October 2009 Archives
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October 31, 2009
Joe and Patty Seger
I have known about this sad and trying situation for a while. Now that it is public, I think it worth sharing here. Joe Seger is a learned man. Director of the Cobb Institute of Archaeology at Mississippi State University,...Read all of "Joe and Patty Seger"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:22 PM
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Just In Case
In case Halloween doesn't turn out all that happy, you might need this. If a ghost has seized a man, coral, sulfur, yellow sulfur, cedar resin and mandrake: five plants, you mix in blood of a black snake and then...
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:00 AM
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October 30, 2009
Babylonian Seal Found in Hyksos Egypt
Back in May, Manfred Bietak and Irene Forstner-Mueller of the University of Vienna announced the discovery of a broken Babylonian clay tablet from the Hyksos capital at Tell el-Dab'a in Egypt. Todd Bolen posted an English translation of the new...Read all of "Babylonian Seal Found in Hyksos Egypt"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:11 AM
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October 29, 2009
Following Twain's Divine Law
Some New Englanders are in tune with the divine law of their fellow New Englander, Mark Twain. Several Christian denominations see New England as a "mission field" — a term often associated with unchurched, foreign lands. As they evangelize and...Read all of "Following Twain's Divine Law"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:39 PM
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October 28, 2009
On "Useless Sciences"
Over the last week or so, the biblioblogosphere has produced a rather amazing discussion of secular Biblical Studies. Some of this discussion has been serious; some has been humorous; some has been misguided. This discussion reminded me of Jean Bottéro's...Read all of "On "Useless Sciences""
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:12 AM
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October 27, 2009
Changing Times
Shirley, our two small kids, and I moved into our house in April of 1975. The previous owners had nicely landscaped the property. Over the years, we have added to and modified that landscaping in several ways. One of several...
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:19 PM
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October 26, 2009
Division Of Labor In Healing Rituals
I've been thinking about who gets addressed by whom in Mesopotamia medical rituals like BAM 323:1-38. Here's my translation of the practitioner's incantation, Oh Ghost (or) anything evil, from this day you are expelled from the body of so and...Read all of "Division Of Labor In Healing Rituals"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:54 AM
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October 25, 2009
Sibelius, Hindemith and Haydn, Oh My!
Last night again was a free concert night, this time at Garrison Theater on (or just outside of) Scripps College campus. The joint orchestra and choir of Scripps, Harvey Mudd, Claremont McKenna and Pitzer Colleges plus a few ringers performed....Read all of "Sibelius, Hindemith and Haydn, Oh My!"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:08 AM
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October 23, 2009
A Temple of Adda at Aleppo
Claude Mariottini directs us to an article in the November/December 2009 issue of Archaeology Magazine about the Late Bronze Age temple to Adda discovered by German and Syrian archeologists among the ruins of Ottoman palaces in Aleppo. As the Archaeology...Read all of "A Temple of Adda at Aleppo"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:02 PM
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Bringing Back Memories
Steve Wiggins of Sects and Violence in the Ancient World fame has a post on his teaching activities and his personal relationship with the Egyptian god Bes, not that they are directly related. Yes, even I think it is possible...Read all of "Bringing Back Memories"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:20 PM
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October 22, 2009
Freedom of Speech, Blasphemy and the Privileging of Religion
Jonathan Turley wrote this and much more for USA Today's Opinion, While attracting surprisingly little attention, the Obama administration supported the effort of largely Muslim nations in the U.N. Human Rights Council to recognize exceptions to free speech for any...Read all of "Freedom of Speech, Blasphemy and the Privileging of Religion"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:08 PM
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October 21, 2009
What Do They Have Against Sewers?
Google News has an article on the discovery of the Athenaeum at Caltech in La Jolla at Claremont McKenna College in Rome. While this is not central to my normal abnormal interests, I did find something all too normal in...Read all of "What Do They Have Against Sewers?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:11 PM
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October 19, 2009
Fair Warning
I will not be attending the Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature this year. Anyone who has delayed a decision until this announcement should now feel safe to attend next month's mega affair in New Orleans. However, I...
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:05 AM
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October 18, 2009
The Rapture: A Saga That Will Never End
At least it won't end in our life time. I'll make you a little bet. I'll bet you this blog, valued at $12,419.88, that the Rapture, whatever that is exactly, will not come before this Wednesday! Mail delivery will happen...Read all of "The Rapture: A Saga That Will Never End"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:00 PM
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October 17, 2009
On Teaching Theologians To Dance And Other Irritating Things
I started to write yet another post on ethics and theology but decided it wasn't worth my while or that of the theologians. For once, I decided to follow this excellent advice, “Stop trying to teach the theologians to dance....Read all of "On Teaching Theologians To Dance And Other Irritating Things"
Posted by Duane Smith at 6:33 PM
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October 15, 2009
The Qeiyafa Inscription
Aren Maeir at the The Tell es-Safi/Gath Excavations Official (and Unofficial) Weblog has the latest on of the Qeiyafa inscription. He even has a transcription of the text (along with proper cautions). Is it really Hebrew as Hagai Misgav thinks...Read all of "The Qeiyafa Inscription"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:55 PM
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October 14, 2009
Spreading Civilization
The Egyptian State Information Service reports that archeologists, working at Alexandria, have discovered a statue that may or may not be a statue of Alexander the Great. That's somewhat interesting. But I found the following remark in the short article...Read all of "Spreading Civilization"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:59 AM
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October 13, 2009
A Wild Idea About Cuneiform Literacy
and some numbers that may support it. And then again, they may not. In fact, my numbers may support something quite different or nothing at all. Like many of my more abnormal posts, this one is only a thought experiment....Read all of "A Wild Idea About Cuneiform Literacy"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:39 AM
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October 12, 2009
Potentially Dangerous Spam
I enjoy maintaining my own server. But along with the pluses, there are several minuses. One of the big minuses is an extra amount of spam. Some of this spam causes my hair to stand up on end. Here's an...Read all of "Potentially Dangerous Spam"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:06 AM
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October 11, 2009
I Have A Low View Of Science
I've been pondering issues around the frequent claim that some set of presuppositions are unique to science in a way that is analogous, even identical, to theological presuppositions. This thought process caused me to return to something Karl Popper said...Read all of "I Have A Low View Of Science"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:28 PM
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October 9, 2009
Omama's Nobel Peace Price
At this stage in his presidency, this prize is more of a burden than an honor. It does the President no good and potentially some harm. I think the tone of Obama's acceptance acknowledgement speech was pretty much on target,...Read all of "Omama's Nobel Peace Price"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:23 PM
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October 8, 2009
Four Stone Hearth – 77th Is Up
Pete Cox has posted the most recent anthropology carnival at A Place Odyssey. One of the many things I like about Four Stone Hearth carnivals is that the host typically provides a short synopsis and commentary of each selected post....Read all of "Four Stone Hearth – 77th Is Up "
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:03 AM
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October 7, 2009
AVA/VA, BCE/CE, BC/AD or BP
The other day, Robert Cargill wrote an opinion piece, "Why Christians Should Adopt the BCE/CE Dating System," for The Bible and Interpretation website. Several bloggers have reacted to the piece. Bob himself did a follow up post on his official...Read all of "AVA/VA, BCE/CE, BC/AD or BP"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:37 PM
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October 5, 2009
Afarensis At Five
This is embarrassingly late but last week one of my favorite blogs, one of my favorite bloggers, celebrated five years of blogging. Afarensis posts on a range of abnormal interests. But his focus is anthropology and within that paleoanthropology. His...Read all of "Afarensis At Five"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:33 AM
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October 4, 2009
Lee and Svard, Half Live In Concert At Pomona College
Genevieve Feiwen Lee is Professor of Music at Pomona College and by far the best pianist that I have ever been within fifty feet of. Her performances are always a highlight of the public concert season at Pomona College. Last...Read all of "Lee and Svard, Half Live In Concert At Pomona College"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:33 AM
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October 2, 2009
On Unicorns, Rhinoceros And Wild Oxen: Part 2
A while back I started what I thought would be a two part series on the issue of unicorns in the Bible. Well, today I present Part 2 of what I now think will be a three part series on...Read all of "On Unicorns, Rhinoceros And Wild Oxen: Part 2"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:09 PM
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October 1, 2009
Biblical Studies Carnival XLVI Is Up
This month Hebrew and Greek Reader presents the Biblical Studies Carnival. Daniel and Tonya have done a great job pulling together many abnormally interesting posts from September. And they did it from Africa. That's a first....Read all of "Biblical Studies Carnival XLVI Is Up"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:08 AM
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