July 2008 Archives
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July 31, 2008
The Seal of Gedalyahu ben Pashur
I noticed it first at MU-PÀD-DA where Jay told of the in context discovery of "a bulla containing the seal Gedalyahu (Gedaliah) ben Pashur, minister to Zedekiah of Judah (cf. Jer 38.1-6)." I'm sure other bloggers have picked it up...Read all of "The Seal of Gedalyahu ben Pashur"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:04 PM
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Seeking the Virgin? Don't Look at the Sun
Skepticism: preserving your sight since the Enlightenment. - Ed Brayton, Dispatches from the Culture Wars At least 50 people have lost their sight after staring at the sun hoping to see an image of the Virgin Mary, according to reports....Read all of "Seeking the Virgin? Don't Look at the Sun"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:11 AM
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New Northwest Semitic Alphabetic Inscription from Zincirli in Turkey
Jim Davila has the story of "a thirteen-line inscription, elegantly carved in raised relief," from the Iron Age at PaleoJudaica.com. This is very exciting. I can't wait for the publication or Pardee's presentation at the November SBL meeting....Read all of "New Northwest Semitic Alphabetic Inscription from Zincirli in Turkey"
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July 29, 2008
Our Earthquake Damage
As some may know, this morning we had an earthquake here in Southern California. The epicenter was about ten miles south of our house. I wasn't home at the time but Shirley was. She took the following picture of the...Read all of "Our Earthquake Damage"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:37 PM
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July 28, 2008
Tel Beit Shemesh and fNIN UR.MAḪMEŠ
A few days ago, Haaretz reported on the excavations at Tel Beit Shemesh. Jim West and Claude Mariottini noticed the story and posted on it. I intended write on the hypothesis that fNIN UR.MAḪMEŠ, who the article calls Belit-nesheti, was...Read all of "Tel Beit Shemesh and fNIN UR.MAḪMEŠ"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:59 PM
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July 27, 2008
Mathematics and the Intellectual
Chad Orzel has written a post at Uncertain Principles that I think everyone in the humanities, professional scholar or just someone with abnormal interests, should read and take to heart. Here's a sample. Intellectuals and academics are just assumed to...Read all of "Mathematics and the Intellectual"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:24 PM
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July 26, 2008
New Data for the Iron Age Chronology Debate
Aren Maeir writes on the Tell es-Safi/Gath Excavations Official (and Unofficial) Weblog, In Area A, we had a VERY important find. In the sub-area being excavated by Louise Hitchcock and her team, we may have uncovered what may be the...Read all of "New Data for the Iron Age Chronology Debate"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:23 PM | TrackBack (0) | Abnormal Archive Link |
Auto Insurance and Akkadian Loanwords
The following webpage linked to my scintillating post on Akkadian zakakatu and Hebrew זְכֹוכִית I purposefully am not providing a link to the page. In about five seconds, the page auto-redirected to the homepage of the online auto insurance provider...Read all of "Auto Insurance and Akkadian Loanwords"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:03 PM
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I'm Baffled
One Kathryn Jean Lopez posted this at National Review Online, If Obama could go to Germany and give a speech in English and be not only understood but well-received, why does he say we all need to learn another language?...
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:56 PM
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July 25, 2008
Friday Loanword: zakakatu/zakukutu
As was the case with the first post in this series, this post is highly dependent on Mankowski's work. If I don't cite someone else or myself explicitly, assume that what follows is taken on loan from Mankwoski, 52-53. Akkadian...Read all of "Friday Loanword: zakakatu/zakukutu"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:01 PM
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July 24, 2008
Free Sumerian Teaching and Learning Material
For anyone hasn't who hasn't heard it, Dan Foxvog's Sumerian grammar and elementary glossary are now available online. And for free. Thanks to both Charles at Awilum and Jay at mu-pàd-da for bringing this to us. They got it from...Read all of "Free Sumerian Teaching and Learning Material"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:08 PM
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Faith and Science: No Meaningful Common Epistemology
John Hobbins at Ancient Hebrew Poetry uses a famous verse from the Psalms as a lead in to the claim, "Faith and science share a common epistemology." The verse he cites is Psalm 8:4[5], “What is man that you mind...Read all of "Faith and Science: No Meaningful Common Epistemology"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:54 PM
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July 22, 2008
Ad Hoc Rituals for Canonical Gods?
Jim Getz has an abnormally interesting post on the Ugaritic ritual texts. At the end of his post, he asks a couple of significant programmatic questions that deserve a lot of study and thought. These questions rest on two equally...Read all of "Ad Hoc Rituals for Canonical Gods?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:37 PM
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July 20, 2008
East is East and West is West
Here is an abstract of a paper presented at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the Florida Academy of Sciences: Tin trade failure in ancient Mesopotamia: The reason why the Late Bronze Age civilizations of Eastern Mediterranean fell. S. SAMEI. Department...Read all of "East is East and West is West "
Posted by Duane Smith at 6:58 PM
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A Good Person is Hard to Find
Yesterday, Alan Lenzi posted an abnormally humorous job advertisement, fictitious I think, for an entry level Hebrew Bible Instructor for the Department of True Theology and Other Religious Stuff at Our Lord of the Exclusive Way University. Go give it...Read all of "A Good Person is Hard to Find"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:06 AM | TrackBack (0) | Abnormal Archive Link |
July 19, 2008
Linguistic Dating Colloquium
An abnormally interesting online colloquium on linguistic dating of Biblical Hebrew is underway on the Biblical Studies Discussion list. If you haven't signed up for the list, you'll need to. The colloquium starts with the work of Ian Young, Robert...Read all of "Linguistic Dating Colloquium"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:59 PM
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July 18, 2008
Friday Loanword: asuppu
I intended to start this series last Friday. I even wrote most of this post last week, but stuff happened. In response to a question from Joel L. Watts about the usefulness of Akkadian cognates in understanding Hebrew lexemes, John...Read all of "Friday Loanword: asuppu"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:31 PM
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July 17, 2008
Some Questions About Unpublishing
Deven Desai discusses an abnormally interesting case of the removal of a post from Boing Boing. You can read about this case at Concurring Opinion. In the course of his discussion, Deven makes this observation, "For the law folks, the...Read all of "Some Questions About Unpublishing"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:47 PM
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July 16, 2008
There's Nothing Like a Schlüsselszene
The latest Journal of Near Eastern Studies is out. In addition to the usual numerous review articles, it contains two papers. For me, the most interesting is Jan Keetman, "Der Kampf im Haustor. Eine der Schlüsselszenen zum Verständnis des Gilgameš-Epos."...Read all of "There's Nothing Like a Schlüsselszene"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:31 PM
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Is There a Divine Curse on Our House?
According to J. Grank Swank Jr., there just might be. Here is a section of the top shelf of one bookcase in our living room. Back in January, Swank wrote, For instance, I believe there presently is a divine curse...Read all of "Is There a Divine Curse on Our House?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:52 PM
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July 14, 2008
Mark Twain Loafed Here
Mark Twain stayed at the Mediterranean Hotel in Jerusalem, arriving on the afternoon of September 23, 1876 and checking out for the last time on September 29. Concerning his first afternoon in Jerusalem, Twain noted, "Loafed all afternoon in the...Read all of "Mark Twain Loafed Here"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:05 AM
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July 13, 2008
You Know, Ummm, Ahhh
Finally, a coherent explanation of the differences between President Bush and John McCain's economic policies: Here is John Amato's rough transcription, with a little editing by me, of Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina explaining that difference to Wolf Blitzer,...Read all of "You Know, Ummm, Ahhh"
Posted by Duane Smith at 6:59 PM
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An Eye On Οφθαλμοι
Jim West calls our attention to an Οφθαλμος found at the Yvne-Yam antiquities site next to Palmachim beach, south of Tel-Aviv. These ship eyes are abnormally interesting. I found a rather recent, 2006, MA thesis by Troy Nowak on the...Read all of "An Eye On Οφθαλμοι"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:49 PM | TrackBack (0) | Abnormal Archive Link |
July 12, 2008
Quotation of the Week
L'hypocrisie est un hommage que le vice rend à la vertu. Hypocrisy is a homage that vice pays to virtue. — François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld, le Prince de Marcillac, 1613 - 1680, Réflexions, ou Sentences et Maximes Morale,...Read all of "Quotation of the Week"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:54 PM
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July 11, 2008
Abnormal Interests Is Back
Our abnormal server abnormally blew its abnormal power supply and I had to order a new one from the abnormal manufacture. The new power supply arrived late yesterday afternoon and, abnormally, I installed it today. This is the second time...Read all of "Abnormal Interests Is Back"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:17 PM
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July 8, 2008
I'm a Citation Already
Considering how little I have published and how long ago I published it, I'm always surprised to see my name in a scholarly paper or book. But there it is on pages 38 and 39 of Victor Hurowitz' "The Wisdom...Read all of "I'm a Citation Already"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:45 PM
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July 6, 2008
Filling in the Blank
I continue to work on the second line of the colophon of tablet A (STT 40) of the Letter of Gilgamesh. I mentioned the other day that there is a problem in how to reconstruct the first part of this...Read all of "Filling in the Blank"
Posted by Duane Smith at 6:58 PM
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July 5, 2008
Selective Quotation
Yesterday I noted a common misquotation of Mark Twain that Barach Obama perpetuated. Ed Brayton at Dispatches From the Culture Wars points out a rather glairing omission from a Thomas Jefferson quotation. This time President Bush "forgot" to say "under...Read all of "Selective Quotation"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:50 PM
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July 4, 2008
Four Stone Hearth 44 Is Up
Four Stone Hearth is up on Greg Laden's Blog. Well, I think it is number 44. It comes after number 43 but Greg calls it "Four Stone Hearth Anthropology Blog Carnival: The Fourth Of July Everything is Just Fine We've...Read all of "Four Stone Hearth 44 Is Up"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:48 PM
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Rational Patriotism
Mark Twain wrote, Remember this, take it to heart, live by it, die for it if necessary: that our patriotism is medieval, outworn, obsolete; that the modern patriotism, the true patriotism, the only rational patriotism, is loyalty to the Nation...Read all of "Rational Patriotism"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:26 PM
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July 3, 2008
Top 100 Liberal Arts Professor Blogs
Online University Reviews has published the "Top 100 Liberal Arts Professor Blogs." I was surprised how many were in my RSS reader. I was not surprised to see that Jim Davila's blog was one of them. "PaleoJudaica.com - A fascinating...Read all of "Top 100 Liberal Arts Professor Blogs"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:48 AM
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July 2, 2008
And Now Biblical Studies Carnival XXXI Is Up
Biblical Studies Carnival XXXI is up at Ketuvim and not a day too early. Jim has done a magnificent job of bring together last month's best academically oriented posts on the Bible. He has also linked to some just plan...Read all of "And Now Biblical Studies Carnival XXXI Is Up"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:21 AM
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July 1, 2008
Biblical Studies Carnival XXX Is Up
Biblical Studies Carnival XXX is up at Codex and not a day too late. Tyler did a great job bring together a wonderful set of the most abnormally interesting posts from May. Give it a look. I'm sure you'll find...Read all of "Biblical Studies Carnival XXX Is Up"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:23 AM
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Two Papers that Changed the World
or at least our understanding of it. On July 1, 1858, 150 years ago, two papers, one by Charles Darwin and one by Alfred Russel Wallace, were read at the Linnean Society in London. Independently, they had discovered natural selection,...Read all of "Two Papers that Changed the World"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:06 AM
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