‘Thinking Ontologically’: Ontology Development as the Basis for the Systematic Analysis of a Corpus of Late Antique Aramaic Magic Texts

This article describes the process of developing an ontology of the domain of Jewish Babylonian Aramaic magic bowls and offers some reflections on its significance in the analysis of these materials. Examples are highlighted to illustrate where the work builds on existing conceptualisations of the domain in secondary literature and where magical and religious materials from the Ancient Near East might stimulate some specialised extension of the CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model (ICOM/CIDOC Documentation Standards Group, 2020). The analogy of ‘bridge building’ is offered as a way for humanities researchers to conceive of the work to produce ontologies of specific domains. This reflection is intended to capture the experience of ‘thinking ontologically’ about sources for the first time and of overcoming misconceptions about the nature and significance of this work.

Spectators and Spectacle in Quintus’ Posthomerica

Quintus’ literary reputation is on the rise, in the wake of a general reappreciation of late antique literature. In my article I discuss Quintus’ use of embedded focalization: when we look at events through the eyes of one of the characters. Quintus uses this narrative device both in the same way as Homer, but also in original new ways. One such new way is the serial use of embedded focalization at the moment of arrival of a champion. The ample use of embedded focalization can be added to the list of stylistic features which contribute to the well-known visual aesthetics of late antique poetry, such as ekphrasis, miniaturization, enumeration, and the juxtaposition of episodic scenes. But I also argue that Quintus through the ubiquitous presence of spectators frames the action of his story as a spectacle, a race or gladiatorial show, which gods and characters and hence his narratees, watch as if sitting in an amphitheatre or circus.

The 2020 Aronov Lecture with Dr. Annette Yoshiko Reed

In this edition of The Interview, Annette Yoshiko Reed(New York University) joins Bulletin editor RichardNewton for a conversation and discussion as part of the University of Alabama’s 18th annual Aronov Lecture. The Aronov Lecture invites an accomplished and internationally renowned research scholar in the field of religion to bring insights that can inform the larger work of the human sciences. Reed discusses her work on the tensions, rhetoric, and myths involved in the construction of Jewish and Christian identities in the late antique Mediterranean and beyond, as well as her current thinking about how we approach the past through remembering and forgetting. She shares with the audience engaging stories, thought-provoking scholarship, and practical advice on navigating academia and the development of research interests.