Typhoeus and Etna in Hesiod, Pindar, and (Pseudo-)Aeschylus

This paper discusses the suspected reading †ἀïδνῆς in Hes. Theog. 860 and proposes the emendation οὔρεος ἐν βήσσῃς, <ε>ἰν Αἴτνῃ παιπαλοέσσῃ. The interpretative consequences of thus introducing into the text a reference to Mount Etna are then explored. The immediately following passage, ll. 861-867, is reinterpreted in the light of a preceding reference to the Sicilian volcano. Not only Hesiod, but also Homer is argued to have knowledge of volcanism. Hesiod’s simple, unelaborated reference to Typhoeus’ defeat at Mount Etna implies that the association of Typhoeus with Mount Etna was made by Greeks before Hesiod; it can plausibly be connected to Greek colonising or proto-colonising activity in the eighth century BCE. The Typhonomachy would be only one of several mythological episodes in early Greek hexameter poetry to be localised in the West. Finally, the arguable presence of the Typhoeus-Etna link in Hesiod’s Theogony significantly increases the likelihood that the closely related descriptions of Typhoeus in passages of Pindar (from Pyth. 1, Pyth. 8, Ol. 4, and frr. 92-3 Maehler) and the (Pseudo-)Aeschylean Prometheus Bound do not depend on each other, but on a lost early hexameter account of the Typhonomachy (perhaps, but not necessarily, the Cyclical Titanomachy) that had attained canonical status by the fifth century BCE. Thus also one popular argument for a late dating of the Prometheus Bound, and for its non-Aeschylean authorship, would need to be discarded.

Canonization, Satire, and Criticism of Avot in Midrash Yelammedenu from the Genizah

In this article, I present a midrashic reference to one mishnah of tractate Avot that would appear to undermine its canonical status. A close reading of the midrash, will show that it makes use of various satirical tools, including exaggeration and ridicule, which appear to be aimed at a mocking of the mishnah. However, further reading of the midrash in light of a more comprehensive look at tractate Avot will show that contrary to this initial impression, the use of satire may not be directed at undermining the canonical status of Avot but rather at strengthening it. According to this reading, the satire is directed at internal criticism that the midrash identifies in the heart of the mishnaic text, with the result that Avot’s status is restored.

CMSWR versus LCWR: About the Crisis and the Renewal of Consecrated Female Life in the USA

The article discusses the history of reforms of American religious sisters initiated by Pius XII and concluded by a joint agreement between the LCWR and the Commissions of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The article shows the character of the reforms undertaken before and after the Council and how two organizations representing American sisters were established. The continuous departure of the LCWR from the teaching of the Church is presented in opposition to the fidelity of the second organization with canonical status – CMSWR. The lack of vocations among the sisters gathered in the LCWR is a sign of mistakes in the reforms that were undertaken and politicization of the organization.

Implicit expression of the author’s self-awareness in Francysk Skaryna’s works

The aim of the article is to substantiate the presence of implicit forms expressing the author's self-awareness in the works of Francysk Skaryna, the most prominent representative of the 16th century Belarusian culture. The choice of this personality is connected with the fact that the earliest manifestations of the author's self-awareness in Belarusian literature can be found in his works. The analysis is preceded by an introductory section, which provides a brief overview of the extent to which the concept of «the author's self-awareness» has been developed in contemporary literary studies. In the first part of this article we consider the problems through the prism of F. Skaryna's poetic experiments, which were found in the prefaces to his translations of the Bible. Poetry as a specific field of creativity allows us to most accurately reveal the hidden signs of the author's self-awareness. In the second part the author’s self-awareness is regarded through a popular genre of church lyrics – the akathist, namely, its kontakion part. Despite the canonical status of the akathist, due to its poetic and melodic nature, it allowed a certain freedom in organizing the material. The author comes to a number of conclusions. The author of the article made a number of conclusions. First-ly, the implicit manifestations of the author's self-awareness in F. Skaryna's works are dualistic in nature, their adequate interpretation is only possible in combination with extra-textual information of the cultural context. Secondly, in his prefaces F. Skaryna uses the methods of tonic and syllabic verse which not only allows him to focus the reader's atten-tion on the important meanings, but also reveals the author's attitude to spoken accented verse, traditional for common people. Thirdly, in the kontakion verse of acathistus F. Skaryna deals exclusively with the rhythmic experiments.

Popularising La bohème

This chapter considers how the reception of La bohème developed across the course of the twentieth century, focusing in particular on debates about the opera’s status as ‘art’ or ‘entertainment’. It examines hostile responses to Puccini by modernist commentators and Italian nationalists who accused him of ‘decadence’ and pandering to the crowd. It discusses the work’s appropriation by celebrity singers, in spite of the fact that the work was not conceived as a star vehicle. The role of recordings and Bohème films in the opera’s rise to canonical status is considered. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the ways in which music from the opera has been used in films, incorporated into popular songs, and used as the basis for other works of popular culture.

Methodological Issues

WHILE I have dealt with Sefer Ḥasidim from time to time, the leading scholar of German Pietism of this generation has unquestionably been Ivan Marcus. His work Piety and Society: The Jewish Pietists of Medieval Germany made a considerable impression when it appeared in 1981. It was and still is widely cited; indeed, one might say without exaggeration that it has, over the years, achieved semi-canonical status....

New Perspectives on the Return from Exile and Persian-Period Yehud

Biblical scholars today recognize the long Persian period (550–332 bce) as the time when an early form of the biblical text approached canonical status. Yhwh religion—at least in its elite form—evolved from a tradition largely based on temple and kingship into one framed by control of a sacred text. While the title of this essay could imply that only Yehud (Judea) is of relevance to Yhwh religion and the historical books of the Bible, this period should be understood in international terms. New textual evidence for previously unknown Yahwist communities in Babylonia and Idumea are a case in point. Elites in Yhwh-worshiping communities situated across the Persian Empire from Egypt to Persia, and not just in Yehud or Shomron (Samaria), communicated with each other. The biblical books written or set in the Persian period developed within this international context, one that included debate over claims to be the true “Israel.”

Conclusion

The conclusion briefly restates the main argument of the book and notes that the gospel-as-manuscript is the connecting thread between Mark’s textualization of the Jesus tradition in the first century and the eventual intertwining of public reading in assembly and canonical status by the fourth and fifth centuries. It particularly highlights the continuance of competitive textualization in Origen’s discussion of the writing of the Gospels in his Homilies on Luke. Also discussed briefly are heresiological charges against Gospel authors and the burning of books in moments of persecution. The conclusion also proposes a few areas for future research.

The Public Reading of the Jesus Tradition in the First Three Centuries

Chapter 6 provides the fullest discussion to date of the primary sources for the public reading of the Jesus tradition in Christian assembly prior to Constantine. It specifically treats portrayals of public reading in Mark 13:14//Matt 24:15, Justin Martyr’s First Apology, Irenaeus’s Against Heresies, the Gospel of Peter, the Muratorian Fragment, and the Acts of Peter. The chapter tracks how public reading increasingly came to be associated with authoritative, and eventually canonical, status among the earliest followers of Jesus. The chapter also shows how thoroughly intertwined the public reading of the Gospels was with the public reading of the prophets of Jewish Scripture. The chapter argues that Justin Martyr’s description of the public reading of the Gospels is the first indication of liturgical reading of them.

The administrative and canonical status of the Belarusian Metropolis during the periods of German occupation and post-war emigration (1941–1956)

The article is devoted to considering the specifics of the administrative and canonical status of the Belarusian Metropolis in the diaspora, during 1946–1956 stayed in the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. The conclusion is drawn about what happened from 1950 to 1956 phasing down the status of the metropolis, which led to the cessation of its existence. One of the most important reasons for the liquidation of the Belarusian Metropolis in the diaspora seems to be the fear of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad bishop about the possible occurrence of disturbances in church life caused by the national question. The liquidation of the Belarusian Metropolis led to a deeper integration of Belarusian emigrants into the cultural environment of the Russian diaspora.