February 2011 Archives
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February 28, 2011
Anti-Witchcraft in Ancient Mesopotamia
Unreported Heritage News has an interesting article anti-witchcraft in Mesopotamia. Tzvi Abusch's work plays a central role in the piece. The piece discusses an incantation to Nusku that I also quote in one of my contributions to Alan Lenzi’s (very)...Read all of "Anti-Witchcraft in Ancient Mesopotamia "
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:18 PM
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February 26, 2011
Quotation From The 6th Century BCE
Homer and Hesiod have attributed to the gods everything which is a shame and reproach among men, stealing, committing adultery, and deceiving each other. Attributed to Xenophanes by Sextus Empiricus (Adversos Mathematicos, 9:193). Translation from S. F. Kirk, R. E....Read all of "Quotation From The 6th Century BCE"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:42 PM
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February 25, 2011
On Not Looking Back!
As many abnormal readers know, for the last couple of years I’ve been interested in the role of Mesopotamian divination in the develop of the formative literatures of Western Civilization: one paper on a passage in the Hebrew Bible published,...Read all of "On Not Looking Back!"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:30 AM
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February 24, 2011
Liddell-Scott-Jones Greek-English Lexicon Online
As one who has lately spent a good deal of quality time with the wonderful and bulky paper and ink edition of the Liddell-Scott-Jones Greek-English Lexicon, I am pleased to learn via a Jim West post on the Biblical Studies...Read all of "Liddell-Scott-Jones Greek-English Lexicon Online"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:52 PM
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February 23, 2011
An Abnormal Shutdown
Starting sometime after 8:00 AM PST, Thursday, February 24, 2011, and continuing through most of the day, the server that hosts Abnormal Interests will be offline for much needed maintenance (new video card, additional memory and a few software updates)....Read all of "An Abnormal Shutdown"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:11 AM
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February 22, 2011
Four Stone Hearth 112 Up At Anthropology In Practice
Krystal D'Costa is “rallying the anthropology community” at Anthropology In Practice. While all of Krystal’s selections are extremely interesting, abnormal readers may particularly enjoy the link to John Postill’s post on the changing use of media during the Egyptian uprising....Read all of "Four Stone Hearth 112 Up At Anthropology In Practice"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:06 PM
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480€ For Denigration Of “Religious Teachings”
An Austrian court fined Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff 480€ for saying of Muhammad’s marriage to Aisha, “If this does not constitute paedophilia, what does?” Ed Brayton says, “Well, guess what? Muhammad married a 9 year old girl. By any reasonable definition, that...Read all of "480€ For Denigration Of “Religious Teachings”"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:14 PM
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February 21, 2011
On Openness To Foreign Influence
In his essay on Near Eastern flood traditions and Apollodorus’ account of the flood, Jan Bremmer says, The idea of the Flood was borrowed in the time when the Greek horizon rapidly expanded and traditions about people made from stones...Read all of "On Openness To Foreign Influence"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:15 PM
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February 20, 2011
Mud Brick Construction In Egypt
eScholarship now has Virginia Emery’s “Mud-Brick Architecture” from the UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology. This is the latest of the currently 72 contributions to this online encyclopedia. The abnormally interesting thing about this contribution is that it could have just as...Read all of "Mud Brick Construction In Egypt"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:26 AM
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February 19, 2011
Anson Rainey Is Gone
Professor Anson Rainey died today. Rainey was a very prolific and often controversial scholar of the Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near East. Several of his works grace my library. I first met Anson when I was a graduate student...Read all of "Anson Rainey Is Gone"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:11 AM
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February 18, 2011
Friday’s Question
It no longer being thought appropriate in most circles to kill in large numbers to assure one’s κλέος, do we now write papers (and blogs) for the same reason?...Read all of "Friday’s Question"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:30 PM
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February 16, 2011
God’s Gift – A Dynamically Stable Creation????
Here is one reason not to mix belief and politics. Minnesota State Rep. Mike Beard has faith. Here is an example of his faith. God is not capricious. He's given us a creation that is dynamically stable," Beard told MinnPost....Read all of "God’s Gift – A Dynamically Stable Creation????"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:09 PM
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February 15, 2011
The ACLU, The First Amendment and A Muslim Charter School
It is a nearly a mantra among right leaning religions leaders and politicians that the ACLU is anti-Christian. It turns out they are anti-Muslim also. Well, they’re not so much anti-Muslim (or anti-Christian) as pro-First Amendment. The Minneapolis-St. Paul Star...Read all of "The ACLU, The First Amendment and A Muslim Charter School"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:07 PM
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February 14, 2011
On The Fear Of Accidental Plagiarism
Over at NT Blog, Mark Goodacre shares a few abnormally interesting thoughts on accidental plagiarism. I’m working on an essay that involves both a considerable amount of background knowledge and much new material. The new stuff is on a subject...Read all of "On The Fear Of Accidental Plagiarism"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:31 AM
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February 13, 2011
On The CEO President And Why It Won’t Work
Alas, governing the United States is a task fundamentally different from running either a small business or a Fortune 500 company. You could even argue that the qualities that make for a good CEO -- at least insofar as judged...Read all of "On The CEO President And Why It Won’t Work"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:33 AM
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February 12, 2011
Juan Cole On Egypt
I haven’t posted anything on the recent and ongoing developments in Egypt. Why should I when Juan Cole always provides Informed Comment?...Read all of "Juan Cole On Egypt"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:12 PM
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February 10, 2011
It’s Not Greek To Me
An abnormally interesting Greek text reads in Steven Lonsdale’s, 153, translation: Line of flight from right to left: If the bird disappeared from sight, the omen is favorable, but if it raised its left wing and then soared and disappeared,...Read all of "It’s Not Greek To Me"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:43 PM
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February 9, 2011
A Dream As Understood By Birds
Omens tend to divide into those that someone seeks after voluntarily and those that present themselves unrequested. Hepatomancy, the examination of the livers of sacrificed animals for the purpose of divining something or other, is an example of a voluntary...Read all of "A Dream As Understood By Birds"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:14 AM
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February 7, 2011
A Not So Simple Request
I’m looking for Jean-Marie Durand, Les documents epistolaires du palais de Mari 1/1, (Archives Royales de Mari 26/1). Specifically, I’m looking for pages 38 and 286 and perhaps a page or two before and after these. It seems that no...Read all of "A Not So Simple Request"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:07 PM
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February 6, 2011
Music With Computer
The last two nights, Shirley and I attended the concert portions of the 19th Annual Ussachevsky Memorial Festival at Pomona College. We’ve now attended four or fine of these events. They are always, will, abnormal. Over the two nights, we...Read all of "Music With Computer"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:58 AM
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February 5, 2011
Something To Remember
CNN's Christiane Amanpour: There are some situations one simply cannot be neutral about, because when you are neutral you are an accomplice. Objectivity doesn't mean treating all sides equally. It means giving each side a hearing. By one standard, this...Read all of "Something To Remember"
Posted by Duane Smith at 6:29 PM
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February 4, 2011
All Divination Is For The Birds
“You tell me to put my trust in birds, flying off on their long wild wings? Never!” - Hector’s response to Polydamas’ interpretation of an eagle omen (Iliad 12:235-38). “Flocks of birds go fluttering under the sun’s rays, not...Read all of "All Divination Is For The Birds"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:14 PM
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February 3, 2011
Send Me One Eagle Auger
The following is from line 25 of Amarna letter 35: ú 1 LUsa-í-li A.MUŠEN.MEŠ (= erû) uš-še-ia-ab-ni And send me one eagle/vulture(?) augur. In the context of this letter from the King of Alašiya (Cyprus) to the King of Egypt,...Read all of "Send Me One Eagle Auger"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:07 PM
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February 2, 2011
A “Fool’s” Perspective On The Deficient
The factors that took the country from surpluses 10 years ago to deficits today aren't, for the most part, those that are constantly maligned by the media and political parties -- bailouts, stimulus spending, earmarks, bridges to nowhere, foreign aid,...Read all of "A “Fool’s” Perspective On The Deficient"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:15 PM
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Greek Fonts
Like many folks who occasionally dabble in things Greek but come at them as Semitists, I tend to use the SBL Greek Unicode font to reproduce the occasional Greek word or phrase. A Classicist with whom I am corresponding about...
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:10 AM
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February 1, 2011
Biblical Studies Carnival Is Up
A Jim West, Zwinglius Redivivus, production, the January 2011 Biblical Studies Carnival is up. Jim has done a very good job bring together both the abnormally interesting and the just plan abnormal in the field of Biblical studies from the...Read all of "Biblical Studies Carnival Is Up"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:11 AM
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