From: owner-ane@ (ANE Digest) To: ane-digest Subject: ANE Digest V1998 #102 Reply-To: Sender: owner-ane@ Errors-To: owner-ane@ Precedence: bulk ANE Digest Tuesday, April 14 1998 Volume 1998 : Number 102 ane quotes of the week ane e-mail address ane Symposium-- "Ancient Worlds: Structures of Inquiry." ane THE GINZA RBA PROJECT COMPLETE ane von Dassow at CSU ane Seminar - The Neolithization of Europe and Asia: Regional Approaches ane Conference on Textual Criticism Re: ane quotes of the week ane Re: 10 commandments Re: ane Re: 10 commandments Re: ane Re: 10 commandments Re: ane quotes of the week ane Inquiry: ANKH ane "my song"/ZMR [Fwd: ane Inquiry: ANKH] Re: ane Inquiry: ANKH Re: ane: 10 commandments ane The discussion of the star of Bethlehem ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 08:41:53 -0400 From: "Peter T. Daniels" Subject: ane quotes of the week New Yorker cartoon (4/13/98: 57): Ancient scribe sitting in front of his tent (palm trees, blazing sun), with a scroll unfurled across his lap, writing (quite properly) a narrow column at the right side of the visible portion, saying to his friend standing there with a camel and staff: "I'm calling it 'Genesis.' It's part of a five-book contract." ************ Last night I watched *The Ten Commandments* straight through for the first time in forty years, probably (the last time I saw it it was shown on two nights, probably about 20 years ago), and found that it's actually McCarthy-era propaganda -- else why would Moses' curtain line be "Proclaim liberty throughout the land, unto all the inhabitants thereof," i.e. the inscription on the Liberty Bell, Lev 25:10 (among the instructions for the jubilee year), rather than any of the cool speeches God wrote for him at the end of Deuteronomy? Note also Moses' speech to Pharaoh about a "government of laws, not of men." Best boner: At the very beginning, a proclamation in the name of "Ramses the First." Legitimate query: Does the catch phrase "So it shall be written, so it shall be done" relate to anything in Egyptian literature, or is it the creation of one of the novelists on whose work the screenplay is based (along with, of course, "The Holy Scriptures," as interpreted by Keith Seele, Ralph Marcus, and George Hughes of the Oriental Institute)? - -- Peter T. Daniels grammatim@worldnet.att.net ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 07:47:16 -0600 From: John Tvedtnes Subject: ane e-mail address Jonathan D. Safren wrote: >Does anyone know the e-mail address of Dr. David Weisberg of Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati" The on-line SBL membership directory gives his address and phone numbers, but no E-mail address. You can reach him at: office_phone: 513-221-1875 home_phone: 513-861-6662 John A. Tvedtnes Brigham Young University ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 09:58:37 -0500 From: "Charles E. Jones" Subject: ane Symposium-- "Ancient Worlds: Structures of Inquiry." Forwarded on behalf of the undersigned, to whom responses and inquiries should be directed. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx The Center for Ancient Studies The Center for Ancient Studies at the University of Pennsylvania announces an Inaugural Symposium-- "Ancient Worlds: Structures of Inquiry." The symposium will take place on April 18, 1998, in the University of Pennsylvania Museum, Rainey Auditorium, 33rd & Spruce Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Center for Ancient Studies promotes the multi-disciplinary study of ancient cultures around the globe. Through this Inaugural Symposium, the Center seeks to highlight the variety of ways through which we know the past. Distict approaches to the understanding of ancient cultures will be presented by three internationally reknowned speakers. Each case study is drawn from a different part of the world and addresses a different cultural domain: ethnic identity in ancient India, the idea of the soul among the ancient Aztec, and virtue in ancient China. Following these case studies, a panel of University of Pennsylvania Professors will comment on the study of the ancient past from their own complementary and comparative approaches. The schedule for the event will be as follows: 10:00 am WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION Jeremy Sabloff, the Charles K. Williams II Director, University of Pennsylvania Museum. Holly Pittman, Director, Center for Ancient Studies; Associate Professor, History of Art. 10:15am ARYANS AND ANCIENT INDIA: EVIDENCE & INTERPRETATION Romila Thapar, Professor of Ancient Indian History, Emerita, Jawaharlal, Nehru University. Professor Thapar is the author of many articls and books, including "Interpreting Ancient India," which have transformed the study of ancient Indian history. Through a rigorous and comprehensive use of archaeological and linguistic evidence, her works sheds new light on India's complex relgious and cultural history. 11:15am WOMEN AND THE SHINING SOUL IN AZTEC MEXICO Jill Furst, Professor of Art History, Moore College of Art and Design. Professor Furst is a consulting scholar in the American Section of the University of Pennsylvania Museum. In her widely acclaimed book, "The Natural History of the Soul in Ancient Mexico," she brings both art historical and anthropological methods together in her fascinating work on the role of the human senses in the consturction of ideas about soul among the ancient Aztecs. 2:00pm THE CHANGING FACE OF VIRTUE: ETHICS IN EARLY CHINA Philip Ivanhoe, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Stanford University. Professor Ivanhoe works and teaches in the area of philosophy. His most recent major work is "Confucian Moral Self Cultivation." In his lecture, he will discuss the particular role of virtue in the philosophy of early China, comparing it to ethics in ancient Greece and discussing its value for the current consideration of ethics. 3:15 pm PANEL DISCUSSION Members of the Univeristy of Pennsylvania faculty working in other disciplines and parts of the world will comment on the ways in which they piece together the puzzles of the past. This event is free and open to the public. For more information see the website at http://www.sas.upenn.edu/ancstud or contact the Center for Ancient Studies, Room 240, University of Pennsylvania Museum, 33rd & Spruce Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19104. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Stacy Bergendahl Assistant to the Director Center for Ancient Studies bergends@sas.upenn.edu ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 10:17:34 -0500 From: "Charles E. Jones" Subject: ane THE GINZA RBA PROJECT COMPLETE Forwarded on behalf of the undersigned, to whom responses and inquiries should be directed. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx From Brian Mubaraki via Jorunn J.Buckley ) THE GINZA RBA PROJECT COMPLETE In 1996 we began an ambitious and extremely important project. This project if successfully completed would stop the disintegration of the Mandaic language and thereby preserving the religion and culture of the Mandaeans. The project or task was the editing, correcting and typing of the holy Mandaic, book, the Ginza Rba (Great Treasure). Both left and right sections of this book. After 2 years of tireless work, long hours and enormous effort this task, I am proud to say, is complete. The Mandaic language can now be said to have entered the computer age - and the Ginza Rba proves this. At least 3 hand written originals were used for comparison, editing, and organisation - resulting in one final complete and uncorrupted version. This version was then typed and printed. Further at least 3 proof readings of the final copy was made to make sure, as humanly as possible, that this book is presented with the Proper respect and value that it deserves, A number of reasons took us down this path. Firstly there is a shortage of Ginza Rba books, not every family has one, those who need one may have to wait over a year to get a copy. Secondly, what is available is fragmented, corrupt, largely illegible and unorganised. This typed Ginza Rba addresses and corrects all these shortfalls. A further advantage of this Ginza is that if a more precise version of the Ginza Rba appears; in the future, then we could easily make the corrections, additions or necessary editing to the typed version and reproduce it. The entire process will take no more than a couple of days. This would be near to impossible with today's photocopied or cut and paste versions. We aim to have this book available to every person who wants it. We aim to preserve this holy book and thereby preserving the Mandaean life. The typed version resembles the original handwritten version in shape and size. It is an A4 (210 x 297mm) sized book, that is hard bound and well presented. The two sections left and right are 407 and 134 pages respectively. We have included a table of contents of the many psalms (butha) of these books, This will make it easier to search, identify and locate the desired butha without the need to search throughout the entire book. The Mandaic font used is the only one in the world. It is large, bold, clear to read and the characters are easy to distinguish and identify. The characters have taken 2 years to prepare and have undergone numerous modifications before their final shape. The language work, corrections and editing was undertaken by Rbai Tarmida Haithim Saed, the most teamed and educated of Mandaic priests. The font creation, typing and computer work was performed by Brian Mubaraki. The overall project was coordinated, financed and overseen by Majid Fandi Al-Mubaraki. Brian Mubaraki To order a copy of the Ginza Rba, send a bank draft of $265.00 (Australian) *plus* $25.000 (Australian) for postage and handling : Majid Fandi Al-Mubaraki c/o The Ginza Rba Project PO Box 508 Northbridge NSW 2063 Australia Enquiries and comments should be addressed to Brian Mubaraki at the above address or: phone: 61 + 2 + 94173770 or fax: 61 + 2 + 94173770 or Email: mandaean@tig.com.au ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 10:17:41 -0500 From: "Charles E. Jones" Subject: ane von Dassow at CSU From Eugene Berwanger via Jack Sasson came this happy announcement: =========================== Would you please announce on your internet network that Eva von Dassow has been named assistant professor of history at Colorado State University (Fort Collins CO, 80523). Thank you. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 10:17:46 -0500 From: "Charles E. Jones" Subject: ane Seminar - The Neolithization of Europe and Asia: Regional Approaches Forwarded on behalf of the undersigned, to whom responses and inquiries should be directed. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx From: Miha Budja The Department of Archaeology at the University of Ljubljana announces the 5th NEOLITHIC SEMINAR - The Neolithization of Europe and Asia: Regional Approaches. The Seminar will take place on 11 - 14(17) May 98' in the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts, Department of Archaeology. To initiate a more lively discussion in Mesolithic and Neolithic studies in Europe, Department of Archaeology in Ljubljana has organised several international Neolithic Seminars in the last few years. The Seminars represent, however, the meeting points of many links and interests that connect people and institutions involved. The Seminar program of this year will be focused on the regional Mesolithic-Neolithic palimpsests and the processes of the transition to farming in China, Levant, Anatolia and Europe. For more information contact: Dr. Mihael Budja Department of Archaeology University of Ljubljana Askerceva 2 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia PO box 580 Tel 386 61 1233082 Fax 386 61 1231220 miha.budja@uni-lj.si ************************************************************************ Department of Archaeology Faculty of Arts University of Ljubljana 5. NEOLITHIC SEMINAR The Neolithization of Europe and Asia: Regional Approaches Ljubljana 11 - 17 May 98' Monday 11 May Reception at the Department of Archaeology Tuesday 12 May 9.30 - 12.00 Introduction to the Seminar Yamei Hou (Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology, Academia SINICA, Beijing) "New Observations on Palaeolithic of China Reflected by Three Sites" Xingcan Chen (Institute of Archaeology Chinese Academy of Social Studies, Beijing) "Searching for Early Neolithic in China". Discussion & lunch 15.00 - 19.00 Jak Yakar (Institute of Archaeology, Tel-Aviv University) "The Socio-Economic Structure of Prehistoric Communities in the Southern Levant, ca. 13.000-8.000 BP". The Natufian and Related Horizon M. Heun (Agricultural University of Norway) "Wheat domestication site pinpointed by DNA fingerprinting" Coffee/tea break Ian Hodder (Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge) "New Research at Catalhoyuk." Discussion & vine Wednesday 13 May 9.00- 13.00 Jak Yakar (Institute of Archaeology, Tel-Aviv University) "The Socio-Economic Structure of Prehistoric Communities in the Southern Levant, ca. 13.000-8.000 BP". The Pre-Pottery Neolithic Horizon Coffee/tea break Vassil Nikolov (Institute of Archaeology, Bulgarian Academy of Science) "The Circumpontian Cultural Zone during the Neolithic Period" Discussion & lunch 15.00 - 19.00 Jean-Paul Demoule (Centre de Recherches Protohistorique, Universite de Paris 1) "Kovacevo Sequence in the Context of the Neolithization of Balkans." Alasdair Whittle (School of History and Archaeology, University of Wales, Cardiff) "The Mesolithic-Neolithic Transition in the Carpathian Basin: Models and Possibilities." Coffee/tea break Detlef Gronenborn (Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universitaet, Frankfurt am Main) "Ältestebandkeramische Kultur, La Hoguette, Limburg and … What Else? - New Thoughts on the Mesolithic-Neolithic Transition in Central Europe." Chaohong Zhao (Department of Archaeology, Peking University, Beijing) "New Achievements in the Study on the Transitional Period from Palaeolithic to the Neolithic in China" Thursday 14 May 9.00 -13.00 Eva Lenneis (Vienna) "The Early Neolithic in Austria - a Report About Recent and Current Investigations." Rick J. Schulting (Department of Archaeology University of Reading) "Slighting the Sea: The Transition to Farming in Northwest Europe" Chaohong Zhao (Department of Archaeology, Peking University, Beijing) "Research and Investigation of Issues related to discoveries of the Early Chinese Neolithic" Discussion & lunch Thursday 14 - Friday 15 - Saturday 16 May Field excursion to different archaeological regions in Slovenia. *** An international Seminar on the transition to farming in Europe and Asia to be held at the Department of Archaeology, Hall 2, Zavetiška 5, Ljubljana. ******* ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 14:23:18 EDT From: Bas VE Subject: ane Conference on Textual Criticism To those interested in the textual criticism of the Greek N.T. and LXX: The Scriptorium: Center for Christian Antiquities and The Van Kampen Foundation have organized an academic conference to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Eberhard Nestle's first edition of the Greek New Testament. Located near Grand Haven, MI, the Scriptorium, a non-sectarian research center, works in conjunction with The Van Kampen Foundation and serves as the repository for a significant collection of ancient artifacts, manuscripts, and rare printed materials consisting primarily of biblical texts. The conference will be held at Hampton Court Herefordshire, England, from May 27 through May 30, 1998. This conference is the fourth in an ongoing series of annual conferences on The Bible As Book. The topics of previous conferences were: The Bible As Book: The Mfanuscript Evidence (1995), Early Printed Editions (1996), and The Reformation (1997). This year's conference will focus on the topic: The Transmission of the Greek Text of the Bible, recognizing the significant contribution of Eberhard Nestle and reviewing the status of textual criticism of the Greek New Testament and the Septuagint 100 years later. Participants include: T. Baarda, J.N. Birdsall, J.K. Elliott, B.D. Ehrman, P.W. Flint, M.W. Holmes, K.H. Jobes, W. Kay, S. McKendrick, P.R. McReynolds, D.C. Parker, S.E. Porter, E. Tov, M. Welte, J. van Bruggen. The closing lectures will be Profs. Bruce Metzger and John Wevers on the future of Greek textual studies. For further information contact The Scriptorium, 101 Washington St., Suite 324, P.O. Box 839, Grand Haven, MI 49417-0839 (phone: 800-333-8373; e-mail: contact@scriptorium.org) or Bastiaan Van Elderen (e-mail: basve@aol.com). Bastiaan Van Elderen Executive Director, The Scriptorium ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 17:08:49 -0400 From: Christopher Robbins Subject: Re: ane quotes of the week On Mon, 13 Apr 1998 08:41, you wrote (in part): >Last night I watched *The Ten Commandments* straight through for the >first time in forty years, probably (the last time I saw it it was shown >on two nights, probably about 20 years ago), and found that it's >actually McCarthy-era propaganda -- else why would Moses' curtain line >be "Proclaim liberty throughout the land, unto all the inhabitants >thereof," i.e. the inscription on the Liberty Bell, Lev 25:10 (among the >instructions for the jubilee year), rather than any of the cool speeches >God wrote for him at the end of Deuteronomy? Note also Moses' speech to >Pharaoh about a "government of laws, not of men." > >Best boner: At the very beginning, a proclamation in the name of "Ramses >the First." Yes. No doubt from an historian's standpoint there is great humor and much to criticize in Hollywood's versions of history. I am reminded of a film about medieval Europe, also about forty years past, in which Alan Ladd, playing the role of Lionheart, turns to his assembled followers and pronounces: "Men of the Middle Ages, let us go on Crusade!" Even the very recent film _Braveheart_, which in comparative Hollywood terms was a fairly respectable effort, was savaged (rightly) on the Mediev-L list for its egregious errors, some of the worst of which were wholly gratuitous. So it is only to be expected that the scope of error and absurdity would be exponentially worse in a Hollywood film that is not about history at all but about myth, legend, and cultural propaganda and based on a supposed mosaic text all of which Moses could not possibly have written (in its references to events long after this death, for example), assuming there even WAS an historical Moses at all, and which is more an expression of factional political struggles bathed in the myth and gullibility of a pre-rational age. And that indeed is what _The Ten Commandments_ served up. Being made four decades ago did not help. The anachronism of the speech by Moses to Pharaoh, noted above, is an outrageous error. At the same time, Peter, I do hope that the notion of "a government of laws, not of men" is not considered to be "McCarthy-era propaganda". That would be the most outrageous error of them all. Christopher Robbins New York City crisica@idt.net ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 14:19:44 PDT From: "David Rosenbaum" Subject: ane Re: 10 commandments >Last night I watched *The Ten Commandments* straight through I note that while the film producers reportedly consulted with many Christian priests in the making of the film, they neglected to consult a single rabbi. Which may have added to it's many errors. My favorite is the parting of the "Red Sea"; any rabbi could have pointed out that it was "The Sea of REEDS"; the miracle was not a supernatural event, but the helpful timing of a steady wind which blew back the waters of this marsh allowing the Hebrews to cross safely. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 17:00:50 -0500 From: "Charles E. Jones" Subject: Re: ane Re: 10 commandments >>Last night I watched *The Ten Commandments* straight through >I note that while the film producers reportedly consulted with many >Christian priests in the making of the film, they neglected to consult a >single rabbi... It is instructive to check the sources listed in: Author..... Noerdlinger, Henry S. Title...... Moses and Egypt Subtitle... The Documentation to the Motion Picture The Ten Commandments Place...... Los Angeles Publisher.. University of Southern California Press Date....... 1956 Collation.. 1 volume (ix + 202 pages + [20] plates) Notes...... With an introduction by Cecil B. deMille as having bren consulted for the background and production of the film. Note that there are a number of Jewish sources among them (including a rabbi). There is plenty of additional discussion of The Ten Commandments on the ANE archives (around this time each year strangly enough). - -Chuck Jones- cejo@midway.uchicago.edu ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 09:23:15 +1000 From: George Athas Subject: Re: ane Re: 10 commandments David Rosenbaum wrote: > >Last night I watched *The Ten Commandments* straight through > I note that while the film producers reportedly consulted with many > Christian priests in the making of the film, they neglected to consult a > single rabbi. Which may have added to it's many errors. My favorite is > the parting of the "Red Sea"; any rabbi could have pointed out that it > was "The Sea of REEDS"; the miracle was not a supernatural event, but > the helpful timing of a steady wind which blew back the waters of this > marsh allowing the Hebrews to cross safely. But then it wouldn't have won any oscars!!! The whole question, though, of "Sea of Reeds" is not really resolved. "End Sea" is also a plausible suggestion for the Hebrew _yam suf_, designating the sea at which the land of Egypt ends - perhaps even the Red Sea! But, is it even important which sea it was and how deep it was? I think the narrative isn't really concerned with this question, and it doesn't really try to answer it. Best regards! George Athas PhD (Cand.), University of Sydney Tutor of Hebrew, Moore Theological College Phone: 0414 839 964 ICQ#: 5866591 Email: gathas@mail.usyd.edu.au ____________________________________________________ Visit the Tel Dan Inscription Website at http://www-personal.usyd.edu.au/~gathas/teldan.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 09:25:58 +1000 From: George Athas Subject: Re: ane quotes of the week Was it Ten Commandments or Ben Hur in which Charlton Heston entered a scene wearing a watch?!?! Regards! George Athas PhD (Cand.), University of Sydney Tutor of Hebrew, Moore Theological College Phone: 0414 839 964 ICQ#: 5866591 Email: gathas@mail.usyd.edu.au ____________________________________________________ Visit the Tel Dan Inscription Website at http://www-personal.usyd.edu.au/~gathas/teldan.htm ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 19:47:35 -0400 (EDT) From: Hentrich Thomas Subject: ane Inquiry: ANKH Dear ANE-members, I was recently asked by a relative about the meaning of the word "Ankh" in Ancient Egypt, whether it meant "life" or "sexuality, fertility". Before I give an answer, I said I would submit the question to a panel of experts. Any comments on- or off-list are much appreciated. My guess would be, it could actually mean both. Greetings, th. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1998 01:53:23 -0400 From: nachmanl@juno.com (nachman levine) Subject: ane "my song"/ZMR Am I getting this right? Is "Zimrat" in Ex. 15:2 a kind of multivalent Janus parallelism -- ("prune/song") playing on "song" ("Ashirah") in 15:1 and "strength/war" ("Ish Milchamah") in 15:3? A play on words? Nachman Levine Nachman and Hindy Levine NachmanL@Juno.com _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 17:59:07 -0700 From: ALCat Subject: [Fwd: ane Inquiry: ANKH] This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - --------------68BB9E6220BE837DAB6CF65F Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit - --------------68BB9E6220BE837DAB6CF65F Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Message-ID: <3532B2D3.A00D114F@earthlink.net> Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 17:50:27 -0700 From: ALCat X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.04 [en] (Win95; I) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Hentrich Thomas Subject: Re: ane Inquiry: ANKH References: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Could it mean the key of light? Possibly the codas of the most important part of the message. The reflective patterns off of the Great pyramid from 11 to 12 to 1 PM will be expressed in its form. In this symbol there is represented the eternal expression of light, what is not given is how to collect the light and use it for utilitarian purposes, that is our job. If we could only remember it. I have been studying this for about 20 years now and to me it seems so simple. Similarly, the button hole cam in a sewing machine makes the sewing machine do all the work necessary for the button hole. When will we find the device to put the ANKH key into? Could it have been our minds, until we were ready to understand it. It surely is one of the oldest symbols in Ancient Egypt. Your question suggests that there in still a question concerning its meaning. I want to tell you about a story of an Egyptologist Professor who tried to tell his class that the Ankh was the pre design of the sandal. His class reminded him that Menes, the first Pharo of both upper and lower Egypt wasn't wearing any shoes in the drawing he was using. He got angry as the story goes and walked out of the class. Here here to the modern students who know crap when they hear it, regardless of the feeling of their professors. Hentrich Thomas wrote: > Dear ANE-members, > > I was recently asked by a relative about the meaning of the word "Ankh" > in Ancient Egypt, whether it meant "life" or "sexuality, fertility". > Before I give an answer, I said I would submit the question to a panel of > experts. Any comments on- or off-list are much appreciated. > > My guess would be, it could actually mean both. > > Greetings, > > th. - --------------68BB9E6220BE837DAB6CF65F-- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 21:12:41 -0400 From: Jim West Subject: Re: ane Inquiry: ANKH At 07:47 PM 4/13/98 -0400, you wrote: >Dear ANE-members, > >I was recently asked by a relative about the meaning of the word "Ankh" >in Ancient Egypt, whether it meant "life" or "sexuality, fertility". >Before I give an answer, I said I would submit the question to a panel of >experts. Any comments on- or off-list are much appreciated. > >My guess would be, it could actually mean both. > Life. >Greetings, > >th. > Jim ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Jim West, ThD Quartz Hill School of Theology jwest@highland.net ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 15:40:56 PST From: "William Schniedewind" Subject: Re: ane: 10 commandments >>Last night I watched *The Ten Commandments* straight through >any rabbi could have pointed out that it >was "The Sea of REEDS"; the miracle was not a supernatural event, but >the helpful timing of a steady wind which blew back the waters of this >marsh allowing the Hebrews to cross safely. The attempt by some to suggest that the "Red Sea" was intended by the Hebrew Yam Suf (literally "sea of reeds", but not necessarily, the "Reed Sea")is quite misguided. There are many places in the bible where it is quite clear that the modern Rea Sea was intended. For example, Num. 21:4 "They set out from Mount Hor by way of the Sea of Reeds (i.e., the Rea Sea) to skirt the land of Edom"; and, 1Kings 9:26 "King Solomon also built a fleet of ships at Ezion-geber, which is near Eilat on the shore of the Sea of Reeds (i.e., the Rea Sea) in the land of Edom." Certainly according to all of biblical literature it was a supernatural event, at least that part of the movie was correct. I'm not sure what purpose downgrading the miraculous serves here, after all-- according the bible at least-- God has already killed all the 1st born of Egypt along with an assortment of other plagues and now the story on its surface has got 2 million people wandering around the Sinai for 40 years. So, what's the parting of the *Rea Sea* to a God who can do all of that? On the other hand, I'm not sure that putting parts of the traditional Jewish Seder, obviously badly anachronistic, was "accurate"-- but, hey, it's just a movie (and a much better one with the parting of the Rea Sea and bits of the traditional Seder). Bill Schniedewind UCLA /+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++\ + william schniedewind + + ucla, dept. of near eastern langs & cultures + + 376 kinsey hall, los angeles, ca 90095-1511 + + phone: (310) 206-2405; fax: (310) 206-6456 + + www.humnet.ucla.edu/humnet/nelc/faculty/schniedewind/cv.html + \+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 09:02:40 -0700 From: "Knud W. Skov" Subject: ane The discussion of the star of Bethlehem Dear ANE'ers Last year - around christmas time - there were a longer discussion on the star of Bethlehem here at ANE. I have now run into a discussion, where I remember some very useful answers given in that discussion. Is there anyone, who can tell me when the discussion went on (so that I can check the list-files at the Uni of Chichago) or who have some of the later parts of the discussion on a reference - which can be forward offlist to me. Yours Knud W. Skov (M.Theol/editor of TEL) 65 Holstebrovej, DK - 7400 Herning Tel: (+45) 97 21 14 05 knudwskov@post3.tele.dk - ----------------------------------------- Take a look at the following homepages: The Danish Society of Biblical Archaeology - in Danish/English (http://www.kristen.dk/SBA/sba.html) TEL - The Danish membermagazine of the Danish Society of Biblical Archaeology - in English (http://www.kristen.dk/SBA/TEL_eng.html) ------------------------------ End of ANE Digest V1998 #102 **************************** Back issues are available on the Oriental Institute World-Wide Web (WWW) site at: http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/ANE/OI_ANE.html