June 2011 Archives
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June 30, 2011
Oh Foolish Me
I’ve never thought that people should necessarily vote in their own narrow self-interest. But until the advent to the tea party I imagined that people knew what was in their own narrow self-interest....
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:39 PM
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June 29, 2011
On The Miriam Ossuary
See Robert Cargill’s post and the posts and other stuff he links to. I think at this point he has the most complete discussion of this ossuary and its intriguing inscription. Perhaps I’ll have something of my own to say...Read all of "On The Miriam Ossuary"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:02 PM
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June 28, 2011
A Sciency Person Avoids Theology
I just read that some sciency person wants to be a theologian. So I thought I’d go read what that sciency person had to say about theology. Here’s a sample of what sciency person and astrophysics professor Charles Liu said....Read all of "A Sciency Person Avoids Theology"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:12 AM
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June 27, 2011
Pre-12th Century Levels At Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus
Peter M. Fischer and his team have posted a report on “The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2011: Excavations at Dromolaxia Vizatzia / Hala Sultan Tekke (preliminary report).” For me, the haematite cylinder seal is abnormally interesting but everything else is...Read all of "Pre-12th Century Levels At Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:02 PM
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The Custom of the Land
From Gilgamesh Tablet II:30-41: They set bread before him, They set beer before him. He looked uncertainly, then stared, Enkidu did not know to eat bread, Nor had he ever learned to dronk beer! The Harlot made ready to speak,...Read all of "The Custom of the Land"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:12 AM
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June 26, 2011
The Sea People Event
David Kaniewsk and ten colleagues have recently published a radiocarbon dating study of materials from the ancient port of Gibala near Ugarit in Syria. This study is in the context of textual evidence for the “Sea People event.” Here’s the...Read all of "The Sea People Event "
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:04 AM
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June 24, 2011
You Know You’re Getting Old When . . .
a fellow customer at the market politely asks if you need help unloading your shopping cart. Shirley and my ages average a little over 70. But we are generally in great condition. I’m in better condition now than I was...Read all of "You Know You’re Getting Old When . . ."
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:21 PM
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June 23, 2011
Oh The Anxiety Of It All
A searchable preliminary program for the 2011 SBL annual meeting is out and that is the cause of all me consternation. Several time slots have abnormally interesting sessions, while other time slots just seem filled with abnormality without interest. The...Read all of "Oh The Anxiety Of It All"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:27 AM
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June 22, 2011
I Got 100%
And on this Christian Science Monitor quiz of knowledge about religion that should be a solid C....
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:21 PM
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Jerusalem / Salem: One more Time
From yesterday’s Jerusalem Post: Also on Tuesday, a fragment of the earliest written document ever discovered in Jerusalem was unveiled. The two-centimeter fragment was discovered by Mazar’s team in the area, and dates from the late Bronze Age. Experts believe...Read all of "Jerusalem / Salem: One more Time"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:34 AM
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Syntactic Dependencies In Herodotus Book I
Abnormal readers know that I sometimes dabble in classical literature and philology. While I am an amateur in all my abnormal interests, I can’t really even claim amateur status in things classical. But little things like lack of training never...Read all of "Syntactic Dependencies In Herodotus Book I"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:38 AM
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June 20, 2011
New Old Late Bronze Age Fortress On Cyprus
From a University of Cincinnati news release: A recent find by a University of Cincinnati archeologist suggests an ancient Cypriot city was well protected from outside threats. That research, by UC’s Gisela Walberg, professor of classics, will be presented at...Read all of "New Old Late Bronze Age Fortress On Cyprus"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:51 PM
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June 19, 2011
Someone Loves Government
At least someone loves the Los Angeles County government. The Los Angeles County auditor-controller's office confirmed Friday that back in May they received a cashier’s check for $10,000.00. The accompanying note said, “In this time of economic difficulties, governments need...Read all of "Someone Loves Government"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:52 PM
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June 17, 2011
On Genre Identification
The genre of a text is crucial to its interpretation. If you don’t know the genre, it’s almost certain you will misunderstand the text. And this doesn’t just apply to ancient texts. Take a look at the first three paragraphs...Read all of "On Genre Identification"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:25 PM
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June 15, 2011
Something to Remember
Referring to the collection of essays he edited in Puns and Pundits: Word Play in the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Literature, Scott Noegel writes, The essays also necessitate a re-evaluation of ancient conceptions of literature, for they suggest...Read all of "Something to Remember"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:08 PM
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June 14, 2011
Abnormal Clouds
Chris Brady reminded me that I hadn’t messed around with word clouds for a while. Here’s a word cloud of my essay on Homeric augury. And here’s one of Jim West’s blog. Hmmm, I wonder how that happened. And here’s...
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:54 PM
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A Pun Need Not Be Punny
See, I told you so. Genesis chapters 2 and 3 contain a rather high density of fully articulated puns. I also think these chapters contain at least one example of an implied pun, a pun with one element represented by...Read all of "A Pun Need Not Be Punny"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:58 AM
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June 13, 2011
Targum Onkelos for Genesis 3:1a Reads Something
But I’m not completely sure what and I’m not completely sure what in the most important place for my current abnormal interest. What follows is rather technical and, worse, inconclusive. So unless your interests are extremely abnormal, use your time...Read all of "Targum Onkelos for Genesis 3:1a Reads Something"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:41 PM
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June 12, 2011
ערום In Old Greek And Even Older Greek
After a series of diversions large and small I’m back to looking at the snake in Genesis 3 in detail. As some abnormal readers may remember I’ve struggled off and on with the semantic range and specific meaning in context...Read all of "ערום In Old Greek And Even Older Greek"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:52 AM
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June 10, 2011
The כתבי הקדש
I just loaded כתבי הקדש from the Judaic Classics Library from Davika onto my new computer. In has the whole, fully pointed, Hebrew Bible, Tanach, plus Rashi. I haven’t had a lot of time to play with it but the...
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:33 PM
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June 9, 2011
June ZA Now Available
The latest Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und vorderasiatische Archäologie (101:1 [June 2011]) is now available. Here’s the table of contents with links to the abstracts Richard L. Zettler and Walther Sallaberger, “Inana's Festival at Nippur under the Third Dynasty of Ur”...Read all of "June ZA Now Available"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:38 PM
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June 8, 2011
But Then He Doesn't Need To Look At It
Reactionary Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker replaced a painting by David Lenz in the executive residence with a painting of Old Abe, a Civil War-era bald eagle from Wisconsin. Here’s part of what the news release from the governor's office said...Read all of "But Then He Doesn't Need To Look At It"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:24 PM
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June 5, 2011
The Other Side of Scribal Culture
If you haven seen it, you might want to drop by Seth Sanders' place and read his discussion of what he calls “Scribal Culture's Shadow Tradition.” I may be giving too much away but here are his concluding remarks. When...Read all of "The Other Side of Scribal Culture"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:36 PM
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June 4, 2011
Prayer In Public Schools – What's So Hard To Understand?
The appeals court in Texas got it right. The issue is clear and I can't figure out why it ever comes up. Students are not government officials. They are, err, ah, students. Provided it is not government sanctioned, it is...Read all of "Prayer In Public Schools – What's So Hard To Understand?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:40 AM
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June 3, 2011
Computers, Computers
Depending on how one counts we have five (Is an IPad a computer?) computers here at Abnormal Interests' worldwide headquarters and retirement center. That means that at any given time one or more of them may have some kind of...Read all of "Computers, Computers"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:47 PM
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June 2, 2011
Quotation(s) of Yesterday
Ed Brayton on Sarah Palin, She is a celebrity without portfolio, the political version of Paris Hilton. Here’s the larger context from Ed’s Dispatches From the Culture Wars. She doesn't want an elected position. That requires actual work. What she...Read all of "Quotation(s) of Yesterday"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:13 AM
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June 1, 2011
Just How Old Are These Houses?
And did a few millennia get lost in translation? Okay, which is it? Do these houses date back to the 4th century or the 11th century BCE? Or are we really talking about millennium rather than centuries? Reporting on remarks...Read all of "Just How Old Are These Houses?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:16 PM
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