From: ane-digest-owner@oi.uchicago.edu To: ane-digest@oi.uchicago.edu Subject: Ancient Near East Digest V2 #47 Reply-To: ane@oi.uchicago.edu Errors-To: ane-digest-owner@oi.uchicago.edu Precedence: bulk Ancient Near East Digest Thursday, 1 December 1994 Volume 02 : Number 047 In this issue: Lenningrad Oriental Institute urbanism Kelsey Museum on WWW Fire Altars Re: urbanism Re: Lenningrad Oriental Institute Address of Prof. Otto Jastrow To: ANE@mithra-orinst.uchicago.edu Herding Gazelles in Egypt Trinity College Crown human sacrifice in ANE Re: Herding Gazelles in Egypt Mr. K. Abraham Re: Herding Gazelles in Egypt human sacrifice in ANE Re: Lenningrad Oriental Institute Earthquake Worship? Re: Phaistos/games/duplicate Re: Hyena meat in Egypt Re: Herding Gazelles in Egypt salted meat Urbanization Ibexes and the Dead Sea Scrolls Re: human sacrifice in ANE Re: Urbanization Questions about how computers should handle hieroglyphs See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the ANE or ANE-Digest mailing lists and on how to retrieve back issues. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: giles_t@golden.gannon.edu Date: Tue, 29 Nov 1994 15:19:15 -0500 Subject: Lenningrad Oriental Institute Does anyone have an address for the Lenningrad Oriental Institute? Thanks in advance ------------------------------ From: benjam@ruf.rice.edu (Don C. Benjamin/Rice University) Date: Tue, 29 Nov 94 14:52:48 CST Subject: urbanism My own interest in urbanism in the ANE developed in connection with the work I did for DEUTERONOMY AND CITY LIFE which I published in 1983. It is a critique of the nomadic ideal for early Israel using legal traditions of the city assembly in the book of Deuteronomy. One development I am watching with interest is the research connected with ein Ghazel in Jordan today. There is a recent discovery of at least wo cache of statues here dated to the time of the foundation of Jericho. Now typically Jericho is considered an early and unique urban site in the ANE. But the conversations I have had with people at ACOR in Amman tell me that work at ain Ghazel, and at least one other similarly dated site are suggesting that Jericho may be the western and smallest! urban site in a circle of neolithic urban sites in the area. This could reorganize the calendar and the location for the emergence of cities int he ANE. Anyone else know more or more accurate information on this? thanks. ------------------------------ From: twilfong@umich.edu (Terry Wilfong) Date: Tue, 29 Nov 1994 16:03:03 -0500 Subject: Kelsey Museum on WWW The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology at the University of Michigan is now on the World Wide Web. You can access the homepage via: http://classics.lsa.umich.edu/Kelsey/Outreach.html This is now on-line primarily due to the efforts of Sebastian Heath, whose hard work is greatly appreciated by those of us here at the Kelsey Museum. - --------------- Terry Wilfong Visiting Assistant Curator Kelsey Museum of Archaeology twilfong@umich.edu ------------------------------ From: Date: Tue, 29 Nov 1994 20:33:55 CST Subject: Fire Altars Dear Colleagues, I am putting the finishing touches on an encyclopedia article concering fire altars in ancient Iran. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who may know of the publication of actual fire altars in fire temples from the Sasanian period. If anyone has any bibliographic information on fire altars in any period, please do pass that along as well. I have seen, I think, most of the basic research (e.g., Boyce 1968, 1968, 1975, 1985 and 1991, Genito 1980 and 1982, Houtkamp 1991, Kleiss 1981, Moorey 1979, Shippmann 1971, Stronach 1966, 1984 and 1985, Vanden Berghe 1984, Yamamoto 1979 and 1981). Many thanks, in advance, for any information. Please reply off list to mgarriso@trinity.edu Mark B. Garrison - --------------------------------------------------------------- Mark B. Garrison Department of Classical Studies Trinity University San Antonio, Texas 78212 210-736-7648 mgarriso@trinity.edu ------------------------------ From: "Bernard F. Batto" Date: 29 Nov 1994 22:15:37 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: urbanism One more article--just off the press--to add to the list of works on urbanization is: Marcel Beaudry, "L'urbanisation a l'epoque du Fer," in the volume "OU DEMEURES-TU?" (JN 1,38): LA MAISON DEPUIS LE MONDE BIBLIQUE: EN HOMMAGE AU PROFESSEUR GUY COUTURIER A L'OCASSION DE SES SOIXANTE-CINQ ANS, ed. Jean-Claude Petit et al. (Quebec: Fides, 1994), pp. 31-51. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bernard F. Batto Dept. of Religious Studies DePauw University Greencastle, IN 46135 ------------------------------ From: "Robert Whiting;AAKKL;Tel 1913289" Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 11:15:25 +0200 (EET) Subject: Re: Lenningrad Oriental Institute The Leningrad Oriental Institute has moved to St. Petersburg. The e-mail address is orient@ieos.spb.su. Robert Whiting University of Helsinki ------------------------------ From: e.d.wardini@easteur-orient.uio.no (Elie Wardini) Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 10:25:43 +0100 Subject: Address of Prof. Otto Jastrow Could someone help me get the address (also e-mail) and fax/ phone number of Prof. Otto Jastrow (in Germany?) Thanks in advance, Elie Wardini Department for East-European and Oriental Studies Semitic languages Post Box 1030 Blindern 0315 Oslo Norway tel. off.: +47 - 22 85 71 21 home: +47 - 22 19 03 49 fax: +47 - 22 85 41 40 e-mail: e.d.wardini@easteur-orient.uio.no ------------------------------ From: Steven Brann Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 11:05:40 -0500 (EST) Subject: To: ANE@mithra-orinst.uchicago.edu unsubscribe_ANE ------------------------------ From: AXSC%GeAs%GS@bangate.pge.com Date: Wed, 30 Nov 94 9:01:26 PST Subject: Herding Gazelles in Egypt Grazing land is usually too poor to farm directly (or is rotated between crops and grazing so the animals fertilize it by trampling dung into the soil). Grazing has been described as a method of farming land too poor to farm otherwise. Question: if ibexes, gazelles, et al. were domesticated for meat or hides in ancient times, how come they aren't STILL domestic critters? Haven't heard of too many species ceasing to be domestic. An occasional pet (a hand-raised orphan, perhaps) seems more plausible than herds hearing the call of the wild. A. Sharp axsc@pge.com - ----------------------[Reply - Original Message]---------------------- Sent by:Carey Walsh Hi all, It's good to be back. What other community is vexed by hyena meat in Egypt?! Aren't sheep less prominent in egyptian pastoralism than in other Mediterranean countries due to the scarcity of grazing land? Wild sheep weren't found south of syria, and the egyptian sheep differed in kind from those (I rely on Trigger's Ancient Egypt) in other mediterranean economies like greece and Israel, so maybe their domestication and importation didn't take on a large scale. Sheep were instrumental to Israelite and Greek economies and so represented in social and religious festivals. I've made the assumption that what is dear to your economy is given to your neighbors and god(s), rather than what is rare or peripheral. Will people argue with me here please? (I'm committing it on a large scale in my diss) Did farmers in Egypt have full herds of hyenas, gazelles, ibexes from which to butcher only a few or did these run free on the edges of lands? what did their "domestication" mean in Egypt? be well, Carey ===================================================================== ------------------------------ From: giles_t@golden.gannon.edu Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 12:19:49 -0500 Subject: Trinity College Does anyone have an e-mail address for Trinity College, Cambridge? thanks in advance. ------------------------------ From: giles_t@golden.gannon.edu Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 12:32:28 -0500 Subject: Crown Does anyone have an e-mail address for Alan Crown in Sydney? Thanks in advance. ------------------------------ From: Bill Smith Date: Wed, 30 Nov 94 10:32:11 -0700 Subject: human sacrifice in ANE I'm looking for some material on human sacrifice practices in ANE during late 3rd - mid 2nd millennium. Thanks for any help. Abe Clayton abe@mathnx.math.byu.edu ------------------------------ From: Ann Macy Roth Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 13:40:17 -0500 (EST) Subject: Re: Herding Gazelles in Egypt On Wed, 30 Nov 1994 AXSC%GeAs%GS@bangate.pge.com wrote: > Question: if ibexes, gazelles, et al. were domesticated for meat or > hides in ancient times, how come they aren't STILL domestic critters? > Haven't heard of too many species ceasing to be domestic. An occasional pet > (a hand-raised orphan, perhaps) seems more plausible than herds hearing the > call of the wild. A good point--I don't know much about the animal-behavior side of the question. All these animals are shown being led in to be sacrificed (presumably) on the walls of Old Kingdom tombs. I have noticed that, while cattle seem to be controlled by comparatively few herdsmen, it often takes two or three people to move ibexes, oryxes, and gazelles along. (There are great vignettes of people tugging on the horns of ibexes and pushing from behind.) I've always thought this indicated that they were less docile than the cattle; but perhaps it simply represents only a partial domestication. But there are two many of these animals shown, and they are too clearly intended for dinner, for them to have simply been isolated pets or captured examples of wild animals. I don't remember seeing any of them in New Kingdom tombs or temples, though. Does anyone know of any physical remains from Old Kingdom sites? Ann Roth Howard University ------------------------------ From: "Everling Janos" Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 20:36:00 MET-1 Subject: Mr. K. Abraham Does anyone know Mr. K. Abraham ? He is working at the Bar-Ilan University, and we are engaged in the same field. If possible please send me his email (or workink) address. Thanks in advance. Janos Everling enkidu@btkstud.jpte.hu ------------------------------ From: "Paul F. Jacobs" Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 14:35:01 -0600 (CST) Subject: Re: Herding Gazelles in Egypt In fact some ibexes are domesticated (well, as much as an ibex can be domesticated, which is apparently not very much). At Kibbutz Lahav in southern Israel, an experiment in raising ibexes for meat was conducted for several years. Some success was had, though the taste for the meat of ibex changed in the market and with that change in taste so did the arrival of money. The experiment was finally abandoned, though a few of the animals bred in the experiment were kept as part of the "children's zoo." In fact, the experiment was forced to resort to cross-breeding domestic goats with the wild ibex stock, and that by artificial insemination, since the wild partner seemed to desire the death of the domestic one. The offspring looked like an ibex, except for the drooping ears. It is my impression that the domestication of the wild creature itself was nigh on to impossible, though that is only an impression given to me by vet experimenter who was groaning from ribs cracked by one of the volunteer wild-things. On Wed, 30 Nov 1994 AXSC%GeAs%GS@bangate.pge.com wrote: > Grazing land is usually too poor to farm directly (or is rotated > between crops and grazing so the animals fertilize it by trampling dung into > the soil). Grazing has been described as a method of farming land too poor > to farm otherwise. > > Question: if ibexes, gazelles, et al. were domesticated for meat or > hides in ancient times, how come they aren't STILL domestic critters? > Haven't heard of too many species ceasing to be domestic. An occasional pet > (a hand-raised orphan, perhaps) seems more plausible than herds hearing the > call of the wild. > > A. Sharp > axsc@pge.com > > ----------------------[Reply - Original Message]---------------------- > > Sent by:Carey Walsh > Hi all, > > It's good to be back. What other community is vexed by hyena meat in Egypt?! > > Aren't sheep less prominent in egyptian pastoralism than in other > Mediterranean countries due to the scarcity of grazing land? Wild > sheep weren't found south of syria, and the egyptian sheep differed in > kind from those (I rely on Trigger's Ancient Egypt) in other > mediterranean economies > like greece and Israel, so maybe their domestication and importation > didn't take on a large scale. Sheep were instrumental to Israelite and > Greek economies and so represented in social and religious festivals. I've > made the assumption that what is dear to your economy is given to your > neighbors and god(s), rather than what is rare or peripheral. Will people > argue with me here please? (I'm committing it on a large scale in my diss) > > Did farmers in Egypt have full herds of hyenas, gazelles, ibexes from > which to butcher only a few or did these run free on the edges of lands? > what did their "domestication" mean in Egypt? > > be well, > Carey > > > > > ===================================================================== > ------------------------------ From: Bill Smith Date: Wed, 30 Nov 94 10:32:11 -0700 Subject: human sacrifice in ANE Dear Abe, One Egyptian example can be found described in Robert K. Ritner, _The mechanics of Ancient Egyptian magical practise_ (Chicago, Oriental Institute Press, 1993). An act of execration, using a living Nubian instead of a figurine, was performed near one 12th dynasty fort alone the southern Nile. For the religious meaning consult Professor Ritner's book. Best wishes, Briant Bohleke bohleke@yalevm.yale.edu - ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I'm looking for some material on human sacrifice practices in ANE during late 3rd - mid 2nd millennium. Thanks for any help. Abe Clayton abe@mathnx.math.byu.edu ------------------------------ From: Earl J Heinrich Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 17:09:20 -0600 (CST) Subject: Re: Lenningrad Oriental Institute Aren't Leningrad and St. Petersburg the same city?? On Wed, 30 Nov 1994, Robert Whiting;AAKKL;Tel 1913289 wrote: > The Leningrad Oriental Institute has moved to St. Petersburg. > The e-mail address is orient@ieos.spb.su. > > Robert Whiting > University of Helsinki > ------------------------------ From: fnaerebout@tempo.nest.nl (Frits Naerebout) Date: 30 Nov 94 18:17:47 +0100 Subject: Earthquake Worship? On Mon 28 Nov 1994 Andrew Soleimany wrote: Sr> Indeed I have read accounts of the symbolism of Sr> Baal-Hadad as he relates to storms, the sun and the Sr> fertility of the Bekaa, but has anyone heard of a Sr> connection of this god to earthquakes? Maybe relevant: Baal-Hammon was identified with Poseidon in Palmyra, according to an inscription on an altar dating to 39 C.E. (_Syria_ 19, p.78, as referred to by J. Hoftijzer, _Religio Aramaica_). Poseidon is of course known as Enisichton, the Earth-shaker. Frederick Naerebout Dept of Cultural Studies, Dutch Open University fnaerebout@tempo.nest.nl - --- timEd 1.01+ ------------------------------ From: "Peter Piccione" Date: 30 Nov 1994 17:23:28 U Subject: Re: Phaistos/games/duplicate Reply to: RE>Phaistos/games/duplicate On 11/22 Dr. John Baker asked about the Phaistos Disk (Crete, 17th century BC), "can it have been some sort of table game?" As I recall, this possibility was mentioned and discussed at the Colloquium on Board Games of the Ancient World, held at the British Museum in September 1990. Timothy Kendall of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, presented a fine paper on the Egyptian game of *mehen* (entitled, "The Egyptian Game of the Snake"), and I think he may have noted the similarities between the game and the Phaistos Disk. Unfortunately, the proceedings of that symposium are still in press, and I don't know that a publication date has even been set yet (but that's another matter). On 11/23, Dr. Joanna Smith wrote that the game in question is the spiral-form "game of snake" (citing W. Decker, SPORTS AND GAMES OF ANCIENT EGYPT, 131-33). She then broached the subject of small inscribed clay balls found on Cyprus about which Dikaios earlier conjectured were marbles for gaming (P. Dikaios, ENKOMI 2, p. 516). These balls are clay and impressed with Cyprio-Minoan signs, meaning uncertain (E. Masson, STUDIES IN MEDITERRANEAN ARCHAEOLOGY 31/1). Dr. Smith noted the similarity between these balls and small Egyptian gaming balls (viz. "marbles"), which were associated earlier with the "game of snake." Those balls are made of stone and are incised with decorative text. She described an illustration of an inscribed Egyptian marble in association with that game, published by G. Hart, ANCIENT EGYPT, p. 53 [middle left] (BTW, the source for this photo is noted on p. 64, "p. 53ml"). She quotes Hart's description of the marble, "the stone counters are sometimes carved with the names of Egypt's earliest pharaohs." My own extensive research into Egyptian boardgames and their religious associations has shed some light on the game of *mehen* (as the "game of snake" is properly called in Egyptian). The "mehen" is both the coiled serpent of that gameboard, as well as the proper noun, Mehen, denoting the specific serpent-deity embodied in the game. Regarding this game, note the following recent references: Decker, W. and Herb, M. BILDATLAS ZUM SPORT IM ALTEN AEGYPTEN: CORPUS DER BILDLICHEN QUELLEN ZU LEIBESUEBUNGEN, SPIEL, JAGD, TANZ UND VERWANDTEN THEMEN. Vol. 1, TEXT, pp. 608-11, 633-42. Vol. 2, ABBILDUNGEN, pls. 355-59. Handbuch der Orientalistik. Abteilung 1. Der Nahe und der Mittlere Osten 14. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1994. Kendall, T. LEXIKON DER AEGYPTOLOGIE, ed. W. Helck and E. Otto. Vol. 5, 653-55. Wiesbaden: O. Harrassowitz. S.v. "Schlangenspiel" [in English]. Kendall, T. "An Ancient Egyptian Board Game among the Khababish?" In his "Ethnoarchaeology in Meroitic Studies." MEROITICA 10 (1984): 711-15. Piccione, P. "The Historical Development of the Game of Senet and Its Significance for Egyptian Religion," 41-42, 217-27. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Chicago, 1990. [Available through University Microfilms] Piccione, P. "Mehen, Mysteries and Resurrection from the Coiled Serpent." JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN RESEARCH CENTER IN EGYPT 27 (1990): 43-52. N.B., the still important seminal study (although outdated in certain conclusions and syntheses): Ranke, H. "Das Altaegyptische Schlangenspiele." SITZUNGBERICHTE DER HEIDELBERGER AKADEMIE DER WISSENSCHAFTEN 11. Heidelberg: Carl Winter, 1920. The archaeological and artistic evidence for the game of *mehen* is found only in contexts dating from the Predynastic Period through the Old Kingdom (perhaps as late as the First Intermediate Period). Later in the Saite Period, the play of the game is again depicted on the walls of two tombs, as part of the neo-Memphite revival--when Old Kingdom artistic motives and themes were temporarily revived for socio-political purposes. The pattern strongly suggests that the *mehen*-game ceased to be played in Egypt after the Old Kingdom. Representations in the tomb of Hesyre and various other mastabas reveal that 2-6 people played at any one time (probably forming 2 teams of 1-3 players ea.) Gaming pieces included: 6 sets of marbles (6 per player) and 2 sets of feline draughtsmen (3 couchant lions and 3 couchant lionesses), probably 1 set for each team. That the game quickly developed significant and deep-seated religious associations (if these were not actually original to the game!) is indicated by the game's occurence and function in the Pyramid Texts and Coffin Texts (q.v. Piccione, "Mehen," passim). While marbles were an important component of the game, none have ever been found together with any *mehen*-gameboards. Thus, the photograph of marble and board in Hart's ANCIENT EGYPT represents a false assemblage, composed, no doubt, for illustrative purposes (a common practice in museum display). That marble does not belong to that *mehen*-board. Because marbles were also in popular use with games other than *mehen* (e.g., Petrie, NAQADA AND BALLAS, p. 35, pl. VII [1]), their occurence in an archaeological context does not necessarily indicate the presence of a *mehen*-game, specifically. Dr. Smith asked about the significance of Egyptian marbles which happen to be inscribed. Actually these are very rare, given the large number of uninscribed marbles recovered in Egypt. Most of the known examples are published by Peter Kaplony, DIE INSCHRIFTEN DER AEGYPTISCHEN FRUEHZEIT. Supplement, pp. 28-31 [1050-1052], pl. 2. Aegyptologische Abhandlungen 9. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1964. The specimen published by Hart, now in the British Museum, is incised with the name of King Aha. The marbles of Kaplony's corpus are incised with the names of kings of the Archaic Period, specifically. They usually derive from the mastabas and cenotaphs of these kings and are probably inscribed as such to denote them as the property of their owners. The kings whose names are found inscribed on such marbles include: Aha (c. 3050-3016 BC), Djer (c. 3016-2970 BC), Wadji (c. 2970-2963 BC), Anedjib (c. 2949-2897 BC), and Ninetjer (c. 2815-2778 BC). Uninscribed marbles have also been found in the tombs of these and other kings of the period. Other than this limited group of royalty, no other inscribed marbles are presently known to me (but that's not saying too much!). Note that the draughtsmen of other games (e.g., *senet*) are also rarely inscribed with the names of their owners (royal or otherwise). These incised Egyptian marbles probably were associated originally with *mehen*-boards in the burials. To my mind, though, there is almost certainly no connection between the Egyptian incised marbles and Dr. Smith's inscribed balls from Cyprus. (BTW, despite Dikaios' suggestion that these balls are gaming pieces, I am not convinced they are marbles for gaming. There is nothing to suggest that they could not, otherwise, have been used in some fashion as counting stones, for divination and sortilege, etc.). Whether or not the *mehen*-game was actually the inspiration for the Phaistos Disk of Crete or for stone slabs on Cyprus carved with patterns of coiling dots or for the Hyena Game of The Sudan is another more vexing question, and it is better kept for another discussion. Those interested should see S. Swiny, "Bronze Age Gaming Stones from Cyprus," REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ANTIQUITIES CYPRUS 5 (1980): 54-78 and Kendall's article in MEROITICA (cited above). However, because of chronological considerations--although I do not deny the possibility, I am far more cautious and hesitant than Swiny and Kendall in identifying such stones on Cyprus and games in the remotest backwaters of The Sudan specifically as *mehen* or as descendents of *mehen*. Peter Piccione peter_piccione@memphis-orinst.uchicago.edu ------------------------------ From: nbhansen@midway.uchicago.edu (Nicole B. Hansen) Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 18:33:25 -0600 Subject: Re: Hyena meat in Egypt I was just reading an article about dog burials today by Angela Tooley in JEA 74 (1988), 207-11, and she mentioned several cases that may be offerings of hyena meat. - ------------------------------ Nicole B. Hansen Oriental Institute University of Chicago nbhansen@midway.uchicago.edu - ------------------------------ ------------------------------ From: C R Pennell Date: Thu, 1 Dec 1994 09:08:08 +0800 (SST) Subject: Re: Herding Gazelles in Egypt In 1830 the British Consul General in tangier went to Marrakesh to present his credentials to the Sultan of Morocco. On his return he was presented with a number of animals including a clutch of gazelles to be sent back to King George. They all died on the way to Tangier, although some were replaced on route. This suggests 1. that gazelles ARE domesticated, but not easily, and are hard to move around. 2. that both the Sultan and the Consul though it reasonable to try, so clearly it was not unheard of - and equally clearly there were other gazelles in captivity to replace those that died. Richard Pennell History National Universeity of Singapore hiscrp@leonis.nus.sg ------------------------------ From: Ronald Leprohon Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 22:41:52 -0500 (EST) Subject: salted meat Dear Friends and Colleagues, I was just reading today one of the Kahun payri from the late Middle Kingdom, which contains a requisition for some meat to be sent over to a temple, for offerings. There is a comment in the letter about making sure no arrears occur in the deliveries, then a bit where the sender of the meat is urged to not delay with the deliveries. I surmised that this might have to do with the meat spoiling if left in a storehouse somewhere, but then I wondered if the ancient Egyptians ever thought of trying to preserve meat a wee bit longer by salting it. After all, that's what part of the mummification process is all about: put the body in natron to preserve it. Does anyone out there know of any ancient efforts to try and keep meat (and fish?) longer by salting it? Many thanks in advance, Ronald Leprohon, University of Toronto ------------------------------ From: "K.C. Hanson" Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 11:32:12 -0500 (CDT) Subject: Urbanization Frits N. asked about literature on urbanization. I would suggest a bibliographic essay by Richard L. Rohrbaugh, "The City in the Ancient World." _Biblical Theology Bulletin_ 21 (1991):67-75. This includes discussion of works by both ancient historians and social scientists. This is part of a series of articles called "BTB Reader's Guides" which are all bibliographic essays on large topics (e.g., Economy, Slavery, Honor & Shame, Patronage). (Mine on kinship just appeared in the current issue.) K. C. Hanson Creighton Univ. kchanson@creighton.edu ------------------------------ From: gdoudna@ednet1.osl.or.gov (Greg Doudna) Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 20:23:20 -0800 Subject: Ibexes and the Dead Sea Scrolls Supposedly, DNA testing showed some Dead Sea Scrolls were written not on skins from sheep or goats, but from ibexes. This is complete hearsay as told to me by someone from the Ancient Biblical Manuscript Center in Claremont, California. Greg Doudna M.A., Near Eastern Studies, Cornell - -- ------------------------------ From: Ron Tappy Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 20:53:52 -0800 (PST) Subject: Re: human sacrifice in ANE I do not know whether Jon Levenson's recent study on child sacrifice goes back that far, but it may. (On the Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son. Yale University Press, 1993, I believe). On Wed, 30 Nov 1994, Bill Smith wrote: > I'm looking for some material on human sacrifice practices > in ANE during late 3rd - mid 2nd millennium. Thanks for > any help. > > Abe Clayton > abe@mathnx.math.byu.edu > ------------------------------ From: "BRANDON L. FREDENBURG " Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 22:57:31 -0700 (MST) Subject: Re: Urbanization On Wed, 30 Nov 1994, K.C. Hanson wrote: > Frits N. asked about literature on urbanization. I would suggest a > bibliographic essay by Richard L. Rohrbaugh, "The City in the Ancient > World." _Biblical Theology Bulletin_ 21 (1991):67-75. This includes > discussion of works by both ancient historians and social scientists. > This is part of a series of articles called "BTB Reader's Guides" which > are all bibliographic essays on large topics (e.g., Economy, Slavery, > Honor & Shame, Patronage). (Mine on kinship just appeared in the current > issue.) Do you have the bibliographic citations for the others in this series of articles? I would find it very helpful to have them, or to know when they began appearing in BTB. Thanks. Brandon L. Fredenburg University of Denver / Iliff School of Theology 2345 E. Iliff Ave., #9 Joint Ph.D. Program in Biblical Studies Denver, CO 80210 OT Language, Literature, and Backgrounds (Major) E-mail: NT Language, Literature, and Backgrounds (Minor) ------------------------------ From: Joshy@brown.edu (Joshua Benjamin Ewen) Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 01:22:17 Subject: Questions about how computers should handle hieroglyphs Hello. I am sorry that I have not yet been able to find the revised edition of my paper on Unicode and Egyptian. I have several million disks in my room, it seems, and that particular one isn't making itself overly evident (even when I go throught all of them...). Anyway, I have a few questions for which I would appreciate as many and as complete answers as people are willing to give. Anything would help me clear up a few of the remaining rough spots. 1. What should be done about the Demotic Normalschrift? In the arguement for its inclusion is the fact that it doesn't seem to be as dead as I had earlier imagined (I thought that Demoticists merely transliterate, but it seems that there are some who like to use a Normalschrift to at least some extent). In the arguement against, it seems that everyone uses his or her own, so it would be something of a problem to try to encode a "standard" 2. What concessions to hieratic should be made? My original thought was that the only special attention given to hieratic should be the distinction between signs that look very different in hieratic, but are the same as hieroglyphs (e.g., the "3" m and the "bird" m). From some more experience, it seems that the ligatures also give hints as to word breaks and so forth. A basic system could be adapted from the code points already in hieratic, but trying to do something with the obnoxious ligatures that occur in, say, late Official hieratic is another story... 3. It has been recommended to me that the sign layout be derived from the system commonly used in some of the more popular bird-processing programs. I am looking at some Old Kingdom Royal Edicts, and it seems to me that this system may not be entirely able to handle some of the epigraphic layouts. It is entirely possible that I haven't spent enough time working with this system to be able to do such complex layout. Please let me know what you think about these issues, so that I can resolve them for the final proposal. Thank you. -Josh ------------------------------ End of Ancient Near East Digest V2 #47 ************************************** To subscribe to ANE-Digest, send the command: subscribe ANE-digest in the body of a message to "Majordomo@oi.uchicago.edu". 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