Dominique Charpin outlines a new project dubbed ARCHIBAB which will compile an electronic corpus of Old Babylonian (2000-1600 BCE) texts. Along with this database (which will include indexes, bibliography, and transcriptions), monographs and a print edition will flow out of the research as well. I really like the Neo-Assyrian period, but I am very excited about this project–the older stuff really gets me going. For a 13-page pdf summary of the project, check out Digital Orient.
Kevin Wilson has issued a call for submissions for the next Biblical Studies Blog Carnival which he is hosting on his site, Blue Cord. So, if you have written or read a post that should be included, send it his way.
In light of the recent focus upon scribal curriculum as one of the main conduits for the composition, standardization, and preservation of the Bible (see van der Toorn’s Scribal Culture for instance), here is a timely quote:
Better theories must be brought forward to explain how the Pentateuch could have gained the status of the Torah. The statement that the Torah is a product of Jewish scribal scholarship will not suffice, for this is true of the entire Hebrew Bible.1
Many Bible translations are produced from scholars that reside in primarily one geographic area even when they state that they are international in outlook. Many of the “advisers and oversight” editors and panel members are little more than marketing window dressing and representatives for the various constituencies that they represent.
However, on a very practical level publishers should include international scholars at all levels of the translation process to avoid, among other things, unintended bawdy euphemisms.
Exhibit A: “For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, / and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up…” (ESV Isaiah 61:11a). I seriously doubt that a Brit proofread this verse. If they did they have a great sense of humour and kudos for slipping it past Crossway!
(HT: BSB 46)
The Guardian reports on a collaboration between the British Museum and the British Army in Iraq to try to help save what is left of the ancient sites of southern Iraq. Some of the sites include the ancient cities Warka and Eridu.
While these efforts are very welcome they are also years too late. I just hope that there is still something left to save.
 Logos has a prepublication special for their new Semitic Inscriptions module–$99.95 for the analyzed texts and English translation. The module includes inscriptions from these languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, Byblian-Phoenician, Standard and Mixed dialect Phoenician, Ammonite, Moabite, Ekronite (Philistine), and Edomite.Â
Pretty much all of the major inscriptions are included such as Tel Dan, Deir ‘Alla texts, Zakir, Hadad, Sefire, Panammu, Zenjirli, Gezer Calendar, Siloam, the inscriptions from Arad, Lachish, Khirbet el-Qôm, and Kuntillet Ajrud, Mesha Stela, the Amman Citadel and Tel Siran bottle inscriptions, Kilamuwa, Karatepe, Tabnit, Ahiram, and Eshmunazar, as well as all the epigraphs from Gogel’s A Grammar of Epigraphic Hebrew.
In addition to the standard features that you would expect from Logos such as searching original language texts along with secondary resources, they have added another search option that is unique to Logos. As will all the original language software you can do standard searches for parts of speech such as infinitives, participles, etc. In addition to this Logos enables you to search for more specific kinds of nouns such as personal or deity names.  This is a really helpful feature. Another feature that to my knowledge only Logos includes are variant readings from the following studies: Davies, Ancient Hebrew Inscriptions, Gogel, Grammar of Epigraphic Hebrew, Gibson, Textbook of Syrian Semitic Inscriptions (vols. I, III), and F.W. Dobbs-Allsopp, et.al., Hebrew Inscriptions. Again, this is another feature that will be very helpful and will save you a bunch of time from having to compare each of these works individually.
If you would like to see this module in action, Mike Heiser has a video in which he demonstrates the program.
Here are some passwords you might want to avoid: Zwingli, Tilling, Wright, Lemche, archeology, minimalism, misconduct…
James Spinti informed me that someone discovered Jim West’s password and deleted his blog. I have disagreed with quite a bit of the stuff that Jim has written over the years and I may have even been on his comments blacklist since I haven’t had a comment go through moderation to be posted on his site in months.
However, deleting someone’s blog is a despicable thing. I know how frustrated I would be if someone did that to me. It would almost make me give up for good. So, Jim, if you read this post I want to give you some encouragement. Even though you draw your fair share of criticism–and from my perspective sometimes deserved criticism–to a large degree you have been the center of the biblioblogging community. If you need to take some time off, I understand, but I hope that you take up blogging again. Possibly you could see this as an opportunity to reboot and start your blogging afresh–Jim West 2.0.
A few months ago I deleted my link to you in my blogroll when I felt that I was on your comments blacklist and I got tired of some of your ranting against various positions–I felt it was uncharitable, unscholarly, and to be honest–you’re a pastor–I expect better. However, as a sign of my encouragement to you Jim, I’m adding a link to your old blog and I’ll add a link to a new blog if you chose to start one. I also encourage other bibliobloggers who might not presently include you in their blogroll to link to you as a symbol of support.
Jim, my inclusion of you in my blogroll shows my absolute distaste to whoever deleted your blog. It also shows my respect for your formative and central role to the biblioblogging community. Without you biblioblogs would not be the same–we all owe a lot to you. I hope you take this opportunity to launch a rebooted Jim West 2.0.
It’s not often that I purchase Festschriften. I normally reserve my book purchases to first editions, reference works, and books that I will use a whole lot–I try not to buy books that I can easily obtain through the library or ILL. Therefore, in most Festschriften I find maybe a couple of essays that interest me and I just photocopy them.
With this in mind I picked up this book from the new acquisitions shelf and perused the table of contents to see which articles I wanted to photocopy. However, I didn’t copy any of the articles because I quickly realized that I wanted almost every essay in the volume and I want to eventually buy the book (you can click on the image of the book and it will take you to the Eisenbrauns site which has a list of the included essays). There is even a sermon on Jonah by Frank Moore Cross! This is the first time I have seen a work by Cross without a single footnote.
Bringing the Hidden to Light: The Process of Interpretation
Studies in Honor of Stephen A. Geller
EIS – Eisenbrauns
Edited by Kathryn F. Kravitz and Diane M. Sharon
Eisenbrauns, 2007
xvi + 304 pages, English
Cloth, 6 x 9 inches
ISBN: 9781575061245
List Price: $49.50
Your Price: $44.55
www.eisenbrauns.com/wconnect/wc.dll?ebGate~EIS~~I~KRABRINGI
