Samaritans, Biblical Studies, and Ancient Judaism: Recent Trends

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-64
Author(s):  
Matthew Chalmers

In this article, I survey recent trends in Samaritan studies, with a particular focus on biblical studies and the interactions of Samaritan Israelites with other religious traditions. While remaining entrenched in discussion of the origins of Samaritans, scholars have firmly embraced the idea of processual Samaritan identity, emerging over time and in a non-genealogical sense alongside and interwoven with Judean/Jewish self-definition. Extensive work clusters, in particular, at three nodes: the study of Hebrew-language scriptures, archaeological excavations, and the remodelling of identity-production in a constructivist form. I also sketch out the directions in which the field is moving, with growing and productive emphasis on Aramaic, Arabic, and late antiquity. Finally, I identify some of the quirks of Samaritan studies as it might be encountered, in particular a continued effort to salvage Samaritans for biblical studies, somewhat intermittent interdisciplinarity, and practices of engagement with Samaritan Israelites themselves.

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-168
Author(s):  
Andrew Tobolowsky

Scholars are increasingly aware of the dynamic nature of the interaction between the nine-chapter-long genealogy that begins the book of Chronicles and its source material. However, little attention has been paid to the role this interaction might have played in the creation of some key biblical ideas, particularly in the “eponymous imagination” of the tribes as literally the sons of Jacob. Through comparison with scholarly approaches to the pseudo-Hesiodic Catalogue of Women and an investigation into the ramifications for biblical studies of ethnic theory and historical memory on the fluidity of ethnicity and memory over time, this article seeks to reassess the dynamic power of the Chronicles genealogy as an ethnic charter for the elites of Persian Yehud. Focus on the distinctive imagination of Israel in the crucial narratives in the book of Genesis, as compared with narratives elsewhere in the primary history, and the contributions of the Chronicles genealogy to their redefinition, allows us to address the Bible’s dependence upon the lens the Chronicles genealogy imposes upon it.


Lampas ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-65
Author(s):  
Onno van Nijf

Abstract This article offers a brief introduction to the most frequent type of inscription: funerary inscriptions or epitaphs. The article offers a chronological overview from the Archaic period to late Antiquity, with an emphasis on Athens. It opens with a brief discussion of the archaeological and ritual contexts in which funerary inscriptions were set up, followed by a discussion of archaic epigrams and the social strategies that lay behind them. This is followed by a discussion of public and private graves that shows how epigraphic habits changed over time. The article continues with a discussion of funerary epigraphic habits outside Athens and closes with a few examples of Christian epitaphs.


Author(s):  
Е.Ю. Лебедева ◽  
А.Ю. Сергеев

В статье представлены результаты археоботанических исследований в Московском Кремле и обсуждается проблема использования растений жителями города с особым акцентом на потреблении зерновой продукции. Материалы рассматриваются по двум хронологическим выборкам (XII - перв. пол. XIII в. и втор. пол. XIII - XV в.), что позволяет проследить динамику изменения археоботанических спектров. Выделяются три специфические черты, характеризующие коллекцию зерновых в Москве. Во-первых, высокая насыщенность зерном культурного слоя во-вторых, стабильно высокий показатель доли ржи на протяжении столетий (ок. 70 ) и, в-третьих, остающийся непонятным факт сокращения на 10 доли овса в поздней выборке. Последнее, по мнению авторов, противоречит логике развития города, требующей увеличения фуражных запасов для лошадей - основного транспортного средства средневековья. Авторы приходят к выводу, что при отсутствии или скудости находок экзотических растений, выступающих маркерами элитного питания в европейских городах, в средневековой Руси в этом качестве могут интерпретироваться обычные зерновые культуры, в частности - мягкая пшеница. The paper presents the results of archaeobotanical studies in the Moscow Kremlin and discusses the use of plants by the city residents with a focus on consumption of crops. The analysis is based on two chronological selections (the 12th - first half of the 13th centuries and the first half of the 13th - 15th centuries) it gives an insight into the changes over time of archaeobotanical spectra. Three specific features characterizing the crop grains in Moscow are singled out. Firstly, abundance of crop plants in the occupation layers secondly, consistently high values of the rye share in total crops throughout centuries (around 70 ) and, thirdly, the reduction in the share of oats by 10 in the later sample for some inexplicable reasons. In the view of the authors, the latter fact contradicts the logical development of the city that required increase in forage reserves for horses which was the main animal for transportation in the medieval times. The authors come to the conclusion that in the absence or scarcity of exotic plant finds used as markers of luxury food in European cities, common grain crops such as bread wheat can be used as elite food indicator in Medieval Russia.


Author(s):  
Valentino Gasparini

The results of the archaeological exploration of the Roman vicus of Falacrinae, placed in the Upper Sabina 78 miles north-east of Rome, represent excellent first-hand material for testing the concept of “rurification” of religion.  The frequentation of the area goes back over time at least to the late Neolithic, but it is only in the Archaic period that a temple was built, soon converting itself into a sort of pole of attraction of the local community. After the Roman conquest (290 BCE), an entire village gradually arose around the monument. 129 sacrificial foci, dated between the late 3rd and the second half of the 1st cent. BCE (probably linked with the festivals of the Feriae Sementivae, Paganalia or Compitalia), and few burials (suggrundaria) belonging to perinatal foetuses of 30/40 weeks of gestation, dated during the 2nd and the first half of the 1st cent. BCE, are the most intriguing ritual practices that the excavations have been able to identify. The analysis of these practices encourages to conclude that the local rural communities: 1) adopted group-styles of religious grouping significantly different from those taking place in urban contexts; 2) could strongly modify hierarchies and rituals performed in the cities; 3) cannot necessarily be considered as “deviant” from the normative point of view; 4) could easily negotiate between local religious traditions and urban patterns.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 141 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Godfrey ◽  
Laura Cohen ◽  
Susan Hennessy ◽  
Brandon Bellows

Purpose: Patients who present with concurrent heart failure (HF) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have an increased risk of mortality, but changes in clinical practice have improved clinical outcomes. We sought to examine recent trends in concurrent HF and ACS hospitalizations in the United States (US) through review of published literature. Methods: We searched the Medline and PubMed databases for studies published after January 1, 2000 reporting the hospitalizations for HF with concurrent acute coronary syndromes. We included studies performed in the US or with at least 25% US participants, that reported the proportion with concurrent HF and ACS, and used a clinical definition of HF (e.g. Killip Class II or III, NYHA Class, or Framingham Criteria). Studies were reviewed by and data was extracted using a standardized form. We extracted study and patient characteristics, definition of HF, and rates of concurrent HF and ACS hospitalizations. We categorized included studies by ACS type: (1) non-specific myocardial infarction (MI) or ACS, (2) non-ST elevation (NSTE) MI or NSTE-ACS, or (3) ST elevation (STE) MI. We descriptively examined recent trends in hospitalizations for concurrent HF and ACS over time; rates reported for multiple time periods or ACS types were considered separately. Results: We identified 23 observational studies, systematic reviews, and randomized clinical trials. Of these, we excluded 13 due to non-US populations, use of non-clinical definitions of HF (i.e., diagnosis codes), or not reporting rates of concurrent HF and ACS. Of the 10 included studies, 7 reported concurrent HF with non-specific MI or ACS from 1975 through 2005 across multiple registries and literature reviews. Rates ranged from 12.5% to 48.0% with no clear time-related trends. We identified 3 studies reporting concurrent HF with NSTEMI or NSTE-ACS from pooled analysis or the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) registry from 1994 to 2008. Reported rates ranged from 8.2%-15.7% for studies starting in the 1990s with one study reporting and 6.1% in 2005. We identified 4 studies reporting concurrent HF with STEMI, including a pooled analysis, the GRACE registry, and a clinical trial. Rates of concurrent HF with STEMI appeared to decrease over time from 32.5% in 1990 to 1998, 15.6%-19.5% from 1999 to 2001, and 2.6%-11.0% in 2005. Conclusion: Our literature review found that there may be a decrease in concurrent HF and STEMI hospitalizations in recent decades, but no apparent trends with other types of ACS. This may be related to emphasis on early revascularization strategies, improved primary prevention, and/or earlier time to presentation due to increasing public awareness.. However, there was a dearth of data reporting concurrent HF and ACS hospitalization within the last decade. Further research is needed to understand the impact of multiple changes in clinical practice on secular trends.


Author(s):  
P. GUEST

The archaeological excavations carried out on late Roman and early Byzantine sites in the Balkans has revolutionized our knowledge of this part of the world in Late Antiquity. How these sites are dated is obviously important as, without accurate and reliable dating, it is difficult to understand how they fit into the wider historical narrative. This chapter takes the coins excavated at Dichin as its starting point and, by careful analysis, proposes a general dating scheme for the two phases of occupation at the settlement. The lack of coins struck during the years 474–518 is a notable feature of the assemblage from Dichin, a pattern that is repeated at most sites in the region where coins of the emperor Zeno are particularly rare. By looking at both site finds and hoards from the region, however, these explanations need to be revised as they are based on a numismatic mirage rather than archaeological fact.


2020 ◽  
pp. 57-91
Author(s):  
Melinda Lundquist Denton ◽  
Richard Flory

Building on the foundation laid in Chapter 2, this chapter focuses specifically on the religious lives of emerging adults. Survey responses from multiple waves of data collection are used to show changes over time. The chapter focuses on change and continuity in the religious lives of emerging adults, while also showing how different religious traditions have fared in terms of influencing the lives of emerging adults. Taken together, the survey data show an overarching story of decline; yet under the surface there is movement both toward and away from religion.


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