Scribal Schools Archive
May 20, 2008
Scribal Schools in Canaan
Charles at Awilum, quotes from a review of Wayne Horowitz and Takayoshi Oshima, Cuneiform in Canaan: Cuneiform Sources from the Land of Israel in Ancient Times by Yuram Cohen in the February 2008, BASOR. Charles has complete references. Please go...Read all of "Scribal Schools in Canaan"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:56 PM
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December 1, 2007
How Shallow Was Ancient Hebrew?
Some scholars have suggested that it is easier to learn to read and write languages written with "shallower orthographies" than languages with "deeper orthographies." Not only is this issue supposedly germane to literacy, it also enters into discussions of scribal...Read all of "How Shallow Was Ancient Hebrew?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:28 AM
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November 27, 2007
It Takes Guts to Write Like That
Well, the pattern of intestines may have motivated writing in spirals and in boustrophedon. Over the last week or so, I've exchanged emails with Rochelle Altman on scribal schools, literacy and related subjects. In one email, she said the following...Read all of "It Takes Guts to Write Like That"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:38 AM
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November 19, 2007
Oral Tradition Is Not a Concept
I'm back for the Society of Biblical Literature meeting. Over the next few days, I will post a few brief thoughts on some of the papers and sessions. On Saturday afternoon, I attended the "Hebrew Scriptures and Cognate Literature Section...Read all of "Oral Tradition Is Not a Concept"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:09 PM
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September 11, 2007
In Which Direction Should One Write?
Last Thursday I took a clay tablet to lunch to show to a couple of the people that Shirley and I have lunch with almost every week. After the question, "Can anyone really read this?" the next question was "In...Read all of "In Which Direction Should One Write?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:15 PM
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June 26, 2007
On the Absence of the Paragogic nun in Epigraphic Hebrew
Warning: this post contains obscure points of ancient Hebrew grammar. I finally got my hands on Kaufman's article about the Hebrew paragogic nun and scribal training (see postscript below). You may remember that Charles Halton at Awilum told us about...Read all of "On the Absence of the Paragogic nun in Epigraphic Hebrew"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:45 PM
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June 21, 2007
On the Need to Learn From Egyptian Scribes
The other day Egyptology News featured a story on "The School of Scribes at the Ramesseum" Andie quoted from an article in Le Journal de CNRS describing various things of interest uncovered at the Ramesseum. Like Andie, I found the...Read all of "On the Need to Learn From Egyptian Scribes"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:44 PM
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June 15, 2007
The Ever Popular Paragogic Nun and Scribal Training in Ancient Israel
Charles Halton at Awilum has a very interesting post about Kaufman's understanding of the paragogic nun in Biblical Hebrew and how such a thing might contribute to an argument for a standardized scribal curriculum in Ancient Israel. Like most of...Read all of "The Ever Popular Paragogic Nun and Scribal Training in Ancient Israel"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:53 PM
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June 9, 2007
Scribes and the Economy of Cities
I've been working through the archaeological evidence that some scholars suggest limits or even negates the likelihood of a scribal school in early 10th century BCE Jerusalem. In its simplest form, the argument says that Jerusalem was too small and...Read all of "Scribes and the Economy of Cities"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:59 PM
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June 1, 2007
It's Still Gibberish
A couple of days ago I learned via ABZU that back issues of the Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists are online and can be accessed without charge. Most of what they cover is not normally within my abnormal...Read all of "It's Still Gibberish"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:24 PM
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May 18, 2007
The Seal of Lugal-Dúr, the Scribe
While looking for something else I came across a beautiful cylinder seal from Nippur. While it is neither from a location (Mesopotamia) nor from a time (3rd millennium BCE) normally among my abnormal interests, its wonderful workmanship struck me. You...Read all of "The Seal of Lugal-Dúr, the Scribe"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:34 PM
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May 15, 2007
Ninth Century BCE Seals from Jerusalem (?)
There's a report that archaeologist Ronny Reich found a number of seal impressions in the same context as 9th century BCE potsherds "at the bottom of the quarry/pool by the Gihon spring." I quote from Yigal Levin's observations as reported...Read all of "Ninth Century BCE Seals from Jerusalem (?)"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:47 AM
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May 13, 2007
Where are ‛Izbet Sartah and Tel Zayit?
This post is a bit of an experiment. I have been looking for good mapping software for the Ancient Near East. The other day Todd Bolen of Bible Places directed us to Bible Mapper, so I thought I'd give it...Read all of "Where are ‛Izbet Sartah and Tel Zayit?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:50 PM | TrackBack (0) | Abnormal Archive Link |
May 5, 2007
Were Seal Engravers Trained Scribes?
The evidence for the southern Levant seems to indicate that they were not. Christopher Rollston (1966) argued that there is sufficient evidence to hold that formal scribal training was part of the eighth through the sixth centuries BCE process of...Read all of "Were Seal Engravers Trained Scribes?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 6:46 PM
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May 1, 2007
More Excuses! All I Ever Have are Excuses.
For about the last two or three weeks I thought that I was one good working day away from publishing my next mega-post on scribal schools. But sometime yesterday evening I realized that the approach I was taking to presenting...Read all of "More Excuses! All I Ever Have are Excuses. "
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:30 PM
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April 28, 2007
The Challenge of the Alphabet
While working on my next, now very belated, post on scribal schools I took a break to see what was going on in the blogosphere. And guess what, via John Wilkins', Evolving Thoughts, I found an amazing account of a...Read all of "The Challenge of the Alphabet"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:11 PM
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April 27, 2007
The Weapon of God
I found, via ABZU, a 1997 dissertation by Niek Veldhuis called Elementary Education at Nippur; The Lists of Trees and Wooden Objects. It's over 400 pages long so I haven't read it through as yet but it contains a good...Read all of "The Weapon of God"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:00 PM
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February 15, 2007
Some Observations on the Tel Zayit and ‘Izbet Sartah Abecedaries
I have previously written about the ‘Izbet Sartah abecedary and made a few preliminary remarks about the Tel Zayit abecedary. As I indicated in my post on it, the ‘Izbet Sartah abecedary was written between 1200 and 1000 BCE. On...Read all of "Some Observations on the Tel Zayit and ‘Izbet Sartah Abecedaries"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:18 PM
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February 14, 2007
What Isn't Written in Stone
I just finished a preliminary reading of Tappy, McCarter, Lundberg and Zuckerman, "An Abecedary of the Mid-Tenth Century B.C.E. from the Judaean Shephelah." I was as interested in what the paper didn't tell me as what it did. There have...Read all of "What Isn't Written in Stone"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:05 PM
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February 13, 2007
It Looks Like I Need to Get Back to School, Scribal School That Is
The November issue of the Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research is at last out. So off to the library tomorrow. See Jim West's post for the Table of Contents. With the material by Ron E. Tappy, P....Read all of "It Looks Like I Need to Get Back to School, Scribal School That Is"
Posted by Duane Smith at 6:49 PM
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December 26, 2006
May Ba'al, Even the God Himself, Watch Over Your Life!
As a diversion to a hobby, I've been working my way through the fifteenth century BCE Akkadian letters from Taanach. Perhaps I'll post my full translations and comments in the future. But for now, Taanach 2 has a couple of...Read all of "May Ba'al, Even the God Himself, Watch Over Your Life!"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:02 PM
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November 13, 2006
Bowing, Scraping and Scribal Traditions
In my most recent mega-post, now a couple of months old, on scribal schools, I argued that there was a scribal school in Jerusalem during the Amarna Age. But the argument was not definitive. You may remember that Moran has...Read all of "Bowing, Scraping and Scribal Traditions"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:10 PM
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October 18, 2006
On The Gezer Calendar
Last week, as part of my preparation for the next installment of the series "How to Identify a Scribal School," I reviewed the ‘Izbet Sartah Sherd. This week I will attempt to define the place of the Gezer Calendar in...Read all of "On The Gezer Calendar"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:26 PM
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October 10, 2006
On the ‘Izbet Sartah Sherd
As I said yesterday, I will be publishing, on approximately a weekly basis, comments on several texts and artifacts that have a bearing on the possibility of scribal schools in Canaan during the end of the Bronze age and the...Read all of "On the ‘Izbet Sartah Sherd"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:07 PM
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October 9, 2006
The Tell Zayit Inscription to Be Published Soon
Professor Ron Tappy informs me that the editio princeps of the Tell Zayit Inscription will appear in the next month's edition of the Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research (BASOR). I thank Professor Tappy for giving me permission...Read all of "The Tell Zayit Inscription to Be Published Soon"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:34 AM
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September 28, 2006
Not Completely Wasted Thoughts on the Manahat Sherd
I'm still working my way through the corpus of Late Bronze/Iron I Age texts that may have some bearing on scribal schools in Canaan during that period. Aside from seeking additional information on the Tel Zayit inscription, I think I...Read all of "Not Completely Wasted Thoughts on the Manahat Sherd"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:33 PM
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September 20, 2006
How to Recognize a Scribal School
Part 4: Evidence for the training of scribes in Late Bronze Age Canaan After a pause to gather thoughts and information I am at last ready to present my next installment in the series How to Recognize a Scribal School....Read all of "How to Recognize a Scribal School"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:54 PM
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September 14, 2006
Was Abdi-Heba a New Man in Jerusalem?
I'm about three or four days away from my next mega post on Scribal Schools. The research is done (I hope) and there are just a couple of issues to wrap-up. One of those has to do with Abdi-Heba of...Read all of "Was Abdi-Heba a New Man in Jerusalem?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:28 PM
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September 7, 2006
A Not So Simple Quiz
What language once used these words? And for all the jokers out there, I mean the words to the left. The English translations in parentheses are there just to be helpful. I've never heard of a language that didn't have...Read all of "A Not So Simple Quiz"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:00 PM
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September 2, 2006
Literacy at Lachish
I continue to struggle with the primary evidence for scribal training in ancient Israel. Much of it is frankly confusing as to whether or not it addresses the issue with which I am struggling. So as I was reading Lemaire's...Read all of "Literacy at Lachish"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:32 PM
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Titles Only From Here On
August 31, 2006
Further Reflections on Kuntillet ‛Ajrud Pithos II
August 30, 2006
Some Text from Kuntillet ‛Ajrud Pithos II
August 24, 2006
Partial Abecedaries from Gezer
August 22, 2006
Egyptian Loanwords in Epigraphic Hebrew?
August 19, 2006
Hypothesis Testing
August 17, 2006
Always Read the Notes: Foot or End
August 14, 2006
Is a na‛ar Ever a Scribe? Could One Really Write?
August 8, 2006
Trying to Define a Question in the Hopes of Finding an Answer
August 2, 2006
An Interesting Coincidence
August 1, 2006
The Sitz im Leben of Scribal Schools
July 30, 2006
How to Recognize a Scribal School
July 16, 2006
A Scribal Exercise or Only a Scribal Error
June 26, 2006
How to Recognize a Scribal School
June 19, 2006
A Pseudo-Letter on the Teaching of Writing
June 17, 2006
The Role of Readers, Present and Future, in Motivating Literature
June 11, 2006
Overcoming Sexism - Mine
May 31, 2006
How to Recognize a Scribal School