find scrolls standing outside the entrance to Cave 1Q.”

https://brentnongbri.com/2024/07/19/the-earliest-photo-of-the-man-who-discovered-the-first-dead-sea-scrolls/

#History #Histodon #Histodons #Qumran #DeadSeaScrolls #MiddleEast #Levant #Asia @histodon @histodons

🔴 The Earliest Photo of the Man Who Discovered the First Dead Sea Scrolls?

“This 1953 photo shoot covers both the excavations at Qumran and the early work of sorting the fragments. I was surprised to see a photo of the “two shepherds” who are said to have been the first to find scrolls standing outside the entrance to Cave 1Q.”

https://brentnongbri.com/2024/07/19/the-earliest-photo-of-the-man-who-discovered-the-first-dead-sea-scrolls/

#History #Histodon #Histodons #Qumran #DeadSeaScrolls #MiddleEast #Levant #Asia @histodon @histodons

What interests me is the question how, if the DSS/OG reading is original, the shorter MT reading could have appeared. The proposed reconstruction of 4QSam-a's text reads:
והנער
[עמם ויביאוהו לפני יהוה וישחט אביהו את ]הזבח [כ]אשר
[יעשה מימים ימימה ליהוה ............... וי]שחט

with a long gap.

But if that's original, how can one explain the shorter reading?

8/? #DeadSeaScrolls #HebrewBible #TextualCriticism

What interests me is the question how, if the DSS/OG reading is original, the shorter MT reading could have appeared. The proposed reconstruction of 4QSam-a's text reads:
והנער
[עמם ויביאוהו לפני יהוה וישחט אביהו את ]הזבח [כ]אשר
[יעשה מימים ימימה ליהוה ............... וי]שחט

with a long gap.

But if that's original, how can one explain the shorter reading?

8/? #DeadSeaScrolls #HebrewBible #TextualCriticism

Most such explanations can go either way, which is why #TextualCriticism is difficult and often inconclusive.

In this case, one of the #DeadSeaScrolls supports OG over MT (which doesn't solve the issue, since variations occur among DSS).

4QSam-a:
בי]ת יהוה שילה והנער
]הזבח [כ]אשר
וי]שחט

So a full line comes between the second-to-last word of 1 Sam. 1:24 and the start of v.25, w/ two words echoing OG.

7/? #TextualCriticism #HebrewBible

Most such explanations can go either way, which is why #TextualCriticism is difficult and often inconclusive.

In this case, one of the #DeadSeaScrolls supports OG over MT (which doesn't solve the issue, since variations occur among DSS).

4QSam-a:
בי]ת יהוה שילה והנער
]הזבח [כ]אשר
וי]שחט

So a full line comes between the second-to-last word of 1 Sam. 1:24 and the start of v.25, w/ two words echoing OG.

7/? #TextualCriticism #HebrewBible

Today is Abib 15, a High Sabbath. 2000 years ago the Messiah gave up his life to pay for our transgressions. Abib 15-21 is also the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

#Matzah #Messiah #Sabbath #Shabbat #Zadok #DeadSeaScrolls #UnleavenedBread #haDerech #Natsarim #Messianic #Christianity

#PublicDomain photo: https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=35955

Today is Abib 15, a High Sabbath. 2000 years ago the Messiah gave up his life to pay for our transgressions. Abib 15-21 is also the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

#Matzah #Messiah #Sabbath #Shabbat #Zadok #DeadSeaScrolls #UnleavenedBread #haDerech #Natsarim #Messianic #Christianity

#PublicDomain photo: https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=35955

Today is Abib 15, a High Sabbath. 2000 years ago the Messiah gave up his life to pay for our transgressions. Abib 15-21 is also the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

#Matzah #Messiah #Sabbath #Shabbat #Zadok #DeadSeaScrolls #UnleavenedBread #haDerech #Natsarim #Messianic #Christianity

#PublicDomain photo: https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=35955

Today is Abib 15, a High Sabbath. 2000 years ago the Messiah gave up his life to pay for our transgressions. Abib 15-21 is also the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

#Matzah #Messiah #Sabbath #Shabbat #Zadok #DeadSeaScrolls #UnleavenedBread #haDerech #Natsarim #Messianic #Christianity

#PublicDomain photo: https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=35955

Happy Passover! (חג הפסח (Hag haPesah)) to all my brethren who follow the Priestly calendar.

Shalom shalom to you and yours!

#Passover #Pesach #Zadok #Zadokite #DeadSeaScrolls #haDerech #TheWay #Natsarim #Messianic #Christianity

#PublicDomain image: https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=500503

Happy Passover! (חג הפסח (Hag haPesah)) to all my brethren who follow the Priestly calendar.

Shalom shalom to you and yours!

#Passover #Pesach #Zadok #Zadokite #DeadSeaScrolls #haDerech #TheWay #Natsarim #Messianic #Christianity

#PublicDomain image: https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=500503

Happy Passover! (חג הפסח (Hag haPesah)) to all my brethren who follow the Priestly calendar.

Shalom shalom to you and yours!

#Passover #Pesach #Zadok #Zadokite #DeadSeaScrolls #haDerech #TheWay #Natsarim #Messianic #Christianity

#PublicDomain image: https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=500503

Happy Passover! (חג הפסח (Hag haPesah)) to all my brethren who follow the Priestly calendar.

Shalom shalom to you and yours!

#Passover #Pesach #Zadok #Zadokite #DeadSeaScrolls #haDerech #TheWay #Natsarim #Messianic #Christianity

#PublicDomain image: https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=500503

The real #WheelOfTime was used by John the Baptist and his followers (they are NOT the Essenes); aka #DeadSeaScrolls / #Zadok / #Zadokite (Priestly) calendar

See https://dsscalendar.org/c/

#HappyNewYear #Spring #NewYear #HaDerech #Natsarim #TheWay #Torah #Messianic #Christianity

The real #WheelOfTime was used by John the Baptist and his followers (they are NOT the Essenes); aka #DeadSeaScrolls / #Zadok / #Zadokite (Priestly) calendar

See https://dsscalendar.org/c/

#HappyNewYear #Spring #NewYear #HaDerech #Natsarim #TheWay #Torah #Messianic #Christianity

The real #WheelOfTime was used by John the Baptist and his followers (they are NOT the Essenes); aka #DeadSeaScrolls / #Zadok / #Zadokite (Priestly) calendar

See https://dsscalendar.org/c/

#HappyNewYear #Spring #NewYear #HaDerech #Natsarim #TheWay #Torah #Messianic #Christianity